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Pyramidia
When Harriet moves to Bentwood to teach gifted students, her new life doesn’t go as planned. Between her haunted rental and her oddball neighbor, Lucy—who literally won’t go away—Harriet is left questioning her own sanity. The beautiful Kelsey, whom she meets at the farmers market, offers the distraction she needs.
Well, that, and the town’s Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)—or pyramid—scheme.
The enigmatic group of women selling wellness in the form of Serenitea, with their perfect hair, flawless skin, and piercing eyes. She is drawn to the tea, the wellness, the tranquility… So what if she has to sell a few bags of tea?
You have a new descendant.
Sinking deeper into Serenitea, Harriet can’t stop drinking the tea. She keeps getting emails about new descendants—whatever the hell that means—and the gym teacher, Harold, is giving serious pervy vibes. Even Lucy joins the MLM despite claiming the women are vampires. None of that matters, though, because Serenitea makes her feel…well. Tranquil.
Until Lucy disappears and Harriet’s world begins to crumble.
Is Serenitea really a bunch of beautiful vampires? So what if they are? How far will Harriet go for tranquility?
Are you well?
Well, that, and the town’s Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)—or pyramid—scheme.
The enigmatic group of women selling wellness in the form of Serenitea, with their perfect hair, flawless skin, and piercing eyes. She is drawn to the tea, the wellness, the tranquility… So what if she has to sell a few bags of tea?
You have a new descendant.
Sinking deeper into Serenitea, Harriet can’t stop drinking the tea. She keeps getting emails about new descendants—whatever the hell that means—and the gym teacher, Harold, is giving serious pervy vibes. Even Lucy joins the MLM despite claiming the women are vampires. None of that matters, though, because Serenitea makes her feel…well. Tranquil.
Until Lucy disappears and Harriet’s world begins to crumble.
Is Serenitea really a bunch of beautiful vampires? So what if they are? How far will Harriet go for tranquility?
Are you well?
361 pages, Paperback
Published February 15, 2024
15 people are currently reading
3218 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
August 19, 2024
Honestly, more thriller/horror books about suspicious, culty MLMs please! (Also this book made me crave a cup of tea real bad....and I'm a coffee drinker.)
March 5, 2024
"She imagined her peace draining away into the deep cushions of the couch, into the dark cracks filled with hair and crumbs and, now, a woman’s life.
Someone had died here, in this very spot. She supposed it didn’t matter, but it still filled her with a creeping sense of dread, a cold shiver that tingled through her spine."
"Wellness circle—Harriet bristled at the words. Descendant. These MLMs—“Multi-level Marketing” companies— and their stupid, ornamental wording. She took a sip of her tea, took a deep breath."
Those who are anti-mlm can relate to this....
4.5 🍵🍵🍵
Someone had died here, in this very spot. She supposed it didn’t matter, but it still filled her with a creeping sense of dread, a cold shiver that tingled through her spine."
"Wellness circle—Harriet bristled at the words. Descendant. These MLMs—“Multi-level Marketing” companies— and their stupid, ornamental wording. She took a sip of her tea, took a deep breath."
Those who are anti-mlm can relate to this....
4.5 🍵🍵🍵
September 8, 2025
I loved this book so much! This MLM horror book was everything I needed. I loved Harriett, Kelsey and the gym teacher. The book immediately sucked me in and I did not want to stop reading it. I was so sad when the book ended too because it was so good. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
February 13, 2024
Pyramid scheme horror...with a cult of vampires...need I say more? Satirical, sexy and supernatural I absolutley loved this, the writing was witty and there was an almost charming sweetness to this amongst the horror, very much character driven with exaggerated versions of people we all know, I love satirical horror and this had me laughing out loud in parts, highly recommend this!
March 11, 2025
What the fuck did I just read? By far one of the craziest books I’ve ever read, and crazy in a way that made almost no sense. Normally I complain about books being too long, but if anything this one was too short.
There was no real back story for the main character, Harriet, and it left you wondering what the hell her motivations were for being in the small town. On the whole, you had to fully suspend disbelief almost the entire time because it really did not feel like there was any connection between the characters. So much of the plot felt like it was “well Harriet said it, so we will just follow along.” There was no good justification for why anything was happening.
The MLM representation was hilarious and really good which is the only reason this is getting 2 stars. The vampires made it interesting but also really through it off the rails in a way that I continued to want more backstory/explanation.
I really thought it was going to be a Shutter Island situation where you find out this was all in the main characters head and none of it was actually happening. That’s the only way I can logic out what happened in this book because there was so little detail and backstory about any of the characters and their relationships with one another.
There was no real back story for the main character, Harriet, and it left you wondering what the hell her motivations were for being in the small town. On the whole, you had to fully suspend disbelief almost the entire time because it really did not feel like there was any connection between the characters. So much of the plot felt like it was “well Harriet said it, so we will just follow along.” There was no good justification for why anything was happening.
