Intriguing insight into how one gets pulled into a cult, the mental abuse that is inflicted, the struggle to escape, and the determination to rebuild in the aftermath.

I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.

One of the best books I've read in a long while.

I really need to start reading the synopsis on nonfiction reads. When I requested this from NetGalley it based completely in the cover, the little blurb on the cover and the title. This is not the first time that doing that has left me disappointed.

It really wasn’t that interesting. It felt longer than it really was. While there definitely was sex, crimes, chaos and survival, it was not executed in the best way. It was an almost emotionless telling of a story. Not to mention that I felt that the story jumped around here and there and that makes me crazy - I prefer linear timelines, especially in nonfiction.

Now I will say this was jam packed with information and the narrator did manage to inflict some emotion into the story - but I do feel like that’s the problem. This was narrated by the author, and it definitely felt like the narrator struggled to relate to the story and give a quality performance for a nonfiction audiobook. I will admit that I am picky about my nonfiction audiobooks though - I want quality narration (preferably by the author) alongside a great story. I didn’t get that here.

I’m still giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because I do feel that there were enough good parts to warrant them and I definitely believe that there is a long list of readers that will love this book.

When Spencer is an up and coming lawyer in New York City he meets someone he feels is a kindred spirit when he is introduced to a private group at first he wasn’t wanting to be a part of it, but then he promised he would go for a month and before the month was over he felt special that he was chosen to be in this elite group of secret successful professionals. He never wants thought that it would ruin his life but ruined his life it dead. Throughout his 23 year association with the colt he would say lives ruined marriages broken up babies taken away from its mother and all at the whim of one drug addicted alcoholic woman. Who everyone not only agreed with but revered and treated like a queen. Even felt special to be chosen to go out to her Montana ranch and work 12 hour days digging holes in the ground and the only question they asked her self is what am I getting out of this experience what is my aim for today? This was a totally crazy book and I am glad not only that Mr. Snyder got out of the cult but that he sold it to tell us about it. I totally enjoyed this read and it proves further the truth is stranger than fiction. I also thought the narrator gave a great voice for the tone in the subject of the book. I received this book from NetGalley in the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

This was an interesting story I have always been fascinated with cults and this one was unique in that it was almost a secret society. If you follow my reviews you know I like a book that makes me do more research and wow this one is a weird one and it didn’t end with the “school” people from the “school” went on to start different cults.

Narration by Austin Rising was good but at times a bit monotone.

Sometimes the pacing of the book was distracting but still an interesting story but I wish it had delved deeper into the workings of the cult.

3 stars

I received this audiobook from the publisher Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook!

Cults are always fascinating to me and this story was no exception. Spencer went from being your run of the mill lawyer, mildly dissatisfied with life, to being mentally, emotionally and financially controlled be a cult for 23 years. He is introduced to "School" by an acquaintance and intriuged by the mystery and hope for personal development. The meetings, guised as an "esoteric school," reeled hundreds in with their promise of close relationships and overall success in life. Spencers' becomes deeply enveloped in Sharon Gans' sick trap by marrying another member and becoming involved with a friend of Sharons' and client who essentially holds his career hostage. This story shows how easily mind control can be implemented gradually, without people even realizing it is happening. Definitely worth the listen/read!

This book was good, and Spencer Schneider's descent into Sharon Gans' cult is pretty crazy. Unfortunately, and this feels bad to say when someone is recounting traumatic events, it feels like he brushed over a lot of it. He was in the cult for over 20 years and I still never got a good sense of how they operated or the overall picture, and as a result Gans' School comes off feeling very run-of-the-hill "bad person says mumbo jumbo to trick people into worshipping them" thing. It was a woman instead of a man, but otherwise, I don't think the memoir delved deep enough to give this a sense of distinction. And ultimately, it is Schneider's life, and he is probably still working through a lot of it, so I hate that I feel this way- while trying to process and recontextualize your life after severing most of what you've known from your adult life, you probably don't think too much about making it feel *distinct* from other cults. But I think the main missing ingredient here is that I never really understood why Schneider (or anybody else, for that matter) chose to join Gans and put up with her over-the-top nonsense. Sure, he said they were taken advantage of and manipulated it, and I certainly believe him. But the book itself doesn't do anything to convince me.

