I’m super into culty novels right now so this one did not disappoint! So creepy to see the workings of a cult from “the inside”!

This was a good thriller. I like the world building and the characters was nicely fleshed out. Also , I thought it was a fast paced book.

DID I LIKE IT?
OH MY GOD YES!

FAVORITE CHARACTER?
Emily! I feel like we really got to see an entire character arc for her, and it was just mind blowing, everything that she went through. I think she needs to go spend some time in a rom com now though, just to feel better about everything that happened.

WILL I RE-READ IT?
Probably? I don’t tend to reread thrillers that much because the suspense is something I actually like for those, but it was so good that I might anyway!

THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE BOOK
cults, manipulation, suspense

QUICK THOUGHTS
I really loved the chapter dividers, which were little facts and definitions about cults and manipulation. It was really interesting to see what they were doing to manipulate her as they were doing it.

Those Who Prey is a dark and gritty YA novel centered around religious cults. It was a pulse-pounding read that I absolutely could not put down. I haven't seen many people talking about it on social media, but I think this is such an underrated read. I can't wait to see what Moffett writes next!

A well-written story that effectively displays how cults prey on people who appear vulnerable, and how these cults use people's emotions to lure them into things that they wouldn't normally approve of doing if they weren't conditioned by someone that they grew to trust. A must read for YA fans who are interested in the psychology behind people to submit to cults.

Cults? Fanaticism? Preying on a lonely college girl? Sign me up! (That doesn't sound very nice, does it?) This was a good book, especially considering it was a debut. I'm not 100% in love with it, but I always enjoy reading about the ways cults manipulate people in such slow and subtle ways.

I am a sucker for books about cults. They're just so terrifying and mysterious. Those Who Prey did NOT disappoint! Five stars for this thrilling story. Will be purchasing for the library's YA collection.

The first and the last thing I noticed is how terrifying the idea of this book is, and the fact that it could happen to anyone. Emily is lonely during her freshmen year of college, she craves friendship, connection and acceptance. She finally meets Josh, a boy from her region who introduces her to an inner circle on the campus & The Kingdom is everything she wanted.

But she slowly gets swept away in their schedules, prioritizing them over her work or classes. At this point I know she is in trouble, and this is not going to turn out well for anyone. But I can’t stop praising the writing by Jennifer Moffett


Emily is then chosen for an overseas mission and doesn’t hesitate to fly to Italy, where she finally begins to see and feel what the reads have been for a while. But by this time I am paranoid. While I did feel bad for some characters, I didn’t want to trust anyone.

I won’t give details about other characters or what secrets unfold because you are going to want to start guessing those early on because of the synopsis and the mystery vibe. I would just say have fun and ride along the roller-coaster that keeps going up high.

After everything that Emily goes through even death, Jennifer Moffett, gives her an ending full of hope, which is one of the best parts and also very helpful and much needed after all you feel the same these characters do thanks to the vivid writing.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection and will recommend it to students.

Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett has one of the most interesting premises of any young adult novels I have read. It was nice to see the process of how a lonely college student can become a cult member, instead of from the after point of view. The time she placed the story (mid-90's) is absolutely perfect for this story. Moffett really understands how a cult draws in their members and keeps them. It was nice that the ending was realistic and not one based on happily ever after.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the e-book ARC.

This was an okay book for me. It was a little to light feeling for the subject.

I received the ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review

Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett was a riveting read about a lonely college student who unwittingly gets caught up in a religious cult. It was very realistic and highlighted how these groups prey on isolated and homesick college students. You can tell that this book was very well researched. I particularly enjoyed the note the author wrote at the end about the real groups that manipulate religious texts to their advantage. This book was respectful about the subject matter and different from other sensationalist books about cults. High recommended.

This book is beautifully written, and I was immediately engaged in Emily's world. However, this 'cult' is of a more normative (at least in the US) evangelical-Christian variety, at least on the surface, and that struck a little too close to home for me to really enjoy the plot. It was more triggering than anything, because of this. Also, some of the final events seemed very rushed and a bit over-the-top, given the slow-burn build up and the more 'realistic' depiction of the fundamentalist cult up until that point. The cult's focus on body shaming and its encouragement of disordered eating was also more tedious and depressing (albeit potentially realistic?) than interesting.

I really love books about cults. This reminded me a lot of The Girls by Emma Cline except as a YA novel.
Emily has moved across the country to college to escape her small town past. College life isn't what she thought it would be and she struggles to fit in with her peers. Sitting alone one day, she's approached by a group of students who invite her to join their church, The Kingdom. It isn't long before she's fully immersed in the church and on her way to Italy as part of a mission trip. However, the Kingdom isn't the safe haven she had thought as things begin to go awry.
I really enjoyed this book. I read it all in one sitting because I couldn't put it down.

