Scan barcode
erinsnider47's review
2.0
In theory, this book should be great. The concept had me hooked from the start. However, the message was lost in the execution. I like books that are thought-provoking and up for interpretation, but this book was just murky and convoluted.
sgraves444's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
house_of_hastings's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
gbennett92's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
dridavis's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cstonehamjudge's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is my first time reading a novel by J. Todd Scott, and the first one about a cult at that. The only conclusion I have come to is that I’m not sure if I loved or hated it. There’s a few things that I did enjoy. I appreciated the authors writing style and felt the story was well written, with just enough dramatic turns to keep the story going. I felt the story sets a good foundation, giving the reader insight into what a cult community may be like, and you can really buy into the beliefs that are described throughout. The use of short chapters helps the flow of the story and keeps the story moving along. However, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. There are multiple characters with interchanging names, which can be hard to follow at times. And although Scott does a great job at setting the tone with his characters, there was only one character that I was able to really connect with. This was a haunting story that takes place in an apocalyptic world, fitting into various genres that I think many readers would enjoy, if they can open their mind to what they believe in.
ralucarmichael's review
The writing was just not my style. I was dreading to pick up the book again.
kari_f's review
2.5
“We all want signs, want the world to make sense and mean something. But then again, we can find meaning in almost anything, if we look hard enough.”
I really wanted to love this book. Cults, magical realism (maybe?), and a thrilling search for truth sounded like a wild ride. I’ll admit a wild ride was had, but it felt more chaotic and choppy than I hoped or expected it to. The concept was great, but it felt like the author was trying to do way too much in this book, so the execution felt inconsistent and jarring at times.
Honestly, I felt like the best parts of this book were historical insights into real cults, and I could have gotten those from a nonfiction book.
I debated between a 2-star rating and a 3-star rating for this one. I bumped it up to 3, thinking I may just not be the target audience for this kind of book, but my cult-book-loving buddies had many of the same criticisms… so it gets a 2.5 from me.