The MLM representation was hilarious and really good which is the only reason this is getting 2 stars. The vampires made it interesting but also really through it off the rails in a way that I continued to want more backstory/explanation.
I really thought it was going to be a Shutter Island situation where you find out this was all in the main characters head and none of it was actually happening. That’s the only way I can logic out what happened in this book because there was so little detail and backstory about any of the characters and their relationships with one another.
March 2, 2024
Pyramidia is fantastic, hilarious, and utterly unappreciated by a world of readers who don’t know it exists. I laughed, I chortled, I hiccuped chuckles into my tea! Stephanie Sanders-Jacob hit the nail perfectly on its obnoxious head with her beautifully written take on the dangers of MLM pyramid schemes. At the very first, when our MC is hounded by an MLM hun moments after moving to the small town of Bentwood, I was hooked. When things took a supernatural turn and the stakes mounted I was glued to my Kindle.
Pyramidia, I’m assuming a portmenteau of ‘pyramid’ and ‘suburbia,’ is a quirky, fun, fast-paced read that will leave you wondering about your friends who are caught up in pyramid schemes in the real world.
I’ve already bought Sanders-Jacob’s other book on Kindle and it’s high on my TBR list.
Anecdote: when I recomended this to my friend and we discussed it afterward, we did some sleuthing about the ‘Brentwood’ Google scene and laughed when we realized the author lives near a town called Brentwood.
Pyramidia, I’m assuming a portmenteau of ‘pyramid’ and ‘suburbia,’ is a quirky, fun, fast-paced read that will leave you wondering about your friends who are caught up in pyramid schemes in the real world.
I’ve already bought Sanders-Jacob’s other book on Kindle and it’s high on my TBR list.
Anecdote: when I recomended this to my friend and we discussed it afterward, we did some sleuthing about the ‘Brentwood’ Google scene and laughed when we realized the author lives near a town called Brentwood.
June 15, 2025
Dear authors: please stop writing bad stories and giving them good covers. It makes me wanna read them.
Pyramidia sure is... a story. Not an excellent one. Not a good one, either. Just a story. Read some reviews and was really looking forward to this one because I haven't had a surreal read in decades, and to be fair, the concept WAS pretty fun. Just executed horribly. The fact that I finished reading this on April fools is the absolute cherry on top. "Are you fucking kidding me? That's it? Is this a joke???"
I'm going to start unpacking some hatred now.
1. I did not enjoy a good chunk of the characters in this book. Harriet is annoying and whiny and just overall not good, both representation-wise and likability-wise. Lucy is Harriet, but about 100 times worse, maybe 1,000. What should've came off as quirky came off as insufferable and unrealistic. The rest of the characters aren't worth much discussion, either. They're tolerable, and nothing else.
2. The execution was bad. Did I mention that already? I did. The execution was bad. I've gotta give it to this story, the premise was unique and fun and definitely quirky, which is what I assume the author was mainly going for, but an enjoyable story should not be sacrificed for a bit of quirk. Nevertheless, I'm so glad this was a quick read, because I couldn't stand any more of the stupid decisions that these stupid characters made.
3. Bad ending. All I really need to say, but I'll give context anyway. It's a bit obvious that it tried to be a "full stop" type of ending, which is supposed to leave you with deep inquiry questions that are entertaining for you to answer later on, but it just turned this story from dreadful to dreadful AND unfinished, which is arguably worse than the first option. Not to mention that it also deemed the entire plotline prior to this ending completely meaningless.
The writing genuinely wasn't bad. That's the best part of this story, it has fun and witty writing. So if you're writing-based or you don't mind all the other things I mentioned, pick this story up. Have fun. Needless to say, this story wasn't for me, and I don't think it'll ever be.
Pyramidia sure is... a story. Not an excellent one. Not a good one, either. Just a story. Read some reviews and was really looking forward to this one because I haven't had a surreal read in decades, and to be fair, the concept WAS pretty fun. Just executed horribly. The fact that I finished reading this on April fools is the absolute cherry on top. "Are you fucking kidding me? That's it? Is this a joke???"
I'm going to start unpacking some hatred now.
1. I did not enjoy a good chunk of the characters in this book. Harriet is annoying and whiny and just overall not good, both representation-wise and likability-wise. Lucy is Harriet, but about 100 times worse, maybe 1,000. What should've came off as quirky came off as insufferable and unrealistic. The rest of the characters aren't worth much discussion, either. They're tolerable, and nothing else.
2. The execution was bad. Did I mention that already? I did. The execution was bad. I've gotta give it to this story, the premise was unique and fun and definitely quirky, which is what I assume the author was mainly going for, but an enjoyable story should not be sacrificed for a bit of quirk. Nevertheless, I'm so glad this was a quick read, because I couldn't stand any more of the stupid decisions that these stupid characters made.
