Don't Call It a Cult: The Shocking Story of Keith Raniere and the Women of Nxivm by Sarah Berman

3.97 AVERAGE

melanierin's profile picture

melanierin's review against another edition

3.0
dark informative tense medium-paced
lilbroccoli's profile picture

lilbroccoli's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced
Really interesting and informative read, but hard to rate. 

se2macfa's review

4.5
challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced
Berman does an amazing job breaking down and explaining this twisted story, but I agree with other reviews that it feels like it ends too abruptly, I want more of the court proceedings and the aftermath of his sentencing. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
theremightbecupcakes's profile picture

theremightbecupcakes's review

4.75
dark emotional informative reflective tense fast-paced
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

khyland's review against another edition

3.0
dark informative medium-paced

suki_love's review against another edition

3.0
Well written. Reminds me how easy it is for disturbed individuals to prey on those who are vulnerable.
ataleofcoffee's profile picture

ataleofcoffee's review

3.0
dark informative reflective medium-paced
It's well written, but pretty hard to deal with due to the nature of the crimes involved. It lays out what happened in the Cult, the major players, the events, Interviews and Trial testimony. The language of the group is also explored, some of the methods used, and so forth. It's a very honest dive into Raniere's crimes and dealings, without being sensational. (Which after a lot of True Crime Podcasts, this is so refreshing.) If you want to learn about this case, I recommend it, but it is a rough ride given the nature of the crimes involved. 
crimket's profile picture

crimket's review against another edition

3.75
dark informative sad fast-paced
Fascinating, and Berman clearly has a deep and insightful understanding about the events she details. I was thoroughly invested but felt like the book ended suddenly. I'm kind of wondering why the trial section of the book was so condensed and just a report on the outcomes, essentially. I felt like there was more to that part of the story that should have been included, but I suspect maybe there are still unresolved legal issues preventing it since the case was so recent. 
a_chickletz's profile picture

a_chickletz's review against another edition

3.0
This was a story that I had had seen often in the news but did not quite understand it, beyond knowing that Alison Mack was involved and that it had to do with a cult.

I like to thank the publisher and Edelweiss for allowing me a chance to read it.

I think there was some excellent journalism here, and a very clear and linear plot line of Keith Raniere and his grooming and control over the women.

It kept escalating and escalating and the sickening bit through this all is that these are women doing these things to each other, to other women. It was painful the ritualistic things they went through all for some man who was gross as fuck to look at and talked of weird things.

abbie_reads_books's profile picture

abbie_reads_books's review

3.0
challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced