I went into this book with as little information as possible and, overall, I really liked it. I really enjoyed Sloane Crosley’s writing style that made this book seem shorter than its 300 pages. It’s a fun book to pick up if you’re looking for something that kind of reminds you of the movie Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux via NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux via NetGalley for the chance to read Cult Classic from Sloane Crosley. This was an unexpected quirky and funny book. It is hard to summarize the book, a story of seemingly coincidental run-ins with ex partners following a dinner with work friends, that moves into an examination of self doubt, young adult worries about complacency and moving forward/feeling stuck or worries about "settling" . What stands out in this book is not just these subtle themes but also the humor and even snarkiness woven into the story; Lola has a voice and is more real and present than she realizes. I think the very nature of questioning and wondering and feeling outside/alienated often means someone is moving into a next phase of maturity and wisdom.

There are also questions about how and why these run-ins happened, who might driving these Lola's experiences, and movement into fantasy type themes about identity and connection and feelings of being disengaged, an outsider in one's own life. I think this is a timely book that fits in with other recent books I have read, including A Novel Obsession and Other People's Clothes, and reflects a generational set of voices who are highlighting not uncommon feelings of disaffectedness and alienation that many young adults navigate; the future seems wide open but also the vastness is lonely and the pressure to know who/what/why you are (and to settle down and into "adulthood") is alienating and disconcerting for many.

I also listened to part of this work on audiobook, narrated by the author, and I highly recommend that option to add to this reading experience, it worked well for me to hear the book read by the author to capture some of the humor and tone she/they wanted to convey.

Lola is out for drinks with former co-workers when she runs into an ex. The next day, another one and then another, and another. What begins as a coincidence suddenly doesn't seem to be one anymore. When she finds her former boss, things get an unexpected turn.

What a disappointment. The book relies strongly on the main character, and Lola is extremely unlikeable as are all of her friends, co-workers and friends. I couldn't stand spending time inside her head, not only ih she extremely self-absorbed but she also complains a lot and is full of herself. She makes these big statements, intending to be profound but it only comes out as pretentious. As all of her friends. Her relationship with her fiancé is supposed to be the main motivation for everything that happens. But since she doesn't care about it, why should I? I didn't buy their relationship and wasn't invested in it, especially with what happens by the end. I just wanted them to break up and move on. And I just didn't why she kept going along with what Clive created; she just didn't have to show up, considering how much she was against the whole thing.

Speaking about what Clive was doing, it was just so unbelievable and the author didn't explain how Clive managed to pull it off, how he managed to manipulate everything. It was simply happening because it was convenient and there was no other way the plot would move along.

Reading this book was unfortunately such a chore that it took me a while to finish it.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

I am almost unable to put into words how much I needed and loved this book. Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy for an honest review. The story of Lola and her past relationships is fun, witty and even a bit emotional. There is just something about getting a bit of closure on your past. I could not put this down. I am new to Sloane Crosley but will definitely reading more of her work

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this novel about memory and past romances and what it means (maybe) to get closure. Lola is quite the character. A New Yorker who always seems worried about finding the next great thing and possibly having missed out on something wonderful. Currently engaged, she is given the opportunity to visit past loves to get closure. I'm not going to try to describe more of the plot, because this is best experienced for yourself, but I will say that Lola's musings on loves past, and what they mean to your life, are spot on. Even the mundane.

"One night in New York City’s Chinatown, a woman is at a work reunion dinner with former colleagues when she excuses herself to buy a pack of cigarettes. On her way back, she runs into a former boyfriend. And then another. And . . . another. Nothing is quite what it seems as the city becomes awash with ghosts of heartbreaks past.

What would normally pass for coincidence becomes something far stranger as the recently engaged Lola must contend not only with the viability of her current relationship but the fact that both her best friend and her former boss, a magazine editor turned mystical guru, might have an unhealthy investment in the outcome. Memories of the past swirl and converge in ways both comic and eerie, as Lola is forced to decide if she will surrender herself to the conspiring of one very contemporary cult."

Thanks to NetGalley and FSG for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this one and also am glad I didn't really know what it was going to be about when I started reading it. I was, of course, drawn to the cover but the writing and story really sucked me in quickly! First, it was so witty, so pithy. I highlighted so many paragraphs... and still, I could have saved more words from this book. Perfect ending, incredible premise and just so well written. Definitely recommend! I know I will think about this book often.

Cult Classic comes out next week on June 7, 2022, and you can purchase HERE!