3. Bad ending. All I really need to say, but I'll give context anyway. It's a bit obvious that it tried to be a "full stop" type of ending, which is supposed to leave you with deep inquiry questions that are entertaining for you to answer later on, but it just turned this story from dreadful to dreadful AND unfinished, which is arguably worse than the first option. Not to mention that it also deemed the entire plotline prior to this ending completely meaningless.
The writing genuinely wasn't bad. That's the best part of this story, it has fun and witty writing. So if you're writing-based or you don't mind all the other things I mentioned, pick this story up. Have fun. Needless to say, this story wasn't for me, and I don't think it'll ever be.
February 19, 2024
3.5 stars
Pyramidia is a funny and charming book. I loved the quirky characters and my god, I experienced such intense secondhand embarrassment from Lucy. I sympathized with her, even though I really hate MLM huns. This book highlights just how manipulative these MLMs are but does it with a fun, supernatural twist. Even I would be tempted to buy this tea based on how much it transformed the main character’s life.
The novelty started to wear off for me though in the second half. Additionally, the romance didn’t really work for me; it felt a little underdeveloped. I also wanted more from the ending. There were a lot of things that were never really explained. Overall though, this was a quick read that was entertaining throughout.
Pyramidia is a funny and charming book. I loved the quirky characters and my god, I experienced such intense secondhand embarrassment from Lucy. I sympathized with her, even though I really hate MLM huns. This book highlights just how manipulative these MLMs are but does it with a fun, supernatural twist. Even I would be tempted to buy this tea based on how much it transformed the main character’s life.
The novelty started to wear off for me though in the second half. Additionally, the romance didn’t really work for me; it felt a little underdeveloped. I also wanted more from the ending. There were a lot of things that were never really explained. Overall though, this was a quick read that was entertaining throughout.
May 24, 2024
Oh my, this book was so much fun!
It was ridiculous, hilarious, frightening, a bit too real and relatable at some points (in a good way).
We have all been part of or know someone who has been subject to MLMs and can agree how predatory they really are. This book takes it to a whole new level in the absolute best way.
The story started off strong and ended with a bang. I laughed out loud at some of the characters antics and I have to admit, I absolutely loved Harold the most. His character was so well written that I feel like he’s an old friend, now.
Absolutely brilliant.
It was ridiculous, hilarious, frightening, a bit too real and relatable at some points (in a good way).
We have all been part of or know someone who has been subject to MLMs and can agree how predatory they really are. This book takes it to a whole new level in the absolute best way.
The story started off strong and ended with a bang. I laughed out loud at some of the characters antics and I have to admit, I absolutely loved Harold the most. His character was so well written that I feel like he’s an old friend, now.
Absolutely brilliant.
February 17, 2024
Truly such a fun read! I laughed out loud multiple times.
May 14, 2025
MLM horror is my new favorite sub genre
November 23, 2025
writing was bad, generally no character development or exploration into the relationship between the characters, plot fell short. the idea was there and i enjoyed the suspense
November 24, 2024
I loved this. It’s a bizarre and darkly comedic story about an introverted teacher facing off against an invasive MLM neighbor. The ending left questions unanswered, but I was okay with the levels of that. It reminded me a little of Bloom by Delilah S Dawson (similar vibes, different plots).
Energy: Strange. Charming. Farcical.
🐩 Tail Wags: So easy to imagine. The quirky characters and their interactions. Relatable introvert as the main character. Unhinged bizarro vibes and randomness. The humour. The MLM and stalky character conundrums.
Scene: 🇺🇸 🛳️ Set in Bentwood, Ohio, USA and on cruise ship departing from Miami.
Perspective: So easy to imagine. The quirky characters and their interactions. Relatable main character (Harriet). Unhinged bizarro vibes and randomness. The humour. The MLM and stalky character conundrums.
Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s). Linear
🔥 Fuel: The strangeness of so many of the characters in the town and the town itself. The MLM situation. What is their angle? Why is Harriet feeling drawn to them?
📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief surrealism
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Tea pouring. Musty cabin. Ice cubes clinking. Aggressive door knocking. Fresh sharpened pencils. Cruise ship horn. Helicopter blades. Farmer’s market. Garlic bulbs.
• Grown up Goosebumps bizarro
• Monsters, MLMs, and sapphic romance
• Dark comedy meets supernatural cozy horror
• Quirky cast of characters
• Satirical strangeness and surreal randomness
Content Heads-Up: Depressive episodes. Death (overdose). Forced institutionalization (psychiatric). Psychosis, paranoid symptoms. Body horror, gore, body fluids. Murder. Loss of parent (as child; brief).
