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sidekicksam's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The book follows Glinda, estranged from her sisters Dorothy and West, who tries to prevent her mother's ascent into the Starlight Pioneer Society, which her mother claims is not a cult. But when Arlon, her mother's boyfriend and the leader of the cult, intends to marry her mother and move the whole society into their house, Glinda is forced to take action, and a whole lot of mess follows.
I was dying to read the book when I read the description. Actually, just the word cult did it for me, because they are really fascinating to me; how does one get a group of people to believe the most ludicrous stories and behave in such inexplicable ways? But alas, this book had little to do with the actual cult, but more with the girl trying to prevent the batshit crazy stuff happening. Additionally, the main character Glinda really was insufferable (really, she should've been called the Wicked Witch of the West) and that made it difficult for me to love the book.
That being said: this book reads like a train (literal translation of the Dutch proverb which sounded funnier than it being a pageturner). I kept picking it up because I wanted to know what would happen, and though a little corny, I did like the story and the ending. Also, Glinda was such a hot mess it was fun just seeing where she would end up. I felt the book touched on the heavier topics a bit too superficially and I would have appreciated them being explored more in depth, but taking the book for what it is (a fun escape from daily life), it was great.
Read this if you liked My Best Friend's Exorcism and feel cults are horrendous but also fascinating.
TW: cults, grief, death of a parent, murder, gaslighting
I was dying to read the book when I read the description. Actually, just the word cult did it for me, because they are really fascinating to me; how does one get a group of people to believe the most ludicrous stories and behave in such inexplicable ways? But alas, this book had little to do with the actual cult, but more with the girl trying to prevent the batshit crazy stuff happening. Additionally, the main character Glinda really was insufferable (really, she should've been called the Wicked Witch of the West) and that made it difficult for me to love the book.
That being said: this book reads like a train (literal translation of the Dutch proverb which sounded funnier than it being a pageturner). I kept picking it up because I wanted to know what would happen, and though a little corny, I did like the story and the ending. Also, Glinda was such a hot mess it was fun just seeing where she would end up. I felt the book touched on the heavier topics a bit too superficially and I would have appreciated them being explored more in depth, but taking the book for what it is (a fun escape from daily life), it was great.
Read this if you liked My Best Friend's Exorcism and feel cults are horrendous but also fascinating.
TW: cults, grief, death of a parent, murder, gaslighting
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
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