The Ascent is the story of Lee, once known as Ophelia, the sole survivor of a cult. Years ago, she wakes up to find all the members in the cult disappeared leaving her behind. Taken in by an aunt and uncle, she learns to hide her past in order to survive in this new world she has found herself residing.

Lee has married Theo, and together they share a child. But this begins to unravel when a woman shows up and claims she is her sister. Her new life is threatened by the woman's arrival.

The story is interesting but for me I was left wanting more information.

I was intrigued by this plot, but honestly, anything to do with a cult intrigues me. Luckily, I found the book to be engaging and plausible. The writing made it easy to feel how the MC felt at times, which made the book more enjoyable. I really liked it.

Good premise and I was hooked from the get go.
definitely a good page turner and kept me interested throughout.
A few good twists got me along the way but the ending wasn’t too shocking. Overall great read

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was extremely intrigued by the premise of this book. Lee is the last known member of a cult, which all of the other members disappeared, when she was 12 years old.
Lee is not a married mom, who has tried to distance herself from this past life. A stranger starts showing herself to Lee, claiming to be her long-lost sister, and Lee starts to feel her life unraveling.

The book goes back and forth between Lee’s present and things that she can remember from her time at Jacob Hill. The author did a great job grabbing you in for this wild tale. I admit that there were some twists and turns that I did not fully figure out, but that were flushed out well. It was one of those books that I was still thinking about days later.

This is a somewhat fast paced thriller. Lee’s characters mental health concerns are understandable considering her past, and you don’t see all the things being thrown at you.

I am excited to check out future books by this author and definitely recommend this book. 4 Stars.

A Gripping Slow-Burn Thriller with a Surprising Twist

The Ascent by Allison Buccola is a psychological thriller centered on Lee Burton, a woman grappling with the unresolved mysteries of her past. Twenty years earlier, the members of a secluded commune near Philadelphia disappeared without a trace, leaving behind Lee as the sole survivor. Now an adult with a husband and a young daughter, Lee has concealed her traumatic history from those around her. Her fragile sense of her normal life begins to crumble when a stranger arrives, claiming to know about the mysterious events of her childhood, forcing Lee to confront her past.

I really enjoyed this book and would give it a solid 4.5 out of 5. I received an ARC and went in knowing only the genre, which made the experience even more refreshing. I was hooked from the start and kept looking forward to diving back in every chance I got. As a psychological thriller, it has a slow-burn quality that builds tension steadily. The twist hits about three-quarters of the way through, and while I found the ending a tiny bit far-fetched, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. Many thanks to Allison Buccola and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had high hopes for the book’s premise. I was genuinely hoping for more depth and exploration of the cult than what was provided. The only truly developed character was Lee. You gained very little insight into the secondary characters. The pace was slow initially, but it accelerated rapidly towards the end. While it may be an enjoyable read for some, it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. I’m certain it will be a great read for others, but it simply didn’t resonate with me personally.

This book is about a woman who is dealing with her traumatic childhood of growing up in a cult and how it is affecting her adult life. The description caught my attention as I am fascinated by cults. This book was well written and kept my attention to the very end. it is heartfelt and a bit different from what I normally read.

This was my first book by Buccola and I will be back for more! By far the best book I've read in 2025 so far in terms of pace, plot, and engagement. I couldn't put this book down right from the start. While it's not a perfect novel the storyline hooks you and there are enough twists to keep you guessing. The resolution wasn't as great as the rest of the novel, but it was still satisfying enough.

Enjoyed it.  The book was definitely interesting.  For Lee not to have been affected by what happened to her when she was so young would have been more concerning than her mental breakdowns.  To wake up at twelve years old and find everyone you lived with gone and then live with an aunt that you never met is quite traumatic.  Plus, her cousin Clara did not make her stay pleasant.  Not to mention Lee was living in a cult.  I would have liked to read more about the Jacob's Hill cult where Lee lived as a child with her mom and sister.  Christopher's cult didn't seem as crazy as some of the others, until the end and realized Jacob's Hill was no exception. I kept wondering why Lee was left behind and where did these people go?  Would her mom really abandon her?  (Maybe she does belong to a cult.)  Aunt Anne ended up being the best thing for Lee.  Anne was a wonderful woman and did everything to help her niece.  Too bad her daughter, Clara, wasn't more like her.  From the start I was suspicious of "Mona."  Was she really Lee's sister? She provided zero proof of her identity.  Lee didn't even question her, because she wanted part of her family back.   Theo's relationship with his college friends was a bit much.  They would walk right into their house without knocking.  They didn't even care that there was a baby sleeping, Fey was always rude to Lee.    Theo wanted Lucy out of his bedroom and sleeping in her own room.  A room that wasn't even set up as a nursery.  They could have painted it before she was born. I would have also dreaded the weekly dinners with Theo's mom.  Then there was the big twist I never saw coming!!!  I would have never guessed what really happened.   I kept going along with everyone else and assumed Lee needed some mental help.  Loved the ending, especially when Lee extracts the truth from Theo. 

