Ehhhhhh. I really wanted to enjoy this one (I've been in a cult era) but this just wasn't it.

It just seemed all over the place, the reveal was out there, and plot holes, unlikeable MCs, etc.

It might be good as an in between, palate cleanser or a what in the world did I just read ?

I'm not a professional reviewer so take my review with a grain of salt.

Many thanks to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review :)

Usually enjoy cult books but this one wasn't it for me. It was all over the place and I got bored too often. Kept reading because it was a gifted copy.
I'm sorry it wasn't for me and I hope many others enjoyed it

This had me creating theories left and right.

Told in 3 POVS, the lone survivor of a mass cult suicide, the cult's golden girl who went missing beforehand and whose eventual death is seen as the catalyst that led to the group's decision to end things, and the actual cult leader as he struggles to gain control of his members and decisions made leading to the deaths. I was not only hooked but impressed with the social/historical examination of prior cults.

The author was obviously inspired by several infamous cults past and present.

Highly Recommend to others who are into true crime and have cult knowledge.

The premise of this sounded super interesting, but I think why I had a hard time getting into it was because of the writing style. I found the writing to be repetitive, and the ending was a bit anticlimactic. So although I finished this book, as it kept me interested till the end, it was just okay for me.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

This was one that I could not even finish. I did not jive with the writing style and I could tell that this was not going to be the book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for this e-arc!

I loved this book. It was so compelling, chilling, and perfectly mysterious.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✨Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Dreamscape Media, and Netgalley for the gifted digital and audio versions of this book✨

2.5⭐️

This one was just not for me. I really wanted to love it because I am so interested in cults, and I’ve watched countless documentaries. Specifically about Jonestown, and the author does mention that Dom is supposed to be trying to imitate Jim Jones, but The Flock and what ends up happening is too similar to Peoples Temple. And The Flock didn’t even appear to have an actual goal in mind. The author just threw around cult phrases like “transcend” and “vibrate on a new plane” without putting any meaning to anything Dom was trying to accomplish as the leader of his cult. It just didn’t make any sense to me.

Neither of the main characters were likable, and they were both one dimensional. There really wasn’t any character development or emotion behind either of them. It left the story hollow.

And this may just be me, but I am a native Michigander. I’m pretty familiar with our geography. The author mentions the setting an unusual amount throughout the book. And she seems to have made up Iola, but was also making references to towns and landmarks that are real in Michigan. Why not just use a real town? She mentioned Lapeer a handful of times, and Lapeer is a town in mid Michigan, not in the UP as Iola is described. It just bothered me the whole time. 😅

Overall, this book was just a miss. I wanted to love it, but I just couldn’t.

I thought the premise sounded quite interesting, but it failed in the execution. I didn't care for the characters, And the pace was too slow to keep me actively engaged. There were a lot of unnecessary details which didn't add anything to the development of the characters or storyline. The ending was disappointing and somewhat random. I did enjoy the multiple timelines, though there were unevenly developed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC.

True Crime.
Podcasts.
Cold Cases.

Give me any of those three and I am in, let alone all three. I really enjoyed this one! I found it to be super interesting even if some of the characters were a bit surface level for me. 3.5/5 stars

I loved the initial premise of this novel with its mystery/thriller, cult, and podcast elements. However, I had a hard time connecting with any of the main characters and didn't feel as drawn in to the story as I had hoped. I still enjoyed my read and think it could be a good fit for the right reader!

EXCERPT: The mosquitos are out now, swarming my sticky, unwashed legs. Night's gathering fast in the shady nooks under the trees. I don't hurry to the garage.
A bony rabbit's foot dangles from the keyring. I try four keys, and the last one works. Before I push open the door, I notice that the sparrows and the starlings are loudest here. All the birds, it seems, talk over one another, just like the girls in the Flock.
I hear the low hum as I open the door. Both vans, idling inside.

ABOUT 'ONLY THE GUILTY SURVIVE': The mass suicide of a cult known as The Flock sent shockwaves through the small rural town of Iola, Michigan. Led by the charismatic Dominic Bragg, The Flock camped at an abandoned bird sanctuary before their sudden and shocking demise. The deaths came just weeks after one of their members, Laurel Tai, a local pageant queen, was abducted. The town turned its blame and fear onto the sole survivor, Claire Kettler–Laurel’s best friend. Burdened by grief and unanswered questions about her friend’s murder and her fellow cult members’ deaths, Claire can’t help but wonder what really happened, especially when the cult leader is nowhere to be found. When podcaster Arlo Stone begins poking around ten years later, determined to uncover the truth about the cult and Laurel’s murder, Claire is propelled back into action. In a desperate attempt to puzzle out the past and keep her secrets from being spilled for the entertainment of thousands of listeners, Claire must dig into a tangle of unanswered questions before time runs out and history repeats itself.

MY THOUGHTS: It's well known that I don't like books about cults. BUT, I just loved Kate Robards first book, The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard and, unfortunately, that overrode any reservations I may have had about reading Only the Guilty Survive.

