I think that so many of us have such a fascination with cults, so there is always going to be room for another book about a cult. In this case we have a cult survivor trying to live her life after the trauma of losing the cult. The relationship she has with her husband and mother-in-law felt a little awkward as did the appearance of her sister. It begs the reader to believe things that seem preposterous. I wondered how one earth Buccola was going to wrap it up, but that might be the best part of the book. A very satisfying ending. I'd read another book by this author, so that says something right there.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It certainly held my attention until the end. 3.5 stars really....

This novel was described as an “irresistible” and “nerve-rattling thriller.” While the premise of being raised and then abandoned by a cult was intriguing, I did not find the writing style lived up to the hype. I did feel the twist at the end was unexpected and partially redeemed the storyline’s slow pacing, uninspired characters, and abrupt ending, which left several unanswered questions. Would I recommend the book? Doubtful. It was dark and not very entertaining..

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

The Ascent by Allison Buccola

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 20 years ago. Ophelia is a 12 year old girl living in a secluded community. A group that is led by a radial man. Provide for themselves, limited outside help. Until one morning, when Ophelia wakes and everyone has vanished, except for her. The vanishing have left Lee (Ophelia), the extended family of the members of the commune, the police and the world wondering what happened.

20 years later, Ophelia is a struggling mother doubting her parenting, terrified something will happen to her baby if out of her sight for too long or in the care of anyone else including her husband and mother in law. Until one day, a stranger connects with Lee and her daughter and Lee’s troubled past comes rushing back to her. Who can she believe?

This was an emotional roller coaster of a book! If you are a mother, you can probably relate to Lee questioning her own parenting skills. I had a lot of sympathy for Lee until, well, I’ll get to that.

This story broadly shows what living in a reclusive commune could be like. It was a different point of view than almost any other story I have read and appreciated the author’s description of the commune, the people, the leader, the location and the laws.

The only thing I did not understand was why Lee is so worried about something happening to her baby that no-one else can care for the baby including her husband. But, after meeting this stranger, knowing said stranger for 1/2 a day, Lee allows the stranger to watch the baby for hours at a time? I feel this should have been thought more thoroughly. Someone who is that petrified would not ever let a stranger take care of the baby.

Other that that, this was a great read. I highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for an advanced digital copy for my honest review.

I did not connect with this story and did not like the style of writing. This book just wasn’t for me . Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

Wow, wow, wow! I could not put this one down. If Alex Michaelides’ ‘The Silent Patient’ and Lisa Jewell’s ‘None of this is True’ had a love child, this book would be it.

I was immediately enthralled in Ophelia’s backstory as a former member of a self-sustainable group, or as most would call it, a cult. After changing her name to protect her identity as the sole survivor of the farm where she grew up, Lee finds herself facing her past in a new and terrifying light, baby and husband in tow.

When shocking information from a documentary is discovered, Ophelia must choose between covering up her past trauma, or facing it head on to find peace. As people dig deeper into the secrets kept by the former members and family of the cult and media attention surfaces, it gets increasingly difficult to tell friend from foe when unexpected guests show up at Ophelia and Theo’s home.

Believe me when I tell you that you will not be able to put this book down. It is so gripping and thrilling and keeps you guessing up until the last page. 5/5 for Allison Buccola and her second novel, I can’t wait to see more from her.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this ARC.

While I had a bit of struggle getting into the book, I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this book. I was drawn to the book because of the topic of a cult and someone being a survivor.
Once I got to part two, I feel like the story got really good. I really liked Lee. She was for sure such an interesting person, and the way the author portrays her mental health is so real. Lee's mental health journey, because man is it a journey, feels like your there with her, experiencing it.
The twist with Theo..I was gobsmacked. I thought he would be having an affair, just from how his own wife describes his self confidence..but the twist and ending...Bravo!

This was an ARC from Netgalley. #theascent #netgalley

Love a novel with a twist! This one has it all .. a cult, all is not what it seems for Lee, her husband and their 8 month old baby. Someone from Lee’s past life as a cult member comes back, but is all as it is presented? Written in the past and present, the reader learns about Lee and her life thus far. Wonderful twist at the end I did not see coming.

3.5 stars. I really wanted this to be more about the mystery of the cult that the main character grew up in, but it turned out to be more of a domestic thriller with an odd twist at the ending. I did not see the ending coming, but not really in a "good surprise" way.

A cultish thriller with twists and turns !

