Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Cults: Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them by Max Cutler

9 reviews

librarymouse's review against another edition

2.5

This whole book has an odd pro-Israel tilt, most directly addressed in the second to last chapter. The author notes the Zionist roots of many of the cults without ever considering or critiquing the role of Zionism in the destructive and deadly nature of the cults. Overall, this reads more like a poorly thought through encyclopedia of cult activity than the human-framed perspective promised by the title. In the chapters about the more violent acts committed by cult leaders or in the name of their beliefs, the author's focus was more on the act than the aftermath, which was unexpected with the title framing this book as focusing on the people who joined and the impact their respective cults had on them.
 I will not be listening to the podcast, and after the overt praise for Israel, I finished this book as a hate read.

The narrators of the audio version of the book pronounce religious terms like "vicar" oddly. There should have been some oversight to make sure a book about cults and religious movements that became cults had their terms pronounced correctly 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infertility, Antisemitism, and Abandonment

brookiet1220's review against another edition

challenging dark informative medium-paced

3.75

This book discusses cults from around the world in vignettes.  Each vignette being read by a different narrator makes the experience better than if one narrator read them.  There were multiple psychological studies referenced throughout the book.  These references were easily intertwined in the text and not to heavy on using complicated medical terms.  While every cult discussed in the book had out there beliefs, raelism had some of the craziest. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia and Sexual violence

growintogardens's review against another edition

dark informative medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment

thedistortionist's review against another edition

dark informative sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Suicide

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, and Sexual violence

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, and Death of parent

beholderess's review against another edition

informative sad medium-paced

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Sexism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual violence

kylieabbynormal's review against another edition

dark emotional informative medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexism, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Abortion

Minor: Death of parent

hubes's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

3.0

Too much (armchair) diagnoses and not enough nitty-gritty of life in each of the cults

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

onmalsshelf's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

2.0

Oof I’m disappointed.

As someone who listed to the podcast Cults that this book is based on, this book reads just like the podcast episodes that cover each of these cults. Would not surprise me if they just took the transcripts, cleaned them up, and sent to the publisher.

Beyond that, all of the cults mentioned here are some of the most famous cults that probably everyone already knows about. With how many cults were covered in the podcast, I wish a few more lesser known ones were included here.

Additionally, again as someone who listened to the podcast it’s hard to fathom why the podcast hosts weren’t included in the audiobook narration cast. I found myself wishing Greg and Vanessa were the ones sharing everything as the book was basically just a large podcast transcript. 

Sorry to my true crime book club that had to read this for our October 2022 pick.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

library_dreamer's review against another edition

dark informative tense fast-paced

4.0

 I've always been fascinated by cults. What makes a person fall for something that seems so absurd to the rest of the world? What drives them to do horrific things in the name of their group? Where is the line between religion or a fandom and a cult?

Cults by Max Cutler explores some of the most notorious cults in the world and tracks how their leaders rose to power. It is based on the podcast of the same name. I found that it did read much like a podcast.

For the ones I have read about more extensively like David Koresh, Jim Jones, and Charles Manson, this book offered a nice chapter long summary. I was left wanting to know much more about the ones l was less familiar with. I would say that this book offers a nice launch pad if you are wanting to learn more, but isn't definitive in any way.

CW: sexual assault, sexual assault of minors, slavery, gaslighting, violence, murder, suicide

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Gaslighting