It's unfortunate, I thought, how some of the world's most productive conversations are breakup conversations.

People think, "If only we could have talked like this the whole time, things would've been different" But you couldn't have. That level of honesty requires a resoluteness achievable only be being within spitting distance of the exit.

To say that CULT CLASSIC feels, in many ways, like a cult classic may sound like a cop-out, and yet I can think of no better description for this wry, inventive, and deliciously weird novel. Sloane Crosley, best known for her essays, has crafted a novel that pokes, prods, and gawks at our modern relationship with love and social media, while also remaining fresh and witty, both keenly aware of our modern moment seemingly unattached to it in a way that feels timeless. Although I have not seen other readers make the comparison, reading CULT CLASSIC feels like watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for the first time. But where the film relied heavily (beautifully!) on color and cinematic displays, Crosley's book stands just as tall, just as steadfastly on her searing intellect and her sharp, biting way with words. Every sentence is deliberate, even (and perhaps most of all) the goofy ones, and Crosley handles her narrative, characters, and poignant musings confidently enough that you are almost unaware, at times, that you are reading a book written by a someone and not watching a documentary or hearing about a friend's latest disaster of a date over drinks. Crosley has always been one to watch, but CULT CLASSIC has elevated her to "one to know." I read CULT CLASSIC in one sitting and immediately added her previous works to my cart. I am not ready to part ways with her mind, her imagination and, most of all, her fresh and biting prose.

I was drawn in by the premise and the cover. However the writing style and the characters were not for me. The story fell flat.

High hopes that fell flat for me... Maybe it was me? Bonus points for the Smart Cover. Thank you for a chance to read this.

The basis of this story led to there being quite a few characters who didn't stick around for very long and as such, it got confusing to try to keep the names straight.

3.5

This was an interesting idea and k enjoyed the overall story but found it a bit boring at times. Overall an easy read with an original premise just a tad flat.

After many years of serial monogamy, Lola seems to have finally committed to a relationship. Or perhaps not. Her boyfriend, nicknamed “Boots,” may not be the most interesting man on the planet, but he possesses many qualities that make him an acceptable addition to her life. But why does she suddenly keep running into her exes? Is this some sort of sign? When Lola discovers a shocking secret behind these recent run-ins, she finds herself in a secret world where she unwittingly becomes the center of attention.

Lola’s forced reflection on her past relationships bordered between interesting and overboard, but I found I could relate to much of it. As the book progressed, keeping track of all the different ex-boyfriends and their quirks was a little difficult, as they appeared only fleetingly in the story but their names continued to be mentioned as they were compared and contrasted.

From the first page, I absolutely loved the writing. Crosley’s style is smart and witty, and I was immediately drawn into the story. Lola is likable, clever, and reflective. Crosley seamlessly incorporates descriptions of past events into the current narrative. I found the story to be incredibly original. This is a novel where not a lot happens, but I couldn’t wait to keep reading. My absolute favorite part of the story was the cult, but I won’t give anything away there.

When there was an abundance of print magazines, subscribers waited for their weekly or monthly glossy page-turner. We didn’t know then we would be reading off a monitor and couldn’t turn pages. Yes, those were the days.

In this clever book, our main character Lola (great name, reminds me of the song, “whatever Lola wants….” Lola worked for a prestigious magazine, Modern Psychology, run by Clive. This astute magazine went the ways of many: from publishing once a month, to bi-weekly and then to digital. Lola worked for Clive for years and didn’t really like him, but she was beguiled enough to meet up with him after the magazine folds.

At a dinner at a Chinese restaurant, Lola leaves for a few minutes for a cigarette and runs into an ex-boyfriend named Amos. She is engaged to a glassmaker with the name of Boots. The following night, she dines at the same restaurant and meets up with another former lover, Willis. Lola concludes that these fluke encounters are not coincidence. Apparently, Clive has doubled up his editorship into a guru. With these brief exchanges, it is a humorous experience for the reader; it is like speed dating with a promise of disturbing closure.

It is rather a brilliant book, especially the opening scenario. Is this technological
persuasion? Can we lure people from our past to create a relationship finality? Clever premise.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wow, this was such a fun read! In this story, Lola - newly engaged - keeps running into ex boyfriends on the streets of New York. What seems like a weird coincidence suddenly turns into the last thing Lola or anyone else would suspect. These encounters with her ex boyfriends forces Lola to think deeply about her current relationship with her fiancé and ultimately discover what she wants from love.

While reading this, I kept feeling similar vibes to Laura Hankin's two published novels: weird, genre-bending stories about New York City's wealthiest residents and their secret groups. I loved Sloane Crosley's take on this slightly specific subgenre of novels that I am obsessed with. I especially loved how humorous several parts of this book were, especially reading about some of these experiences from our witty main character.

I did find myself getting a little lost between past and present (especially during Lola's final encounter with her ex), but overall I entirely thrilled with this novel and would love to read similar books or more from this author!

Thank you so much to NetGalley + Farrar, Straus, and Giroux MCD for an early copy of this book!

Sloane Crosley is an auto-read sort of author for me and Cult Classic just further solidifies this status, my friends!

Lola, our flawed but loveable protagonist, is an engaged serial monogamist living in New York City while working in a publishing-adjacent industry. One day while walking along, minding her own business she runs into an ex-boyfriend! It was startling, but just part of the randomness of life. However, soon after, there's another former boyfriend in the same restaurant she's eating in. Before she knows it, she is basically surrounded by her earlier paramours. Aaaaand if things weren't already weird she finds that this is connected with her mysteriously rich old boss who now might be a cult leader that's obsessed with mind control. And it just goes off the rails from there, y'all.

I first fell in love with Crosley through her hysterical books like I Was Told There'd Be Cake, which are filled with her fun essays. She is no one-trick pony though. Her fiction shines just as brightly as her nonfiction. You can straight up SMELL the comedic insights and observations throughout the book and I adore them.

This book is wildly original and I couldn't put it down. It's just a great piece of contemporary fiction. I enjoyed the characters and their philosophizing on love and memory. Can continually dwelling on your former love life be harmful to your current one? Or can it provide further insight to future relationships? Where is that line and what happens when you're not the one in control? I don't want to say too much on this book because I think it's best to go in knowing the bare minimum.

If you're a Crosley reader, pick this one up! If you're not a Crosley reader (any why aren't you??), but want a unique piece of thoughtful and funny contemporary fiction, pick it up!

I feel like this version of getting "closure" is more of a nightmare than a healthy coping strategy. Lola is roped into helping her old co-workers/friends on an experiment for finding closure in romantic relationships. To see if the new Lola is over the old boyfriends or if there is still something they could salvage. Using nefarious means, targeted ads, and other probably unethical ways, the ex-boyfriends circle a particular block until they run into Lola. While reluctant at first, Lola gives in to the experiment to see how her exes have held up. Especially since she is engaged and doesn't seem convinced by her fiancé.
Lola is full of rye wit and sarcastic complaints. Crosley points out the perils of dating and being in a relationship. The whole grass is greener on the other side debacle. Lola has to decide what she really wants, what she values in a relationship and if she can perform. Funny, weird, and makes you happy to be single if you are single and in a relationship if you are in a relationship! Can't wait to read more Crosley!

3.25 stars!

Cult Classic follows the story of Lola, a 37 year-old woman who just keeps running into her exes. This run in, and subsequent run-ins with various exes, causes her to question what she wants in her current relationship with her fiancé, Boots. Added in with the fact that her best friend and former boss are involved in a cult (not that they'll call it that!) With a cover and premise like that, how could I not be interested?

Although I did really enjoy reading about the backstory of Lola, her friends, and her various exes, I did not find myself compelled by the emotional growth Lola experiences. In addition, with a title like "Cult Classic," I expected a more nefarious atmosphere. Maybe this was an issue of me not properly managing my expectations, but I was not surprised by any of the twists.

Overall, I thought this novel was unique and funny at times, but not necessarily the cult book I went in expecting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc. All opinions are my own!

This book had a slow start, but it wasn't long before I was hooked. The writing was so so good and this story was very unique. I can picture this on the big screen. I can't believe this is the only work of Sloane's I've come across. I will definitely be reading more from her. I definitely recommend

The premise of this book was very intriguing and I was even more sucked in with the prologue and the thought of ghosts among us. I also LOVE the cover of this book! While parts of the book really delivered, other parts were confusing and I found myself struggling to connect to the characters especially the main character, Lola. You get to meet a bunch of ex-boyfriends and I felt like there was so much more that could have happened with each ex. While this wasn't my favorite, Crosley's writing style was enjoyable and I am interested in her other work.

3.5 stars

I enjoyed Crosley's essays, but somehow when translated into fiction, the dry, ironic attitude was just too much for me. Maybe I have aged-out of her readership- I could see this book being enjoyable for twenty-somethings however I find that these days I've grown tired of sardonic detachment and don't seek it out in my reading anymore.