What do you think?
Rate this book
Marcada: Cómo participém escapé y denuncié a la secta de esclavas sexuales NXIVM
A los ojos de todos, NXIVM era una empresa innovadora sobre desarrollo personal que superaba los está su líder Keith Raniere recibió del dalái lama, en un gran evento, una khata blanca que significa bendición y aprobación; Emilio Salinas (hijo del expresidente) dirigía la filial en México; actrices y actores de Hollywood —así como otros personajes mexicanos— se unían al grupo; sus miembros se mostraban empoderados y listos para prosperar… La verdad era muy distinta, existía un «amo» y «esclavas», mujeres marcadas con las iniciales KR, extorsionadas, grabadas desnudas, con sus datos personales y financieros retenidos, ya sin vínculos con el mundo exterior y que temían por su vida. NXIVM era una secta sexual un negocio de esclavitud moderna.
Sarah Edmondson, actriz y autora de este testimonio, se unió a lo que creyó era una empresa de coaching ; tras 12 años de trabajar en ella y entender la terrible realidad, denunció los Raniere fue declarado culpable de crimen organizado, conspiración, fraude, trabajo forzado, tráfico sexual y posesión de pornografía infantil en una corte estadounidense; su condena se sigue discutiendo.
Sarah Edmondson, actriz y autora de este testimonio, se unió a lo que creyó era una empresa de coaching ; tras 12 años de trabajar en ella y entender la terrible realidad, denunció los Raniere fue declarado culpable de crimen organizado, conspiración, fraude, trabajo forzado, tráfico sexual y posesión de pornografía infantil en una corte estadounidense; su condena se sigue discutiendo.
256 pages, Paperback
Published April 24, 2020
598 people are currently reading
5894 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Edmondson
2 books104 followersSarah Edmondson is a Canadian actress and playwright who has starred in the CBS series Salvation and more than twelve films for the Hallmark Channel and Lifetime. She is also a well-established voice-over artist for popular series such as Transformers: Cybertron and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. She is featured in the CBC podcast Uncover: Escaping NXIVM and The Vow, the upcoming HBO documentary series on NXIVM.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 384 reviews
March 1, 2021
I admit it, this stuff fascinates me. I have always wondered how people can become so brainwashed as to join and live in cults for years. I mean, it has obviously all got to do with the original grooming and promises, the promised enlightenment, and the reading of one's weaknesses and the preying upon them. Let's be honest, if you were told upfront what it is all about, you would run a mile. Can you imagine a first-up, honest introduction to Scientology?
You walk into a room and shake hands with a smiling Tom Cruise and he says, "Hello and welcome to Scientology. I'm sorry David Miscavige can't be here to personally meet you but he's having a little trouble with his wife. And by that, I mean she appears to have gone missing without a trace. Anyway, I'm so glad you could join us, all I need you to do is to commit to us for a billion years, spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on texts and courses with us, subject yourself to demoralizing reviews, and work your way to the top. When you get there you'll be one of the few to ever meet our master in chief, Xenu, he's an alien you know? Of course the structure we base ourselves on can be read in that superlative book by L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics, our former leader who is no longer with us. In spirit, Mr. Hubbard is always with us but he outgrew the physical body he inhabited and has moved on. Oh, and one last thing, Leah Remini is an evil woman, and that Australian woman, Nicole Kidman, well just don't get me started. Perhaps you would like to join John Travolta and me in his private jet?
You would be out of there before Tom could finish his speech. So this is what has me so interested in these stories. In Scarred we meet the author, Sarah Edmondson, the woman who spent twelve years in NXIVM, one of the higher up individuals who is forever scarred with the branding of Keith Raniere's initials on her lower abdomen. Sarah writes this personal story as the one who escaped the NXIVM cult and told the story to the FBI, eventually bringing the cult down and sending the main players, among them Keith Raniere and Smallville actress Allison Mack and her wife to the courts.
This is a harrowing tale of a sociopath, once considered one of the sharpest minds on the planet. Keith Raniere built NXIVM as a company to help people "find" their true calling and develop methods to help them improve the world we live in. NXIVM grew to have subgroups for women only and others for men only. The women's group was called DOS and was basically a cult within the cult. DOS was run by NXIVM's most powerful women, Mack included, and was based around leaders who each had a collection of personal slaves - all women. Sarah was introduced to this group by her best friend Lauren Salzman, another woman at the level of Allison Mack. Sarah was branded and became one of the slave leaders but it was at this time that the key was unlocked in her mind and she made plans for her escape.
Yet another fascinating book and one that shows true courage. I just wanted to learn more about the inner workings of NXIVM and what Keith Raniere, Lauren and Nancy Salzman, and Allison Mack were actually doing. As the court cases roll out the true horrors of sex slavery, sex trafficking, and a cult based to served one man's demonic ego are seeing the light of day. I applaud Sarah for being the whistleblower and enjoyed her book. It is apparent in the last chapter that there was so much more going on that even she was unaware of.
You walk into a room and shake hands with a smiling Tom Cruise and he says, "Hello and welcome to Scientology. I'm sorry David Miscavige can't be here to personally meet you but he's having a little trouble with his wife. And by that, I mean she appears to have gone missing without a trace. Anyway, I'm so glad you could join us, all I need you to do is to commit to us for a billion years, spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on texts and courses with us, subject yourself to demoralizing reviews, and work your way to the top. When you get there you'll be one of the few to ever meet our master in chief, Xenu, he's an alien you know? Of course the structure we base ourselves on can be read in that superlative book by L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics, our former leader who is no longer with us. In spirit, Mr. Hubbard is always with us but he outgrew the physical body he inhabited and has moved on. Oh, and one last thing, Leah Remini is an evil woman, and that Australian woman, Nicole Kidman, well just don't get me started. Perhaps you would like to join John Travolta and me in his private jet?
You would be out of there before Tom could finish his speech. So this is what has me so interested in these stories. In Scarred we meet the author, Sarah Edmondson, the woman who spent twelve years in NXIVM, one of the higher up individuals who is forever scarred with the branding of Keith Raniere's initials on her lower abdomen. Sarah writes this personal story as the one who escaped the NXIVM cult and told the story to the FBI, eventually bringing the cult down and sending the main players, among them Keith Raniere and Smallville actress Allison Mack and her wife to the courts.