So many good cult books are coming out this year! This one was really good, about looking for yourself in college and thinking that you find that in religion. The cult part doesn't come until much later, when you're so far in that you can't image ever not having been there. This is also a debut! Which is insane!

I read this novel in one sitting. It was heartbreaking and chilling in equal measure. The descriptions of recruiting and the process of being involved in a cult, along with psychological terms and definitions, was extremely poignant.

Well, I expected this book to be good. I was hoping to be that one who don't let we sleep tonight with a hundred thoughts in the night. But this book is so bland. I do not recommend.

We loved this cult-centric, YA thriller. Emily is an insecure but relatable protagonist who finds herself extremely lonely during her first year at college.

During her second semester she is befriended by a group of people that she initially sees as welcome and friendly, but things take a dark turn as she gets sucked further and further into their world.

The story is fast paced and suspenseful with compelling characters and takes a scathing look at the dangers of herd mentality, the vulnerability of youth and the necessity of community.

As someone who reads cult stories regularly, this was one of my (Haley) favorites. Overall, I give it 5/5 stars and recommend it to people who loved books like Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo and Godshot by Chelsea Bieker.

Those who prey was such a thrilling and emotional book. The story was planned very well. Overall I read this book in a day.
The story follows the main character Emily who is freshmen in college and is away from home. Her family doesn’t want her to stay at home, but well she does. The book starts with an interview and it makes you think the book is going to end on a sad note, but the ending is sad but in a different way. Emily doesn’t have friends at the beginning and she is dealing with loss. Emily is shown as alone and when she finds a certain group who approve her she feels like she belongs to the place. Her character is relatable as we all like her in a way trying to find a place to belong too or we are comfortable.
The story was well written. The issue the book deals with, is so difficult to write about but the author wrote this story in a way in which the reader is like what is going to happen next. The other characters also bring so much to the story. I wont say more because I will start giving out spoilers.

The entire premise of Those Who Prey really hooked me and it felt like it buried under my skin, as I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since. My interest was first piqued by the comparison to Sadie and then the mysterious Kingdom utterly convinced me that I need it in my life. Cults are such a fascinating subject and indeed the limits we’ll break in order to be accepted.

TW: grooming and recruiting, murder, bulimia, forced food restriction, sleep deprivation, drug abuse, suicide, death of an animal, conversion therapy and snakes

Moffett has crafted an incredibly terrifying book. Its terror lies in its realism and the slow, gradual way it pulls you further into the Kingdom and the book itself, as it moves to darker and darker territory.

The explanation of cult techniques and terminology throughout reminded you how easy it is to prey on and manipulate minds, adding to this hypnotic sense that permeated the entire book. This, combined with the snippets from an article on Emily, made every page feeling like standing on the precipice of a cliff, just one moment away from deadly peril. However, at the same time, you join Emily in being lulled into a false sense of security and soon The Kingdom is all around you. It consumes every aspect of Emily’s life so quickly and you feel like screaming at her to get out, as she becomes more and more controlled. You can see all the warnings flags through the privilege of distance but within the story, Emily is wrapped up in the whirlwind nature of the cult.

Emily is an excellent protagonist. She’s empathetic and kind, caught in loneliness and a desperate desire to belong. When combined with some mysterious elements of her past and traumatic events, she is a prime target for recruitment. She feels like an outsider, grappling with loss and being alone in an unfamiliar area, as well as the usual college insecurities. It’s so easy to connect to her and therefore you feel like you truly are walking alongside her as she experiences these awful events. I liked how you never really got to know some of the other characters, empathising the constant sense of paranoia and distrust that fuels much of the tension. You realise how little Emily knows the people around her, who is she is meant to trust implicitly and follow their every command for the greater good. It poses such a scary concept in how easily all this could very really happen to anyone, it could even be someone you know in Emily’s shoes. A lot of the book is character-driven, as you peer into Emily’s head while she tries to navigate this maze of relationships and deep secrets. The whole way through, there’s this sense of dread hovering over her and an ominous feeling of impending doom. You engage so emotionally and deeply with Emily that you get caught up on this wild ride with her.

Moffett sets the scene perfectly right from the start, with a startling and disorientating opening. You know something bad has happened, but you are slowly drip-fed details as you engage in Emily’s story. This tension and constant need to know what happens next had me racing through the pages. The sinister nature of the people around her and the lack of knowledge as to their ulterior motives puts you on edge and Moffett never really allows you to relax. Even after the final page, you’ll be haunted and possibly have more questions than answers. That demonstrates the depth and richness of the story created, its complexity and layered nature matches the mysterious workings of The Kingdom. The writing itself is just gorgeous as well, slowly enveloping you in its tangled web of darkness and treachery. You feel allured, drawn further and further in alongside Emily.

Those Who Prey is an unforgettable, nuanced exploration of the perils of extreme belief and manipulation, turning the media fascination with cults into an extremely compelling and tense story that ensnares you right from the start.