Those Who Prey
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Books |
Those Who Prey is a young adult thriller penned by Jennifer Moffett and released by Simon & Schuster in 2020. The story centers on Emily, a freshman at Boston University, who becomes ensnared by a campus cult.
The book chronicles Emily’s deepening involvement with the cult, emphasizing her compliance and internal conflict as she adheres to its doctrines until she ultimately breaks free. Structured into four parts, the novel integrates multimedia components such as newspaper clippings and interviews. Moffett’s own background in a fundamentalist evangelical environment and exposure to cult recruitment at her university served as key influences.
Part One: Boston, Spring Semester 1994
Emily, a newcomer from Oceanview, Mississippi, finds it difficult to assimilate at Boston University. While at a coffeehouse, she encounters Josh, who shares her enthusiasm for Henry James. He introduces her to his friends Andrew and Heather before they depart for a symposium. Thrilled to connect with kindred spirits, Emily later meets Josh’s roommate Ben but ends up spending time with Heather when the men attend a male-only study session.
Heather invites Emily to the symposium, where Meredith, the regional director, presents The Kingdom, their organization. Emily and Heather become designated study partners ('DPs'), with Heather mentoring Emily through exercises such as confessing sins and revealing personal history, including the loss of her mother by drowning. Emily and Josh maintain a secret relationship since The Kingdom prohibits dating prior to baptism.
During her baptism ceremony, Meredith announces plans for Emily to undertake an internship in Italy alongside disciples and Will, the Florida regional head who survived a venomous snakebite under miraculous circumstances in Africa. Heather is excluded despite her requests to join, causing Emily distress. Josh persuades her to accept the opportunity, assuring that they will be able to date openly once in Italy.
Part Two: Italy, May 1994
Upon arriving in Italy, Emily meets her new DP partner Kara. She entrusts Will with her passport and funds for safekeeping before engaging in missionary activities around Florence that yield little success and heighten her anxiety. Her discomfort intensifies after discovering a venomous snake in her shared room—a prank orchestrated by Ben—further fueling her mistrust of The Kingdom.
Kara soon departs to stay at a nearby villa, declaring her intention to leave The Kingdom behind. Andrew also escapes after confessing to Emily that he views the group as a cult. Meanwhile, Will accuses members of sinfulness and confines them together with a vial of snake venom, escalating tensions within the group.
Part Three: Europe, July 1994
Following their escape from confinement, Emily resolves to leave and meet Kara at the villa but finds Kara deceased with a syringe beside her. Taking Kara’s backpack and passport, Emily boards a train bound for Paris but notices that her mother’s necklace is missing—she suspects The Kingdom’s interference. Meeting Josh in Milan—who also plans to depart—she learns that the vial of snake venom was used in a ritual called The Remnant aimed at cleansing sin.
Although they travel together briefly, Emily grows suspicious of Josh and continues alone back to Florence. There she retrieves her mother’s necklace from Meredith and contacts her father. Subsequently, she travels to Zurich to meet her godmother Deborah and recounts her experiences. Deborah advises Emily to return to the United States to initiate legal proceedings against The Kingdom.
Part Four: Oceanview, Mississippi, August 1994
Back in her hometown, Emily reflects on her recent experiences. While listening to a mixtape from Kara, she discovers recordings of confessions made to DPs in Boston. Attempting to present these as proof, Emily is informed by her father that the tapes cannot be used legally because they were obtained unlawfully. A journalist named Julia, who was recommended by Josh, approaches Emily about participating in a documentary. Upon reuniting with Josh, Emily returns his confession recording and destroys the remaining tapes to safeguard others involved.
It is revealed that Will died inside his vehicle alongside a Black mamba snake while attempting The Remnant ritual. Kara is identified as Will’s daughter; her mother was the nurse who saved him during his time in Africa—a rescue he regarded as a spiritual miracle. After these incidents, The Kingdom is removed from Boston University’s campus, and Emily begins the process of healing.
Characters
- Emily: a freshman at Boston University originally from Mississippi, drawn into the cult due to feelings of isolation and social difficulties.
- Josh: an English major who introduces Emily to The Kingdom and accompanies her to Italy; their relationship becomes strained as Emily questions the cult’s doctrines.
- Heather: Emily’s initial DP, struggling with an eating disorder and seeking redemption through The Kingdom; she stays behind in Boston to recruit new members.
- Andrew: an engineering student at MIT from the Midwest whose family rejects his sexuality; he believes The Kingdom offers a cure.
- Kara: an enigmatic member from Florida and Will’s daughter who assists Emily’s escape in Italy; she is subsequently murdered by an unknown attacker.
- Meredith: leader of The Kingdom’s Boston center and Will’s spouse; a charismatic figure who oversees recruitment efforts in Italy.
- Will: head of The Kingdom’s Florida center, who was bitten by a snake during an African mission and later found dead while attempting a ritual.
Themes
The story highlights cult recruitment methods, illustrating The Kingdom’s seven-step approach that parallels actual campus cult tactics designed to convert students.
Reception
Critics responded positively to the novel, praising it as a thoroughly researched psychological thriller and impressive debut. Some reviews noted pacing issues; for example, Kirkus Reviews described it as “captivating but not fully engaging.” The Nerd Daily acclaimed it as an “extraordinary, almost instructional exploration of cult dynamics, psychological manipulation, and emotional recovery.” Notable strengths include its depiction of recruitment strategies, manipulation techniques, and the healing journey following escape.