Rating: 
Summary: sad, but pointless
Review: Reading Laake's book, one would get the impression that Mormon women are systematically trained to be spineless idiots, and that Mormon men are encouraged to be cruel chauvanists. The bulk of this book deals with Laake's own poor life choices, not Mormonism per se. It would be refreshing to get an insider's take on the real women's issues in the Mormon church, not just another bitter woman's list of personal tragedies resulting from her own immaturity and a few insensitive church leaders. What happened to Laake is a shame, but it is hardly representative of most Mormon women's experiences (even the divorced ones).
Rating: 
Summary: you either like it or you don't
Review: My Roman Catholic hands bought the hardbound way back in '94 while in college. Deborah's struggle within her home and community caught my interest more than the Church authority misleading its followers to covet. (Nothing new in that dept!) The terrible absurdity going on in a household is much easier to relate, envision, and discuss productively. Her struggle and confusion looks like a very real feminine awakening and spiritual transformation her friends, family, and church could not fathom. I'm sure the community meant well in helping her, but the well-known LDS support system missed her issues by a long shot...probably the only time I laughed while reading this. Good book in my opinion; candid and easy to read. It's the kind of book that disappears after passing it on to friends, thus forcing you to buy another one. Check it out from the library before going out and buying. Readers who take sacred text at face value will probably hate this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Thank you for all your reviews! I'm buying this book!
Review: I am a born again Christian, currently reading the Book of Mormon to honestly REFUTE it. I know of one family where a bishop left the Mormon Church after reading the bible and his whole family followed. The Mormon religion is false doctrine, that is why it angers born again Christians so. The Mormon religion claims Jesus and Lucifer are brothers and we are all 'gods'. The Book of Mormon is hard to get through and tedious, but it I care enough about some of my friends who just recenly converted to LDS that I am forcing myself to read it. In Timothy, it says right there the bible is God-breathed. The scriptures are enough to handle any sitution in life. In Revelation 22, it says to not add nor take away from the scripture. The Canton bible is the Word of God, no Joseph Prophet with his made up false doctrine needed. I am buying this book to help me in my ministry of sharing the gospel. I keep running into LDS people and I care enough to try to reach them. This woman may have had depression and angst, but I don't think that makes her a liar. Yes, there are many sects of LDS churches. Yes, most LDS people are very kind. But what they teach angers the Holy Father. He is a loving but Holy God...one that in the Old Testament sure has shown His Holy wrath to those who worship false idols or teach false doctrines such as necromancy (Isaiah 8). Anyway, educate - educate - educate gospel - word -truth. I will order this book and have a good read. Peace and love in His Spirit, (Peter 3:15) Avalon in Isaiah 8
Rating:
Summary: honestly corny and traumatric, yet liberating
Review: From an idealistic young woman to becoming a really maturedperson, Miss Laake discovered the dangers of brainwashing. Whethersubtle or imposed, benign or pretentious, religious or governmental, brainwasing is very harmful. She learned the true meaning of compasssion inside a mental institution at the same time she discovered her robotic existence. Christian zealots, and that include Mormons, can be pigeonholed into 4 categories and/or combinations thereof, namely; (a) they talked of things they have read, (b) they talked of things what other people tell them to say, (c) they talked of things they imagined, and the most dangerous kinds, (c) they talked of things they made up. Who doesn't remember David Koresh and Jim Jones? And to a lesser extent Pat Robertson, he is now a multi-millionaire and he is still hiding his ownership of the Family Channel, but for how long? I guess that's what capitalism is all about. I met some young Mormon missionaries here in the Philippines. They are generally sincere, clean-cut, strongly motivated and pleasant; but I still did not have the heart to say in their faces that conversing with them is like talking to parrots. I hope Miss Laake a good life and may she grow old gracefully.
Rating:
Summary: accurate, with far-reaching applications
Review: Not being a Mormon but knowledgable about them, I read this book with interest. As some of the other reviewers mentioned, it is a subjective book. But it must be. Coming from another equally 'conservative' denomination altogether, I must comment on the fact that her experiences are not far removed from experiences which occured in my life. I am purchasing another copy to pass along to a friend I had gone to a private religious college with. I know she will relate to the control issues as well.
Rating:
Summary: laake admits that she isnt credible.
Review: i am lds but am not active. i served a 2 year mission in pennsylvania and read this book while i was out there. laake's claims in the book are incorrect. she claims that she felt forced to marry a jerk and complained about the temple ceremony saying that it is a hassle to keep her covanants that she made. she admits on the sleeve that she has mental problems and that she had been committed to institutions for her own well being. mental problems by themself dont tear down her credibility alone but, when she paints a portrait of the entire religions doctrine based on her own interperatations she is not giving the whole truth. her accusations of feeling opressed may be true but her instances are rare and definately not true of the church in general. this book isnt well written at all. the author is bitter because she isnt willing to admit her own mistakes and stupidity. if one isnt lds and would like to read something to really learn what the church is about, i suggest you start with the book of mormon.
Rating: 
Summary: This is a silly book by an even sillier woman.
Review: I read this book at 16 and had to laugh at the author and her expectations of the world. Even more amusing was her need to blame her problems on her religion. I joined the LDS church 6 months later, interestingly enough, and have come to see, as time passes, how incorrect she really was. But I give it two stars for being the amusing work of fiction it is.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT!
Review: I applaud the honesty and great courageof Ms. Laake to tell the story of America's most repressive religion -- Mormonism! Any woman with an ounce of intelligence would not join this religion!
Rating:
Summary: CHRISTIANS EVERYWHERE OWE MS. LAAKE A HUGE "THANK YOU!"
Review: Now I know why mormom women are so jealous and mean-spirited toward non-mormon women. The cult life they lead is nothing less than cruel! But it's still a free country, ladies! So, grab your kids, seek sanctuary in any temple, mosque or CHRISTIAN church and get out while you still can!
Rating: 
Summary: Another SLC reader
Review: While not the most well written book I have ever read I do believe the contents to be accurate. I know many members of the LDS church, both practicing and non, who have told the same stories. Not to the same degree but the temple ceremonies, garments, secret names and handshakes are all true and makes this less of a religion and more of fraternity/cult. For me the bottom line is that the picture portrayed of a woman's place in the Mormon Church is right on. Your foremost function on earth is as a breeder. You exist only to bring the souls out of heaven and onto earth. Your only way into heaven is if your husband pulls you through the veil. Women have NO divinity in this church which makes it the most misogynistic I have ever come across. I do not need to read the Book of Mormon to know that this is the REAL truth they practice.
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