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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
I don't know much about Scientology, but I appreciated the way Remini described it. She didn't "bash" the church, but presented the facts as she knew them. Clearly, she was well educated in the church's structure and expectations of its followers. The reader was left to determine whether it was "right" or "wrong." Reading about how she became successful in Hollywood was fun and interesting, having seen her in most of the shows. I truly admired how Remini identified what she felt needed to be changed and tried to go about changing it in a productive way. This book was not her soapbox, but a depiction of her life written after she decided to make a change. Well done!
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
slow-paced
dark
fast-paced
Leah is amazing and she really went through it. I listened to the audiobook version and Leah did not disappoint. Some celebs that narrate their own book still sound a bit monotone and Leah sounded exactly how she is, which was really great so we know exactly how she was feeling as she remembered that time of her life. I had watched her docu-series on A&E about leaving scientology but I didn't realize she had written a book. I love her honesty and openness. I am always intrigued when listening to an intelligent person discuss their time in cult-like institutions; we always wonder how did they get sucked in to something so obviously insane - forgetting we're on the outside looking in. Leah is really brave for speaking out so boldly against a wealthy and dangerous institution. I applaud her for speaking out and being a place of support for those who previously left and are leaving. I hope we someday find out what happened t0 Shelly, too.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Great glimpse into the world of scientology from someone who lived it and escaped the cult. Her use of humor and her own personality in the narration made it quite enjoyable.
Fascinating behind the scenes look at Remini’s relationship with and eventual escape from Scientology. It comes off as a very honest accounting of her experience and I was drawn in from the start. It also helps that she’s funny. :)
dark
informative
fast-paced
“For most of my childhood and adult life, I thought I had the answers and most of the world was just lost. As I’ve grown I’ve learned that I know almost nothing.”
Leah keeps this potentially deeply disturbing recollection somehow light(ish) and relatable.
Most people never personally encounter Scientology, but readers from other experiences of spiritual abuse can easily connect to the perspective of a self proclaimed troublemaker.
Leah keeps this potentially deeply disturbing recollection somehow light(ish) and relatable.
Most people never personally encounter Scientology, but readers from other experiences of spiritual abuse can easily connect to the perspective of a self proclaimed troublemaker.
Troublemaker is Leah Remini's autobiography, on how her messy childhood, how her family eventually joined the Church of Scientology, her later disillusionment with her faith and how she eventually broke away.
Leah's story is one that definitely explains the allure of Scientology, when its teachings can at first glance come across as totally insane. It can be difficult to understand why anyone would subject themselves to a process called "auditing" (similar in concept to a confession, except far more invasive and more psychologically manipulative) or put themselves into financial debt to support the organisation. But Leah's personal story definitely helps us to understand how a person can find themselves grounded by the organisation, how Scientology can help them to make sense of a disorganised, inherently messy world.
I didn't know about Leah Remini before reading this book, only finding her name familiar because of her high profile exit from Scientology. So it was pretty interesting to read about how her struggle as an actress and how she eventually made it with King of Queens. Her caustic humor is definitely evident and is pretty entertaining to read. I imagine that her personality is certainly not for everyone though, especially when that wit is directed at you! Furthermore, Leah is brutally honest about her life, revealing details about her personal life such as how she met her eventual husband through an affair.
Despite all these ups and downs in her life, Leah continues to be a staunch believer and even introduces her husband to Scientology. The turning point in Leah's relationship with the Church is Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' wedding, where Leah starts to realise that the leaders are not living up to the teachings of their religion. The sheer hypocrisy involved is staggering and the practices of Scientology (the Sea Organisation and the pittance of a wage that they are paid, the hard labor that is doled out as punishment and the disturbing disappearance of Shelley) was terrifying to read about.
So why the lower rating for the book? More of a personal issue with autobiographies than the fault of the book — I find that I've got some questions that were left unanswered. For example, why did her older sister decide to leave Scientology? Leah also later mentions that she actually kept in contact with some individuals that were labelled as "Suppressive Persons", but why did she do so? Especially since at that point in time, it seemed like she was still a naive believer of Scientology.
Leah's story is one that definitely explains the allure of Scientology, when its teachings can at first glance come across as totally insane. It can be difficult to understand why anyone would subject themselves to a process called "auditing" (similar in concept to a confession, except far more invasive and more psychologically manipulative) or put themselves into financial debt to support the organisation. But Leah's personal story definitely helps us to understand how a person can find themselves grounded by the organisation, how Scientology can help them to make sense of a disorganised, inherently messy world.
I didn't know about Leah Remini before reading this book, only finding her name familiar because of her high profile exit from Scientology. So it was pretty interesting to read about how her struggle as an actress and how she eventually made it with King of Queens. Her caustic humor is definitely evident and is pretty entertaining to read. I imagine that her personality is certainly not for everyone though, especially when that wit is directed at you! Furthermore, Leah is brutally honest about her life, revealing details about her personal life such as how she met her eventual husband through an affair.
Despite all these ups and downs in her life, Leah continues to be a staunch believer and even introduces her husband to Scientology. The turning point in Leah's relationship with the Church is Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' wedding, where Leah starts to realise that the leaders are not living up to the teachings of their religion. The sheer hypocrisy involved is staggering and the practices of Scientology (the Sea Organisation and the pittance of a wage that they are paid, the hard labor that is doled out as punishment and the disturbing disappearance of Shelley) was terrifying to read about.
So why the lower rating for the book? More of a personal issue with autobiographies than the fault of the book — I find that I've got some questions that were left unanswered. For example, why did her older sister decide to leave Scientology? Leah also later mentions that she actually kept in contact with some individuals that were labelled as "Suppressive Persons", but why did she do so? Especially since at that point in time, it seemed like she was still a naive believer of Scientology.