This is a harrowing tale of a sociopath, once considered one of the sharpest minds on the planet. Keith Raniere built NXIVM as a company to help people "find" their true calling and develop methods to help them improve the world we live in. NXIVM grew to have subgroups for women only and others for men only. The women's group was called DOS and was basically a cult within the cult. DOS was run by NXIVM's most powerful women, Mack included, and was based around leaders who each had a collection of personal slaves - all women. Sarah was introduced to this group by her best friend Lauren Salzman, another woman at the level of Allison Mack. Sarah was branded and became one of the slave leaders but it was at this time that the key was unlocked in her mind and she made plans for her escape.
Yet another fascinating book and one that shows true courage. I just wanted to learn more about the inner workings of NXIVM and what Keith Raniere, Lauren and Nancy Salzman, and Allison Mack were actually doing. As the court cases roll out the true horrors of sex slavery, sex trafficking, and a cult based to served one man's demonic ego are seeing the light of day. I applaud Sarah for being the whistleblower and enjoyed her book. It is apparent in the last chapter that there was so much more going on that even she was unaware of.
November 3, 2019
I’m so glad that Sarah had the courage to go public about her experience with NXIVM, since she is a huge part of the cult’s downfall and the arrests made on their leader and other “higher ups”.
But, this book was very dry. If you know anything about the cult from the headlines then there is nothing new at all here, and everything is told in such a detached way. That’s probably good for Sarah’s healing, but it doesn’t make for a compelling memoir.
But, this book was very dry. If you know anything about the cult from the headlines then there is nothing new at all here, and everything is told in such a detached way. That’s probably good for Sarah’s healing, but it doesn’t make for a compelling memoir.
November 30, 2021
An actor’s exposé of her experiences in the NXIVM MLM Executive Success Program, which she looked into only after a solid endorsement from a trusted colleague. At first she was skeptical, but she got hooked on the self-improvement promised and the ethical values espoused. For a reader familiar with cults, it’s easy to see that the material she describes to us is designed to reprogram her language and beliefs, but for someone earnestly looking for career improvement you can see how it would look appealing to her. Being a go getter, she worked hard for years, made them lots of money, and even opened her own center in Vancouver. Well over a decade later of go getting and mind games, she was invited to an insider secret female empowerment group, but first having to supply self-indemnifying collateral, similar to Scientology’s form of blackmail, except nekked. She’s told that the initiation rite will include a dime-sized tattoo while she’s naked and blindfolded, but instead she is branded, slowly, line by line, over the course of an hour—or less since she didn’t squirm—with the leader’s initials.
What’s amazing to me in this story is that there were many people who escaped before her, with or without their life, but her story, coming just prior to the #metoo movement is the one that FINALLY gave traction to the FBI and police to get off their butts and arrest the abusers instead of the victims seeking help, blaming the victims, or simply ignoring the victims.
Take a moment and think if you have naive or even just happy go lucky friends. The time to share this book with them is now. They may unknowingly someday face a similar situation. Once they’re hooked, the mind rebels and they “double down” when facing doubts. Plus, the organization makes it next to impossible to leave. And finally, law enforcement seems to drag their feet getting these criminals arrested. It’s easier to avoid getting trapped than it is to get out!
This book is gripping, emotional, raw, heart-tugging, and ultimately uplifting that she had people to help her and others get out. I was on the edge of my seat with empathy—It felt like my butt was going numb from sitting on the padded folding chairs used at these events. I once attended a Landmark (a similar scam) meeting with a friend, but luckily I knew it and its predecessor EST were MLM cults. I remember that uncomfortable folding chair in that generic hotel room. It’s just mind boggling how in one situation a person can recognize cult behavior, but in a different situation, the same person can get sucked into the same or different cult. Growing up, I loved some things about my religion, like believing that native American Indians are a special people as the lost tribe of Israel. But in order to quell any disbelief in things like polygamy, the church leaders admonished us saying “milk before meat” meaning today we’re still eating baby food level truths (be patient until you’re so committed (collateral) that you can’t get out or are too old to remember needing to get out). Or the leaders preemptively say “the temple is sacred not secret” to hide the fact that it actually IS secret and to give you a phrase to parrot.
To me, there’s only two important phases of being in a cult. Getting sucked in and getting out. Both are well covered in this book! I first saw this book mentioned on Mormon Stories:
https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast...
For more of this couple’s cult crusade:
Their podcast: A Little Bit Culty
Their documentary: The Vow
What’s amazing to me in this story is that there were many people who escaped before her, with or without their life, but her story, coming just prior to the #metoo movement is the one that FINALLY gave traction to the FBI and police to get off their butts and arrest the abusers instead of the victims seeking help, blaming the victims, or simply ignoring the victims.
Take a moment and think if you have naive or even just happy go lucky friends. The time to share this book with them is now. They may unknowingly someday face a similar situation. Once they’re hooked, the mind rebels and they “double down” when facing doubts. Plus, the organization makes it next to impossible to leave. And finally, law enforcement seems to drag their feet getting these criminals arrested. It’s easier to avoid getting trapped than it is to get out!
This book is gripping, emotional, raw, heart-tugging, and ultimately uplifting that she had people to help her and others get out. I was on the edge of my seat with empathy—It felt like my butt was going numb from sitting on the padded folding chairs used at these events. I once attended a Landmark (a similar scam) meeting with a friend, but luckily I knew it and its predecessor EST were MLM cults. I remember that uncomfortable folding chair in that generic hotel room. It’s just mind boggling how in one situation a person can recognize cult behavior, but in a different situation, the same person can get sucked into the same or different cult. Growing up, I loved some things about my religion, like believing that native American Indians are a special people as the lost tribe of Israel. But in order to quell any disbelief in things like polygamy, the church leaders admonished us saying “milk before meat” meaning today we’re still eating baby food level truths (be patient until you’re so committed (collateral) that you can’t get out or are too old to remember needing to get out). Or the leaders preemptively say “the temple is sacred not secret” to hide the fact that it actually IS secret and to give you a phrase to parrot.
To me, there’s only two important phases of being in a cult. Getting sucked in and getting out. Both are well covered in this book! I first saw this book mentioned on Mormon Stories:
https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast...
For more of this couple’s cult crusade:
Their podcast: A Little Bit Culty
Their documentary: The Vow
October 19, 2019
In need of a serious editing. For the most part, I will seek out and read any book that is about cults (and thru-hiking, just so you know).
October 15, 2019
eh I mean if you read that big New York Times article about NXIVM you probably got all the good details. This I think could have used another pass from the co-writer to make it more accessible to people who weren't in this cult for 12 years, it gets bogged down a lot in the NXIVM language which is like Scientology but different.
But like still though good for her for getting out.