Rep: American. Cis. Lesbian. Hetero. Pale and ambiguous skin tones.
📚 Format: Library Digital
My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶
Energy: Strange. Charming. Farcical.
🐩 Tail Wags: So easy to imagine. The quirky characters and their interactions. Relatable introvert as the main character. Unhinged bizarro vibes and randomness. The humour. The MLM and stalky character conundrums.
Scene: 🇺🇸 🛳️ Set in Bentwood, Ohio, USA and on cruise ship departing from Miami.
Perspective: So easy to imagine. The quirky characters and their interactions. Relatable main character (Harriet). Unhinged bizarro vibes and randomness. The humour. The MLM and stalky character conundrums.
Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s). Linear
🔥 Fuel: The strangeness of so many of the characters in the town and the town itself. The MLM situation. What is their angle? Why is Harriet feeling drawn to them?
📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief surrealism
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Tea pouring. Musty cabin. Ice cubes clinking. Aggressive door knocking. Fresh sharpened pencils. Cruise ship horn. Helicopter blades. Farmer’s market. Garlic bulbs.
• Grown up Goosebumps bizarro
• Monsters, MLMs, and sapphic romance
• Dark comedy meets supernatural cozy horror
• Quirky cast of characters
• Satirical strangeness and surreal randomness
Content Heads-Up: Depressive episodes. Death (overdose). Forced institutionalization (psychiatric). Psychosis, paranoid symptoms. Body horror, gore, body fluids. Murder. Loss of parent (as child; brief).
Rep: American. Cis. Lesbian. Hetero. Pale and ambiguous skin tones.
📚 Format: Library Digital
My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶
February 21, 2025
No no no absolutely no.
The concept is great and interesting but the execution is terrible.
Harriet is an awful person. She is smug, judgmental and condescending. She is rude to the only person in town who attempts to get to know her.
How easy would it have been if Harriet had told Lucy from day one “Look I do not now nor will I ever be interested in buying anything from Mary Jane. Ever. That said I would still like to be friends. However, the moment you mention uplines, downlines, shopping parties or boss babe I am out of here and will never speak to you again.”
Boom! Set boundaries and stick to them but don’t assume everyone is pathetic because they aren’t like you; a depressed, miserable, wannabe teacher living in a moldy cabin with no bed.
Harriet judged everyone, there is no one she didn’t scorn or ridicule. It amazed me that Kelsey and Harold could stand her. For someone who taught gifted students she was herself an idiot. Half of the choices she made were nonsensical and would not have been made by a rational human.
The vampire mlm plot was the only thing going for this book and we got absolutely no details. What was in the tea? What happened to Harriet that first time visiting Angela’s home? Was everyone a vampire in Serenitea or just this specific group? How did it start? Why was the landlord able to save Harold?! WTH was in that jar?
So disappointed 😑
The concept is great and interesting but the execution is terrible.
Harriet is an awful person. She is smug, judgmental and condescending. She is rude to the only person in town who attempts to get to know her.
How easy would it have been if Harriet had told Lucy from day one “Look I do not now nor will I ever be interested in buying anything from Mary Jane. Ever. That said I would still like to be friends. However, the moment you mention uplines, downlines, shopping parties or boss babe I am out of here and will never speak to you again.”
Boom! Set boundaries and stick to them but don’t assume everyone is pathetic because they aren’t like you; a depressed, miserable, wannabe teacher living in a moldy cabin with no bed.
Harriet judged everyone, there is no one she didn’t scorn or ridicule. It amazed me that Kelsey and Harold could stand her. For someone who taught gifted students she was herself an idiot. Half of the choices she made were nonsensical and would not have been made by a rational human.
The vampire mlm plot was the only thing going for this book and we got absolutely no details. What was in the tea? What happened to Harriet that first time visiting Angela’s home? Was everyone a vampire in Serenitea or just this specific group? How did it start? Why was the landlord able to save Harold?! WTH was in that jar?
So disappointed 😑
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2024
Absolutely unhinged. And I mean that in the best way possible. Pyramid schemes, vampires, ghost panties, weird small town and a fish out of water story all mix up in this weird little book that works super well because it doesn’t take itself seriously. I laughed out loud multiple times at some of the dialogues. If you want a zany little novel to kick back with, this is a great choice.
February 15, 2024
ARC Review: ‘Pyramidia’ by Stephanie Sanders-Jacob
Thanks to Slashic Horror Press and the author for allowing me to review this gem – this is the most fun I’ve had with a book since reading Blake Crouch’s “Dark Matter” some years ago!
