Book Review: The Brotherhood by Jo Fenton

I’ve told you before about my morbid side. I love books about death and serial killers and kidnappings. I also love books about cults. Like this one.

Blurb

The Brotherhood* by Jo Fenton introduces us to a grieving Melissa. Melissa’s parents have just died and her violent ex-boyfriend is harassing her. When new-friend Dominic offers her a safe haven at religious sect, The Brotherhood, she jumps at the chance. Melissa has a crush on the captivating leader but when engineering Mark joins her feelings become conflicted. Melissa soon realizes that The Brotherhood is not the safe haven she once thought and, when Dominic’s jealousy turns threatening, she begins to wonder how will she escape and save those she loves?

Review

This book is intense. There is a lot of mental and physical abuse that takes place so please take that into accord before starting The Brotherhood. If you are one of those strange people, like me, that likes despair, you are in for a treat.

This book had me hooked. Admittedly, my interest wavered and it lost a bit of momentum but, overall, it was a great read. I wanted to read The Brotherhood because I like learning about cults. I wanted to see just how sucked in Melissa would get and also, how the author would describe the dynamics of a cult. She provided a good take on a cult however, the story was actually less about the cult itself and more about the relationship between Melissa and Dominic.

Their relationship is a turbulent one but certainly, one where Dominic has the upper hand. He is charming and manipulative and catches Melissa at a vulnerable time. Luckily, over the course of the book, we see Melissa regaining a sense of herself and realizing The Brotherhood, but mostly Dominic is not all it appears to be. That makes for a tense read, especially considering Dominic’s evil deeds are simply chilling.

There are some great secondary characters in this book, also. Such as Mark, who really loves Melissa, and nurse Emily who has Melissa’s best interests at heart. Melissa also makes some good friends like Tina and Jimmy. I appreciated the inclusion of these characters. It made me realize that people who get caught up in cults often need our sympathy and help rather than judgment. Who knows if we ourselves will find ourselves at such a low point that we are open to any kind of attention.

Overall, The Brotherhood is a great read. If you have any recommendations for similar books, let me know in the comments below.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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