Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

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

14 reviews

shostakofish's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Incest, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Rape

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

tesslaah's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence and Child abuse

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual content, Misogyny, Trafficking, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Suicide

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

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

lealovesbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

This book was a fascinating read. The author grew up in the Children of God cult and this book recounts her experiences growing up and getting out. I read the book in a day. My only comment is that I’m not sure why the title was chosen. It seems like it was selected for sensationalism and not the actual content of the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Incest, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia

Minor: Alcoholism, Fatphobia, and Bullying

strawberrybookess's review

4.5

The end of this book made me weep. Going through a faith crisis & leaving a high demand religion feels like the foundation of your life is crumbling under your feet. It’s the most freeing & terrifying process that has truly defined my life. I would not be where I am today without the stories of others who have gone through similar things. Reading this book broke my heart & healed it at the same time. 

“I have not finished my quest for truth. It is continuous & joyous. Old ideas crumple as new truths are revealed through rigorous questioning.” 

“All things did work together for my good, but not automatically. I had to choose to create good from it & turn my traumas into strength.” 

“Our susceptibility to cults comes from our desire to have a source; an authority to tell us what to do & what is true.” 

“I’m doing this for those who have been oppressed, manipulated, & abused & need the words to stand up for themselves.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Pedophilia, Suicide, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Violence, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Misogyny

aiyam's review

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Trafficking, Rape, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, and Adult/minor relationship

wingspan's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, and Physical abuse

hearth_hobbit's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

Reading this was incredibly uncomfortable. Jones’s experience in The Family International was harrowing and disturbing  to say the least. I had a knot in my stomach the whole time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Trafficking and Abandonment

Minor: Racial slurs and Cancer