The story follows Harriet, who has moved to Bentwood for a new start in life. She is almost immediately targeted by two different representatives of two MLM schemes – yep, I said MLM schemes! Awkward, rude, and (possibly unhinged), Lucy desperately wants Harriet to buy and sell her hideous mail order “Mary Jane” leggings, while cool, sophisticated Angela and her equally impressive “tea ladies” want her to become an ‘Ascendant’ in hocking their VERY special wellness tea, “Serenitea”. Soon it becomes apparent that everyone in Harriet’s new world has something to hide, and as she tries to manage her new job, a potentially haunted house, and a budding romance with a spunky honey vendor she meets at a local farmer’s market along with the pressure handed out to her by these strange people to ‘sell, sell, sell!’ to be part of the community, she understands that it’s easy to get into some things, but not so easy to get out of them….
This book was an absolute hoot, with the perfect mix of comedy and horror. You share poor Harriet’s confusion, as she seems to be caught in an insane storm not of her making, that only gets weirder and weirder as the book goes on, and the author’s writing conveys this extraordinarily well. I loved the throwbacks to fanfiction and pop culture, the queer love story in amongst the madness, and how the supporting characters were just as clueless as Harriet, but still willing to help her as much as they could, even when they didn’t always agree with her goals.
I was a little bit let down by the ending, which felt a tad rushed, and I felt that some phrases were a little over-used (how many times can someone “smile wide” anyway?) but overall, it was actually a great read – I laughed, I (almost) cried, I groaned, and thought “WTF?!” on many, many occasions during this experience. So - slip into your most comfortable leggings (10% off this month!), brew yourself a pot of your favourite wellness beverage, and give into this wild ride - you won’t regret it, I promise you! 4 stars.
Thanks to Slashic Horror Press and the author for allowing me to review this gem – this is the most fun I’ve had with a book since reading Blake Crouch’s “Dark Matter” some years ago!
The story follows Harriet, who has moved to Bentwood for a new start in life. She is almost immediately targeted by two different representatives of two MLM schemes – yep, I said MLM schemes! Awkward, rude, and (possibly unhinged), Lucy desperately wants Harriet to buy and sell her hideous mail order “Mary Jane” leggings, while cool, sophisticated Angela and her equally impressive “tea ladies” want her to become an ‘Ascendant’ in hocking their VERY special wellness tea, “Serenitea”. Soon it becomes apparent that everyone in Harriet’s new world has something to hide, and as she tries to manage her new job, a potentially haunted house, and a budding romance with a spunky honey vendor she meets at a local farmer’s market along with the pressure handed out to her by these strange people to ‘sell, sell, sell!’ to be part of the community, she understands that it’s easy to get into some things, but not so easy to get out of them….
This book was an absolute hoot, with the perfect mix of comedy and horror. You share poor Harriet’s confusion, as she seems to be caught in an insane storm not of her making, that only gets weirder and weirder as the book goes on, and the author’s writing conveys this extraordinarily well. I loved the throwbacks to fanfiction and pop culture, the queer love story in amongst the madness, and how the supporting characters were just as clueless as Harriet, but still willing to help her as much as they could, even when they didn’t always agree with her goals.
I was a little bit let down by the ending, which felt a tad rushed, and I felt that some phrases were a little over-used (how many times can someone “smile wide” anyway?) but overall, it was actually a great read – I laughed, I (almost) cried, I groaned, and thought “WTF?!” on many, many occasions during this experience. So - slip into your most comfortable leggings (10% off this month!), brew yourself a pot of your favourite wellness beverage, and give into this wild ride - you won’t regret it, I promise you! 4 stars.
April 11, 2025
For me, Pyramidia feels almost like a "beach read" for horror/thriller fans (and I do mean that as a compliment in this case).
Leaning into somewhat campy territory, the story does a good job of balancing humor and satire with just enough horror to keep things interesting. You'll have to suspend your disbelief a bit to be able to get into this one properly, but I'd say the tone is more along the lines of a sitcom than some sort of off-the-wall wacky plotline (although a vampire coven running an MLM scheme does sound like it would be more in the wacky territory than not). There were plenty of good lines in here that had me chuckling, and the plot did have me guessing a bit on exactly how the ending would play out, so it didn't feel overly predictable.
That said, there's not a ton of worldbuilding in this one, nor much backstory on the characters at all, so if you absolutely need those aspects to fully enjoy a book then this one probably isn't a good fit for you. But for those who are looking for an fun & easy read without getting bogged down in a ton of details, you might want to give this one a shot!
Leaning into somewhat campy territory, the story does a good job of balancing humor and satire with just enough horror to keep things interesting. You'll have to suspend your disbelief a bit to be able to get into this one properly, but I'd say the tone is more along the lines of a sitcom than some sort of off-the-wall wacky plotline (although a vampire coven running an MLM scheme does sound like it would be more in the wacky territory than not). There were plenty of good lines in here that had me chuckling, and the plot did have me guessing a bit on exactly how the ending would play out, so it didn't feel overly predictable.
