I love a good cult book, and Gaslight kept me on my toes. I honestly had no idea what Dani was going to do; turn on Bex or leave the cult. I wanted a bit more of a concrete ending but I am happy with the story.

Audiobook with a fabulous narrator

Gaslight is a fire burning steadily...crackling and expanding and finally exploding when the story twists are revealed.

Rebecca (Bex) will do anything to keep her past secret from her husband Tom. The young family is quietly living in Nevada when an old friend comes to her door. Slowly but surely we learn about a Scientology-esque cult and the life Rebecca fully participated in and then fled. Why she fled and what happens next is shocking. Joris-Peyrafitte and Sheperd do an excellent job of humanizing all of the characters and building plenty of tense moments. I loved this duplicitous cult story and you will too!
#Julia Atwood #blackstonepublishing #audiobooks #gaslight #milesjorispeyrafitte #sarasheperd

Gaslight - Sara Shepard & Miles Joris-Peyrafitte REVIEW 📖

Thank you to @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for providing me with an Audible version of this novel.

After reading several dense books, I was looking for something a bit easier to dive into, and this book was exactly what I needed. It offers a fascinating exploration of the inner workings of cults, shedding light on the vulnerability of young minds and the delicate nature of both friendships and marriages.

One of the standout aspects of the novel was the detailed depiction of the cult itself. The author did a remarkable job of immersing the reader in the daily routines, the induction process, and the manipulative techniques employed by the cult leader to brainwash and retain his followers. The depth of insight into these dynamics added a compelling layer to the story.

The narrative unfolds through multiple points of view and shifts between past and present timelines, which provided a well-rounded perspective on the characters and their experiences. However, I did find the repetition of certain events through different characters' perspectives a bit unusual. It didn’t detract significantly from the story but did feel slightly off at times.

Despite this minor flaw, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the characters evolve throughout the novel. Their growth and changing personalities kept me engaged from start to finish. While it may not be a perfect book, it certainly held my attention and kept me eager to see how it would all unfold.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a gripping page-turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's an engrossing read that provides both entertainment and insight into the dark allure of cults.

This pulled me in right away. I liked the mix of perspectives and the way it alternates between past and present. I didn't re-read the synopsis before starting, which made the beginning even more riveting as I tried to figure out what was happening. But around 20%, I guessed a major reveal so then the game was to see if I was right. I was. There were some additional twists, but I was always a few steps ahead in figuring them out. My overall enjoyability of a thriller is greater when I am genuinely surprised and don't see everything coming.

This book has a lot of similarities to real-life cult stories that have been in the media in recent years.
  
Ratings
Quality of Writing 3/5
Pacing 4/5
Plot Development 3/5
Character Development 3/5
Narration 4/5
Overall Enjoyability 3/5

What is it about? Cults!! Who doesn’t love to hear about the wild and crazy leader of a cult and how they get people to become brainwashed and manipulated to follow their rules. This book was especially awesome because it really delved deep into the nitty gritty day in and day out of a cult. How it gathered its’ members and how the leader used manipulation and control to get his followers to do pretty much ANYTHING for him.

The characters: Rebecca - a woman who escaped the cult and has attempted to form a normal life for herself by getting married, having children, and staying off the grid. Danny - a girl who joined the cult in her most impressionable years (teens) and is in love with the cult leader. Tom - Rebecca’s husband, who knows nothing about Rebecca’s past. Ben-the leader of ISB - who claims a spiritual approach to life by defying victimhood which is a “portal to the divine.” He is the master of manipulation. He is devious and preys on weak young females and even some males.

How I felt about it? Cults are fascinating to me. Perhaps because I can’t fathom how a person can allow themself to be controlled by another human. What I loved about this book was its’ believability and the way it described the actual inner workings of the cult. Most books seem to shy away from this aspect and just hint around at what happens but this book was vivid and detailed and I loved every page. 5 ⭐️ read for me.

Thank you @NetGalley and @Blackstone publishing for an audible version of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

“Gaslight,” co-authored by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and Sara Shepard, is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the dark and manipulative world of cults, the fragility of human relationships, and the haunting power of the past. 

The story centers on Rebecca, who has built a peaceful life in Nevada with her husband, Tom, and their two young children. Her seemingly idyllic existence is shattered when Danny, an old friend from her past, knocks on her door; rapidly sending Rebecca's life into rapid free-fall.

As Rebecca grapples with Danny’s intentions (whether she is seeking escape or attempting to pull Rebecca back into a life of complete control) she finds herself entangled in a web of deception and danger. 

Julia Atwood’s narration is a standout feature of this audiobook. Her ability to convey the emotional depth and psychological complexity of the characters adds a layer of intensity to the story, communicating Rebecca's fear, betrayal, and ultimately clarity, perfectly.

Joris-Peyrafitte and Shepard’s writing is taut and evocative, perfectly suited to the audiobook format. Their prose is both descriptive and suspenseful, creating a vivid and immersive listening experience.

“Gaslight” is a timely (politically, in the US) exploration of psychological manipulation and control and the personal battles individuals face when confronting their past. 

“Gaslight” is a masterfully crafted thriller that combines the talents of Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and Sara Shepard with Julia Atwood’s exceptional narration.

5 stars from this enthusiastic reviewer; there wasn't anything about this audiobook I DIDN'T enjoy, the tension builds slowly to a fever pitch, as the intelligence, might (and ultimately pure brutal strength and will) of a cult leader and one of his "minions" ultimately culminates in a match between the two for... everything.

I wanted to try out a cult mystery/thriller book and safe to say it’s not my style. The book although was really interesting and the audiobook was a fun read. I was very wrong with some of my theories for this book 🙃 but that first chapter was an amazing entrance into the book that I binged the rest of it!

