Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

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

5 reviews

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