Gaslight by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and Sara Shepard

(Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

Stories about cults are fascinating. The psychology behind these horrifying sects that brainwash people is both terrifying and captivating to read about. So, of course I was interested in getting my hands on a copy of Gaslight by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and Sara Shepard. How could I not be? Especially when I saw the book's cover. Oh, my! I loved the pink and black. And those characters - that head! Talk about making a bold statement with that cover! Love it! Plus, a friend of mine loves the Pretty Little Liars series, which Shepard wrote, so I knew that I would be in for a treat with this book. As for the story itself, here's what it's about: (summary from Goodreads)

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard and Sundance Award-winning filmmaker and podcast creator Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, Gaslight is a tense thriller that dredges the inner workings of cults, the susceptibility of young minds, and the fragility of both friendship and marriage.

Rebecca is living a peaceful life in Nevada with her husband, Tom, and their two young children. Her past is in the past and she does a good job of keeping it there, until her old friend, Danny, shows up on the doorstep one morning, throwing her sweet family life into turmoil. Danny is nothing but a reminder of what Rebecca fled all those years ago, and all the secrets she’s keeping from Tom. She tries her hardest to manage the situation and figure out what Danny wants, but all Rebecca seems to find are layers upon layers of deception.

That deception has a lot to do with ISB, the cult Danny has been part of for ten years; a group of spiritual seekers living deep in the woods, cut off from their families and friends, led by a charismatic leader who’s a master at manipulation and mind control. Is Danny here because she’s trying to break free from the cult? Or is she on a recruiting mission? It’s hard for Rebecca to know when Danny’s telling the truth and when she’s lying, but one thing’s for her presence might just blow up Rebecca’s life. As she scrambles to figure out Danny’s intentions, Rebecca begins to lose sight of the people she loves most—and the danger closing in on them all.

What do you think? Sounds great, right? I know that I wanted to find out what Danny was really up to and whether or not Rebecca would survive her past. Plus, I knew that we'd delve into Rebecca's life with the cult, ISB. I wanted to find out how she was able to escape ISB and start over. I wanted to know if Danny would disrupt and ruin Rebecca's new life. I wanted to find out what would happen to them in the end. Yep, I was hooked right from that book's cover - who wouldn't be, right? And let me just, whoa! What a story! It was riveting right from the start. I could not, would not put the book down for anything! I had to keep reading. I had to know what would happen next. I even found myself thinking about the book's title, the image on the cover, and the way the story played out long after I put the book down. Gaslight is just a great story. 

I would happily recommend Gaslight to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - you won't want to miss out on this one! Make sure to grab a copy ASAP! 

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book!