By Ava Shaffer
From the bestselling author of Wordslut, Amanda Montell brings you Cultish, a captivating look into the social science and linguistics behind cults both past and present. From Jonestown to SoulCycle, Cultish critically analyzes the linguistics that give cults their power and influence. Filled with well-developed research, poignant interviews, and an entertaining narrative, this is a must read for fans of modern, engaging nonfiction.
Read This Book If You…
Have ever been to a SoulCycle or CycleBar class and thought “hmm feels a bit culty…”
Recently received an Instagram DM from a girl you knew from high school asking you to join her MLM
Find yourself looking for a book that feels like a really good podcast
Enjoy linguistics, especially in a modern context
I love the genre of Amanda Montell. Young, smart women writing about topics that I’ve always wanted to learn more about. A narrative written like a conversation with a brilliant friend over lunch. Montell’s genre of feminist non-fiction (with really amazing covers) isn’t afraid to really delve deep into modern society. I feel like a lot of times, nonfiction can feel boring and outdated, like the only interesting histories to write about are in the past. But Montell writes about our modern society, specifically female dominated sectors of the current times, proving that it is complex and worth writing about– and not only that, she also makes it incredibly interesting and accessible to read. This is just totally my type of nonfiction.
As a long time fan of Amanda Montell’s podcast Sounds Like A Cult co-hosted with Isa Medina, I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while. I was so excited to find it on audiobook and listened to it during a long drive and while cleaning out my closet. This story kept me informed, entertained and fully engaged the entire time.
From the research, to the personal anecdotes, to the interviews, I was gripped by this book. I love the way Montell adds sensory details to her interviews, really making the reader feel close to and care about these research participants. I also really appreciate the pop culture references Montell makes, most notably the Fleabag quote. It’s a hard line to toe with inserting references and hoping they are still relevant years after the book is published, but Montell’s earnest appreciation for these pop culture moments makes those references fit in perfectly with the narrative.
In general, this book was just a whole lot of fun. Such a wide range of cults were discussed, both historical ones like Heaven’s Gate and less intense but equally worthy of analysis ones like Taylor Swift stans. I love Montell’s voice and the chapter titles filled me with so much delight! They reminded me of the Percy Jackson chapter titles from back in my youth.
Although I liked the whole book, I found the ending to be what really sold me on my enjoyment of it. I like that Montell avoids sensationalism of these tragic events that occurred for people in cults, instead reframing the conversation around the current era’s lack of community and the power of linguistics through social media. She also isn’t making fun of people who were susceptible to cults either, instead she’s analyzing where that desire comes from in a very earnest and thoughtful manner. I loved how in the end she reflected on what she learned through her research and writing process. Cultish was an incredibly genuine, interesting, and original read, I highly recommend it!
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