The Followers

Stephanie is a single mother, living with teenage daughter, Judith, and working in a cafe. When Nathaniel, an attractive man who the other waitresses sigh over, shows an interest in her, she is initially flattered and then finds herself becoming reliant on him. Nathaniel worms his way into her life, telling her that she could have a better life and, as luck would have it, he know how. For Nathaniel is the leader of the Ark of God, a group of people he has led to live up on the moors. The men go to work in the town, the woman stay at home and cook and care for the children. It is a simple way of life, or, at least, it seems so to Stephanie.From the first, though, daughter Judith is cynical and rebellious. When her mother informs her that Nathaniel is giving them a new chance, she rejects it in every way she can. However, she is powerless and it is only her new friend, Moses, who makes things bearable for her.This is an excellent, and believable, account of how people are lured into cults. However, by bringing someone new into the Ark, Nathaniel has sparked change. There are those who are questioning the way of life that Stephanie and Judith have embarked on. Before long, there will be discontent, resentment, and tragedy. I thought this was a wonderful read and I am so pleased that it was chosen for my book group as I loved it so much.

Having read the reviews, thought I would give this a try for a holiday read. Generally the book moves along fine however I think there was far too much left open for it to be a convincing read - for example - what motivated anyone in this book to do what they did, whether they were a leader or a follower. Too many loose ends for me to give this 5 stars however enjoyable nonetheless.

Despite reading a lot of books throughout the year, I don't usually write book reviews. However I just had so much fun reading this one I thought I might just have to...'The Followers' is a case study in demonstrating just how easy it can be to prey on people who are weak or lonely. Nathaniel is the leader of a religious cult and a self proclaimed prophet who claims to be in direct contact with God. He spots Stephanie working in a coffee shop and can see she has all the characteristics of someone who can be easily controlled. Of course, what he doesn't count on is her young daughter Judith, the independent, self-assured atheist.The Followers is a well research story and there are many elements of popular psychology dotted throughout to show just how Nathaniel is able to dominate the large circle of followers, all shacked up in two houses in the secluded Yorkshire moors, away from the rest of society. I was originally put off reading this because of the religious theme. However, its fantastic use of Old Testament stories and twisting of religious ideology, makes for an entertaining read for both Christians and atheists alike.Not since I was a teenager reading the antics of Dolres Umbridge in the fifth Harry Potter book have I hated a literary character more than Nathaniel! As with all great villains, Nathaniel is gradually revealed throughout the book to be increasingly sinister and violent, culminating in a spectacular conclusion. In fact, you'll probably want to throttle the rest of the adults in this book who allow Nathaniel to take over their lives and control them. As this book shows, it can be so easy to let someone else think for you and Nathaniel's leadership of the group bears all the hallmarks of many types of abusive relationships.Overall, definitely my favourite book of 2015!

I found this book to be rather sub-standard for my taste ...but may be enjoyed by others ...

An expertly crafted and wonderful novel that is an.absolute must read. Wait never fails to disappoint and I recommend her to anyone who will listen. Her comprehensive understanding and empathy with the nuances of what it is to be a human being are breathtaking.

This book plays with the emotions. On the one hand I felt shocked at how easily someone can be drawn into a cult, but on the other hand not surprised. Then I felt anger that they could be so stupid, particularly having a daughter as well who got drawn in; intrigued and gripped by what was happening and ultimately pleased with how it was resolved. The one thing I didn't feel was empathy for the characters. It shows a frightening insight into the world of a cult and I can only presume the author did a lot of research.The book centres around the followers of the Prophet who has set up "an Ark" high on the moors above a town. Isolated from the outside world or Gehenna, which they have minimal contact with, which some of the children have never experienced, but which newcomers Stephanie and Judith come from. Told in sections as the story unfolds, with breaks for "After", which deals with the fallout. You gradually piece together events that not only lead to them being there, but also how Stephanie ended up in jail. Whilst I could guess the direction the story was taking, the momentum kept me wanting to read to find out for sure.Definitely worth reading and I would read more by this author.

Simply stunning. It is clear from the slow-burning plot and amazing, vidid imagery of the world Wait creates, that she is actually just trying to start her very own cult of readers entirely dependent on her writing. I fully expect to be invited to a brick house on a remote moor to while away the next year or so before her next book is published, and only be initiated into "the community" once I can recite both her books from memory, possibly while naked, and most likely with some sort of leather or hot wax involved for a reason that only Wait will know. Luckily I enjoyed The Followers and Wait's previous book "The View on the Way Down" so much that I already have my initiation covered. Just give me the wax.

