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cunnyfunt's review against another edition
2.5
It’s an amazing premise and had so much potential but it felt like it hadn’t been fleshed out. Like it was written for a high school assignment or found in a creepy thread on a forum.
sea_caummisar's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. And that's by no fault of the book. But I'll get to that sooner. I do believe I read somewhere that this is the author's first book. And I say kudos to that. It's a simple read. Very interesting, depending on what you like. I want to thank the author for a review copy of this book. I found this book through a tweet and it said something along the lines "if you can stomach it." That's a challenge to me. I read Matt Shaw, Ezra Blake (patiently awaiting her next release), Ed Lee... Some hardcore horror. I want to be grossed out. I want to see people being tortured as I turn the pages. I love the blood and gore. When the intro said something about this book not being for the squeamish, I got excited. Maybe it's not for the squeamish, but it's not for extreme horror fans either (in my opinion). That's why I gave it 3.5 stars. Now, I read the blurb after reading the actual book. I should have known it was more about the cops than the actual cult. Don't get me wrong, there's cannibalism and people eating vomit and the aftermath of butchered bodies. But it's the aftermath of those poor souls dying. Not the violence. I wanted the violence. Plus, the ending got kinda screwy. I don't wanna spoil it, but when people lose their mind in books and they don't even know what's real, how can the reader really know what's happening. That's hard for even seasoned authors to pull off.
Now, the book is written great. I loved that it was easy to follow. I did want to know what happened, but the ending left me with more questions than answers. With that being said, I'm sure people who like detective books and mysteries about detectives flashing back to their past etc... would like this book. It was okay. But I'd put the squeamish part along the lines of Usher's Passing. If you read my review of that (it was the most boring cannibal book I think I have ever read). But if you're not expecting anything extreme, it's a good book.
Now, the book is written great. I loved that it was easy to follow. I did want to know what happened, but the ending left me with more questions than answers. With that being said, I'm sure people who like detective books and mysteries about detectives flashing back to their past etc... would like this book. It was okay. But I'd put the squeamish part along the lines of Usher's Passing. If you read my review of that (it was the most boring cannibal book I think I have ever read). But if you're not expecting anything extreme, it's a good book.
mandatoryreads's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this book up solely based on the cover. ☠️
This was a super quick read with short chapters and an interesting idea. It won’t blow your socks off, but it is good enough for a quick chills-down-your-spine binge.
This was a super quick read with short chapters and an interesting idea. It won’t blow your socks off, but it is good enough for a quick chills-down-your-spine binge.
keatonmarie's review against another edition
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Abandonment, Child abuse, Gore, and Drug use
theduchess93's review against another edition
2.0
Wowzers that was not an enjoyable read. It was like an unedited creepypasta that somehow got stretched to novel length. Giving it 2 stars because the characters weren't bad and it had some makings of a good story, though the cult was very lazily done (a sex cult? Really? That's it?)
sjgomzi's review against another edition
4.0
Holy hell. Cult stories scare the crap out of me, and this certainly didn’t disappoint. This is the first book in what I believe will be a new series showcasing damaged police officer Sophia Rey. A tragic event from Rey’s past compels her to wade full on into what is essentially a living nightmare. Freedom House, home to cult leader Cyrus and his creepy as hell followers. Beatings, cannibalism, brain reprogramming, and other unspeakable acts are all present in this house of horrors. Speaking of which, Penelope, Freedom House’s resident chef, is sure to make reoccurring appearances in my nightmares for many nights to come. A bit of advice, don’t eat the stew.
akeivens's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
📚BOOK REVIEW‼️
The Cult Called Freedom House • Stephanie Evelyn
2/5 Overall
2.5/5 Writing Style
1.5/5 Thrill
🚸 Cult
🍝 Cannibalism
🔎 Detective
👥CHARACTERS👥
•I didn’t really connect with any character. It seemed like they weren’t well developed and no one felt like a MC.
✨PROS✨
•Shocking moments
•True crime feel
❌CONS❌
•Moments I literally almost threw up listening to this in the grocery store.
•I felt lost most of the book.
Overall, it was just not good unfortunately.
