A review by samanthanleroy
Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett

1.0

I'm going to be generous and give this a 1.5. I kind of feel crazy and weird considering that a lot of reviews are generally positive. Maybe it's because I'm already versed in cult behaviors and patterns considering Jonestown research has been huge in my time as a history undergrad (note: I'm not saying I'm an expert by any means, but I do know a thing or two), but this book is not nearly as nuanced as a lot of the reviews make it out to be. The pacing is off, Emily is brought in too fast and her time in Italy came on too soon. Yes, she's lonely and homesick and yearning for belonging, but joining a cult doesn't happen in under a month. There's so much unnecessary detail and so much telling instead of showing, especially in the way of Emily's characterization. Also, don't believe the comparisons to Sadie. Sadie is a storm compared to the drizzle of this book. I'm really disappointed.