But like still though good for her for getting out.
October 26, 2021
Tricky one. Entertaining but SE's refusal to demonstrate financial remorse for her capitalizing on NXIVM's grifting is a puzzler. I mean, why not donate a percentage of the book sales to a relevant charity? She harps on about how she had only good intentions in recruiting for Silly Keith's Bad Ideas Gang, but I feel there's a saying about good intentions that might be appropriate here?
And unlike in the Escaping NXIVM podcast, SE doesn't meaningfully engage with any criticism about the way she treated her assistants (badly) or her history selling vitamins as a part of another MLM implying she knew what she was getting into with ESP. The people who think she should financially compensate for her complicity in NXIVM definitely have a leg to stand on and I dunno, if I was one of the mates she pulled into 'Do As I Say, Not As I Do' cult I'd be seriously entertaining TPing her NXIVM paid-off house.
And unlike in the Escaping NXIVM podcast, SE doesn't meaningfully engage with any criticism about the way she treated her assistants (badly) or her history selling vitamins as a part of another MLM implying she knew what she was getting into with ESP. The people who think she should financially compensate for her complicity in NXIVM definitely have a leg to stand on and I dunno, if I was one of the mates she pulled into 'Do As I Say, Not As I Do' cult I'd be seriously entertaining TPing her NXIVM paid-off house.
February 28, 2020
This confused author makes all sorts of bad life decisions, then blames the people she trusted in. While what those leaders did was eventually deemed illegal, it's also tough to feel sympathy for her because at any point over 12 years she could have walked away. But until she was branded she didn't.
From the very start Edmondson seems emotionally needy and mentally unstable. Leaders of the Nexium group play on these issues and slowly pull her into the organization's crazy Scientology-like system of self-esteem mixed with abuse. The author calls the group a "cult" but it's not by normal definition--they didn't force her to stay in it and she freely hopped planes regularly to fly across country to attend ridiculous seminars. The leaders would guilt-trip her and she would buy into it. Once or twice might make you feel some sympathy--but all the time over a period of twelve years? She has to shoulder a lot of the blame.
The fact that she was responsible for bringing in hundreds of members and hundreds of thousands of dollars makes her seem even less easy to relate to. She knew exactly what she was doing, and somehow thought nothing of taking money from people for unintelligent courses that she questioned the value of. None of it makes any sense. A normal person with thinking skills would have seen the organization's fraud from the start. It was merely a money-making scheme that she benefited from as she work her way up. Like Amway or Mary Kay, only without the products.
Most of the book is deadly dull as she details every step of her naive journey. The final chapters, as she tries to leave the group after she is branded, are the most interesting. But the fact that it took her agreeing to be branded to finally see the light means that there was something seriously wrong with her beyond the Nexium group. And she had many chances to walk away from it--instead she succumbed to more peer pressure and placed herself on the table.
There is very little self-analysis here and she's quick to blame others for what were her own bad choices. The point should not just be don't trust supposedly moral leaders but should also be to use a whole lot more common sense when going into debt to buy into a series of self-improvement meetings from quack leaders. That's not just true of Nexium but of many other religious and commercial organizations.
From the very start Edmondson seems emotionally needy and mentally unstable. Leaders of the Nexium group play on these issues and slowly pull her into the organization's crazy Scientology-like system of self-esteem mixed with abuse. The author calls the group a "cult" but it's not by normal definition--they didn't force her to stay in it and she freely hopped planes regularly to fly across country to attend ridiculous seminars. The leaders would guilt-trip her and she would buy into it. Once or twice might make you feel some sympathy--but all the time over a period of twelve years? She has to shoulder a lot of the blame.
The fact that she was responsible for bringing in hundreds of members and hundreds of thousands of dollars makes her seem even less easy to relate to. She knew exactly what she was doing, and somehow thought nothing of taking money from people for unintelligent courses that she questioned the value of. None of it makes any sense. A normal person with thinking skills would have seen the organization's fraud from the start. It was merely a money-making scheme that she benefited from as she work her way up. Like Amway or Mary Kay, only without the products.
Most of the book is deadly dull as she details every step of her naive journey. The final chapters, as she tries to leave the group after she is branded, are the most interesting. But the fact that it took her agreeing to be branded to finally see the light means that there was something seriously wrong with her beyond the Nexium group. And she had many chances to walk away from it--instead she succumbed to more peer pressure and placed herself on the table.
There is very little self-analysis here and she's quick to blame others for what were her own bad choices. The point should not just be don't trust supposedly moral leaders but should also be to use a whole lot more common sense when going into debt to buy into a series of self-improvement meetings from quack leaders. That's not just true of Nexium but of many other religious and commercial organizations.
September 26, 2019
Whoa! What a read!
Riveting from the first moment I picked it up. Sarah, a friend and a person I respect very much actually indoctrinated me into the program in this book. I bowed out after a time. But can absolutely see how this could happen. Knowing Sarah, I know she’s always come from a good place in her work of helping others on their growth path. When things struck me as odd about NXIVM I knew I could always talk to Sarah. She cared. She listened without judgement and after reading her book I can see how special this was because she was going through so much of her own. Still, I always had the sense that she was just so genuinely ‘there’ for me and anyone who needed her. She is truly a good human who was so dedicated to her own personal growth and her clients that she went to far reaching lengths to, what she thought at the time, work towards being her best self. It’s shameful that there are individuals that would take advantage of this character trait.
What bravery it took to write this story and share it with the world. Sarah, all I can say is bravo. Job well done! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Riveting from the first moment I picked it up. Sarah, a friend and a person I respect very much actually indoctrinated me into the program in this book. I bowed out after a time. But can absolutely see how this could happen. Knowing Sarah, I know she’s always come from a good place in her work of helping others on their growth path. When things struck me as odd about NXIVM I knew I could always talk to Sarah. She cared. She listened without judgement and after reading her book I can see how special this was because she was going through so much of her own. Still, I always had the sense that she was just so genuinely ‘there’ for me and anyone who needed her. She is truly a good human who was so dedicated to her own personal growth and her clients that she went to far reaching lengths to, what she thought at the time, work towards being her best self. It’s shameful that there are individuals that would take advantage of this character trait.
What bravery it took to write this story and share it with the world. Sarah, all I can say is bravo. Job well done! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
November 28, 2019
Not as interesting as I thought it would be. Maybe it was the writing? I wasn’t drawn in. I still don’t feel like I know what this cult was all about.
