Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Sex Cult Nun: Breaking Away from the Children of God, a Wild, Radical Religious Cult by Faith Jones

21 reviews

bitesizedbeet's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Death, Murder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, and Eating disorder

carriemae's review

dark emotional medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Violence, Misogyny, Gun violence, and Emotional abuse

erebus53's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

This is not a book you want to start into without first being in a good place. It tells the personal story of a child born to a family pivotal to the Children of God, or "The Family"; a cult organisation based on some twisted interpretations of Christian gospel.

There is overt sexual content in the book, and descriptions of children brought up in a sexualised environment, with authoritarian discipline and privations of scarcity and poverty.

I think I would have not understood this quite so well if I had not already read about various social controls and the nature of Domestic Abuse and trauma healing. The descriptions clearly outline the methods that were used to create submissiveness, dependence, and unquestioning loyalty in people whose fundamental rights were being violated regularly.

Honestly the whole concept in such an extreme social context just makes me consider the societal norms and methods of oppression that we have in our daily lives and just normalise.. "that's just how things are".

It's a powerful account, but not really a fun read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Sexual content, Incest, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Misogyny

Moderate: Abortion

Minor: Violence, Cancer, and Deadnaming

redvelveting's review

dark emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0

I happened to pick this book up for free and it definitely exceeded my expectations. Faith’s detailed and well-articulated recounting of her life with the Family is uncomfortable and very difficult to swallow but also inspiring to see how she gradually comes to terms with the truth and finds her voice. There were definitely moments where I needed to put the book down to process what had just happened. It is not an easy read at all, even less so depending on your own life experiences. But while there were many moments of discomfort, I was desperate to hear that things worked out for her, and hence found myself wanting to read more every night. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Rape, Violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexism

growintogardens's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

3.25

I've read a lot about cults and personal memoirs from people in cults, but this one didn't really help me understand the cult itself. The descriptions of sexual abuse are so graphic, it's very difficult to get through. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Abandonment

Minor: Bullying, Addiction, Body shaming, and Fatphobia

The descriptions of assault are really graphic. Also, rape/assult continues throughout the book.

sara_m_martins's review

This book is far too graphic in the abuse described. 
Plus, the writing style and the form feel weird and dissonant, as the sequence of events goes from pages of different but relatively-mundane life (like building a wall) to extremely abusive and traumatic scenarios. 
Additionally, I think I would rather read a more removed perspective - i.e. a biography instead of an autobiography

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Self harm, Sexual content, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Incest, Animal death, Child abuse, Misogyny, Mental illness, Rape, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, and Violence

Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, and Drug use

lcoffey's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Something in me changed while reading this book. Emotionally it was very difficult to get through at times. She tells of experiences at each age from the frame of reference or attitude of a person at that age, so the reader experiences things through a lens of innocence or trust on through questioning and disillusionment. I was so proud of her by the end of the book, truly rooting for her success and happiness. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Incest, and Emotional abuse

smilagros's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

I feel very odd rating someone’s story. This is not fiction. This actually happened. I think that is what is so terrifying. I do want to acknowledge the bravery it must have taken to write this book. The story telling made me forget at times that this is someone’s life. Cults fascinate me but I also think it’s important to acknowledge that even though they fascinate me, it still is someone’s life. As someone who works with children, I flinched and semi yelled whenever an abuse was about to occur. I wanted to protect Faith and her siblings. I truly believe that everyone should read this because it gives a bigger perspective on the meaning of religion, power and the need to abuse people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Incest, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Classism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, and Trafficking

camsara99's review

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexism, Violence, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Rape, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Incest

librarymouse's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.0

Faith Jones's perspective on the Children of God cult, with the conflicting and wildly varied emotions and memories she has of her time there. Her story is unique as she comes as it through the lens of how she viewed the incidents at the ages they were occurring. She brings the reader along with the journey of her struggles, joys, and the ways her perspective changes as she ages and learns. Her need for proof and desire for knowledge and understanding is deeply understandable and admirable as she breaks away from the way she was taught to unquestioningly believe what those in positions of power say. As she notes, she is astoundingly mature and innocent in equal measure, and her capacity for forgiveness is admirable. It makes sense that she didn't break her personal relationship with God after her break with organized religion. The title Sex Cult Nun is also quite interesting, as she both devotes herself to God with a vow like a catholic nun, but she also proselytizes and attempts to spread her beliefs by living the ideals she'd been taught as a nun would.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Cancer, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia