O Sinners!

by Nicole Cuffy

A journalist investigates a seductive and mysterious cult and its leader, an enigmatic Vietnam War veteran, in this not-to-be-missed novel.

Faruq Zaidi, a young journalist reeling from the recent death of his father, a devout Muslim, takes the opportunity to embed in a cult called The Nameless. Based in the California redwoods and shepherded by an enigmatic Vietnam War-veteran named Odo, The Nameless adhere to the 18 Utterances, including teachings such as “THERE IS NO GOD BUT THE NAMELESS,” “ALL SUFFERING IS DISTORTION,” and “SEE ONLY BEAUTY.” Faruq, skeptical but committed to unraveling the mystery of The Nameless, extends his stay over months, as he gets deeper into the cult's inner workings, compassionate teachings, and closer to Odo. Faruq himself begins to unravel, forced to come-to-terms with the memories he has been running from while trying to resist Odo's spell. 

Told in three seamlessly interwoven threads between Faruq’s present-day investigation, Odo’s time before the formation of the movement as a Black infantryman during the Vietnam War, alongside three other Black soldiers, and a documentary script that recounts The Nameless’ clash with a Texan fundamentalist church, O SINNERS! examines both longing and belonging. Ultimately the novel What is it that we seek from cults and, inevitably, from each other?

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Literary Fiction, Cults, Historical Fiction, Thriller, Contemporary

464 pages, Hardcover

First published March 18, 2025

Reviews

[Fairuz ᥫ᭡. · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 STARS! 🌟 Huge thanks to Random House Publishing Group - One World & NetGalley for the ARC! 💌

Okay, so I hated it—well, not hated it, but I’m 64% in and I just can’t continue. 🚨 DNF ALERT 🚨

I don’t even know how to explain it, but this book was way too different from what I usually read—too philosophical, too slow, and honestly, just not my vibe. Also, I have no idea why I even requested this ARC. 🤦‍♀️

Faruq is a Muslim journalist, and the book leans into the usual Western stereotypes—strict parents, rigid rules, and the classic “leaving Islam” narrative. His struggle with faith, his overbearing father, and the Islamophobia he faces are all realistic but also frustrating. 😮‍💨 And while that didn't affect my rating, the execution of everything else did.

This book had so much potential. A journalist infiltrating a mysterious cult in the California redwoods?? YES, PLEASE. But then... BAM. Vietnam War flashbacks. WHY. Just WHY. They completely ruined the pacing. I signed up for cult drama, not war stories.

Also, the way this book is structured? Confusing as hell. 🚨
✧ One part is about Faruq investigating the cult.
✧ One part follows Odo, the cult leader, during the Vietnam War.
✧ One part is literally a fake documentary script.
✧ AND there are Instagram post descriptions. 😭

WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA??

The cult parts? Actually interesting. 🧐 The Vietnam parts? Snore-fest. 💤 Every time I started getting into the story, it would jump back in time and completely kill the momentum.

And let’s talk about Faruq. I really wanted to root for him. His grief? Heartbreaking. His struggle with his faith? Handled well.
His time in the cult? Interesting… at first. But did I feel connected to him? Nope.

The ending? I have no idea, because I didn’t finish. But from what I skimmed, it didn’t sound satisfying.

Look, if you love slow-burn literary fiction with heavy themes, maybe you’ll love this. But for me? Not enough mystery. Not enough cult drama. Too much filler.

Final thoughts?🫠
✧ Cults? Cool. ✅
✧ Philosophical rambling? No thanks. ❌
✧ Vietnam War flashbacks? Absolutely not. ❌❌
✧ A documentary script?? WHY. 🤦‍♀️
✧ Would I recommend? Nope.

Sorry, but this book just wasn’t it for me. 😬

[taylor ⛅️ ann wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

O Sinners! is one of the absolute best books I have read to date. 💚🐺
There was SO much depth to this story.
I can't believe I had the privilege to read this as an ARC.
*I will 100000% be buying the physical copy as soon as it is out so I can annotate it*

Three stories all interwoven together to bring a memorable conclusion.
I mean WOW. 👏🏼 I didn't expect to be as enamored with these subjects as I was.
I'm not usually interested in Wars or Documentaries... or cults for that matter. BUT I WAS.

The way Nicole crafted this story is unlike anything I have ever seen before.
The writing was PHENOMENAL. 🤌🏼✨
Every one of these characters felt SO real.
Faruq is now a permanent resident in my brain (as well as Odo). I am simply at a loss for words.
I've thought about this book every day since finishing it, and know I will be for the rest of my life.

If you are someone who loves DEPTH in your characters (and plots), as well as some twisty-turny plot points that keep you guessing, ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR! 🗣
I am not kidding around here.

🥳 This will now and forever be one of my favorite books of all time.
Nicole Cuffy is now and forever an instant purchase author in my book. 🛍

Thank you so much, NetGalley for this advanced readers copy (and for introducing me to Nicole Cuffy).

6⭐️ (I'm not kidding)

[lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

After watching way too many HBO documentaries about religious cults, I was more than ready to read this literary novel about a young man who sets out to write an article about The Nameless, an organization run by the mysterious Odo, who believes in finding beauty. As a Libra, I could sucked into this cult myself.

If the book had only focused on the cult, I would have liked it more. Unfortunately, it jumps backwards in time, following a group of young men fighting in Vietnam in the late 1960s. (Eventually this turns into a very annoying guessing game of which one of these boys grows up to become Odo.) War sucks of course, but it was very tedious to read about, and nothing very interesting happens, except that you get to know these very young men, or at least, who they have become fighting a senseless war so far from their homes. Also interspersed in the story is a script of a documentary called Nero. Oh, and there are literal descriptions of the Instagram posts of the Nameless throughout. I very much wish the obviously visual aspect of this novel hadn't been included since it did a lot to distract from the bigger story.

The bigger story focuses on Faruq, the journalist who is writing his article while struggling to deal with the death of his parents, and the complicated feelings he has for them, and for the religion he was raised in (Islam) which he doesn't believe in, but for which he was too afraid to reject. He isn't really looking for an alternative, and he is rightfully skeptical of Odo, and the strange little community he has built in Northern California. It's pretty obvious that this organization is a standard cult, and Odo is plainly no different from any other charismatic cult leader, but there are some interesting parallels between the fear of faith (or lack thereof) that Faruq felt growing up, and what Odo's followers may face should they ever turn their back on their leader. Getting hipped isn't a guarantee of paradise, but then, Odo never promises paradise, so he is more of a liar than Faruq's own father? Or did Faruq's father's belief in God and the promise of the Koran protect him from the terrible things he faced in his own life?

If the book had stayed focused on Faruq it would have been an amazing read. The huge pieces of filler killed the book for me, and it will very low on my list of recommendations this year. The part that dealt with Faruq and Odo was very well written, but the rest of it wasn't, and dragged the story down.

[Lynnae · Rating 5 out of 5]

the girls who get it get it, and the girls who dont dont!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published March 18, 2025.

3 stars.

Faruq Zaidi, a young journalist has recently lost his father, a devout Muslim; Faruq pretended to be observant for his father’s sake. He reacts to the death by investigating then becoming involved with a California cult called the nameless. The group is led by a Vietnam vet, Odo, and they follow the 18 Utterances as laid out by him.

The story is told from three perspectives: Faruq’s experiences with the nameless, Odo’s time in Vietnam alongside other Black soldiers and portions of a documentary that chronicles a clash between the nameless/Odo and a fundamentalist church in Texas.

The novel examines belonging and what we seek in those whom we admire, looking at Faruq’s relationships with both his father and Odo. The strongest parts of the book are those set in Vietnam; Cuffy does an excellent job with the futility of the fight and the ongoing, never ending, low level terror. Soldiers no sooner meet someone than he has died. Cuffy also uses an interesting conceit in the Vietnam section that I won’t spoil, but I quite enjoyed it.

This may not appeal to the wide masses, but if the description sounds good to you, give it a try.

[Dannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

a decent look into a cult from a journalists POV, and then a look into the cult leaders start during the vietnam war

i really did enjoy each pov the book offered, giving a sort of circular view of the nameless cult. some parts dragged on, some questions left unanswered, and an ending that didn’t exactly satisfy me but i have a feeling that i expect perfection and that’s the distortion in me.

[Dona's Books]

DNF @ p118

Pre-Read notes

I have few expectations going in, but that title and cover design combo was completely irresistible to me!

Final Review (partial)

Review summary and recommendations

I like absurdism, but it was impenetrable in this book. I do think readers out there will like this, it's just not a good fit for me!

Partial Reading Notes

Two things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. The screenplay format is hard to read and follow. I don't understand the purpose of using experimental form here. It's needlessly convoluting the story.

2. This book is so absurd that I have no idea what's going on.

3. DNF @ p118

Rating: DNF @ p118
Recommend? I think some readers will love this!
Finished: Feb 24 '25
Format: accessible digital arc, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🥸 absurdism
🤡 absurdism
🙈 absurdism
🪢 experimental form

Thank you to the author Nicole Cuffy, publishers Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of O SINNERS. All views are mine.
---------------

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faruq, a Pakistani-American journalist working through the death of his intensely religious father, embarks on a six-week long assignment into the heart of a possible cult in an attempt to dig into the truth of its enigmatic leader.

I weirdly enjoyed this book, although it wasn't really quite like what I was expecting.

It's told in three parts: today, with Faruq and his deep dive into the nameless's city in the northern California redwoods; clips from a documentary about the nameless and their misadventures in evangelical Texas; and before, following four Black soldiers in Vietnam.

There's a mystery throughout: who is Odo, the nameless' mysterious leader, and what is his motive?

While you find out which of the soldiers he is, you don't really ever get to know his motives. I think that's the point. The nameless is certainly a cult—but benign or malicious, it's never really stated. The ambiguity is the point. The blind following, also the point.

I think my least favorite part of the book was the documentary. There's just...a lot of nodding happening. So much nodding. So very much. (Also, it's told in obnoxious documentary format, drawn out and with lots of fades to black).

Literary fiction is not normally my cup of tea, but I was pulled in by that fascinating cover and intriguing title, and while neither really seem to capture the feel of the book, the book itself was an interesting endeavor.

[Sam Cheng · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cuffy rotates between three sections in O Sinners!. First, present-day journalist and writer Faruq stays as a guest at the Forbidden City, a socialist compound in the California Redwoods, to investigate and write about Odo and the “nameless.” Second, Cuffy creates a 1969-70 historical arc that details Odo’s backstory and the nameless’ origin. Odo, a black (septuagenarian?) man, founded and led this community based on his encounter with Vutu during his service in the war in Vietnam. Odo’s spiritual awakening came with 18 Utterances, the core tenets on which followers of the nameless observe. The “hipped” fight against pandering distortion in the world and live rebirthed. Third, a documentary reports Odo facing scrutiny from a fundamentalist Christian church, whose magnetic leaders filed a lawsuit against Odo for sexual misconduct towards his followers.

The religious overlap between Faruq’s Muslim background and Odo’s nameless group brings fascinating questions. As soon as I started O Sinners!, I immediately thought of Lenz’s Dinner for Vampires. She highlights the blurriness between her religious upbringing and the cult that drained her understanding of self and reality, autonomy, finances, and more through psychological exploitation. Readers want Faruq to face his monsters—his mother’s mental illness that led to her death, his father’s religious zealousness, and his experience of racism because of his ethnicity as a Pakistani American living in New York following 9/11. As such, Faruq should consider Odo’s promptings to recognize truth, healing, and beauty. However, readers are unsure of Odo’s underlying intentions and the legitimacy (i.e., true cultiness) of the nameless, so we bristle against Faruq’s growing trust in Odo and his followers. Odo counters by pointing out that the nameless welcomes Faruq’s visit because the journalist wanted to write his story. But, readers feel unsettled because Faruq extends his stay, and we wonder how far the manipulation has gone. When Faruq (an Islamic apostate and self-identified atheist) starts chanting the Utterances with conviction, we fear he’s in too deep. At the same time, we sympathetically want Faruq’s search for belonging, freedom, and love to be met. Cuffy skillfully sows unease.

I rate O Sinners! 2.5 stars for two main reasons. (1) I don’t normally enjoy historical fiction, and the “Before” sections, though admittedly interesting, were not as interesting as Faruq’s observational stint of the nameless in the Redwoods. (2) As much as Cuffy seeks to show the depths of Faruq’s disorientation, I wasn’t as convinced about our main character’s state as I wanted. Maybe Faruq’s susceptibility to Odo’s teaching proves his unraveling.

[Talia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book is going to be biggggg!! Faruq was a really interesting character to get to know, and I loved learning alongside him. The storyline, characters, and setting were all really well developed and I never quite knew where anything was going. I found the parts in the past and in the movie a little difficult to get into, but that’s more a me thing than the book’s thing. Overall it was really interesting and provided a lot of insight into religion as a concept (also can we talk about the genius it takes to create a fictional cult/religion) and What It Means To Be Human.

[Taylor Penn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“O Sinners” is nothing like what you’d expect from the description (in a very, very good way). I went in thinking I was going to get a thriller about a journalist infiltrating an evil cult in the California redwoods and taking them down from within. Wrong. I was so wrong. It’s so much better than that.

I don’t want to give away too much. So I’ll impart some wisdom from “The Nameless”- strip yourself of distortion, see only beauty, seek the face of Mow Vutu and READ “O SINNERS!”

Thank you NetGalley and Nicole Cuffy for the ARC!

[Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled with getting into this one despite it being something that peaks my interest. I found the story pacing was incredibly slow and personally I could have done without the Vietnam flashbacks completely. It really broke the momentum of the story and took us away from our MC and him discovering things about the cult. I’m kind of disappointed with this ending because it just felt so bland. I really enjoyed Faruq as a character and his journey of processing his grief and trauma was incredibly well written. I just wish we got to delve further into the Nameless cult and uncover the unanswered mysteries that Faruq experienced. This book definitely wasn’t my cup of tea because I expected more mystery/cult inclusion but I can definitely see someone enjoying this if general fiction is their vibe.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. “O Sinners!” will be published March 18, 2025.

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is beautiful and the lore runs deep, but I felt as though so many things happened just to go… nowhere? But then again, I think we expect cult stories to be salacious and over-the-top with some grand “caught ya!” ending. This doesn’t need to be this way because the entire point of the book is the blurred line between what we believe and what we’re wary of. What Faruq wants to believe and his doubts. Beautiful symbolism and the connection of the 3 sections was lovely.

I also hate to say it, but this really mirrored a Netflix documentary about the Rajneesh, so it was kind of hard to ignore the similarities between Odo and Osho, Minh-Anh and Sheila, the colored clothes, a weeping lawyer, etc.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story, Cuffy tells the struggles that Faruq faces after the loss of his mother and his cold father. Faruq goes to visit the nameless, a cult led by Odo. Will Faruq fall for their ideology, and what will Faruq learn about himself on this journey?

I loved the way this book was written: flashbacks, transcripts, and the current. Duffy adds such a level of depth to her characters. I think this novel will be a top seller in 2025. Excellent book for a book club discussion— this one will leave you thinking!

Thank you, NetGalley & Random House for an ARC of this book!

[hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was really disjointed, and the attempt at making things ~mysterious~ just made it feel unfinished

[ajreadsfiction · Rating 3 out of 5]

We follow grieving journalist Faruq's adventure to the cult nameless, and the cult's guru Odo's time during Vietnam war.

Give me anything with cults in it and I will eat that shit up. But, this book just left me unsatisfied.. It started off great but it started to slag as it went on. In the end it was just an okay book for me.

[Misha · Rating 4 out of 5]

(rounded up from 3.75)

This was one of the books I was most looking forward to read this year so I'm a bit disappointed overall. The book consists of four types of chapters and we cycle through them in the same order every time:

1 - Faruq's point of view chapters as he lives with and tries to understand the cult of the nameless and their charismatic leader, Odo, while wrestling with his own grief about his parents passing away,

2 - The script of the documentary, Nero, about the cult of the nameless' problems in Texas that got them in the limelight globally.

3 - Instagram posts, which is to say descriptions of the images posted and the hashtags used.

4 - Flashbacks to Odo's past as likely one of the black men in Vietnam as they struggle to make it out alive.

I feel that it would not be an unpopular opinion to say that 3 and 4 could have (and probably should have) been left out entirely and more work should have been put into 1, which is the less straightforward of the narratives. Faruq is a complex and interesting character, wrestling with his loss of faith and loving his deceased parents while being stifled by them and his extended family. Faruq is deep in the cult's territory and Odo is most certainly manipulating him, and that's honestly the most interesting part of this book.

The Instagram posts brought literally nothing to my understanding of the story or the characters so they were entirely pointless for me. The flashbacks to Vietnam were engaging in parts, mostly later on as the action starts to heat up, but for the most part, they were incredibly boring and completely cut the tension being developed in Faruq's POV chapter. In the end, I don't know if it even mattered that we see these black men fighting in this war and we wait to see which one of them survives and will change his name to Odo and start his cult because it literally makes no difference.

The end as well feels a bit abrupt and I would have appreciated more focus and time spent on Faruq's story and its resolution instead of the Instagram nonsense and Vietnam flashbacks so a bit disappointed but it was decently engaging and, as a Pakistani, I can certainly say that the author did her homework on authenticity for Faruq's references and language.

[Kaitlyn Hermansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5, rounded up. O Sinners tells the story of Faruq, an investigative journalist, who is sent to study a cult in the California Redwoods. I loved the story presentation- O Sinners is told via flashbacks to the cult leaders time in the Vietnam War, via a documentary screenplay about the cult, and via Faruqs experience in the present time. The story captivated me from the start- each character has a distinct voice and I was unable to put this book down. However, my captivating dwindled as the book and story lingered. I feel like the story ended with no real answers and I was pretty let down by the ending. I really liked the Cuffy’s voice and means of story telling though- I’ll definitely pick up another book from her.

[Denise Ruttan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because I pretty much eat up anything about cults and I loved the eye-catching cover. It had a few issues that bugged me but not enough to take away my overall enjoyment of the work.

"O, Sinners!" is Nicole Cuffy's sophomore effort that takes a literary look at a spiritual movement that may or may not be a cult through the eyes of a reporter who specializes in immersive journalism. It moves between present day, alt text of social media posts, the script of a documentary filmed about the movement, and cult leader Odo's Vietnam War experiences. I found the social media posts and the script chapters hard to read because they felt clunky in ebook format; it probably would be even weirder in audio book. This book is likely best read as a physical copy.

Faruq, the journalist, embeds with the cult in their compound in Northern California. Another quibble: The geography kind of got to me, a beach so close a different type of environment, but that's just from someone who's been there. Anyway, he's grieving his dead parents - a strict, religious Muslim father who drove away his mother, who killed herself years before. Probably not the best state of mind to investigate a cult specializing in emotional manipulation, so for that I forgive him some of his journalism faux pas.

Once in California, Faruq finds a community of people who are expert social media influencers who take in people who have experienced trauma, most of whom are conventionally attractive. He keeps getting the feeling that something's not quite right there even as he finds himself drawn to their ways to help process his grief and extends his stay from six weeks to three months. He's long convinced there's something nefarious just under the surface but he can never quite find it, and his general aversion to religion makes him biased.

As a journalist I found Faruq annoying, since I'm a former journalist myself. He only ever asked soft leading questions, he didn't ask obvious questions, he let himself become part of the story and he let his emotions get the better of him. But that was also the point. In a vulnerable position, he fell for the cult's tactics, even as he denied it to the end.

I found this refreshing because the cult was a group of hippie progressives and it was entirely plausible that a movement like this could exist in real life. I also found it refreshing that the question of whether it was a harmful cult or just a spiritual movement that brought people peace was never quite resolved.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished O Sinners yesterday, and have spent a substantial amount of time since then clinging to the feeling of being in that story, living the investigation that main character Faruq initiated against the mysterious nameless collective.

A simple explanation of this book is that it’s a story about exploring a cult. However, Nicole Cuffy goes far beyond what I’ve come to expect from a book focused on a cult. Rather than focusing on some nefarious mystery, Faruq is simply living among the nameless community and simultaneously unpacking some of his own long-buried grief regarding his parents, his religious beliefs, and his identity. The closing scene of this book left me with a sigh of relief, as if all of this had actually happened to me; it also left me angry, it left me hungry for more, it left me filled with lingering mysteries that I suppose I just have to accept.

Cuffy builds an intensely real religion in O Sinners. It felt like I was reading about a real group, and their leader - the enigmatic Odo - felt unique and familiar all at the same time. The book is told in three different way: Faruq’s present day POV as he lives among the nameless, through a documentary about an infamous event the cult was involved in while located in Texas, and through a past POV that follows a group of Black soldiers in Vietnam (one of whom is Odo, though we don’t learn which one until the end of the novel.) Initially, I felt like the Vietnam scenes slowed the pace of the book. However, after reaching the end, I realized how necessary they were to tell the full story and found myself appreciating the backstory.

So in case you can’t tell: I think this book is absolutely brilliant. It is thoughtful, tender, and honest about the ways people seek meaning in life. I hope it finds the right audience and gets the attention it deserves.

[Rae Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 -

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this advance reader copy.

O Sinners! is a story told in three parts. We’re following Faruq, a young journalist processing the recent loss of his father, as he travels to redwood forest to live among a cult that goes by The Nameless led by Vietnam war veteran Odo. As the mysteries of The Nameless begin to unfold Faruq’s stay is extended as he learns more of the cults teachings and begins to grow closer to Odo himself. Alongside this story set in modern day, we’re also following a documentary script about The Nameless’ time in Texas and their clash with a fundamentalist church as well as following Odo’s service in the Vietnam war and the infantry he fought alongside.

Cuffy’s ability to weave these stories together seamlessly, while allowing each section to feel very much separate from the other was incredibly impressive. While a sharp change in story telling can sometimes pull me out of the plot, this did not occur during my time with this novel.

While I didn’t find this O Sinners! to truly be a thriller, there were often drawn out moments of uncomfortablity the reader is forced to sit and witness, which is a tactic in horror I always find myself enjoying.

An exploration of grief processing, how we grapple with the world and unknowns around us, longing for human connection, and overall desire for one’s life meaning. This story will leave you understanding and sympathizing how those who are lost after tragedy can fall into the togetherness that a group like The Nameless can provide.

I’ll be shocked if this isn’t one of the most talked about lit fic books of 2025.

[Bailey Douglass · Rating 5 out of 5]

O Sinners! is a book that takes place between contexts. A journalist goes to northern California to investigate a cult-like group led by a black male Vietnam vet in the modern day. a script of a documentary about a lawsuit between the cult and a fundamentalist Christian group in Texas, a black man is fighting in the Vietnam war and watching his friends die and kill.

Over the course of the book you see connections between the characters' stories and come to understand ways they are and aren't connected. It's hard to say too much without giving away plot points, but this was a book that really made me think and I can't wait for some of my friends to read it so that we can talk about it. Even with its power and narrative complexity, I found the writing digestible and the book itself to be pleasant to read, other than the graphic descriptions of violence in Vietnam (unfortunately hard to avoid with this subject matter.)

This book was really interesting and will stay with me for a long time. I predict that it will be up for some big awards this year. I recommend it to anyone looking for a fairly quick (for a book of this depth) read that will make them think!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for the ARC for unbiased review.