May 24, 2022
This was a fascinating account of a truly strong and courageous person. On the other hand, Keith Raniere is truly scum of the earth and deserves to never see the light of fucking day.
October 17, 2023
Imagínate que un día tu vida es tan miserable que sientes que no hay nada que llene tu vacío, que sientes que eres un fracaso entonces te encuentras con un grupo de gente que te dice que el problema está en ti y sólo en ti, que debes dejar ciertos patrones que llevas cargando desde pequeño para poder vivir la vida que quieres y entonces ¡boom! crees haber encontrado la respuesta al existo, pero de repente esa misma gente te dice que hay ciertas limitaciones y que debes obedecer a cierto líder, comienza a controlar tu vida y a usar todos tus secretos en tu contra, imagínate que tienes taaan normalizado ese control que terminas marcada por las iniciales de un narcisista psicópata y tú ni siquiera te puedes dar cuenta... Pues eso fue lo que pasó Sarah en nxivm y muchas otras chicas que fueron engañadas y adoctrinadas por una secta que les prometió existo pero lo único que logró fue arruinarles las vida.
La voz y fuerza que tuvo Sarah para cuestionar y poder salir de ese agujero fue admirable y su testimonio es resistencia y resiliencia para comprender, cuestionar y aprender.
La forma tan intima y respetuosa que tiene Sarah de contar su historia hace que este libro no se vuelva tan pesado, si bien el tema es delicado, Sarah lo sabe llevar muy bien sin caer en el morbo, lo único que deseas es justicia.
Marcada, más que un testimonio es una forma de sanar y advertir, principalmente a las mujeres, pero también a toda la sociedad el peligro de las sectas.
La voz y fuerza que tuvo Sarah para cuestionar y poder salir de ese agujero fue admirable y su testimonio es resistencia y resiliencia para comprender, cuestionar y aprender.
La forma tan intima y respetuosa que tiene Sarah de contar su historia hace que este libro no se vuelva tan pesado, si bien el tema es delicado, Sarah lo sabe llevar muy bien sin caer en el morbo, lo único que deseas es justicia.
Marcada, más que un testimonio es una forma de sanar y advertir, principalmente a las mujeres, pero también a toda la sociedad el peligro de las sectas.
May 11, 2025
2025 Popsugar #7 A book about a cult
I am utterly fascinated by stories of how someone gets involved in a cult, how they are convinced to stay, and what eventually wakes them up enough to finally get out. Sarah's story is well written, honest, and utterly compelling. I had no idea this was happening until things came out in the news. But then I spend most of my time reading and not networking or trying to improve my life and my career. So I am much more likely to read about a cult then ever be involved in one simply because I would rather be by myself than with other people. (don't worry, it brings its own set of problems) How these leaders, these types of people can get others to act out of their normal character and to so completely buy into what they are selling is both fascinating and terrifying. Excellent book and I couldn't put it down.
I am utterly fascinated by stories of how someone gets involved in a cult, how they are convinced to stay, and what eventually wakes them up enough to finally get out. Sarah's story is well written, honest, and utterly compelling. I had no idea this was happening until things came out in the news. But then I spend most of my time reading and not networking or trying to improve my life and my career. So I am much more likely to read about a cult then ever be involved in one simply because I would rather be by myself than with other people. (don't worry, it brings its own set of problems) How these leaders, these types of people can get others to act out of their normal character and to so completely buy into what they are selling is both fascinating and terrifying. Excellent book and I couldn't put it down.
December 8, 2020
Man, what a crazy story. I’ve loved getting different views of people involved in and taken advantage of by this cult. Raniere is a sick person and I’m glad he’s locked up.
January 3, 2021
If you haven’t heard of the NXIVM cult, it started out as a self-help type organization with expensive personal and professional development seminars that were supposed to help you realize your full potential as a human. It was structured as an MLM – the more people a member brought in and got to sign up for the seminars, the more money the member made. Of course, most of the money went back into the company as there were always more seminars and workshops for members to pay for and attend.
Edmondson was in NXIVM for years, slowly working her way up the ranks when one day her best friend, who was one of the highest-ranking people in the organization, asked her to be in a secret club where Sarah would be the slave and she would be the master. She sold it to her as a group of women helping other women grow and develop. However, it soon became clear that wasn’t the case. The “slaves” were actually being groomed to be sex slaves for NXIVM’s leader.
You may recall when actress Allison Mack was arrested for sex trafficking. I was shocked that the fresh-faced blond could have been involved in something so sinister. I was hoping that Scarred would give me some background on Mack and how she became involved and ended up the head sex slave master but it didn’t. Edmondson was based in Canada and ran what could be described as a branch office of NXIVM, while Mack, her slaves, and the organization’s headquarters were based in Albany. This turned out to be very lucky for Edmondson. She was able to remain on the periphery of the sex cult. However, that means that her book doesn’t have many details about what the lives of the woman having to interact with Mack in person was like. There are two documentary series about the cult that I’m told have a lot more information about the nitty-gritty than this book does. I’m afraid to say that this book was a bit of a snooze. It piqued my interest in NXIVM but I was left wanting more.
Edmondson was in NXIVM for years, slowly working her way up the ranks when one day her best friend, who was one of the highest-ranking people in the organization, asked her to be in a secret club where Sarah would be the slave and she would be the master. She sold it to her as a group of women helping other women grow and develop. However, it soon became clear that wasn’t the case. The “slaves” were actually being groomed to be sex slaves for NXIVM’s leader.
You may recall when actress Allison Mack was arrested for sex trafficking. I was shocked that the fresh-faced blond could have been involved in something so sinister. I was hoping that Scarred would give me some background on Mack and how she became involved and ended up the head sex slave master but it didn’t. Edmondson was based in Canada and ran what could be described as a branch office of NXIVM, while Mack, her slaves, and the organization’s headquarters were based in Albany. This turned out to be very lucky for Edmondson. She was able to remain on the periphery of the sex cult. However, that means that her book doesn’t have many details about what the lives of the woman having to interact with Mack in person was like. There are two documentary series about the cult that I’m told have a lot more information about the nitty-gritty than this book does. I’m afraid to say that this book was a bit of a snooze. It piqued my interest in NXIVM but I was left wanting more.
December 17, 2020
Ok, I'm currently semi-obsessed with the recently downfallen cult- NXIVM. HBO's 'The Vow' chronicled this author's story, as well as a CBC Podcast. Couple those with Sarah's story with the other NXIVM content- 'Seduced', plus another podcast, and I had ran out of content. Cue this book. Now, I thought I knew everything about NXIVM on the outside- but this gave the nitty gritty of how the "success program" turned sex-trafficking, human trafficking, racketeering cult worked, and how it became what it became.
Sarah Edmonson tells her side of the NXIVM story- how she entered the group as a wide-eyed young actress looking for personal skills to lead a fulfilling life. She quickly gained traction in the group, going up the ladder, becoming a coach, and then slowly became indoctrinated enough into the group to where years later- she thought getting a brand of "the four elements" (which was really the cult leaders initials) was a sign of sisterhood and loyelty, instead of a cauterizing pen in her flesh meaning permeant recognition of being a literal slave in a cult.
Now firstly- this book is DRY. I would not suggest this as a started into the NXIVM story. This was the details for all the NXIVM nerds out there. Also, as a memoir, it definitely felt defensive in tone. Like the author is justifying her actions, and explaining herself- so other's don't blame her for bringing others into danger via the cult. She is clearly an intelligent woman, ultimately a victim in a very complicated web of lies, and it was extremely brave to whistleblower on the organization, but it definitely felt like she was trying to push the guilt down and the defer blame away from herself. The story is more complicated than that, I guess one person's memoir would never be able to show that complexity.
Sarah Edmonson tells her side of the NXIVM story- how she entered the group as a wide-eyed young actress looking for personal skills to lead a fulfilling life. She quickly gained traction in the group, going up the ladder, becoming a coach, and then slowly became indoctrinated enough into the group to where years later- she thought getting a brand of "the four elements" (which was really the cult leaders initials) was a sign of sisterhood and loyelty, instead of a cauterizing pen in her flesh meaning permeant recognition of being a literal slave in a cult.
Now firstly- this book is DRY. I would not suggest this as a started into the NXIVM story. This was the details for all the NXIVM nerds out there. Also, as a memoir, it definitely felt defensive in tone. Like the author is justifying her actions, and explaining herself- so other's don't blame her for bringing others into danger via the cult. She is clearly an intelligent woman, ultimately a victim in a very complicated web of lies, and it was extremely brave to whistleblower on the organization, but it definitely felt like she was trying to push the guilt down and the defer blame away from herself. The story is more complicated than that, I guess one person's memoir would never be able to show that complexity.
August 30, 2021
NXIVM. What a story.
In this book, Sarah Edmondson recounts what drew her to joining NXIVM and how she climbed the ranks within what she believed to be a slightly eccentric self-help group. She writes about how she discovered it was a cult, and what it was like to be branded. How it all came tumbling down. Now we know that Keith Raniere was sentenced to an astonishing 125 years behind bars, and Alison Mack only got 3. Somehow. When will the rest of it all come down?
This book was not a particularly easy read, in a large part for me due to how it was written. I found the CBC investigative journal program Uncover: Exposing NXIVM to be a much more entertaining dig into Sarah Edmondson's experience and easier to digest. I have yet to read Oxenberg's book on it all, but I am looking forward to eventually doing so.
The writing was stilted and at times went off in a more self-congratulatory direction than I wanted it to. There were some things that weren't really dug into at all (The Rainbow Child Galen in particular I would have enjoyed reading more about, some of NXIVM's actual belief systems, etc.) I think a third-party writer might be the best way to really uncover it all, hence enjoying the podcast that I did.
All in all, I'm glad I read it, but it isn't really something I would recommend much to others. I still have a lot of questions about it all, and I'm uncertain whether or not they will ever be answered.
In this book, Sarah Edmondson recounts what drew her to joining NXIVM and how she climbed the ranks within what she believed to be a slightly eccentric self-help group. She writes about how she discovered it was a cult, and what it was like to be branded. How it all came tumbling down. Now we know that Keith Raniere was sentenced to an astonishing 125 years behind bars, and Alison Mack only got 3. Somehow. When will the rest of it all come down?
This book was not a particularly easy read, in a large part for me due to how it was written. I found the CBC investigative journal program Uncover: Exposing NXIVM to be a much more entertaining dig into Sarah Edmondson's experience and easier to digest. I have yet to read Oxenberg's book on it all, but I am looking forward to eventually doing so.
The writing was stilted and at times went off in a more self-congratulatory direction than I wanted it to. There were some things that weren't really dug into at all (The Rainbow Child Galen in particular I would have enjoyed reading more about, some of NXIVM's actual belief systems, etc.) I think a third-party writer might be the best way to really uncover it all, hence enjoying the podcast that I did.
All in all, I'm glad I read it, but it isn't really something I would recommend much to others. I still have a lot of questions about it all, and I'm uncertain whether or not they will ever be answered.
June 7, 2024
-- 1.5/5 Stars --
Trigger Warnings for Scarred: Cult, sexual assault, physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, gaslighting, domination
Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound my Life by Sarah Edmondson & Kristine Gasbarre is a memoir about Sarah’s time in NXIVM (pronounced Nex-ee-um). The story follows her entire journey with NXIVM, from the first time she heard about the “self-help” class to when she finally let’s go of the shackles that she has been held in.
To be frank, if I would’ve been reading this memoir rather than listening to it, I’m not sure that I would have finished it. This book was simultaneously too slow and too fast, which is such a bizarre turn of events that it is hard to explain. When reading a memoir, I tend to enjoy the ones that make me feel as though I am living it alongside the individual(s) the story is about. In this case, I never felt that way, rather, I felt as though I was reading a student’s first-draft for a “novel writing class.” This book needs work and does not entice the reader to continue through.
Overall, Scarred benefits from its engrossing topic; writing a memoir about a cult is going to result in natural interest. Beyond the topic, however, the book does not benefit any from the writing style or the pacing. Due to all of this, I feel as though this memoir deserves 1.5 stars out of 5 due to the interesting topic, but the poor writing.
Trigger Warnings for Scarred: Cult, sexual assault, physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, gaslighting, domination
Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound my Life by Sarah Edmondson & Kristine Gasbarre is a memoir about Sarah’s time in NXIVM (pronounced Nex-ee-um). The story follows her entire journey with NXIVM, from the first time she heard about the “self-help” class to when she finally let’s go of the shackles that she has been held in.
To be frank, if I would’ve been reading this memoir rather than listening to it, I’m not sure that I would have finished it. This book was simultaneously too slow and too fast, which is such a bizarre turn of events that it is hard to explain. When reading a memoir, I tend to enjoy the ones that make me feel as though I am living it alongside the individual(s) the story is about. In this case, I never felt that way, rather, I felt as though I was reading a student’s first-draft for a “novel writing class.” This book needs work and does not entice the reader to continue through.
Overall, Scarred benefits from its engrossing topic; writing a memoir about a cult is going to result in natural interest. Beyond the topic, however, the book does not benefit any from the writing style or the pacing. Due to all of this, I feel as though this memoir deserves 1.5 stars out of 5 due to the interesting topic, but the poor writing.
April 11, 2025
You may have heard of NXIVM and Keith Raniere, the branding, the slaves, and the criminal verdict against Raniere and others. Like me, you may have wondered, how did it happen, how could it get that far, before someone blew the whistle. This is the story of that someone. I find Edmondson very clearly and candidly explains how NXIVM hooked people in, including herself, into what was, unbeknownst to them, a long-term, calculated con job.
It was horrifying at times to read about the choices Edmondson and others made along the way. Yes, she notes the "what the hell is going on" moments she had, which were overpowered by the "family" and "self improvement" that NXIVM offered (that part must have worked to a point, otherwise no one would have taken a single course), but which masked the dark, subversive intent. And - spoiler alert for those who haven't read the papers - that makes it makes Edmondson's well-known decision to, on finally realizing what was happening after she was neck-deep in it, not just quit and slip away quietly, but to instead go public, fight back against a law-suit-happy cult with deep pockets, and not just for herself, but to save as many students as she could, all the more courageous. A worthy read for those seeking a better understanding what it can take to set things right.
It was horrifying at times to read about the choices Edmondson and others made along the way. Yes, she notes the "what the hell is going on" moments she had, which were overpowered by the "family" and "self improvement" that NXIVM offered (that part must have worked to a point, otherwise no one would have taken a single course), but which masked the dark, subversive intent. And - spoiler alert for those who haven't read the papers - that makes it makes Edmondson's well-known decision to, on finally realizing what was happening after she was neck-deep in it, not just quit and slip away quietly, but to instead go public, fight back against a law-suit-happy cult with deep pockets, and not just for herself, but to save as many students as she could, all the more courageous. A worthy read for those seeking a better understanding what it can take to set things right.
September 15, 2021
Sarah Edmondson was in the NXIVM cult for 12 years before she paid attention to all the red flags. For much of the book, she's explaining the teachings of the cult...many that actually make sense and sound like self-help learnings. I wonder if writing the book this way is her way to show HOW she fell for the BS. It wasn't until she was branded in a secret, nude, blind-folded, women-only darkened ceremony that she "woke up" and started working to get out.
I didn't know much about NXIVM until I read this book. I was surprised to learn how many men were a part of this cult, because the news coverage described it as a sex cult with famous actresses involved. More information is available now, including the documentary, "The Vow" (at this point I've only seen the first episode).
It's amazing to me how people fall for NXIVM, Scientology, The Remnant Fellowship Church... and gosh there are soooo many more. I found this book to be very interesting because Sarah tried to show her thought processes and how she came to embrace the ideals of NXIVM. I struggled with her description of recognizing all the red flags and never, for TWELVE years paying attention to them.
I didn't know much about NXIVM until I read this book. I was surprised to learn how many men were a part of this cult, because the news coverage described it as a sex cult with famous actresses involved. More information is available now, including the documentary, "The Vow" (at this point I've only seen the first episode).
It's amazing to me how people fall for NXIVM, Scientology, The Remnant Fellowship Church... and gosh there are soooo many more. I found this book to be very interesting because Sarah tried to show her thought processes and how she came to embrace the ideals of NXIVM. I struggled with her description of recognizing all the red flags and never, for TWELVE years paying attention to them.
December 22, 2022
There are so many similarities between Nxivm and Scientology that Keith Ramirez must have been in Scientology or seriously researched it.
Reading this book was kind of wild for me because a good majority of it took place in the Town of Clifton Park New York where I lived from the ages of 15 to 37 it reference a lot of locations that I know including Knox Woods where I lived for a couple years. This cult was somewhat well known in our town before I do big stories broke on it. I had a colleague who lived across the street from a house they owned and had meetings in. And he ended up doing a lot of research on them and had told me about it. So when the story broke I was not surprised I figured it was only matter of time.
One thing I know about this cult that I was surprised this book didn't cover was that one of the members of it was a Johnson & Johnson heiress who gave away so much of her family's money that she ended up getting completely cut out from the family.
Reading this book was kind of wild for me because a good majority of it took place in the Town of Clifton Park New York where I lived from the ages of 15 to 37 it reference a lot of locations that I know including Knox Woods where I lived for a couple years. This cult was somewhat well known in our town before I do big stories broke on it. I had a colleague who lived across the street from a house they owned and had meetings in. And he ended up doing a lot of research on them and had told me about it. So when the story broke I was not surprised I figured it was only matter of time.
One thing I know about this cult that I was surprised this book didn't cover was that one of the members of it was a Johnson & Johnson heiress who gave away so much of her family's money that she ended up getting completely cut out from the family.
January 7, 2020
From the moment I started, I could not put this book down. Sarah Edmondson's story is shocking and horrible, but also one of courage, inspiration, and empowerment. I am so glad she chose to speak out, when many would have remained silent. Thank you for telling your story Sarah!
January 23, 2023
I’ve been going down the NXIVM cult rabbit hole and found this memoir a compelling tale from one of the whistleblowers. You can feel the rawness of it all in the book.
September 27, 2020
If you just finished watched The Vow on HBO, I highly recommend reading Sarah's book to get her full story. I first heard about the NXIVM cult from a podcast Sarah did for a high school friend. It blew my mind! I admire her courage on finally bringing this weird cult into the public's eye. I see a lot of reviews saying this book is choppy with its writing. I didn't get that feeling at all. I did listen to it, so that might have been why. Sarah does a wonderful job narrating and you can hear the emotion is her voice, especially when she is talking about Lauren.
January 16, 2021
Well. What a crazy world this is. I had read some news articles a few years ago about someone supposedly known from TV, an actrice helped this man and they were in a cult.
Move the clock to this year (okay 2020) and I was recommended this book. I also had a copy of Scarred another book about the cult so I read them both together.
Wow wow wow. What I notice most is one the curtain fell foor this Keith Raniere guy his followers. all of a sudden think nothing at all was good.It is interesting that for a lot of people when something bad happens they only see the bad. I understand that they want to say they are victims and I think they are in a way but my my my how they profited of it all as well. I do think that about Sarah Edmondson. She was so good in getting so many others to sign up for this thing which cost them a ton of money and I am sure she believed it was all so good but take some responsibility about that. Same with the filmmaker guy.
