On a river deep in the Mexican jungle stands the colossal villa Xanadu, a wellness center that’s home to an ardent spiritual group devoted to self-help guru Paul Bentzen and his enigmatic wife, Kali. But when Paul Mysteriously dies, his entire estate - including Xanadu - is left not to Kali, but to his estranged niece, Sveta.
Shocked and confused, Sveta travels from New York City to Mexico to pay her respects. At first, Xanadu seems like a secluded paradise, with its tumbling gardens, beautiful people, and transcendent vibe. But soon the mystical facade wears thin, revealing a group of brainwashed members drunk, on promises of an impossible utopia, guided by a disturbing belief system and a charismatic, dangerously capable leader.
As the sinister forces surrounding Sveta become apparent, she realizes, too late, she can't escape. Frantic and terrified, she discovers her only chance of survival is to put her confidence in the very person she trusts the least.
Read The Vicious Circle if you love a book you can truly read in one sitting, if you’re interested in cult fiction and you are ready to be taken on a rollercoaster where you’re left guessing everything until the end.
I love reading and watching things about cults and this book was no exception. Katherine portrays cult culture in an almost dreamlike fashion; it sounds idyllic and infectious from the inside, but alarming and horrifying from the outside. There were a few little twists throughout that I really didn’t see coming and it helped keep me engaged until the last page. And thankfully everything was tied up and answered by the end, which does wonders for my brain.
I do want to make people aware of a slight trigger warning; eating disorders. As part of the cult culture/belief, the followers are forced to lose weight and starve themselves. Katherine touches on this subject is a tasteful manor and it fits within the plot however it may be trigger to someone who has / is currently suffering from an eating disorder.
Thank you Random Things Tours, Katherine St. John and William Morrow for including me in the review tour for The Vicious Circle. Although I didn’t know what to really expect going in, it was a pleasure to read and I enjoyed every moment.
To buy a copy of The Vicious Circle and support independent booksellers please check out bookshop.org
Thanks for the blog tour support x
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