Emma Cline's "The Girls" instantly cemented her as a literary darling.

The sixties-infused fiction is both an intimate portrayal of girlhood, and a brutal examination of the murderous women in Charles Manson's "family." The novel focuses on Evie, a vulnerable teen, who gets ensnared in a dangerous cult with a charismatic leader.

But the truth behind Cline's work is stranger — and certainly more chilling — than fiction. It's unclear how many cults currently operate worldwide, but research suggests 70% of global cult members are women.

These dangerous, typically patriarchal sects function and feed on fear. Cults convince members that the center figure is divine, special, or the only person who can save them.

"Members are typically taught stopping techniques to block out any doubts in their mind," cult survivor turned counselor Steven Hassan told Revelist. "[They're told], 'If you ever want to leave the group, terrible things are going to happen...your life's going to go to hell, you're going to be possessed by demons, you're going to get hit by a car."

There's no concrete evidence that explains why women are more likely to get involved in cults. Though people of all genders suffer abuse in these groups, women are often sexually abused, and even molested as girls.

Revelist spoke to three women who survived the mental and emotional torture of cults. These are their stories: