Scan barcode
off2explore's review
3.0
If you've ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of a cult, this graphic novel is for you. When Amy's family joins this group hoping for a cure for her mother's illness, she becomes part of a strange subculture. The story is powerful and harrowing. My main reason for not rating it higher is confusion about who the audience would be. The marketing mentions "upper middle grade readers" and the main character is 8-12 over the course of the story, but many kids in that age group would find Occulted's depictions of abuse and neglect too upsetting.
mfrisk's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
This book is the author Amy Rose’s story about her experiences with an unnamed cult who believes the show Star Trek is based on real events and blends ideas from religious texts, the show, aliens, and popular religious figures such as Jesus and Gandhi.
The book discusses Amy’s experiences within the cult, her mom being manipulated to ostracize herself from the rest of her family including her, and later her escape from the cult.
The story itself is meaningful especially hearing the author’s past experiences with the cult but as noted by a few other reviewers I wish there had been an epilogue or some sort of concluding section with explained (if known by the author) what happened to her mom, her adopted family, and the cult itself. The jump from childhood to college years with very little tying them together just felt a bit rushed and like we didn’t get to know much about that time in between.
The book discusses Amy’s experiences within the cult, her mom being manipulated to ostracize herself from the rest of her family including her, and later her escape from the cult.
The story itself is meaningful especially hearing the author’s past experiences with the cult but as noted by a few other reviewers I wish there had been an epilogue or some sort of concluding section with explained (if known by the author) what happened to her mom, her adopted family, and the cult itself. The jump from childhood to college years with very little tying them together just felt a bit rushed and like we didn’t get to know much about that time in between.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
pachec_oh_no's review
3.0
Neat little graphic memoir of a cult survivor's childhood, and her journey escaping the organization holding her and her mother hostage. Amy Rose's determination to learn as much as she could of the outside world was inspiring, and I'm glad she finally got out. That said, I wouldn't really consider this a "happy ending". The graphic novel gives no indication of what happened to the cult or its members after Amy Rose's departure, or any sense of closure with her adopted family. I thought the last chapter was too rushed and rather disconnected from the rest of the book. I understand it's a memoir, and the connection between her escape and her later university life may not be very strong, but thematically for the book I think the authors should have said a little more. Even just an afterword would have been nice.
lillanaa's review
5.0
This book was received as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
From the first second I picked this up, I was hooked. Estrada always has a way with comics, and Rose's story is something that's handled delicately and in a way that doesn't feel sensationalized. These are things that are terrible, and they aren't shied away from, but they're definitely told from a perspective the intended audience will understand. This hits, hard, and does a fantastic job. A high recommend from me when it comes out, especially for how it unpacks how cults drag people in.
From the first second I picked this up, I was hooked. Estrada always has a way with comics, and Rose's story is something that's handled delicately and in a way that doesn't feel sensationalized. These are things that are terrible, and they aren't shied away from, but they're definitely told from a perspective the intended audience will understand. This hits, hard, and does a fantastic job. A high recommend from me when it comes out, especially for how it unpacks how cults drag people in.
naomiysl's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Very well-done, showign the bleak childhood of the author. I do wish for a bot more detail, either some insight into the emotional complexities to the characters that aren't her, or maybe just more about the various homes in which she lived. But what is there is well done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment