Those Who Prey was captivating. Cults are always a bit of a topic of interest for me. It is fascinating to see how people get involved with them. This book grabs your attention and kept me wanting more. I felt this book in my heart about wanting to find a place to belong in college. College can be a scary place and you just want to find a group to fit with. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in cults and what makes a cult, a cult.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was decent, and I loved the premise. I wanted more from the writing, however - some of the characters were not developed at all and blended together in my mind, and the conclusion didn’t quite come together the way I think it was meant to. I do enjoy reading about cults, real or fictional, and this was a fast read. 3.5 stars.

God, I love this book!! A creepy, slow-burn cult story where things go wrong fast. I LOVE this book!! The characters are realistically flawed and it is easy to see how the main character fell into this group without realizing until she was in too deep- and in a foreign country with no documents and no money. I am exactly the right reader for this tense, dramatic, rich read. Absolutely adored it.

This was a fascinating look at how a normal person could be preyed upon and manipulated to join a cult. The main character is relatable, which makes her transformation all the more eye-opening. I appreciated how the author showed the before, during, and after phases of the cult.

A captivating look into something that I don't think has ever been explored in YA fiction. Moffett strikes a perfect balance between engaging the reader and advancing the story, yet keeping the mysteries surrounding her characters vague and hazy until the very end. Emily doesn't know the truth of the Kingdom, only that it and its disciples offer her something she's always wanted: a place to belong. But the other disciples' true motivations are totally unknown to her, and only subtle hints are offered to the reader along the way. A truly one of a kind book that's sure to grab any teen's attention.

Emily has just started college but is having a difficult time fitting in. This all changes when she finds her place in the religious club, the Kingdom. On a missionary trip to Italy with the club, she begins to wonder if she’s in a cult, not a religious sect.

This was an enjoyable story but I was expecting a bit more drama and excitement. The climax was a bit short-lived for me. I had a difficult time connecting with the secondary characters and would have liked to have them built up a bit more, especially Kara and Josh. I found the build-up very exciting. I liked the line between religion and cult, and how it became blurred for the characters. The story showed how a lonely individual can get sucked into a negative situation, without family and friends being aware. The story took place in the 90’s and had some pop-culture references which were fun for a fellow 90’s child.

“After you leave it, it feels like you’re lost, like someone led you into the depths of a labyrinth without a map, and then abandoned you to find your way out.”

Those Who Prey comes out 11/10.

Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett gave me serious chills. It follows a college freshman, struggling to find a place for herself on campus, who ends up bonding with a group that belongs to a multiplying ministries church. When she's selected for an exclusive internship abroad through the church, she thinks her life is changing for the better, only to realize that things are getting drastically more dangerous.
This novel is tense and frightening. At one point, the main character reflects that people are fascinated by those who have been in cults because everyone worries that it could so easily happen to them, or someone they love. I think that this hits the core fascination of this novel on the head. It's difficult to watch Emily slide further into the life of The Kingdom. This creates a tight suspense because of the foreshadowing provided by interviews from her family after the fact. The sections that describe brainwashing and cult tactics held starkly against seemingly benign developments in Emily's relationships with her friends gave me goosebumps.
Those Who Prey is great for those who love horror, but also should be a must read for soon to be freshmen. It's a creepy emotional roller coaster that I read in one sitting, and I plan to recommend it widely.

Review to be posted to @honeyedwordsreads closer to the publication date.

I remember the cover reveal for this book, and when I read the synopsis... I knew I had to get my hands on this book. The premise sounded so creepy and fascinating, and it certainly did not disappoint.

Lasting Impressions

This is a slow burn psychological thriller that really takes a hard look at how a young adult could join a cult. Emily was excited to go to Boston for college, away from her always-working dad and busy body stepmom and stepsister. She hopes she'll make friends and have fun. But after a full semester, she hasn't found any of that. Instead, she feels estranged from everyone and overwhelmingly lonely. But one day, she meets a really cute boy who seems genuinely interested in her, and he invites her into his circle of friends. For once, she feels included and seen. With their help, she enters the Kingdom, where she feels needed and wanted. The author does an incredible job of showing, through Emily, how someone could fall into this situation. It seems really interesting and uplifting at first, but then the manipulation and high-pressure tactics begin... and then they go to Italy.

I was expecting this to be more fast-paced and heart pounding, but that is not this book. Instead, the dread and fear creeps up on you in a way that makes the first part of the book feel languid and dreamy... and then you're awake in a horrible nightmare. Yet the book never felt slow. I did not want to stop reading, and it was a quick read. The writing is gorgeous, with such beautiful passages of description and introspection. There are short sections that interrupt Emily's POV with interview excerpts from other characters of the book that gives clues to what happens in the end. I loved these, and I honestly wish there had been more. The ending was excellent as well, with an interesting twist as well as showing how a victim of a cult can recover and move on.

Overall Feelings

This is a fantastic debut! I'd recommend it for fans of Sadie and other similar thrillers. I can't wait to see what Jennifer Moffett comes up with next!