That said, I do think it showcases how these groups can operate so long undetected and seemingly benign, and the run-of-the-mill quality of it does make it a bit more terrifying, like "how many more of these are out there?". And I think Schneider wrote the story well, I just wish he had waited to write it or delved a bit deeper. Also, it was narrated very well.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was decent enough. It was a great story. Very interesting. I just wasn't really impressed with the delivery of the story. It was kind of dry and the narrator didn't do it any justice. With a memoir like this one, I prefer the actual author to read their own story. I find it much more authentic this way. I like to hear from the author what they experienced. The person that narrated this story was not the greatest narrator and it took away from the story. The narrator was a little monotonous and just not exciting. However, it was a really interesting case. I'm very fascinated by cults and this one was quite shocking. I had never heard of this case before, so I immersed myself in it and finished it in one sitting. But my recommendation would be to read the print copy and avoid the audiobook.

I would give the book itself 4 stars, but I have to give the audiobook 3 stars. The narrator is what ruined it for me.

I'm a simple girl: when I see stories about cults, I am immediately intrigued. I picked this up not knowing anything about the parties involved. I saw the title and figured it was intriguing enough.

I was not wrong!

Spencer Schneider recounts the story of his life with the Odyssey Study Group led by Sharon Gans. We discover the amount of gaslighting, abuse, and the ins-and=outs of what this cult makes you do in order to survive and recruit. Reading this brought such a sense of fight or flight when I had to read the gaslighting done to the members of this so called "study group".

It was straight forward and to the point, and I really enjoyed (in a voyeuristic way I suppose) learning about that horrors this cult did, and was very glad to see Spencer leave it and help others in his own capacity by the end of the book!

My Thoughts: Thank you to @netgalley, @dreamscape_media, and @officialspencerschneider for an advance listening copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. First off, cults FASCINATE me and because of this, this book also fascinated me. It was extremely interesting to follow Spencer throughout all the stages of being recruited, joining, being active, and leaving the cult. I appreciate the authors candor and his ability to share his entire story in regards to his life within this cult. This is a must read or listen to anyone who enjoys learning more about cults. You can add this one to your library on July 5th! ✨

It feels off to say I enjoyed this book. Don't get me wrong, I definitely did, but it feels almost wrong to say reading about someone else's emotional and physical abuse was enjoyable.

Spence Schneider is a survivor. Telling his story is going to help others. It will not only help people who are surviving a cult but anyone who is surviving narcissistic emotional abuse.

My father is a charismatic, powerfully magnetic monster. I have always said if he had been a bit more ambitious he could have been a cult leader. I could read echoes of my past trauma in Spencer's. I felt healing when he healed, and almost personal triumph when he truly escaped.

Whenever the question, "Why did you stay?" is asked of survivors, I want to shout PERSPECTIVE. To many leaving does not feel possible, and often they don't feel worthy of it.

This was a beautiful story to read, and I was deeply moved by it.

Thank you so much to Spencer Schneider, Dreamscape Media, Skyhorse Publishing, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Skyhorse Publishing Arcade and Dreamscape Media for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this nonfiction book by Spencer Schneider, narrated by Austin Rising - 4 stars!

Spencer Schneider was a 29-year-old lawyer when he was approached by an acquaintance to attend a meeting of a group focused on inner development, called "School." This secretive group was made up of wealthy, successful individuals all focused on the "work." Sharon Gans, a former actress, led the group and felt she was almost at the level of Christ and Buddha. Schneider spent 23 years in this cult before finally escaping.

Cults are fascinating to me and this one even more so - how can so many very successful people get roped into being habitually degraded, abused and wiped of their money? And how can one person have such power over these people? There are many similarities to other so-called self-improvement cults like NXIVM and Scientology, both led by sadistic leaders who want only adoration and money. The more stories that we can hear about these abuses will hopefully bring these groups out of the dark.

Thank you Netgalley for an audiobook ARC for this book.. I am a fan of True crime and the subgenres of cults. I never heard about The School so being able to hear it from an ex member was very interesting. In this memoir you see how they target, separate, gaslight, and, abuse their " students "