Reviews

Church by Renee Miller

n0rmann's review against another edition

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4.0

Another excellent read from cousin Renee? Isn't Renee Miller really my cousin? I doubt it. However, since I know no one on the Miller side of my family, I've decided to adopt her as a cousin so I can brag about having a talented cousin. The rest of my cousins are horrible!

exorcismofemilyreed's review against another edition

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5.0

"Damned before you have a chance to live. How right does that sound to you?"

Church is a novella that really packs a lot into a small amount of pages. This was my first time reading a book by Renee Miller, and I loved it. This book is incredibly bleak, and it's sad to read about these people giving up everything for something meaningless. It's an unfortunately familiar setting.

At a very different time in my life, I worked at & was way too involved in a church. This story brought back a lot of anxious feelings and anger (maybe brought back isn't correct - probably intensified since those feelings don't really go away). The story accomplished what it was supposed to - it showed the horror of a realistic situation (at its core - some parts are extreme, but the heart of Church is very familiar to me). It was stressful to read at times, but it makes for a fantastic horror story. Church made me want to scream at someone, and it was an effective story for me. I don't know if that expresses my feelings well or not, but that's the best way I can describe it.

I'm going to give warnings to potential readers for rape / lack of consent, torture, drugging, and suicide. There's a lot going on in this story, so just know that it's on the heavier side. This is not a happy book, and it's not a happy topic.

If you enjoy cult horror, Church is definitely one to pick up. This is a grim and haunting story, and I plan to reread it again later on. I'll be thinking about this book for a while. Renee Miller did a great job at capturing a disturbing setting, and I can't wait to read more from her.

hellbound's review

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dark tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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