Then we have all the women like the famous actress (I had never heard of by the way) I did learn that so far she is not receiving any punishment. Alison Mack is the name. She was allowed to stay at home thanks to a probably expensive lawyer while the other women did get jail time. (not enough in my humble opinion)
This book was better than the other book I was reading at the same time. (The Program)
(I wrote this review too long after reading the book. (my kindle died on me so had to buy a new one which took quite some time to arrive.
Move the clock to this year (okay 2020) and I was recommended this book. I also had a copy of Scarred another book about the cult so I read them both together.
Wow wow wow. What I notice most is one the curtain fell foor this Keith Raniere guy his followers. all of a sudden think nothing at all was good.It is interesting that for a lot of people when something bad happens they only see the bad. I understand that they want to say they are victims and I think they are in a way but my my my how they profited of it all as well. I do think that about Sarah Edmondson. She was so good in getting so many others to sign up for this thing which cost them a ton of money and I am sure she believed it was all so good but take some responsibility about that. Same with the filmmaker guy.
Then we have all the women like the famous actress (I had never heard of by the way) I did learn that so far she is not receiving any punishment. Alison Mack is the name. She was allowed to stay at home thanks to a probably expensive lawyer while the other women did get jail time. (not enough in my humble opinion)
This book was better than the other book I was reading at the same time. (The Program)
(I wrote this review too long after reading the book. (my kindle died on me so had to buy a new one which took quite some time to arrive.
October 22, 2019
2.5 stars
A fascinating subject.
A little Dragnet dry at times (as in Tell us in your own words but just the facts ma’am…)
Unlike other bios/memoirs I’ve read by people who’ve survived traumatic events, I didn’t connect too emotionally as a reader w/Sarah. It was due to the fact that she mentions several times about her doubts & questions of what was being said/done. I realize hindsight is 20/20 but if while you immersed in this organization & you still had questions, perhaps you shouldn’t have delved further. I do realize that she has much counseling & time to go in order to get over what happened to her. And I do appreciate her honesty in describing things as well as her own culpability. I also appreciate her bravery of leaving &going public.
Overall, while this was an okay book, I am glad I read it.
It’s an important story that should be told. And I hope that it is able to help someone who needs it.
A fascinating subject.
A little Dragnet dry at times (as in Tell us in your own words but just the facts ma’am…)
Unlike other bios/memoirs I’ve read by people who’ve survived traumatic events, I didn’t connect too emotionally as a reader w/Sarah. It was due to the fact that she mentions several times about her doubts & questions of what was being said/done. I realize hindsight is 20/20 but if while you immersed in this organization & you still had questions, perhaps you shouldn’t have delved further. I do realize that she has much counseling & time to go in order to get over what happened to her. And I do appreciate her honesty in describing things as well as her own culpability. I also appreciate her bravery of leaving &going public.
Overall, while this was an okay book, I am glad I read it.
It’s an important story that should be told. And I hope that it is able to help someone who needs it.
July 15, 2021
Edmondson's cowriter needed to edit and organize this much more. I'm still glad I read it, but it felt like listening to a verbal dump of recollections, facts, and names rather than a cohesive account. I also felt like ideally Edmondson needed more distance from her time in NXIUM before writing this. I didn't really feel she ever really acknowledged the harm she caused by being a hugely successful recruiter for the organization for over a decade. Likely she was afraid of the legal repercussions, or it's still very hard for her to face. I wish her well in her journey.
September 23, 2019
Terrifying how cults can prey on our feelings of being incomplete...
July 15, 2021
It’s pretty rare to get a nonfiction review from me. My interests in nonfiction are fairly specific and very eclectic, for lack of a better term. I will pickup almost anything African-American. I love books on the opioid epidemic, Mexican immigration, and books featuring admirable (not cutthroat) business women and men such as Howard Schultz of Starbucks and Phil Knight of Nike as well as business crime including scandals like Enron and Theranos. I read some personal growth books and from time to time I get caught up in certain true crime cases such as the Lacey Peterson case, based solely on circumstantial evidence. I think I read about 10 books on that case alone. Scarred is the start of another obsession for me. It is based on the NXIVM cult and this is only the first book in a stack of information that I have been working to get my hands on.
I’m sure you’ve heard something about it in the news, if nothing else some buzz words. Keith Raniere. Smallville actress Allison Mack. Sex Cult. Branding.
This is one woman’s account of how she got involved with NXIVM, her 12-year stint with the organization becoming one of the highest members of instructors and recruiters, how the organization took a dark turn and her blowing the whistle on what was happening before she got sucked further into the abyss.
I have read about different cults before, always wondering how the hell people managed to allow others to so fully control them that they succombed to brainwashing, abuse, and even death. With NXIVM, I can completely understand how it was able to collect so many followers and for so long under the guise of a personal growth and empowerment groups...because what human isn’t constantly seeking that?
Pirating from all sorts of existing philosophies including Scientology, The Four Agreements, Dianetics, the martial arts system of growth, and ultimately components of Hinduism and the Klu Klux Klan, Keith Raniere developed a complex university of human potential. Most of the concepts are actually pretty stellar ideas—credit to the people who originally devised them—and had NXIVM continued in a direction for good, it could have done some pretty great things, much like Hitler, but we all know how that story ends.
What started off as hopeful, inspiring, motivating, and life-changing turned into a dark, dominating and gross abuse of power over people, but more specifically over a smaller group of women and their bodies.
With everything involved in NXIVM over the course of the years, the key players, Sarah Edmonson being one, I have been completely fascinated by everything that continues to be revealed about this secret organization. Sarah’s account is thorough—you will learn a lot about the philosophies, vocabulary, rules, and rituals. You get her version of events right up until she was branded to be in DOS, the secret women’s group being groomed to become sexual partners for Raniere, along with her escape from the organization and attempts to save all of those she had recruited.
Sarah Edmondson is brave, courageous, inspiring, compassionate, empathetic, and beautiful.
Although I’m reading a lot of stuff about NXIVM, this will probably be the only review I post so I’m including further reading that I am doing in case you want to embark on this little obsession with me.
Further reading:
—Captive by Catherine Oxenburg (a mother’s account of rescuing her daughter from sex slavery in NXIVM)
—Don’t Call It A Cult by Sarah Berman (journalist’s reports of various women who have escaped NXIVM and their experiences in the cult)
—The Program: Inside the Mind of Keith Raniere and the Rise and Fall of NXIVM by Toni Natalie (former girlfriend of Raniere’s who was ostracized and attacked after leaving him and his organization at the time prior to the official start of NXIVM)
—Articles by Forbes (October 2003) and The New York Times magazine (October 2017/July 2018)
I’m sure you’ve heard something about it in the news, if nothing else some buzz words. Keith Raniere. Smallville actress Allison Mack. Sex Cult. Branding.
