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This is an extremely insensitive comment to make about someone’s lifestory.

A lot of people, myself included, were not previously aware of what occurred, and it is therefore new information for them. Aside from that, I thought her insights and reflections were remarkable and I wholeheartedly disagree with your characterization about her being a “naïve young woman.��

Julie, I fear you may have misunderstood the whole motif of the book if all you wanted is new insider information on what happened to her and the other kids. This book was not and never supposed to be a re-telling of abuse. It is a lesson on how to grow stronger and remove yourself from abusive relationships.

Jai�� I’m reviewing a book, not her life

Katie�� a large majority of her audience for this book are people who knew their story, watched their channel, & followed this case. Therefore, while there’s some like you who didn’t know, her target audience was not actually provided for in this book. Her “insights�� are all just therapy speak that anyone who has been to 3 sessions would also conclude. Nothing revolutionary.

Laura�� I never said I wanted new insider information about the kids, I said I wanted SUBSTANCE. This whole book felt rushed & like a money grab. She didn’t take the time to actually write a GOOD book, just threw some shit out there while the topic was still hot & relevant. She keeps saying her siblings�� story isn’t hers to tell, which I agree, but I think she didn’t really have a story but had a book written for her anyway. She’s mad about media attention but writes a book�� which garners media attention? She thinks people are disgusting for watching true crime but didn’t realize she needed to leave her abuser until she saw the consequences in a true crime show? It’s all dripping with hypocrisy and greatly lacks any real self reflection.

julie you need to take a basic human empathy course after i just read the comment you just posted

& you need to take a literary criticism course lol

This was my feeling as well. She's writing like she's out of the situation, when really she's still very much in it (making excuses for her mom's behavior and blaming only her bishop, not the church as an institution).

This was a completely fair review. You're not the only one who felt like this. You're allowed to critique the book.

First, do you have evidence she had a ghost writer? Because all research I have done points to Shari writing it, and she states in the memoir she has always loved writing��. So I’m confused why so many are saying this. Secondly I disagree with the fact that she didn’t acknowledge the brainwashing by the church��. She grapples with her faith the entire time. She calls out the hypocrisy of Derek getting off Scott free while she faced consequences, and she definitely doesn’t agree with her mother and Jody’s religious psychosis. Just because she may be still in the church or religious doesn’t mean she “doesn’t get it.�� There were plenty of the times the church was there for her- paying for her therapy, her roommates in college, and the couple who took her in from her church. I don’t think she should be expected to completely remove herself or slam an organization that yes made A LOT of mistakes, but was also a source of strength for her.

Shay�� Shari mentioned on her IG story multiple times leading up to release that she was speaking with her “writer.�� I can’t find any specific evidence to show you now, but that’s sort of how ghost writers work. It’s not that she didn’t have any role in writing it, but she did say herself she had a writer. I understand that people in the church did help her & the community within the church does make it hard for people to leave. I agree there were times she seemed to question it, I’m just expressing my disappointment that she seemed to talk herself out of it every time she got close to a true realization.

She did write this book. This comment is very insensitive. What if it was your family going through this. She did a great job of telling it and I’m so sorry she had to go through that.

She thanks the ghost writer at the end of the audiobook so��.