This is an amazing true story of an abused child brought up in a cult who grows up to be a woman in STEM and not only surviving but thriving. Definitely worth a read.

I would have loved more in general. More about how the author recovered from their time in the group, what happened to the cult, etc. but I still enjoyed it.

If you've ever been curious about the inner workings of a cult, but basically avoid them because they're scary enough, this is your comic. Amy Rose shares her personal experiences with the reader, which she had to live through as a child in a cult's "prison". We see her increasingly entrapped mother who also breaks off contact with her husband. We see a life controlled and influenced by the Leader, the appearance of dependency, and the fear mongering. It was frightening to see the effects of manipulation, though fortunately Amy has a huge desire to learn and at one point is placed in good foster care. It was more interesting and informative than likeable. The drawing style was a little empty for me, however, perhaps this was the illustrator's way of giving a sense of the lonely life.

Occulted is a graphic memoir that charts the difficult process of a child growing up in a cult for the sake of her ailing mother, who believes in the healing abilities it claims to have. The book charts the kind of manipulation cult leaders employ and the methods they use to keep their flocks isolated and dependent. Young girl Amy is inquisitive enough to never fully buy into the cult's beliefs, though her (literal) dreams are filled with its rhetoric and dogma, even as she tries to find a way out; giving the reader some subtle insight into the ways in which the cult gets into people's heads.

Jeongmin Lee's art has a spare line, and is framed in a "documentary" style with longer shots on rooms and action that create a "cold" emotional experience in the work. A strong accessible piece of graphic storytelling that enhances the sense of emotional isolation and harm through its use of spare visuals.

This read absolutely broke my heart! The combination of the simple but emotive artwork and the heartbreaking story that Amy told of herself as a young child just made me wish I could reach through the pages and give little Amy a hug. Cults are bad enough as it is, and they give me the creeps, but the way children were treated here was just despicable. It’s difficult to truly rate a memoir, but I will simply say that I found this to be moving, although I did find myself wishing that we found out what happened to Amy’s sisters and mother, or even what ended up happening with the cult. But then again, perhaps that wasn’t necessarily the point here, but rather the hope and strength that can be found between the pages of a book.

As someone who has always been fascinated with the inner workings of cults but struggles with reading non-fiction, this book was everything I needed.

The graphics allowed me to see/feel the narrator's story and emotions as a child raised within a cult. Who had enough self-awareness to recognize that things were off and the leader's manipulative and abusive behavior was not normal.

I will be going down a rabbit hole to learn more.

. Amy Rose is a young gurl who grew up in an emotionally abusive cult. The cult leader despises her, and keeps Amy from learning. The cult leader instead forces Amy to work: sweeping, caring for prospective members’ children, etc. Amy is taken from her mother and passed around to other members of the cult to take care of.
This book is so hard to read, content-wise. I am glad Amy’s story was told through graphic novel format, I’m not sure I would have been able to stomach a traditional book’s formatting on such abuse.
While I enjoyed this book, I found the ending to be quite lacking. Amy is never reunited with her sisters, and that leaves me wondering about them. We never hear what happens to Amy mom - I wonder if Amy even knows? My biggest frustration is that the name of this cult community isn’t listed. Perhaps due to fear but… I still was left wondering.
Overall, this was a great book. I am grateful to have received a copy of it. Thank you Netgally, Amy Rose and Letter Better publishing.

4.5

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Occulted is a graphic novel memoir about a little girl that grows up being raised in a cult. I really enjoyed the format of this being a graphic novel, especially since we’re seeing the story through the eyes of a kid (Amy)

I would really recommend this if you’re interested in cults! It’s a super quick read but very impactful

Occulted was definitely a fresh read. I thoroughly enjoyed the art style and appreciated how the author handled difficult topics in a way that is accessible for younger audiences. As an adult reader, it was interesting to see how themes are intentionally tackled from a child-like point of view, alluding to the author's opaque understanding at the time. I've been really into autobiographies, but this is my first graphic memoir, and it was definitely a win.

A very frank graphic novel memoir looking over Amy's childhood within a cult and her eventual escape from that cult.

This was a very illuminating and interesting look into what it was like for a small child to be indoctrinated into a cult from a very young age, and her battle to learn what was and wasn’t true with all odds set against her. I found myself totally inspired by her resilience and strength, and her ability to push back even after she had been silenced for years. I’m a huge fan of the graphic novel memoir, and this worked so well in this format.