This is one woman’s account of how she got involved with NXIVM, her 12-year stint with the organization becoming one of the highest members of instructors and recruiters, how the organization took a dark turn and her blowing the whistle on what was happening before she got sucked further into the abyss.
I have read about different cults before, always wondering how the hell people managed to allow others to so fully control them that they succombed to brainwashing, abuse, and even death. With NXIVM, I can completely understand how it was able to collect so many followers and for so long under the guise of a personal growth and empowerment groups...because what human isn’t constantly seeking that?
Pirating from all sorts of existing philosophies including Scientology, The Four Agreements, Dianetics, the martial arts system of growth, and ultimately components of Hinduism and the Klu Klux Klan, Keith Raniere developed a complex university of human potential. Most of the concepts are actually pretty stellar ideas—credit to the people who originally devised them—and had NXIVM continued in a direction for good, it could have done some pretty great things, much like Hitler, but we all know how that story ends.
What started off as hopeful, inspiring, motivating, and life-changing turned into a dark, dominating and gross abuse of power over people, but more specifically over a smaller group of women and their bodies.
With everything involved in NXIVM over the course of the years, the key players, Sarah Edmonson being one, I have been completely fascinated by everything that continues to be revealed about this secret organization. Sarah’s account is thorough—you will learn a lot about the philosophies, vocabulary, rules, and rituals. You get her version of events right up until she was branded to be in DOS, the secret women’s group being groomed to become sexual partners for Raniere, along with her escape from the organization and attempts to save all of those she had recruited.
Sarah Edmondson is brave, courageous, inspiring, compassionate, empathetic, and beautiful.
Although I’m reading a lot of stuff about NXIVM, this will probably be the only review I post so I’m including further reading that I am doing in case you want to embark on this little obsession with me.
Further reading:
—Captive by Catherine Oxenburg (a mother’s account of rescuing her daughter from sex slavery in NXIVM)
—Don’t Call It A Cult by Sarah Berman (journalist’s reports of various women who have escaped NXIVM and their experiences in the cult)
—The Program: Inside the Mind of Keith Raniere and the Rise and Fall of NXIVM by Toni Natalie (former girlfriend of Raniere’s who was ostracized and attacked after leaving him and his organization at the time prior to the official start of NXIVM)
—Articles by Forbes (October 2003) and The New York Times magazine (October 2017/July 2018)
June 5, 2024
3.5
I’ve been familiar with Sarah Edmondson’s story for quite some time now. Due to my newfound affinity for true crime, specifically cults, and a pandemic that allowed me time to delve into documentaries and specials, I’m quite familiar with NXIVM. Not only that, but I regularly listen to her podcast. I had not, however, read her book. Truthfully, I felt like given all the hours of “The Vow” and “A Little Bit Culty” podcast that I’d consumed would have left me knowing the whole story. It seems as though I was wrong…at least partially.
There are quite a bit of things in this book that were new information to me, but more than that, the story, written in chronological order, gave me a new understanding of the picture as a whole. While I knew most of it, the words were written in a way that were artistic and descriptive. The prologue specifically was written exceptionally well and was a fantastic hook.
While I listened to this on audio (something I don’t love doing) and the experience still isn’t the same as when I read it myself, it was engaging and informative. Also, Sarah reads this herself which I feel like adds to the experience especially since she’s an experienced voice actor; it really feels like she’s just sitting down and telling you her story. Moreover, she lays out everything in a way that truly shows you the draw of NXIVM and leaves you conflicted given that some of the tools are benign and sometimes even helpful, but the underpinnings and overall motives were unequivocally not. It’s the general way cult stories are authentically told. Because as cult experts will tell you, cults are complicated and certainly not black and white. It’s the gray area that gets you. And make no mistake: EVERYONE is susceptible to that manipulation within the gray area
I’ve been familiar with Sarah Edmondson’s story for quite some time now. Due to my newfound affinity for true crime, specifically cults, and a pandemic that allowed me time to delve into documentaries and specials, I’m quite familiar with NXIVM. Not only that, but I regularly listen to her podcast. I had not, however, read her book. Truthfully, I felt like given all the hours of “The Vow” and “A Little Bit Culty” podcast that I’d consumed would have left me knowing the whole story. It seems as though I was wrong…at least partially.
There are quite a bit of things in this book that were new information to me, but more than that, the story, written in chronological order, gave me a new understanding of the picture as a whole. While I knew most of it, the words were written in a way that were artistic and descriptive. The prologue specifically was written exceptionally well and was a fantastic hook.
While I listened to this on audio (something I don’t love doing) and the experience still isn’t the same as when I read it myself, it was engaging and informative. Also, Sarah reads this herself which I feel like adds to the experience especially since she’s an experienced voice actor; it really feels like she’s just sitting down and telling you her story. Moreover, she lays out everything in a way that truly shows you the draw of NXIVM and leaves you conflicted given that some of the tools are benign and sometimes even helpful, but the underpinnings and overall motives were unequivocally not. It’s the general way cult stories are authentically told. Because as cult experts will tell you, cults are complicated and certainly not black and white. It’s the gray area that gets you. And make no mistake: EVERYONE is susceptible to that manipulation within the gray area
October 15, 2020
A fascinating yet disturbing account of Sarah Edmondson's personal experience being involved in a cult for 12 years. She wrote this book to share her story and insight being part of NXIVM. Her personal experiences allowed us to glimpse into her innermost thoughts and how it shaped her life. Sarah's aftermath in exiting the organization provided her with time for reflection and the ability to identify specific moments and events that marked her growth and the lessons learned from this harrowing experience. Sarah does an amazing job in weaving the personal and factual account. Her personal narrative does not get in the way in delivering the information on the organization's purpose and their operations. I honestly read articles here and there when the NXIVM scandal was exposed and the involved leaders were being arrested and questioned with their implication with the illegal cult activities and in their assistance to the founder Keith Raniere in achieving those goals. I respect Sarah Edmondson for her honesty and sharing her vulnerability with us. But most importantly her determination to expose, dismantle and bringing justice against this heinous organization not only for herself but for all the women abused by Keith and other leaders. This was an enlightening and engrossing read in the depiction on cults' personality.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 384 reviews