Deborah Layton was in high school when she started getting into trouble. She had troubles with her parents and started doing hard drugs and breaking the law. When she was on break from her boarding school, a friend convinced her to go to the Peoples Temple and listen to the Reverend Jim Jones Speak.
Jim Jones was the reverend of the "People's Temple" in the 1970's. His goal was to appeal to anyone willing to follow him. He was very anti-prejudice, and preached about socialism. He had a very convincing demeanor about him which is what got him so many followers. Deborah went in and was immediately hooked. She states that Jim was like the father that she always wanted. He cared about her when no one else did. Deborah quickly got completely attached to The People's Temple. She dropped out of high school and moved into the dormitories at the temple. As she moved up the rank at the church, she was allowed to travel around the country with Jones, preaching socialism. Somehow even after spending so much time with Jim Jones, Deborah never thought anything seamed fishy.Jones literally preached to his people that he WAS Jesus. He said that he had reincarnated from Jesus, as many people including Lenin, and was now on a mission to protect. He set incredibly strict rules on his followers. Disciples were not allowed to have relationships, converse with others in private, or have relationships with their family. Members of the temple were under no circumstances allowed to leave. Higher members were forced to sign documents stating that they had either attempted to assassinate the president, or that they had molested a child. This was then used to blackmail people who tried to leave.The reverend did other strange things such as saying that all men, other than himself, were homosexuals, and that having facial hair meant that you wanted to be a woman. Amazingly, no one ever questioned these ridiculous acts. Jones committed many illegal acts, with fraud being the big one, always saying "The ends justify the means".
In the late 1700's, Jones told his followers that he had been using his powers to hold back a nuclear war and that it was no longer preventable. The only place that they could be safe was a small village in Guyana that had been set up by Jones himself and aptly named, Jonestown. He was able to convince almost 1000 people to pick up and move with him. His followers had to be prepared to commit suicide at a moments notice. At one point, Jones even held a mock suicide drill in the middle of the night. Still his followers didn't question him. It all ended when Jones told everyone that the time had come for them to escape this life. Everyone was given a drink laced with cyanide. Children had to drink first, then adults. Those who refused or tried to escape were shot by armed guards. In total, 909 people perished in Jonestown that day. It is amazing that people could be brainwashed is such an extreme way.
This book really interests me because of how unbelievable it is. It is like reading a fiction book, and I found myself forgetting that it actually happened. I probably wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under 16 years old. Aside from the large vocabulary and complicated context, it is a tough topic. It was a pretty grouser event that doesn't make for a fun read. I think the author wrote this book with education in mind. She wants people to be able to think for themselves. During the book she mentions that something didn't feel right but she never thought much of it. Everyone was completely blinded by Jim Jones' power and influence. One thing I really liked about how the book was written is how Layton usually describes Jones in a positive light. Knowing how the book ends in the back of your mind, it makes you disagree with her and really makes you passionate about it. Her style of writing leave you in even more disbelief. It gives you that same gut feeling that you get when you watch a horror movie. "Don't go into the attic... don't do it!
Enjoyment
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Weight
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Well Written
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Weight
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Holds Attention
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Weight
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Length
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Weight
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Difficulty
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Weight
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Story line
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Weight
|
10
|
3
|
9
|
2
|
10
|
2
|
9
|
1
|
9
|
2
|
9
|
2
|
Points
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Points
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Points
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Points
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Points
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Points
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30
|
18
|
20
|
9
|
18
|
18
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Total Points
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Score
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Official Review
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113/120
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94%
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A
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A
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