Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, death by suicide, and emotional abuse. 

In Janice Hallett’s novel, the Alperton Angels is not a cult but rather a front for a group of criminals. The modus operandi of the group’s leader, Gabriel Angelis, was to deceive vulnerable teenagers into participating in criminal activity. Only Holly and Jonah believed in the narrative that Gabriel constructed. Nevertheless, Gabriel illustrates the characteristics and techniques of cult leaders. Furthermore, Don Makepeace exploited Gabriel’s persona as a cult leader to disguise the true means of the “angels’” deaths. Presenting their assassinations as mass death by suicide played into the public’s association of cults with horrific scenes of self-destruction. The novel underlines this connection, citing real-life events such as Jonestown (1978), in which over 900 members of the Peoples Temple (including children) died by drinking cyanide-laced punch, and Heaven’s Gate (1997), where 39 people died in a ritual mass death by suicide, believing that they would ascend in an alien spacecraft to a higher plane of being.

The author’s depiction of the Alperton Angels typifies the dynamics of cults that rely on coercive control to manipulate, dominate, and retain their members. Charismatic and persuasive, Gabriel embodies the characteristics of a cult leader. Hallett demonstrates the magnetism that allows him to exploit and indoctrinate others into extreme loyalty in his powerful impact on Oliver and Reverend Barden Hyde, convincing both to believe things that conflict with their judgment. Gabriel’s claim to be a divine archangel illustrates how cult leaders often use pseudo-religious concepts to present themselves as infallible prophets, saviors, or higher beings. For example, Jim Jones, leader of the Peoples Temple, portrayed himself as a messianic figure, claiming that he was anointed by God and could heal the sick. Consequently, his followers believed that only he could deliver salvation.

Hallett’s novel emphasizes how cults create an “us versus them” mentality. Cult members are deliberately isolated from society to cut off alternative viewpoints and increase dependence on the group. Cult leaders typically portray outsiders as evil or corrupt. Gabriel’s narrative that the Alperton Angels were being pursued by “dark forces” affiliated with the antichrist echoes Jones’s assertion that outsiders wanted to destroy the Peoples Temple. Hallett illustrates the dangers of creating an “us versus them” psychology in members when she reveals that Holly and Jonah murdered Harpinder Singh, believing that he was a demon.

The novel also highlights the role of apocalyptic or doomsday narratives in cults. Hallett demonstrates that by telling Holly and Jonah that the world was in danger of ending, Gabriel created a sense of urgency, convincing the teenagers they had to take extreme action to avoid catastrophe. Marshall Applewhite, the leader of Heaven’s Gate, employed a similar tactic, telling his followers that the only way to escape the Earth’s destruction was to leave their physical bodies behind.

The novel illustrates how cults target individuals based on specific vulnerabilities and psychological needs. Young adults are particularly susceptible since they are often still forming their identities and beliefs, making them easier to influence. Hallett emphasizes how, as minors in the foster care system, Holly and Jonah were ideal candidates for conversion since they lacked a stable family structure. The cult provided a sense of belonging as well as purpose. Meanwhile, Oliver’s conversion to Gabriel’s narrative demonstrates how cults can appeal to those experiencing a personal crisis. Hallett’s treatment of cult dynamics is a cautionary tale revealing the insidious ways that cults operate and how extreme beliefs, combined with psychological control, can lead to catastrophic consequences.