The Followers is a not-so-subtle allegory on its surface, but the nuanced characters and telltale story by British writer Wait keeps it contemporary, fresh, and provocative. It begins now, with a young woman, Judith, reluctantly visiting her mother, Stephanie, in prison. It’s evident that this is an ongoing yet uncomfortable face-to-face, where the conversation stays safe with topics of movies and books. At home, Judith isolates and chooses unhealthy habits in order to escape from the memories of childhood—specifically what landed her mother in prison. Throughout the tale of this mother/daughter relationship, the narrative goes back and forth to the past and the present. The future of their recovery is at stake, and we feel it with a brittle intensity.Stephanie raised Judith as a single mother, protective but tired from work, trying to be mother and father simultaneously but feeling a failure at that. Stephanie’s friction with her own mother is cutting enough, but Judith, a fun-loving fan of popular culture, accuses her mother of not listening to her—ever.When Stephanie falls for an intense, inscrutable man named Nathaniel and brings him home to meet Judith, the conflicts escalate. Nathaniel convinces Stephanie to leave mainstream society and join the “Ark,” a religious cult high on the moors and devoted to God. A number of adults and children live there and Nathaniel is the charismatic leader.A distressed Judith unwillingly joins her mother at the Ark as Stephanie is so besotted by Nathaniel, “the prophet,” she is willing to remove herself from society and follow the Old Testament mores, even though she herself is more agnostic. And then—nothing—not Nathaniel, the creed, or the lifestyle is what it seemed from the outset. The precarious equilibrium with no more substance than a house of cards, but while you’re in it, you believe.Wait does a superb job of creating the atmosphere of the Ark, archaic and implacable, with a haunting reminder of isolation from the moors. All the members must change their names to biblical ones, and the laws of the dogma require unconditional subservience. Technology is limited, and the women spend their days cooking and cleaning, while some of the men leave to work in “Gehenna,”—their name for the outside world that Judith and Stephanie have left. Judith finds solace in Moses, a boy around her age who was born with what is evident as a port wine stain on his face, but which the prophet has denoted a mark of the devil due to the story of his birth. He helps Judith to adjust to the Ark, and she edifies him about so-called Gehenna, a place he’s never been because he was born at the Ark. They form a close bond and have a secret meeting place where they talk and learn a sense of real play and unrestricted dialogue.The pacing and sense of foreshadowing is palpable and purposeful, as of course we know from the start that Stephanie is in prison. The foreboding sense of tragedy is in every shadow and in every corner of the Ark, and I was on edge while Wait brilliantly built the architecture of the story toward its cataclysmic climax. As Stephanie’s hopefulness turns to despair, she realizes too late that she made wrong decisions in trying to remake herself in the image that Nathaniel demanded.“Your thoughts are wicked from the day you were born,” says the prophet, Nathaniel. The followers live in grim sacrifice and bare necessities, ingrained with the paradigm of good and evil, blood for atonement, and punishment for violations. Being human, possessing desires is judged by the prophet and everyone else is a follower. The suspense, survival, and hope for reclamation will keep us fastened till the very last page.

I am obsessed with cults, but this is so much more than that. It shows a real humanity, from the inside, shows us how it's possibly for people to lose themselves. So beautifully rendered with vivid characters to love and hate.

I couldn't put this book down. I loved the way Wait painted a picture of the group living in this isolated, old house in the desolate moors, which added to the creepiness and dangerous overtones of the group. The author writes beautifully. I only didn't like how the plot seemed to speed up towards the final chapters, whereas the beginning was carefully paced.

A chilling take on why ordinary people join cults -- and what can go wrong once they do. Stephanie is a single mom in England, eking out a living as a café waitress and wondering where all her youthful dreams have gone. When charismatic Nathaniel comes along promising a better, more meaningful life, Stephanie jumps at the chance of escape and follows him to the Ark, an isolated house on the moors. Three things I love about this book:1) Beautiful writing. "She remembered how much she'd loved being drunk once, those ragged nights in her early twenties...when the moment swelled and spread and was made only of itself, not of before and after."2) Great plot twists. Although we know things at the Ark will end badly (as the book opens, Stephanie's daughter is visiting her in prison), the author constantly defies our expectations, serving up a story that's both believable and surprising.3) No stereotypes. The cult followers are not sheep and Nathaniel isn't a frothing-at-the-mouth madman -- which, of course, makes what happens out on the moors all the more chilling.

This book made me laugh and cry and think. I feel so sorry for kids who are brought into a way of life that they never get a say in. Spirituality to me should be like food, you offer your kids the kind you like and know but let them chose which they prefer or want at all and be there to provide guidance and support.