A review by ageorgallis
Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz

4.0

I've never seen One Tree Hill, but I have a deep interest in cults. Luckily for me, this memoir focuses heavily on the cult piece. I currently live in Idaho, and a lot of what I read about the use of religion as a motive was not that shocking - I have noticed religion as a common justification and tactic since the day I moved here. Not to say everyone who is religious is immediately a cult member, but the way religion is talked about here is so vastly different from where and how I grew up. This made it easier to picture some of the scenarios Lenz was in, as I have had interactions with people who take on religion as their entire identity and extend that onto others. It's shocking to read about a public figure joining, participating in, and eventually leaving a cult, all while rising in fame and progressing her career. The amount of money she lost was shocking to me, and I flew through this book with my jaw on the floor. This was a very eye-opening read about how even 'less culty' cults, are still abusive. 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.