Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

17 reviews

toofondofbooks_'s review

dark informative slow-paced

5.0

This is a solid nonfiction book that is an examination of different types of cults within our society and how those who lead them use language to manipulate their followers. On the other hand, this book is also about how many of us have already fallen into cultish groups/dynamics. The inside flap reads, "We secretly want to know, 'could it happen to me?' Amanda Montell's argument is that on some level, it already has." From Instagram to Heaven's Gate, Montell describes cults and cult victims with both sensitivity and great intelligence.

I really enjoyed this one. It read easily for a nonfiction. I feel like even if you aren't a nonfiction person, you might like this. Anyone who has spent any time immersed in internet culture, interested in true crime, language, and obviously, cults will find something for them within these pages. I don't really have anything smart to say about it other than I really liked it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Homophobia, Bullying, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Suicide, Violence, Mental illness, Murder, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Rape, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, and Racism

Moderate: War, Cancer, Medical trauma, Car accident, Drug use, Miscarriage, Vomit, and Medical content

Minor: Stalking, Addiction, and Excrement

ashleycmms's review against another edition

challenging informative fast-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Suicide, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Cursing, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Racism, Death, Confinement, Cancer, and Emotional abuse

mateoj's review

challenging dark informative medium-paced

4.75

at once informative and genuinely funny (but never disrespectful), Cultish is right at the intersection of two things I've pondered studying seriously: sociolinguistics and religious studies. such a fascinating, engrossing book and a rare look at cults of all types with both criticism and empathy. 
also learned that the mom of one of my childhood friends, who is a well-respected professor with a PhD, was involved in an MLM scheme (LuLaRoe), which I think cements Montell's thesis that it isn't only the uneducated who fall prey to "cultish" schemes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Suicide, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Death

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Kidnapping, and Pedophilia

dealingwithdragons's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Bullying, Child death, Child abuse, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Ableism, Body shaming, Classism, and Cursing

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Cancer, Confinement, Stalking, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Vomit, Alcohol, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Racism, and Trafficking

Cults and "cultish" organizations do a lot of terrible things.

yeojinqueen's review

informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Drug use, Misogyny, Rape, Addiction, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Murder, Pedophilia, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

eldritch_flower's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

 I've always had an interest in cults. Not joining one, so don't freak out. But I am an active listener of the Cults podcast and I spend a lot of my free time watching documentaries on cults in general.

This book does talk about some of the more well known cults to give foundation to the points Montell makes later in the book, but what I found most interesting was the parallels between those cults and the groups she brings up as "cultish" like MLMs and certain gym groups, and even some influencers.

The book has a heavy focus on language, which I'm sure you can gather from the title. The language of conversion is incredibly compelling and interesting.

But beyond that, the book is topical as it was written and released after June of 2020, so the anti-masker idiocy and QAnon bullshittery is also included in this with poignant commentary.

If you have ever had even a passing interest in learning about cults, it's worth the read. I definitely had fun with it and I feel like I came out of it with new knowledge(as someone who's been reading about cults for more than a decade, I think that's a pretty big feat). 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Drug use, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Violence

sjanke2's review

funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Death, Drug use, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicide, and Toxic friendship