THOSE WHO PREY is a slow burn and creepy mystery thriller with a coming of age tale thrown in for good measure. Moffett did a really good job of showing how these campus cult groups like Kingdom (and its real life counterparts) can easily take advantage of and ensnare lonely and insecure college kids who are trying to find themselves and their place in this world. Emily is a realistic and relatable protagonist, and Moffett does a good job of showing how Kingdom works its way into her fears and insecurities and totally takes her into their fold. The cult practices and manipulations were spot on, and I thought that the frog in the boiling water aspect was solid and well done. And then when we get to Italy after Emily is good and trapped, we get a well done mystery about her new friend Kara, and what her connection is to everything, given that she doesn't seem like the kind of person that would be in Kingdom, or at least doesn't seem like she wants to be there. While I guessed a couple aspects of Kara's mystery and motivation, there were plenty of puzzle pieces that I didn't grasp until I was supposed to within the narrative. All of these things kept me totally enthralled with this story.

THOSE WHO PREY is creepy and unsettling, and paints a vivid picture of how high control groups can manipulate and control people. It's a great thriller for winter!

This one is a bit hard for me to review because I’m not sure where to begin and while reading I just felt conflicted. I guess all I can do is try to explain and see if it makes sense in the end.

When it comes to cults, I am fascinated. What makes someone want to join? How do people just believe the leaders of them? Is it because they are charismatic? Do they just have a way with people? What makes them tick to begin such a group anyways? So many questions and many cults later, there really isn’t much for answers.

I noticed this book on Netgalley and instantly clicked request. The title and blurb are alluring. Even the cover is symbolism all on its own. I don’t think I was prepared emotionally for this book but it was one worth reading.

The book follows the normal format when it comes to chapters but we also get a dose of interviews from other characters that have known Emily. I always enjoy seeing those and one reason I liked Sadie so much. Although you don’t get many, it’s enough to satisfy and also keep you guessing on whether Emily will be okay.

The allure to this group for Emily starts with just trying to find a place to belong but little does she know what being a part of this group actually means for her life.

The author does a fantastic job of making these characters and their actions so realistic and as a reader you are pulled into this group because everyone just seems so kind and are truly looking out for your best intentions. They want you to belong.

As the plot starts to progress you realize that these people aren’t exactly as they portray themselves but at the same time you can’t look away. It’s a train going off a cliff but you can’t jump off. Through it all, I felt uneasy and conflicted with my emotions.

This could be because I have grown up in a religious household and am still religious. I think my husband also put it best, there is a fine line between religions and cults. It’s easy to cross that line as we have seen with many groups. I also liked in the author’s note where she talked about it being easy to take anything, not just the bible, and twist it to fit the leader’s narrative.

My only complaint would be that over the course of a month I have read 3 or 4 books where a cat gets severely injured or dies and this one also had that. As a cat lady fanatic, it just makes me quite sad and I’m just not a fan of reading about it.

Overall, I really liked this book. It’s easy to get swept into and had me staying up past my bedtime to finish. It makes you uncomfortable and gets you thinking. Looking forward to seeing what this author writes next.

It's italy July 1994. It starts with alot of action? Then it's boston. 1994. I liked christina. I didn't think the tone was too cutesy.

Those Who Prey is an interesting YA thriller with a unique twist: cults. The main character, Emily, is a lonely college student having trouble adjusting to a new environment far from home when she gets slowly roped into a religious student group. The farther Emily gets into the group, the more weird elements are introduced, culminating on a mission trip in Italy. As someone fascinated by cults, I loved this angle, but the story still had a lot of depth as a YA novel. My only critique is the last part felt a bit longer than it needed to, but I still liked the ability to see what happened after and to try to put all of the pieces together.

Wow! I just meant to dip into Those Who Prey but I tore through it--it's a fantastic novel that will absolutely appeal to YA readers of all ages.

If you want a book that is gripping in the most unsettling way, this is a must-read. Those Who Prey completely flips the coming of age narrative, by making a very singular experience universal. Emily's loneliness and grief, her desperation to find anyone and anything that brings her comfort and acceptance is something we can all relate to.

Things I liked:

-The characters were really well fleshed-out and I felt like each played a purpose and had distinct personalities. I think this is hard to do sometimes when there's a larger ensemble, but Moffett does it very well.
-There is a solid resolution at the end. I actually was afraid that there would be some loose ends that aren't tied up, but all my questions were answered by the conclusion which is always REALLY important to me.
-I've never read a book about cults or even know much about them past general things, but I feel like this book gave a very clear insight. Another review mentioned that the book reads almost like a memoir, and I completely agree with that sentiment. It felt raw and honest and real which is one of the things that really hooked me in.

Overall, there's not a lot I didn't like about the book. It is easily a 5/5 for me, though I understand how it might not be for everyone. Either way, I highly recommend giving it a try.

This is a story about the compelling power of belonging.

I read this in one sitting & enjoyed the feeling of creeping dread it inspired. I do wish it had been longer, as I wanted to spend more time within the cult indoctrination process to really understand the organization, because the aspects we got to see were horrifying. On the other hand, there is something to be said for a quick, tense, well crafted read. Definitely recommended for anyone who enjoys new adult thrillers.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

My review will be published on good reads & Instagram within the month prior to the books publication, per the publisher’s request. I will edit to add links at that point in time.