Lee (Ophielia) is the only survivor of a mysterious cult that disappeared more than 20 years ago. Lee was found and raised by her aunt, living a moderately normal life. Her trauma, however, has been reignited by having a child with her husband. Her fears are unlocked and she sees danger everywhere. When her long lost sister comes into her life, she is cautiously relieved.

But is Mona back in her life for the right reasons? What happened to the rest of the family she was born into? Buccola keeps the plot moving with twist and turns that will entertain any thriller lover #allisonbuccola #theascent #randomhouse

**3.5 Stars**

This was my first experience with a book from this author, and I really loved her style of writing. In regards to the book, I found the first half was a bit of a slow burn with all the character development. But once I got to the second half, it really picked up and became way more thrilling. I started to enjoy it a lot more then. The only thing that bugged me was that I still don't have a clear idea of what went down with The Fifteen which was a bummer.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for allowing me to read this ARC.

I'm pretty obsessed with cult books, so it feels like I've read every novelized version of them by now. However, The Ascent by Allison Buccola was a completely new take on the cult. Focusing on a woman who was "left behind" when her childhood cult disappeared and is dealing with the fallouts from new attention from a Wild Wild Country type documentary that just dropped 20 years later, I was obsessed with each page of this book. Must more of a psychological thriller than I was expecting, I truly did not not what to believe throughout some of the book. I loved it.

I found the first half to be a bit of a slow burn - it’s mostly character building. The second half is when it became more interesting and suspenseful, the pace picked up, and I really started to enjoy it.

Lee growing up in Jacob’s Hill was a significant part of this story but I did wonder if there was anything more to it. Or if it was just that.. a story - a part of her past. There are bits and pieces of Lee’s past mentioned in little detail throughout, leaving you with a lot of curiosity surrounding what actually happened. However, it’s possible the author may have wanted it to be this way to keep you guessing. The “twist” did surprise me though which made the story much more interesting.

As I was nearing the last few chapters I was worried there wouldn’t be closure. However, I was satisfied with the ending and felt there was just enough information to feel the story come to a close.

Ooh! This is a good one. A mystery about a vanishing cult, yes please.

Years ago, Ophelia was somehow left behind. The reclusive cult, later referred to as The Fifteen, disappeared without a trace in the middle of the night. Her mother and little sister vanished with them. Now all grown up, she has become part of a family again, this time as a wife and mother. Yet the questions from her childhood abandonment still weigh heavy on her current life. Then one day a stranger walks into Ophelia’s life bringing with her a chance to reveal all the answers. But at what cost?

This book had my attention right from the beginning. Ophelia as the sole POV had me trying to figure out if she was a reliable narrator right up to the very end. Allison Buccola delivered up a great read. I look forward to her next book.

*I received an arc of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I am intrigued by cults so as soon as I found this book on NetGalley I knew I had to read it.

The Ascent is told from varying past and present perspectives of Ophelia, a woman who was born and raised in an isolated cult reminiscent of Jonestown outside of Philadelphia, and one day she woke up as a 12 year old girl and everyone was gone. The book follows her in her present life as a married mother in Philadelphia living a "normal" upscale life with a loving husband and tells in flashbacks the story of how she was raised by an aunt's family and gradually re-integrated into society.

In the present day Ophelia is struggling with the trauma of her childhood after she gives birth and as she is coping with that, a woman shows up out of nowhere claiming to be Ophelia's long lost sister which reignites beliefs that Ophelia long struggled with, that her family and the others are out there somewhere and maybe she can see them again.

I enjoyed the method of sharing her story which was through flashbacks although I felt they could have been fleshed out more. While it's believable that someone who went through an experience like that would have a difficult time as a teenager and be bullied, I found it very two dimensional how everyone except her aunt thought she was a horrible monster and was somehow responsible for the actions of the cult. I found it perplexing as well that as the story moves on through the present- and there is a plotline about true crime reporting in this- that even as adults people think that she as a child was responsible for the cult. It's true that both on the internet and in real life, people have truly horrendous ideas and hold women and children responsible for things beyond their control, however it strained credulity that "everyone" would think this, particularly considering the rest of the information that the characters have.

It was also perplexing and infuriating at times how poorly Ophelia and her husband Theo communicate, however this was of course a plot device, and also some of this could be explained away by Ophelia's trauma (which she does address actually in regards to some of the poor communication). The plot and story move very quickly though and while there are some loose ends, I generally thought it made sense and aside from some of the strangely two dimensional characters, particularly in Ophelia's childhood, there were supporting characters who were very believable as actual people.