Oh, where do I start? Firstly by saying that I absolutely hate writing negative reviews, but I was tempted so many times to simply stop reading this. Indeed, if it hadn't been a title I had nominated for a reading challenge, I believe I would have abandoned it.

I couldn't engage with Claire, the main character or, for that matter, any of the other characters. Laurel was the most relatable character. Dom drove me nuts. Why anyone would think of him as charismatic is beyond me.

The Flock and the cult story is the predominant one in the book; the podcast takes a very secondary role which is not what I was expecting at all. I believe the book would have been much stronger had the focus been on the podcast, the podcaster and what was revealed.

The 'mystery' re Laurel's fate was also swamped by a lot of confusing waffle - repetitive, confusing waffle - until I onestly didn't care what had happened to her.

And the ending? The less said about that, the better.

My recommendation? - don't drink the Cool-Aid. Ignore this absolutely stunning book cover and move on.

Will I return to this author? Definitely. The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard was a great read. I hope she can pull it off again.

⭐.5

#OnlytheGuiltySurvive #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Kate Robards holds a degree in journalism and works in communications at a nonprofit organization. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and children.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Only the Guilty Survive by Kate Robards for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

This was full of twists and turns. Every part of this kept me on edge and wondering who I can trust.
With an unreliable narrator and glimpses into the past, this is a complex cult murder mystery that was an interesting and wild ride.

Culty fiction is having a big moment, and that contemporaneous will draw readers to this one. The complexity of Claire's memories is interesting, and the ending is well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This was a decent novel. I thought the first quarter of this book was really good. However, I started to lose interest about halfway through. Nothing really wrong that made me lose interest, I just happen to be a big mood reader. Overall. I thought the book was good and I'm glad that I continued to read/listen even after I started to lose interest. This book ended up being a creepy, yet enjoyable thriller. I did enjoy all the narrators as well and didn't really dislike any of their voices. I am going to definitely keep an eye out for more books written by Kate Robards!

Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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A decade ago Claire was part of a cult called The Flock, a rural community just outside her home town. It all ended like others before them: people disappeared or died. But how is Claire still alive? And why can't she remember those final hours with The Flock?
When a modern day podcaster starts digging and turns the story into a series, Claire decides to cooperate and get to the truth.
The reader is taken on a journey that skips between past and present, old cult members and current day relatives, while everyone wants a piece of Claire.
Pleasantly paced, set in the right surroundings, the story ends quite unexpected and open ended.
Only The Guilty Survive indeed in this well crafted psychological thriller.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

This is mystery thriller with a podcast element as well as a mysterious cult related plot line!

The mass suicide of several cult members belonging to a group known as The Flock still hangs heavy over the small town it took place in. The group stayed at an abandoned bird sanctuary which is where the name comes from and is run by Dominic who embodies all of the typical traits of a cult leader. There is one survivor and her name is Claire. When a man with a podcast decides he’s going to take on the story, questions arise. Where is Dominic? Nobody has seen him since. And what does Claire know or remember? In an attempt to keep her life off of a public podcast for thousands to hear, Claire gets to work to get some of her own questions answered.

I thought this was a solid read! I really enjoy mysteries and thrillers that revolve around cults and cult leaders and this did not disappoint. I will say that the men in this book had me tearing my hair out and wanting to buy a punching bag, but I love it when an author can evoke feelings from me even when it’s hatred haha! This was a nice short read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Kate Robards, and Crooked Lane Books for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review! This published on August 6th.

I have posted my review on Goodreads, my Facebook book club, and will make a TikTok.

I was drawn in by the beautiful cover and the title. The fact that it had a murder of a teen beauty queen in a small town with cult involvement sealed the deal. Following Claire as she tried to remember the tragic events that she was a part of was easy to be drawn into. I enjoyed the dual timelines. It really helped to weave the story together. I would have liked Claire to be a bit stronger and I absolutely hated her husband Henry. I am not sure what he added to the story other than an annoyance. The ending felt rushed for me and didn’t really make sense to me. I was really invested in the book and felt a bit let down at the end. I still enjoyed the book and definitely don’t regret reading it. It was a good book just not great.

I really enjoyed Only the Guilty Survive. It was intriguing, tense and at times heart-wrenching.

It was interesting getting not only the perspectives of the cult members, but also the perspective of their enigmatic leader.
It felt very realistic, giving you a glimpse into what life in a cult would be like, and how easily people can be manipulated over time, and the tricks used to facilitate that.
At times it was a bit harrowing and depressing, but that just made it all the more believable.

This is the first book I've read from Kate Robards and it definitely won't be the last.

I highly recommend.

4 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Kate Robards for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

I’m a sucker for cults so I was invested by the first page. Sadly, my interest started to dwindle as the story continued. It was repetitive, and the ending and villain of our story was really anticlimactic in my opinion. I was hoping for more.

I liked it!! Cult vibes are not usually my thing but this book was intriguing. I loved the small town vibes but this one fell a little flat for me unfortunately. I think it had so much potential but the characters were boring and I didn’t connect with any of them. Overall, this was an okay read but I feel like it lacked that gut punch that I was looking for.