This was unexpectedly really good! I'd looked through the reviews before starting it and was worried, just hoping I'd get through enough to write a review at least. That was definitely not a worry I should've had. I listened to the audiobook in three large chunks, the first night was 5 straight hours. It was so hard to stop it!

The story follows 2 ladies, Danny and Rebecca, shifting between their third person points of view, also shifting between past and present day. After high school, the girls had joined a group, ISB, a cult really, headed by a obviously controlling but charmistic man, Ben. At some point, Rebecca leaves, gets married to Tom and has kids. Everything is going well for Rebecca and Tom until Danny shows up on their doorstep one day. All the secrets about her former life Rebecca never told Tom, suddenly come out. And Danny has new secrets for Rebecca.

The characters are all very intense and complex, but in a good way. They're not exhausting or annoying in their intensity. It's hard to figure out who you should like or dislike, everyone making some harsh decisions sometimes. I don't normally listen to fiction audiobooks, I have a hard time following the story, but had no issues with this one. The story flowed well, even going back to the past parts to fill things in. And all the story was filled in so nicely, I didn't feel like anything was left unresolved. The narrator was great and I listened at 1.5x speed and thoroughly enjoyed the whole reading. I love cult stories and this was exactly that, major NXIVM vibes with this one too.

If you're a fan of cult stories, thrillers, or even friendships turned bad (think Pretty Little Liars), give this one a try. I'm not sure why some of the reviews weren't great, but I'm glad I tried it for myself. Sara Shepard's voice came through, her art of secrets and twists was definitely there.

Rebecca has built a nice life for herself with husband Tom and their two young children. The last thing she needs is for a friend from her distinctly problematic past showing up and putting all of that into jeopardy.

But that is exactly what happens when Danny, who has been actively involved with the cult that Rebecca is trying to put behind her, shows up on her doorstep.

And what does Danny want anyway? To draw Rebecca back in? Whatever it is, it is likely to put her marriage at risk, since Tom must not find out about the secrets Rebecca has been keeping from him...

This is a gripping story that provides additional insight into the ever-fascinating world of cults and what draws people to them, keeps them and enraptured and drives some away. It gets 3.5 stars.

This one has some big NXIVM cult vibes. Gaslight is a slow burn story about a cult and the insidious way vulnerable people can be controlled and manipulated into joining them.

This book deals with some heavy topics and abuse. The ISB cult essentially gaslights women into believing there is no such thing as being a victim and then the leader goes on the victimize them in numerous ways.

Definitely be aware of the triggers before going in and don't expect a popcorn thriller. I don't tend to enjoy stories about domestic abuse so this was a hard ones at times despite being well written. This is a dark journey into joining and leaving a cult and all that goes along with that.

The narrator was pleasant to listen to and I would definitely seek her out again for audio books. I enjoyed listening to this in that format!

This book was so crazy and had so many plot twists I’d dint see coming! 😮 I’ve always been a fan of true crime and cults have always been a big topic of interest for me so I knew I’d love this thriller. The characters were so unpredictable in the most interesting ways and the narration was great. Also the cover is so eye catching and PINK. 🤩

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a very thrilling read, found it so hard to put down!! would recommend for sure!

I started this just to give me a little listen while I was driving. I was planning to save it for September, for the Reading Rivalry thing I do. Anyway, I got hooked and didn't stop listening to it until it was all the way over.
I lived for this book for most of the day today. It was enthralling and exciting and so creepy. I loved Tom and hated Ben and I loved Bex and Dani. Every character was super complex, even Janice.
Part of the excitement was the narrator, of course, but the story was also pure perfection. That ending!
I cannot praise this enough. It was so good.

I could not put this book down! This is gripping thriller/suspense about two women who are running from their past. Told from multiple POV and across different timelines (past & present), this book was so well organized and told in my favorite way for thrillers. Each chapter ended on a cliff hanger that had me staying up way too late to keep listening. I instantly felt connected to Rebecca and Danny, their character development throughout the book was amazing to see.

This novel is for true crime, cult conspiracies and anyone that enjoys a good suspense.

Thank you Blackstone publishing and netgalley for the advance listening copy.

THE. COVER. IS. IMMACULATE.

the narrator was fantastic and kept me interested from start to finish, even when the plot itself lost me a bit. Very impressed by her!

I usually say cult books don’t give enough cult. This one finally did. However, I still have so many questions. Which I guess is true of most cults. However, I just never ever saw how Ben pulled off all that he did. Maybe his character wasn’t well developed enough but it made it all seem extremely far fetched. Same with the ending- it just seemed too easy.

Outside of that, this was very intriguing and a solid listen. I listened to it all in less than 24 hours! I just wanted more depth, I suppose. For all the trauma each character endured, they seemed fairly level-headed ha.

Two women face off after spending their adolescence in a cult. One has a seemingly ordinary life with a home, husband and child. The other shows up on her doorstep one day, threatening to expose the truth about their shared pasts, something the husband is ignorant of. Told in alternating time lines, this story will keep readers guessing about the motives of its protagonists

I wanted there to be a little more about the cult, but that being said, this was still a compelling cult story. I read it in one day. The characters are well written. I enjoyed watching the girls, especially, come into their own after years of being controlled by a charismatic cult leader. I feel like the authors really did a great job of depicting the mind control aspect of cult life (not that I have ever been in one to attest to its accuracy, but I have watched a LOT of documentaries). The cult in question draws heavily on a particular self improvement courses turned sex cult that you are probably familiar with if you are as fascinated by cults as I am. There were many parallels. Overall, I enjoyed the reading experience. There was a lot of tension in the vein of not knowing where character's loyalties lie. That being said, it didn't give me the sense of overwhelming creepiness or dread that I often want from a cult book. Still, definitely recommend for fans of cult reads.