It's Not a Cult by Lauren Danhof

 

If it's about a cult, I will read it. IT'S NOT A CULT roped me right in with the fun cover and tongue-in-cheek title and when I read the blurb, I really liked the heroine's narrative voice despite what some of the other reviews seemed to think about Glinda Glass. I stan a fuck-up heroine, okay? Especially if she's entertaining.

Glinda's mother hasn't been the same since the death of her husband (Glinda's dad). And Glinda's sisters are all kind of aloof and embarrassed of her because of her fuck-up status (one of them won't talk to her at all after almost breaking up her relationship). But now things have gotten worse: she's involved in a "community lifestyle group" that is actually a cult and is engaged to the cult leader, Arlon.

The ratings for this book are pretty low but it definitely falls into a very specific niche. It's too funny to be a serious book, it's too serious to be a funny book, and it kind of is written like a rom-com except I would say it's target audience skews more towards readers of women's fiction looking for their next book club pick.

Overall, I did enjoy this quite a bit although I think it loses some much-needed steam in the second half. Still, it was original, inventive, and fun, and I'm not sorry I read it at all.

3 to 3.5 out of 5 stars