Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill

8 reviews

vannahcabana's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

This book details the Scientology journey of the niece of the organization’s current leader. It was very interesting to read her story as a child through young adult years in the “religion.” I’ve watched several documentaries regarding Scientology and other folks leaving, but this was quite interesting being the current leader’s niece. Not an easy story to read but definitely interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Bullying, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Abortion, Infidelity, Stalking, Death, Sexual content, and Suicide

libraryshifter's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring tense slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

abookofwildflowers's review against another edition

informative inspiring sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Emotional abuse

erz02006's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

TLDR: The epitome of the phrase “truth is stranger than fiction”

Jenna’s childhood is absolutely bonkers. I’ve never read or heard of any childhood quite as bizarre. Every chapter I would just sit there in disbelief at what I had just read.

This book does a good job of illustrating Scientology’s beliefs and practices, their views on childhood and family, as well as highlighting techniques that are used to brainwash and keep people compliant in cults. I found it fascinating, although a bit sad.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization

stepnic's review against another edition

dark hopeful informative inspiring sad slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Bullying

Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Mental illness, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, and Suicide

Minor: Abortion and Death

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

 3.5 stars- I thought for a memoir the narration was excellent. It was quite slow-moving, yet there was a lot going on. I was so glad in the end that the outcome was what it was. I never realized quite how bad Scientology was. I knew it was bad, but not this much of a total cult. The fact it has been declared a religion in the US is terrifying! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Slavery, Abandonment, Confinement, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Bullying, and Child abuse

Moderate: Infidelity and Sexism

Minor: Abortion

grimviolins's review against another edition

dark emotional informative medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting

Minor: Abortion, Confinement, Sexual harassment, and Stalking

libraryofkayla's review

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry

Moderate: Confinement, Child abuse, Abandonment, and Gaslighting