[Zea · Rating 1 out of 5]

too self-serious to be dumb fun, too stupid to be interesting. many such cases but this is a particularly bad one


*arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review*


my netgalley review:

O Sinners! seems caught between two aims -- the hope of being commercially successful and a lot of fun and the dream of being meaningful and wise. As so often seems to happen, it fails utterly to balance these two goals and winds up a big soggy mess that is too confusing and boring for the commercial reader and too stupid and shallow for the literary one. I've seen a lot of this sort of fish-nor-fowl novel in the past few years and it's frustrating because it seems so clearly to be a function of the state of the publishing industry and, more importantly, a waste of time and good ideas. I don't think Nicole Cuffy is a bad writer, but this book does her no credit.

[Ann Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A journalist visits a cult run by a mysterious Vietnam War vet AND we get flashbacks?? Oh, I think we know I’m very much in. Also, do I even have to say it? That coverrrrr!

Faruq, our journalist narrator, is looking to get some material from a cult in California called The Nameless so he decides to stay with them for a good long while. He finds himself trying to not get sucked in while spinning his wheels, interviewing folks. Faruq is running away and he needs to figure out why.

One of the things I liked the most about this book is that it has chapters during the current timeline, chapters during the Vietnam War, and chapters that are transcriptions from a documentary about The Nameless. There were times when I found myself enjoying each of the three more than the others, so each thread definitely had its highs and lows.

At over 450 pages, I do think this book could have been shorter and more succinct. 375 would have been 💫chef’s kiss💫. But this could be my impatience and laziness talking though.

Don’t get it twisted, the writing is excellent. Cuffy does such a fantastic job fleshing out her characters, warts and all.

If you love an unfurling sort of read with complex characters, I think this one will be up your alley.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, a solid read. This novel presents a lot of perspectives that I haven’t come across in popular media as of late (or, it presents them in a way that feels more authentic and empathetic, which is perhaps more important). Definitely a more honest portrayal of the Vietnam war than Kristin Hannah’s “The Women”, for example. Because of this, I leave the novel feeling like I learned a lot, and that I understand parts of my country’s history better for it.

However, the chapters are very long, especially towards the book’s early-mid section, which makes the read drag on a bit. Further, the ending is simultaneously satisfying and not. I think a good mindset for approaching this one if you do want to feel satisfied is to remember that the cult isn’t really the point. I definitely got swept up in it, which is the cause of my disappointment, but when I analyze the ending further, I understand it and I respect it, even if I hanker for a little more.

[Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very reflective and philosophical novel, with an anticlimactic (not negative) ending that subverts what you are expecting.
I really liked it, but it won’t be for everyone.
It is **not** a balls-to-the-wall-action crazy cult, it’s a reflection on society, religion and being different.

Negatives, it did feel a little long in that 3rd quarter, I felt like there were so many amazing themes discussed here, but there wasn’t enough depth to some of them.
I need to sit with it longer, but I feel like I needed a little more from Faruq at the end, all that mind opening stuff and we weren’t really given enough of how it effects him.

I will continue to think about this novel.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Temper your expectations if you're waiting for a cult thriller with some big reveal at the end, because this ain't it. I feel like the Goodreads tags on this book are deceptive but if the book can still be enjoyable once you adjust accordingly. As someone who finds cults fascinating, creepy, but can't help wondering if I'd be vulnerable to just the right one, I appreciated Faruq's skepticism threaded through with moments of belief.

[B.R. Lessenberry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited to start this book, but that ended pretty quickly. The pacing was PAINFULLY slow. And honestly, nothing really happens the entire story.

Going into it, l assumed the three different narratives would lead together to solve a big mystery or culminate into a major plot point?

However, the story just felt veryyyy disjointed. It seemed unfinished and I found myself bored through most of it.

Ultimately, there was just nothing super captivating about it to me.

[Kenzie DiGennaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Taylor (Virginia Woolf’s Actual Wife)]

Very well written and readable (I think I did like 250 pages in one day over this weekend). I liked the main character’s arc a lot, but I wish we had a little more cult