The plot twist and ending was excellent and was not at all anything I would have guessed. I also found the ending to be lovely as Ophelia finally comes to terms with the truth of what really happened to her when the cult left her. It again strained credulity in areas that I won't share as it's a spoiler, however, it was still a great place to end and for the reader to lay aside any disbelief.

Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.

This book had so many things that I love. Pennsylvania! Cults! Philadelphia--Go Birds! Lawyers! (Do I love lawyers? No, but I am a lawyer so I will offer some token enthusiasm.)

It started a little slow (the narrator's whole I-can't-let-my-baby-out-of-my-sight-oh-my-god schtick went on for a little too long in my opinion), but once it got rolling it did not relent. I was hooked. I was very surprised by the twist and satisfied with the ending (though the ending did feel a little rushed).

However, there were a few aspects of the plot that left me wanting more. I wanted to know more about her relationship with her cousins and I wanted them to be humanized and less black and white (e.g., I think it would have been great for her to reconcile/grow closer with Rachel at some point). I wanted to know more about what happened in Pittsburgh, because I feel like that was barely explained. I wanted to know what, exactly, the narrator could have been diagnosed with during those episodes. I will note that I am glad the book wasn't bogged down by too many flashbacks to the cult. I hate constant switching between flashbacks/present day, and I enjoyed Buccola's light touch with those.

I have such a special place in my heart for lawyers-turned-authors (like Allison Buccola). Mainly because I would love to be a lawyer-turned-author. But alas. I'm glad Buccola made that career shift because this is a great book. I will read her previous novel at some point.

*THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE FOR THE ADVANCED READER COPY**

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced reader copy.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end; I even found myself skimming in the last quarter of the book just so I could find out how it all worked out in the end. The "twist" of the novel felt surprising but earned, something that feels increasingly more difficult in the thriller genre. My only quibble (what makes this a 4 star rating instead of 5) is that the depictions of the layout of Philadelphia were very unrealistic, in terms of Lee's ability to walk between those neighborhoods while pushing a stroller.

I went back and forth about rating this book. I enjoyed the story, found it compelling enough to hold my interest, and was satisfied with the ending. All good.
I have a hard time, however, when characters who are supposed to be intimately connected act like it's normal to have little to no
information about their partner's background and either excuse or ignore things that real people would absolutely call out. It really takes me out of the story, so I would probably give this book closer to a 3.5
Overall, I would have liked the characters to have more depth and feel more real, but I would recommend for the story and the writing (character flaws aside).

I love true crime and have a slight fascination with cults. This book delivered on both.
The whole time this story has you feeling so sorry for Ophelia and what she went through. This broken girl. Reading all she has been through and people taking advantage of her.

The twist/ending was great but I wanted it all not to be true and she have her ever after. She does just differently then i envisioned.

Thanks for NetGalley for the ARC. Truly an enjoyable book.

I really liked this one. It was odd and off-kilter and a blend of mystery, family drama, and gaslighting tale that I quite enjoyed because I had no idea where things were going! I probably should have seen it coming, in hindsight, but didn't - and that made it all the more fun for me as things began to roll out. I liked the characterizations here a lot, as well as the teasing out about Jacob's Hill and the secrets of Lee's past. I also found her struggles with new-motherhood to resonate well and true. There is a lot to think about here, as far as the meaning of family, the source of anxiety, and the challenge to be the person we want to be rather than the one the world wants us to be/insists on us being. It made it a more thoughtful read than I expected, and I enjoyed that also.

The Ascent

I had never heard of this author before, but based on the description of the book, I was excited to read this one. I was intrigued from the very first page.

This book follows Ophelia (Lee, Fee-uh) and her life after escaping the cult she grew up in. The main story is 20 years after she left and has a few time jumps.

Present day, Lee is married to Theo and has a 7 month old daughter named Lucy. After having her daughter, Lee has a difficult time separating herself from Lucy, which has negative effects on her marriage.

Although I liked this book overall, it left me wanting more.
1. I wish there was more to the storyline of her upbringing. I personally think it would have added more to the story and gave the reader a better understanding of why Lee is how she is.
2. The “twist” of Maria and Theo seemed a little unnecessary to me.
3. This could be just me, but I didn’t fully understand what actually happened to The Fifteen.

Again, I did enjoy this book. I thought the writing style and storytelling was pretty good.