The story is quite straightforward: three persons of a cult, who participate in the "Desert Island Program", decide to live on an small island to purify themselves from the corrupt society. This is done in two ways: through mental exercises (that involve communicating everything, even secrets) and strange meditation methods. As the reader can imagine, there is no way three persons can hold out long without giving in into human desire, especially when the cult organization stops sending food to the island.
This a strong point of Believers; it displays human nature well through small, realistic incidents and good narrative. Jealousy, lust, paranoia, betrayal and death are all present, portrayed realistically through the characters. The narrative and display of the cult was done well, showing the reality of what a lot of cults are: mindlessly following orders without hesitation, and to what this can lead.
The cast of characters is by no means big: it focuses mainly on the three people from the island. The characters are done well, two weakwilled ones, while the other one is very strong willed. This can only go wrong; as time passes, the demands get more and more ridiculous, which are mixed with jealousy, contempt and paranoia. The occasional interaction with people from outside the isle displays the madness that can come from blind faith.
The art style is nothing outstanding. Sometimes inconsistencies can be found in the drawing, but nevertheless it fulfills its purpose.
Believers was overall a good read with an interesting story that displayed human nature realistically. With a satisfying and convincing conclusion, Believers narrates basically the story of humans trying to escape the oppressive reality and everyday life of society.
Thank you for reading.