The Cult Called Freedom House • Stephanie Evelyn
2/5 Overall
2.5/5 Writing Style
1.5/5 Thrill
🚸 Cult
🍝 Cannibalism
🔎 Detective
👥CHARACTERS👥
•I didn’t really connect with any character. It seemed like they weren’t well developed and no one felt like a MC.
✨PROS✨
•Shocking moments
•True crime feel
❌CONS❌
•Moments I literally almost threw up listening to this in the grocery store.
•I felt lost most of the book.
Overall, it was just not good unfortunately.
heatherloureads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I'm a fan of cult stories and the psychological pull that cults have on people. This author didn't shy away from the psychological horrors that cults have on their victims and how cult leaders have a charming sense about them at first. While I didn't enjoy a lot of the flashbacks or the constant physical descriptions of every character in the book, I respect the author for writing a bone-chilling story and not leaving any stone unturned.
Ivy, a 14-year-old runaway, just wants a safe place to call home, and she seems to find that in the Freedom House at first. She comes from an abusive home, and when she meets Miles on the street, she's immediately drawn to his charms. That's how she ends up at Freedom House. At first, her dreams have come true, but she soon realizes that she's made a huge mistake and wants to leave.
Sophia has a dark cloud following her since her sister went missing. She became a detective to try to help others, and soon, she finds herself wrapped up in the world of Freedom House as she goes undercover to try to take down the cult and find missing girl called Samantha.
There was one scene in particular in this book that made me sick to my stomach. This book was unsettling, creepy, and gross at times. I'll be continuing on with the series.
Ivy, a 14-year-old runaway, just wants a safe place to call home, and she seems to find that in the Freedom House at first. She comes from an abusive home, and when she meets Miles on the street, she's immediately drawn to his charms. That's how she ends up at Freedom House. At first, her dreams have come true, but she soon realizes that she's made a huge mistake and wants to leave.
Sophia has a dark cloud following her since her sister went missing. She became a detective to try to help others, and soon, she finds herself wrapped up in the world of Freedom House as she goes undercover to try to take down the cult and find missing girl called Samantha.
There was one scene in particular in this book that made me sick to my stomach. This book was unsettling, creepy, and gross at times. I'll be continuing on with the series.
sanmeow's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
i'm afraid the horror in this story just wasn't for me. quite disgusting meat related gore and such. a lot about this book was off because i feel like the writing wasn't good at all. the editing is questionable, i truly don't know how the editors missed things such as punctuation errors and illogical sentence structures. the main character being 14 felt completely unrealistic because she just didn't act like a 14 year old at all. not my kind of horror and not my kind of writing.
roadvirus27's review against another edition
5.0
[a:Stephanie Evelyn|19731050|Stephanie Evelyn|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1573713951p2/19731050.jpg] warns in the foreword that her debut novel, [b:The Cult Called Freedom House: Sophia Rey Book 1|48835053|The Cult Called Freedom House Sophia Rey Book 1|Stephanie Evelyn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1573870953l/48835053._SY75_.jpg|74214017], is not for the faint of heart. Her warning rings true as she splashes the pages with strong imagery that paint horrific pictures. At times I wanted to throw the book across the room, but I couldn’t put it down; I was too invested in the characters. Evelyn does a masterful job of bringing her characters to life, which makes their struggles all the more compelling.
The Cult Called Freedom House serves as an often-painful introduction to Officer Sophia Rey as she tries to take down a cult while struggling with her own childhood tragedy. The nightmarish climax will leave the reader eviscerated and wondering what struggles Sophia will deal with trying to overcome all she has witnessed. I can’t wait to find out what horrors Stephanie Evelyn has in store for Sophia Rey in the future.
I want to thank Stephanie Evelyn for the nightmares and the advanced reader copy she provided me.
The Cult Called Freedom House serves as an often-painful introduction to Officer Sophia Rey as she tries to take down a cult while struggling with her own childhood tragedy. The nightmarish climax will leave the reader eviscerated and wondering what struggles Sophia will deal with trying to overcome all she has witnessed. I can’t wait to find out what horrors Stephanie Evelyn has in store for Sophia Rey in the future.
Spoiler
Just don’t ask me to try that cube of meat or have any Jody juice.I want to thank Stephanie Evelyn for the nightmares and the advanced reader copy she provided me.