I was really excited for this book since cult-like religious memoirs are one of my favorite genres. However, after reading this one bit by bit over the course of a few months, I am 62% of the way through and putting it down for good. It is more about the history of the Westboro Church than Megan's life as part of it. At 62% she is considering leaving the church, but I haven't really gotten a sense of why other than the fact that she doesn't believe in the teachings anymore. Bible verses were used to back some of the Westboro Churches claims as to why they were picketing at funerals/events and then later on to back some of why Megan wants to leave. But I didn't necessarily see how the Bible verses supported some claims and I went to Sunday school for years. I think the Bible verses could have been translated a bit.

Overall, I feel like the idea of the book was better than the outcome. From the outside we want to know the day to day life of the Westboro Church community and why they were doing the things they were doing. But this felt a little forced as the content as a little bland. I am giving it 3 stars because other people may enjoy it more than me.

I highly recommend this book. It is well written, and suspenseful and inspiring all at the same time. Can not say enough good things about this author.

Fascinating journey. Most of us are aware of Westboro and their beliefs, even if we have not fully followed their exploits over the years. Most of us, however, would not have the opportunity or desire to have an in depth conversation with a member of the church to better clarify their point of view. Now, the conversation is laid out for us in this book. No awkward conversation or need to become hostile.

Megan Phelps-Roper explains with great detail the rationale used by the church and its members when operating as they did. There are not excuses and blame isn’t laid upon anyone. We also are introduced to internal struggle of the author and we follow along on her journey away from the church and transforming into her current self. You will gain a better explanation to the question of why the members felt there was a need for the establishment of the church and it’s ongoing beliefs. You also gain a greater understanding of the internal struggles someone faces during a major transformation of their self.

This group gives me all the feelings-- the bad feelings anyways. This woman is so incredibly brave and I am so proud to have read her work. This is definitely a book I will be recommending to all my memoir reading friends. This is a case where truth is much stranger than fiction and this is something that you just cannot make up. Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

You all know the Westboro Baptist Church. You all know the pickets, the obscene slogans, and the charged, emotional scenes between members of the church and counter protesters.

What you may not know is the powerful, moving, and borderline unbelievable story of Megan Phelps-Roper, the granddaughter of longtime pastor Fred Phelps. Raised in an environment where the majority of her extended family were church members, Phelps-Roper began picketing at the tender age of five, and spent the majority of her childhood and young adulthood firmly entrenched in the church's teachings. Her personal recollections of her family, the church's dealings, and the infamous pickets are told with vivid detail, offering glimpses into a world few beyond the church's members have access to.

The real story here however is the journey of growth Phelps-Roper undertakes. Her evolution from ardent and loyal church member to escapee is nothing short of a testament to the human spirit. From the subtle ways she begins to question church doctrine to her harrowing and heartbreaking flight from her family, the second half of this book is so engrossing I couldn't put it down. There's not much need to say more...simply read this book. It's one of my favorites of 2019, and instantly one of my favorite memoirs of all time.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux.**

Fascinating insight into life in one of America’s most hated cults. Fans of the Louis Theroux documentary will appreciate the turn around of one of the Phelps.

Megan Phelps-Roper was one of the most tech-savvy and vocal members of the Westboro Baptist church until her sudden change of heart and seemingly sudden departure from the church. Westboro Baptist church is best known for Fred Phelps and their picketing against the gay community, military funerals, and catch phrases that we at FangirlNation don't want to repeat to our audience of readers.  Today Megan Phelps-Roper is an activist fighting against hatred and cruelty. The new book Unfollow is a memoir of her life being raised in what is best described as a cult, and the terrifying period of her life where she chose to break away for the sake of her sanity and that of her sister Grace.

I was at first deeply uncomfortable with the idea of the book Unfollow. I figured it was going to be a collection of short personal stories that tried to make her look like she never wrote horrific things on Twitter or protested military funerals with delight. However, Megan Phelps Roper takes full accountability for her actions in Unfollow. She describes what it was like to grown up in a church where the King James Bible was the be all end all, though the interpretations were regularly used to make the female members of the church fall in line.  She describes punishments that qualify as abuse being doled out to "better" the children. Phelps-Roper discussed the strange feeling of being afraid of her mother but also seeking her warmth.

In short, Unfollow does not attempt to hide Megan Phelp-Roper from her past, but rather have her embrace her part in it and show where she has chosen to go from it.

Unfollow is available from Farrar, Straus and Giroux October 8, 2019.

This is not the first (or even the second!) book that I've read by someone who left Westboro Baptist Church. One thing that I've so appreciated about these books (and about THIS book, by Megan) is how the authors are able to show the multi-dimentionality of their lives. Neither Megan nor her family members are horrible people, nor are they blameless. They are- like all of us- humans who are somewhat flawed but trying their best to do what they think is right, sometimes with horribly painful results. Megan does a great job of speaking transparently to that quandary.

This book, uniquely, is filled with KJV scriptures running like a constant commentary throughout Megan's life, offering explanation for the inexplicable. Though the majority of the book centers on the lives of Megan and her immediate family during her time at Westboro, I was most interested in the story of her deconstruction- the first thoughts she had that were contrary to her teaching and how she worked through her beliefs after leaving. I do wish she had shared more about her current beliefs, though it may be that her beliefs are still in flux. She has interesting thoughts on political discourse in the Trump era, and I admire her desire to make a bridge for her WBC loved ones while expanding the idea of walking together, in spite of some disagreement.

I wish her the absolute best in her efforts....

Fascinating story. Makes we've heard about in the news, and now get to hear the story. Awesome.

Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Unfollow is tremendously well written. Megan Phelps-Roper writes with love about being part of the hateful and monstrous Westboro Church.
Although Megan is intelligent and articulate, it takes her many years to see through the vile behaviour of her church. It is not until the patriarchy in her church supplants her beloved, albeit violent and insane mother, that she starts to see the light.
Megan writes well about how her church is taken over by deeply conservative men. More extraordinary is the glee her mother shows in picketing military funerals and celebrating the deaths of innocent people. Megan eventually realises that God does not hate gay people, but is not sufficiently condemnatory of the people in the church for my liking.

Not only is this book interesting because of the author's story, it tells of the amazing mental gyrations used to justify the Westboro Baptist Church's actions. I live near Topeka and what those people do is sometimes so bizarre that you just have to wonder what they are thinking. This book explains the thinking behind the actions without excusing them. It's also a fascinating look at the author's religious growth when she starts doing her own explorations after having the interpretations forced on her for decades.

Born into a cult ThevWest borough baptist church the authors memories from childhood on are picketing against homosexuality and other lifestyles considers against the church.Her grandfather was the leader in this closed off family cult he ruled they obeyed.They would picket at funerals parks anywhere he judged evil.They marched screamed at picketed against this was the life she knew.As she grew questioning her life the evil spewing till the day she escaped to find freedom life even love.This is a compelling read open honest view of a family she loved but the hate she had to escape .#netgalley#fsg