Scan barcode
hallie_hey's review
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Rape
Moderate: Eating disorder and Fatphobia
knatreads501's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Incest, Pedophilia, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Eating disorder, Suicide, and Murder
bitesizedbeet's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder
carriemae's review against another edition
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
beadingrainbow's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
Minor: Fatphobia
playswithstring's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, and Deportation
growintogardens's review
3.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, and Fatphobia
The descriptions of assault are really graphic. Also, rape/assult continues throughout the book.hookerkitty's review against another edition
2.0
This had potential, but missed the mark. While the first chapter about the history could’ve been interesting, it ended up being so incredibly dry that I almost gave up then.
After that there was SO MUCH unnecessarily graphic depictions of child physical and sexual abuse, and sexual abuse of adults. She didn’t need to go into so much detail; it was wildly uncomfortable and difficult to get through. It doesn't help that she wrote everything in the present tense. She wrote somewhat childlike for instances that happened when she was younger, but also used words that no 3 or 4 year old would use (or hell, most of the people there since they were only allowed a sixth grade education — side note: them having at least one spelling error in the titles of their educational material cracked me up).
I also find it hard to believe she remembered all that stuff in such detail from when she was that young. There were other instances throughout the book that also seemed like they skirted the lines of truth. (I’m not at all accusing her of fabricating her story, just that some instances here and there seem a little embellished).
There was more than one instance where she used a word without telling the reader what it meant. It was annoying to have to Google stuff to understand what she was talking about. I didn’t realize until I had finished the book that there was a glossary at the end. While that’s nice to have, a short definition when the word is introduced would’ve been much more appreciated.
It started to get better (or less uncomfortable) halfway through the book, but then dear god (hah) did her superiority complex come out. Lots of cringey thoughts and behaviors. The end had some stuff in it that I found useful, or at least could be a building block for some of my trauma processing.
I decided to look at her website (prompted by another review) and it seems that she has turned into the people she says she escaped from. Tons of red flags of courses that’ll fix your life with no mention of price, only an email, and she even went on Dr. Oz. Yikes on trikes all around.
I’m definitely disappointed with this book. I’ve always been fascinated by cults, but this went waaaay too graphic about the multitudes of abuse that happened (to both adults and children), with hardly any reflection of how it affected her. She can still be quite defensive about everything. I’m also disappointed in how she went from having no self esteem to rocketing over to pretentious and egotistical. I’m really glad I got this on Prime Day instead of paying full price for it.
Another side note - did anyone else get the feeling that she might be bi or gay? Her portrayal of some of the girls/women were much more descriptive and seemed like she was way more attracted to them than any of the boys/men in this book
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Incest, Racism, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Deportation
howlinglibraries's review against another edition
2.0
First, let me get the obvious bit out of the way: Faith Jones' childhood was a horrifying example of what happens when religion and rape culture mix, and my heart aches for her and every other person who has been through similar experiences. I commend her on the courage it must have taken to write this book in the first place.
Now, I'm going to be brutally honest: this book was a chore to read and I felt like it was never going to end. The writing is dry and sterile, the dialogue is stilted, and at risk of sounding unkind, it felt to me that Jones attempts to control the narrative by sweeping things under the rug that she doesn't want to focus on.
The book starts off with Jones telling us that she has forgiven her parents and has a good relationship with them today, and as the book goes on, that introductory piece feels more and more defensive as her parents are revealed to be incredibly abusive people who never actually seem to understand where they went wrong. Maybe I'm too hung up on one particular incident, but am I actually supposed to feel an inkling of empathy or kindness towards two adults who literally had sex in front of their toddler to "teach" her about "God's love"?
That complaint leads me to my next point, which is that the child sexual abuse in this book is presented in the worst, most graphic way. I have no issue at all with survivors recounting their experiences in matter-of-fact ways, but the way Jones dwells on the most graphic elements of these memories felt unnecessary and I was immensely uncomfortable reading them. I saw one reviewer say that it read less like a memoir and more like an evidence file at these times, and I agree with that sentiment.
Finally, this is the part of the review I'm most hesitant to write because I know Jones is the heroine of this story and we're meant to be amazed by her endurance and courage in the end, but it's very difficult to enjoy reading Jones' narrative when she comes across as such a judgmental, arrogant individual. Examples:
• she clearly others the people of many of the locations she has lived in around the world and has a "savior" complex
• judges her college friends for not being as studious as she is (and therefore "lazy") because they smoked pot
• obsessively fat-shames a former partner (and was so unkind to him while they were together that he admits to developing severe anorexia after their relationship - I'm not saying anyone is to "blame" for another person's mental health struggles, but this is a screaming red flag to me)
• is very judgmental towards individuals struggling with drug addictions
• brags about how "difficult" she was as a student because she was convinced that she deserved only perfect grades
• overall has a very "bootstraps" mentality towards her college years despite the fact that she was given money, cheap or free housing, and a multitude of opportunities by family members, friends of family, etc. throughout the entire process
All of that culminates in the final section of the book, where she talks about healing and overcoming her trauma, which had some really powerful and inspirational moments that would have hit me a lot harder if she hadn't also spent that section defending some elements of the abuse she underwent (such as the "child sex games", which she essentially states weren't abuse because the kids consented to each other's advances, despite the fact that children can not consent, period, and having small children engage in sexual activity isn't less abusive just because they had fun doing it!).
To bring it all around, I'll say it again: I'm glad that Faith Jones got out of this horrific cult and it breaks my heart that she underwent such terrible abuse. I simply think that this book would have benefited tremendously from being written as a biography instead of an autobiography, perhaps with a middle person between Jones herself and the writing to step in from time to time and hold the reins back a little. I don't recommend this book and honestly regret picking it up, if only for the way some of the CSA depictions in the writing triggered me and will unfortunately stick with me for a long time to come.
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, and Murder
opheliasviolence's review against another edition
Trigger warning for the entire book. There's abuse of all kinds and SA.
This was hard to read at times. It's beyond infuriating to read what happened to the author. How her parents let the abuse happen. Even encouraged it.
This book was fucking disturbing. There's no other way to say it. The magic trick thing made me want to vomit. As did the sharing. There was so much heartbreak in her life.
I think it's important that Faith got to tell her story. I'm so glad she got out. Her strength and perseverance were incredible.
I'm not going to rate this. Read this knowing that it contains child abuse. Just be prepared. The author gives descriptions that may be triggering to some people.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Fatphobia