I do wish we had gotten a bit more context for the cult Amy Rose was a part of. What’s it called? Is it still around? What happened between her and her father as she grew older? I think it left a lot out likely because it is aimed for children, and building awareness at a young age that not all authority figures are to be trusted. I wish there was a follow up or epilogue of some sort to answer these questions regardless, or maybe a link for further reading for the adult readers.

Thank you to Letter Better Publishing and NetGalley for this eArc!

Memoir Graphic novel that takes a look at cults from a child’s pov that was raised in one.

This was pretty emotional and scary. That poor baby I just wanted to hold the main character. Horrifying how people get wrapped up in these cults and passively observe abuse.

A great look into cults.
Prepare to cry.

Thanks to Netgalley and Better Letter Publishing for an eARC.

This was a very interesting graphic novel about how the author, Amy Rose, grew up in a cult. The author goes through her time at the cult with her family, showing us what their experience was like through the lens of a child. As she grows up, things change and eventually she does escape from the cult.

I thought that this was a very interesting graphic novel. I've read lots of books about cults but never a graphic novel one from a survivor who was there as a child. I really liked how the author put the story together and the artwork was very nicely done as well. Overall, I think that this was a great book that everyone should check out.

A very simplified version & discussion on cults & coercive control. One I'd probably show my kids as they get more inquisitive about life and teaching them that just because someone seems nice they may not have their best interests and heart.

The art work is very well done also.

Wasn't my kind of book, but I can see how it could be helpful for people to find they have a voice and it matters. Kind of simplified storyline and graphics. Will probably purchase for our library to have a more well-rounded world view.

Thank you to NetGalley, Iron Circus Comics, and Letter Better Publishing Services for access to an eARC of Occulted by Amy Rose and Ryan Estrada in exchange for an honest review.

CW: verbal and emotional abuse, isolation, cult, suicide, suicidal ideation, depression, chronic illness, abandonment, check full list on StoryGraph.

As a 3 year old, Amy Rose and her parents arrived at The Temple, seeking the promise of healing for her mother's chronic illness. For years, Amy was forcibly separated from her parents and deemed worthless by the cult's charismatic and manipulative leader. Amy eventually finds books and knowledge to be a comfort to her. As she begins to read more, she learns things that make her question what the truth really is. In the end, she learns to stand up for herself and leave the cult, eventually attending a traditional high school and going on to college where she becomes a researcher in the field of astronomy.

This was a fascinating graphic memoir. I found it quite engaging to see a cult with the eyes of a child as narrator. The reader goes on a journey with Amy as she begins to question and learn what feels true and authentic to her. Amy's resilience in the face of trauma and her bravery as a child standing up to the authority shines through the pages of this memoir.

A well written and age-appropriate exploration of life within a cult, from the point of view of a child member. The only downside for me was that the art was hit or miss.

Graphic memoir Occulted is an interesting look into one person's experience growing up in a cult, surrounded by misinformation and isolated from much of the outside world. Since the world of true crime and cults frequently intersect, I think youth and adults interested in true crime are an excellent audience for this work. Readers who were curious, questioning children will relate to Amy's desire to know more and will admire her tenacity in finding the truth - even if she must do it on her own. Recommended for high school and public libraries.

75%

This was a very interesting insight into how cults can affect children growing up in them - and how cults control people in general. As fascinating as this perspective was, I am left with so many unanswered questions: why didn't her father take her with him when he left the cult? why didn't the aunt take the younger kids when she took the older one? did no one ever come looking for Amy and try to get her away from the hellhole? why didn't her semi-foster parents fight for her? did her mother ever get out? did she ever reconnect with her sisters? what was it like rejoining her father after so many years? have there been long-term effects of the cult on her? is the cult still around?

Some sort of afterword answering these kinds of questions would bump this up to 4 stars for me.

This was a very interesting look inside a cult form a child's eyes. The author grew up in a cult near the Heaven's Gate cult. She was stripped of her family members one by one and the kept mentally abusing her until finally she was sent away to live with her father - finally getting to live a "normal" life. This was a lot more emotional than I expected. It is so frustrating to see people sucked into something that requires them to treat their loved ones so poorly and sacrifice everything for a made up "cause". What a traumatic experience for a child to survive.