That said, there's not a ton of worldbuilding in this one, nor much backstory on the characters at all, so if you absolutely need those aspects to fully enjoy a book then this one probably isn't a good fit for you. But for those who are looking for an fun & easy read without getting bogged down in a ton of details, you might want to give this one a shot!
March 18, 2025
*Insert 'it's been 84 years' gif*
I finally finished a book, can I get an amen.
Touki's club book of the month(s. lol)
3.5-4 stars.
This book started off great, absolutely loved the first 150 pages.
It's funny, fast paced, the characters are well fleshed out ; also, reading about MLMs in such a context was refreshing and hilarious.
But reaching the halfway point, the story suddenly slowed down, and left me not wanting to pick it up again (hence why I took over a month to read it 💀).
Don't get me wrong, the story and events unfolding still kept me guessing, but I just wasn't **in it** anymore.
As for the ending.. it was quite rushed, leaving me unsatisfied with many questions.
The last sentence got me, though.
I finally finished a book, can I get an amen.
Touki's club book of the month(s. lol)
3.5-4 stars.
This book started off great, absolutely loved the first 150 pages.
It's funny, fast paced, the characters are well fleshed out ; also, reading about MLMs in such a context was refreshing and hilarious.
But reaching the halfway point, the story suddenly slowed down, and left me not wanting to pick it up again (hence why I took over a month to read it 💀).
Don't get me wrong, the story and events unfolding still kept me guessing, but I just wasn't **in it** anymore.
As for the ending.. it was quite rushed, leaving me unsatisfied with many questions.
The last sentence got me, though.
March 27, 2024
Last week all these people showed up asking me to sell Tupperware for them. They kept telling me about parties I can have and it doesn’t sound too bad. I was about to sign up today, but then I finished this book. I called my area rep and said, “no thanks.” Stephanie Sanders-Jacob displays the uncanny ability to make something that isn’t at all creepy and turn it into a nightmare that feels like it was recorded in that little suburb from Greener Grass. Pyramidia is fresh, it’s Bentley Little for everyone who knew a person that sold Avon; Diablo Cody throwing a Scentsy party, all in all, it’s a GD banger. K thx.
January 20, 2024
Pyramidia had an interesting premise and I enjoyed how everything built up to this pivotal event in the book. Things took a turn that I wasn't expecting, and it made for an exciting read. It's a bit creepy and it will have you questioning your own sanity by the time the main character finds herself knee-deep in controversy.
Overall, it was a really fun horror read. The ending felt a bit rushed and a little predictable, but this one will leave an impact on readers. I'm still thinking about this book well after I put it down, and I'd love to see what comes next for this author.
Overall, it was a really fun horror read. The ending felt a bit rushed and a little predictable, but this one will leave an impact on readers. I'm still thinking about this book well after I put it down, and I'd love to see what comes next for this author.
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April 18, 2024This is so hard to rate.
I loved it up until the end where it felt rushed. I need to sit with this.
I loved it up until the end where it felt rushed. I need to sit with this.
August 12, 2024
this had so much potential, but unfortunately i found it devastatingly boring.
October 17, 2024
A fun read that makes a horror story out of MLMs and pyramid schemes (as if they aren't enough of a horror on their own)!
March 10, 2025
Idunno why, but I always find these books so fun because I've legit had so many girls I went to school with try and recruit me to their MLM... 😂
April 2, 2025
It’s like Grady Hendrix met an MLM and it’s so so good
June 9, 2025
ridiculous and absolutely batshit I loved it
March 8, 2024
Genuinely one of my favorite books in a long time. Smart. Exciting. Good writing. And an MLM full of vampires??? What more could you possibly want
January 18, 2025
has vampires but man you got scammed into a tea pyramid scheme
April 3, 2024
Ya know, I randomly stumbled upon this book and I’m pretty glad it is. I mean MLM is terrifying in and of itself. This book combines horror with humor which I’m always appreciative of, and it was quite a trip.
December 7, 2024
My house is haunted, I’m addicted to a pyramid scheme tea, (and) I’m being stalked by a crazed Mary Jane consultant.
3 1/2 stars. Now before we get too far into this "review" - which may resemble more of a therapy session before we're done (I could really use a hug, m'kay?) - I want everyone to know that I truly enjoyed Stephanie Sanders-Jacob's "Pyramidia". It read like greased lightning (too macho?) which was both a good and a not so good thing, including the fact that finishing this book in one day means that my reading plans for the weekend are shot to hell. I thought it was very well-written AND extremely original - seriously, how cool is it that "vampires" (he said in air quotes… seriously, keep reading) are running a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM), also commonly known as a pyramid-scheme, which I also think applies in many ways to politics, too. But I digress.
That tea was good shit.
OK, now I don't know how to do all this without the occasional spoiler (I keep re-reading the blurb in goodreads to check). So my recommendation is that you quit reading here. Seriously, go make some tea and we'll let you know when we're done. Um, maybe not tea come to think of it. Maybe you could unpack some boxes instead… including straightening up the gazillion pairs of "ghost panties" that just started falling from the living room ceiling. Did we mention the ghost(s)? Extremely cool in a kind of "apartment renter's worst nightmare" kind of way.
Congratulations! You have a new descendant.
ANYWAY… even though I found this to be a fun experience, I have SOOOOOOO many questions left over. I mean, I really enjoyed getting to know Harriet, even though I feel a bit… old? for not having expected the whole same-sex attraction (was this our hint? "…there was a bright-green bug positioned on her crotch—as if anyone needed more of a reason to stay clear of that region."). I understand though that times have changed and having done most of my dating in the 80s in the Bible Belt, well, a surprise smooch from your best pal wasn't usually something that happened. Or maybe I was just ugly, who knows? But Sanders-Jacobs helps us carefully negotiate things as our protagonist makes her way through this new - and admittedly unexpectedly bizarre - chapter in her life. Seriously, being blind-sided by the whole ghost-in-my-apartment thing (leftover from the witch that died there, of that I'm sure!) and not one but TWO MLM's recruiting her is a lot to take. Overall, I think she handled it pretty well even if she had to eventually be sedated a few times and became addicted to something that may or may not have contained human blood.
She wanted the tea, yes, but she also wanted to be one of them, shining and gorgeous.
The accompanying cast were also likeable and well-developed, even though everyone's willingness to believe Harriet's hypotheses/theories about local events was a bit too, um, willing for my comfort. Which brings me to one of my biggest question marks - illustrated with a font about the size of the Hollywood sign letters - about the book: how or why was it that everyone was so sure the women of “Revitalize. Rejuvenate. SERENITEA.” (say it out loud, ya'll!) were vampires? Let's look at some vampire "facts" as they're generally accepted : they don't like garlic. OK, that one is more or less addressed (“Why does it stink?”). But vampires and sunlight: not usually a good combination, no? Hanging out during the day, not to mention running a booth at an open Farmer's Market should be… bad for them? And the whole super-strength, sucking of blood, and so on. We only have one scene of these factors to contend with… and to be fair, if someone came at me with a wooden stake and stabby intentions, well, I'd bite them if I could, too. So color me unconvinced (I think it's sort of a light puce in shade).
It hurt. It still hurt. Being rejected—even by a cabal of evil vampires—hurt.
Now, Lucy disappearing and never re-appearing didn't bother me too much but that was left really, really open, especially after the demise of Serenitea's local chapter. Coven? Colony? Camp (like bats)? But how exactly did the authorities react to finding a basement full of slain bodies? Or had they all disappeared? I'm a little confused about all of that as we're only told that a search was going on ("they're still looking for them. For all of them." meaning just this group or the whole organization or…?) and that Calvin - the young student who resided in the same house where the Big Battle (note caps) took place - doesn't mention anything. So are there still a whole bunch of vampires running loose and if yes, why isn't Harriet - and Kelsey and Harold and every other living being in Bentwood - totally freaked out about that?
If you feel like we need to get the pervert, we get the pervert.
So again, fun story, well-written but definitely not your typical vampire fare. I will place my usual complaint here for books structured the same way and say that I'm not a fan of a gazillion chapterlets (66) spread over relatively few pages (285) as it interupts both my reading pace as well as adds too many blank spots (I would say there's an average of 1/2 page break between each) in the text. Still, if I had to register my biggest… no, it's not a complaint this time, let's call it a "your mother and I are just concerned is all"… is that the story just didn't feel complete to me. It's like we're supposed to be expecting an announcement at the end that says "all this and more will be explained in Part 2: Aliens Built the Pyrimidias!" Sure, in terms of quality AND fun, SSJ's story reminded me a lot of my usual go-to writer for all things "cozy", namely, Margaret Lashley, which in my book is a very good thing indeed.
She was a leaden anchor, pulling anyone in her orbit down into her polyester sadness.
Now one final question: this whole yoni steaming thing. Is it available for men, too? Or would that be too similar to roasting chestnuts on an open fire? Hey, no laughing, dudes deserve to feel fresh "down there" just as much as anyone! I just want to be well, is that so wrong? And yes, I am willing to sacrifice because we all know that "Wellness requires sacrifice." Namaste.
3 1/2 stars. Now before we get too far into this "review" - which may resemble more of a therapy session before we're done (I could really use a hug, m'kay?) - I want everyone to know that I truly enjoyed Stephanie Sanders-Jacob's "Pyramidia". It read like greased lightning (too macho?) which was both a good and a not so good thing, including the fact that finishing this book in one day means that my reading plans for the weekend are shot to hell. I thought it was very well-written AND extremely original - seriously, how cool is it that "vampires" (he said in air quotes… seriously, keep reading) are running a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM), also commonly known as a pyramid-scheme, which I also think applies in many ways to politics, too. But I digress.
