I didn’t think that I would get to the end of this. It was a nightmare and I thought this was really hard to read. The details of the abuse were shocking. The different institutional failures were shocking and the silence and complicity and confusion of those who hid the abuse, or sidestepped it, or ignored it, or failed to respond well was also shocking. Sadly the story is not surprising because it is one rooted in the misuse of power and stories of abuse in trusted organisations or by ‘respectable’ people continue to emerge. Abuse happens because power and authority are misused, and those who could then challenge the misuse fail to do so.

I don’t usually read books about abuse of any kind, not even fiction. I decided to read this because I need to know how to respond to safeguarding and lead others to do so. Safeguarding is an issue for everyone and it is helpful to recognise it and know how to report it.

There are many lessons to be learnt from this book. On the whole I thought it was horrific but readable. I thought the end dragged a bit with so many names and the shift of the book to the way the C of E handled the allegations. Instead I wanted to know more about the reactions of people who did know and I wanted to know more about the Titus Trust in its current form. Do parents still send their kids to these camps? How has safeguarding improved?

The key lessons for me are about institutions and how they handle power and how institutions fail. These are not new questions but questions that each of us need to answer for ourselves. If we see abuses of power, oppression, brutality, or silence will we respond? Will we speak up for those who have no voice or will we turn our backs? How will we respond? We talk about institutional failures but what would we do as individuals? What holds us back? Those are questions for myself but I think these are questions for each one of us.

I am glad I managed to get to the end of the book. Now I just want to read something nice.

Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
What an appalling story about John Smyth and the Iwerne camps. The crimes and brainwashing are hard to read about. The coverup is even harder.
A lot of research went into this book but at times it got to be too much irrelevant information to wade through.

Wow. Just....wow. I am still trying to process the gravity of all that I read. Graystone has given us a very well researched and detailed analysis of just how John Smyth was able to get away with his atrocities for so long. The cover ups, the sham investigations, the evasiveness of pushing this "attic matter" to anyone else, just so the higher elite could wash their hands of this messy business led to a trickle down effect with ramifications that are still being felt as I write this. They all have blame in this. The victims, on the other hand, I have nothing but empathy for. Their strength and courage in trying to overcome the abuse inflicted upon them, the severity of which is unparalleled to my knowledge, is quite remarkable. This was not an easy read, but I continued on because I felt that those who were abused had the right to be heard in what had happened to them, that they were no longer being ignored or shut out, in all it's devastating horror. I applaud Graystone for moving forward, even when the church washed their hands of this and decided to do nothing, that Graystone knew and acted on the injustice that he was aware of needed to be dealt with. I am also sad for the victims that they didn't get justice for what happened to them, nor got to face their abuser and confront him with the truth of his actions and consequences. Nevertheless, their story has finally come to light and John Smyth has been exposed. I am truly sorry that this happened to all of them.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

Such a heartbreaking story. I had never heard of John Smyth before, and as a sexual abuse survivor myself, I wanted to honor the Smyth survivors by learning their stories and hearing their voices.

My overall rating for this book is a 3.5 - the story is gripping, heartbreaking, and infuriating. For that reason I eagerly read through the sometimes dense and detail-crammed plot. There were so many names - so many names of church members (some never mentioned again throughout the work) that I quickly became overwhelmed. When the book took a more name-droppy route, I admit I skimmed those portions. The different church branches coupled with the countless names made for an overwhelming overshadowing to the overall story.

I also found the non-linear timeline frustrating. I feel we jumped from 2013 to 2017 and back to 2014. It was a lot to keep track of throughout the text.

Overall I enjoyed this work. I’m thankful that the author took the time to listen to victims and learn their stories.

I started this book hoping to know more about the John Smyth's case which i did but was so heartbroken at what was left unspoken and looked into properly this was a well detailed account into the case which i think everyone should read

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a digital copy of this book. This is a thoroughly researched book about the horrible physical abuse of young men and boys, spanning at least 3 decades and 3 different countries. Multiple crimes were committed. First, the actual abuses of these men and boys, but then the actual cover up by countless people in the church and the Iwerne Trust, which then became the Titus Trust.

This was a painful read because of the multiple abuses and lack of motivation to report said abuses from leaders in the church. Definite trigger warnings. The book overall, was an amazing read. Amazing in the sense that I just couldn't believe how long the abuse continued.

A detailed and gut wrenching true story of the evil of John Smyth and the cover-up of the Church of England. The author does a terrific job of telling an honest and compelling story of what took place and how it destroyed so many people. It is not an easy story to read but must be told. This is not your typical true crime story - nor should it be.

Thank you to NetGallley, the author and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a horrific story about a lawyer who used his position with Iwerne to groom and viciously abuse so many young men. It’s well written and lays out the details of the case. It also shows how the church leaders swept it under the rug and got rid of John Smyth to save their program (Iwerne) It was kept quiet for decades until recently by all involved. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Andrew Graystone and the publisher.