Definitely recommend the book. I enjoyed how the book alternated between Lee in the present and the past when she was younger.   I couldn't put it down because I needed to know what happened to her mom and if the girl was really Mona.  I enjoyed the characters, story and writing style. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Random House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I could not out this down! I had to keep reading to see what would happen. Lee had a traumatic childhood and is still dealing with it years later and it starts affecting the new life she has built. Wonderfully written!

This book was fast-paced and engaging- I think I finished it in under 24 hours. It centers on Lee, who was part of a cult as a young teen when everyone else disappeared one day. Now 20 years later, she is married with a young daughter but still haunted by the past. The story is told in dual timelines and alternates chapters between them.

Lee was a likable character, for the most part, though I found her to be more gullible than I would have expected, based on what she has gone through. There were times where the book was a little heavy on her internal monologue as it related to her hypercare of her daughter, but that didn't really affect the pacing of the book. The dynamics between her and those around her felt realistic. There were some really good twists in the book- though I did predict them, I didn't have them exactly right and I really enjoyed the way it all fit together. I liked the ending and felt that the loose ends were tied up.

Overall, this was a fast read with great suspense and I would recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in 48h. Compulsively readable, with multiple layered mysteries that kept me turning pages as fast as I could. The prose is *chef's kiss* and the ending was soooo satisfying. Highly recommend!!

Wow this was such a page turner! I think it took a turn I wasn’t really expecting and would have loved to focus more on the cult however it was a thrilling and fast paced read. I enjoyed the resolution but of course I still have questions! I think true crime readers will enjoy this as it brings a fictionalized narrative of a survivor of a cult and how she copes as an adult.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to the publication of The Ascent!

Twenty years ago members of a sect called The Fifteen disappeared without a trace from a commune outside Philadelphia. However, one 12 year old girl, Orphelia, was left behind, claiming she had no knowledge of the groups whereabouts, or even what happened that day. Present day, Lee, as she’s now known, is happily married with a newborn, when she’s approached by a woman who claims she holds secrets about the past, throwing Lucy’s life into turmoil. The Ascent is a bonafide page-turner that is a classic thriller, challenging the reader to decide what’s true and what’s not, keeping you off balance all along the way. You find yourself rooting for a character, until you start to second guess yourself, and that’s part of the fun. Loved the plot, with details of Orphelia’s commune life interspersed throughout, which all comes together in an unexpected way. Highly entertaining, highly recommended, five stars for sure! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Ascent. The writing was strong and the story completely pulled me in. It follows Lee, the only member of a secluded commune who didn’t disappear when she was twelve. Now an adult and new mom, she’s trying to move on when someone from her past shows up with answers about what really happened. I love a good cult story, and this one hit the mark. It’s eerie, emotional, and unfolds at a steady pace without being over the top. A solid, character-driven thriller that kept me invested the whole way through.

Oh my god never trust anyone but yourself!!!

This was the wildest gaslight I’ve ever seen and I was hooked because of the cult angle and stayed for the fucking wild ass ending angle!

This story follows a woman who grew up in a cult and never really “knew” what happened to the members- they just disappeared (which in retrospect makes me feel like the police really didn’t look as well as they could have after knowing the ending) and she has to battle herself, her past, and her present as she tries to create a safe world for her daughter Lucy. There are so many red herrings in this book and a really unreliable narrator whose doubt feeds into our own mind - is she really telling the truth or is there something wrong does she need medical help? We honestly don’t know right up until the end and I was enthralled the entire time. I binged this book because I HAD to know the end. Amazing thriller I loved it! Not only did it thrill me but I also really felt for the main character and felt sad for her too because her ending isn’t the happiest but it’s honestly realistic.

Thank you NetGalley for the E-ARC!

Allison Buccola is an author to watch. This is my second read from her, and I enjoyed both of them. First of all, anything involving a cult, sign me up!! This story is of The Fifteen, basically a cult who just disappeared. All that was left was Lee, a child found wandering the streets. Now Lee is married, has a baby daughter and a huge case of paranoia based on her past. A stranger shows up and offers answers to Lee's past. Can she trust the stranger, and does she really want to know? This story started off slow, but I'm really happy I stuck with it. It takes off and keeps rolling with several good twists and great characterization. I did have few questions left, but overall, I really enjoyed this story!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Allison Buccola and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other social media and retail sites upon publication day of May 20, 2025.

A gripping read that had me mesmerised until the last page.

Ophelia is a wonderful character full of bravery and vulnerability - it is no wonder she is obsessed with protecting her baby.

The cult theme was very well done and the intelligent plotting had me wondering if I was also losing my mind.

Such an emotional and scary read - readers of psychological thrillers will love it.

The Ascent is a fast paced read that grabs your attention from the first to the last page.

The book is told in two timelines.

One is the past where an entire cult named Jacob Hill disappeared and never seen again.

Except one young girl Ophelia.

In the present Lee is now married with a young baby when her past comes back to haunt her.

Her husband thinks she is simply suffering from post partum depression.

But then again he does not know the truth about her past.

Twists and turns makes this crazy ( and I love crazy) read fly by with an ending I did not see coming at all.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Random House for the privilege of reading and reviewing The Ascent.

I am a sucker for a book about cults, so that's part of the reason I picked it up. Pretty good story.