Seed

Seed by Lisa Heathfield


This book is seriously disturbing.

Set in the UK, it is the story of Pearl, a member of a cult community. As expected, it is run by a madman. It dances just to the edge of religion, but pulls back into new age mysticism in its belief system. Members are deceived and controlled. And Pearl, an innocent young girl just starting to grow up, is asking questions and getting unsatisfactory answers.

It was a difficult book to read. At first it was difficult to keep so many characters straight. But as the story progressed, it became easier. The key players emerged and the plot became the story of whether Pearl can and/or wants to get away from the only community she's ever known. Villains are well-defined, but there are no real heroes here. There is a lot of tragedy, widespread blindness to reality and difficult decisions.

This isn't entertainment as such. But it is a good, fictional look at the way a cult can arise and entrance a community. Ultimately it is the story of the way that power corrupts. And unfortunately, this is an all-too-often occurrence in contemporary culture. I'm not sure how to rate it, so I am not giving it a star rating. It seems more suited to a story that is required reading in schools. Overall, I didn't enjoy it, but I do think it is an important book that addresses some important issues.
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