That tea was good shit.
OK, now I don't know how to do all this without the occasional spoiler (I keep re-reading the blurb in goodreads to check). So my recommendation is that you quit reading here. Seriously, go make some tea and we'll let you know when we're done. Um, maybe not tea come to think of it. Maybe you could unpack some boxes instead… including straightening up the gazillion pairs of "ghost panties" that just started falling from the living room ceiling. Did we mention the ghost(s)? Extremely cool in a kind of "apartment renter's worst nightmare" kind of way.
Congratulations! You have a new descendant.
ANYWAY… even though I found this to be a fun experience, I have SOOOOOOO many questions left over. I mean, I really enjoyed getting to know Harriet, even though I feel a bit… old? for not having expected the whole same-sex attraction (was this our hint? "…there was a bright-green bug positioned on her crotch—as if anyone needed more of a reason to stay clear of that region."). I understand though that times have changed and having done most of my dating in the 80s in the Bible Belt, well, a surprise smooch from your best pal wasn't usually something that happened. Or maybe I was just ugly, who knows? But Sanders-Jacobs helps us carefully negotiate things as our protagonist makes her way through this new - and admittedly unexpectedly bizarre - chapter in her life. Seriously, being blind-sided by the whole ghost-in-my-apartment thing (leftover from the witch that died there, of that I'm sure!) and not one but TWO MLM's recruiting her is a lot to take. Overall, I think she handled it pretty well even if she had to eventually be sedated a few times and became addicted to something that may or may not have contained human blood.
She wanted the tea, yes, but she also wanted to be one of them, shining and gorgeous.
The accompanying cast were also likeable and well-developed, even though everyone's willingness to believe Harriet's hypotheses/theories about local events was a bit too, um, willing for my comfort. Which brings me to one of my biggest question marks - illustrated with a font about the size of the Hollywood sign letters - about the book: how or why was it that everyone was so sure the women of “Revitalize. Rejuvenate. SERENITEA.” (say it out loud, ya'll!) were vampires? Let's look at some vampire "facts" as they're generally accepted : they don't like garlic. OK, that one is more or less addressed (“Why does it stink?”). But vampires and sunlight: not usually a good combination, no? Hanging out during the day, not to mention running a booth at an open Farmer's Market should be… bad for them? And the whole super-strength, sucking of blood, and so on. We only have one scene of these factors to contend with… and to be fair, if someone came at me with a wooden stake and stabby intentions, well, I'd bite them if I could, too. So color me unconvinced (I think it's sort of a light puce in shade).
It hurt. It still hurt. Being rejected—even by a cabal of evil vampires—hurt.
Now, Lucy disappearing and never re-appearing didn't bother me too much but that was left really, really open, especially after the demise of Serenitea's local chapter. Coven? Colony? Camp (like bats)? But how exactly did the authorities react to finding a basement full of slain bodies? Or had they all disappeared? I'm a little confused about all of that as we're only told that a search was going on ("they're still looking for them. For all of them." meaning just this group or the whole organization or…?) and that Calvin - the young student who resided in the same house where the Big Battle (note caps) took place - doesn't mention anything. So are there still a whole bunch of vampires running loose and if yes, why isn't Harriet - and Kelsey and Harold and every other living being in Bentwood - totally freaked out about that?
If you feel like we need to get the pervert, we get the pervert.
So again, fun story, well-written but definitely not your typical vampire fare. I will place my usual complaint here for books structured the same way and say that I'm not a fan of a gazillion chapterlets (66) spread over relatively few pages (285) as it interupts both my reading pace as well as adds too many blank spots (I would say there's an average of 1/2 page break between each) in the text. Still, if I had to register my biggest… no, it's not a complaint this time, let's call it a "your mother and I are just concerned is all"… is that the story just didn't feel complete to me. It's like we're supposed to be expecting an announcement at the end that says "all this and more will be explained in Part 2: Aliens Built the Pyrimidias!" Sure, in terms of quality AND fun, SSJ's story reminded me a lot of my usual go-to writer for all things "cozy", namely, Margaret Lashley, which in my book is a very good thing indeed.
She was a leaden anchor, pulling anyone in her orbit down into her polyester sadness.
Now one final question: this whole yoni steaming thing. Is it available for men, too? Or would that be too similar to roasting chestnuts on an open fire? Hey, no laughing, dudes deserve to feel fresh "down there" just as much as anyone! I just want to be well, is that so wrong? And yes, I am willing to sacrifice because we all know that "Wellness requires sacrifice." Namaste.
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