This book was different to my usual reads, and not at all what I was expecting. It was quirky and campy and filled with a lot of interesting characters.

Glinda is a grad school dropout who can't seem to catch a break in her streak of bad situations. Not only is she struggling grief and her life choices, but her mother has become enamoured by a cult leader. The cult has brainwashed her mother and they are slowly taking over her family's home.

This book touches on several topics such as grief, sexual assault, family conflict, and of course, joining a cult. This was a breeze to read; the perfect book to read while travelling or on a plane. The characters aren't too fleshed out and the plot isn't so serious, but also makes light of these serious topics. It is interesting to see the snowball effect of Glinda's poor choices, and how this plays out in the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for an advance reader copy in exchange for a review.

The writing style and authorial voice didn't work for me in Danhof's novel. The issues at play are extremely important, and knowledge of the dangers of high demand groups was very clear, however the transference of these facts into a fiction narrative setting felt overwrought and clumsy. The first chapter alone felt like an info dump on the BITE Model. All in all, the core themes were there but the execution lacked.

A book about grief, forgiveness and looking after family. I had tears of laughter streaming in my eyes. The characters are all believable.

Thanks NetGalley and Alcove Press for this arc.

3.75/5 stars

The last half of this book was infinitely better than the first half. I very seriously considered dnf'ing it around 55% because I just couldn't take everyone's rude bullshit anymore, especially the main character Glinda. Her angst and self loathing was nearly too much to take, but she did eventually have some growth, as with most other characters.

This book was not bad. I read it in a day, and have been really into reading about cults lately so this definitely scratched that itch, lol. It almost feels more of a YA/New Adult book than adult fiction, because of all the excessive ANGST. I know the mc was around 25, but damn she sure didn't act like it.

It's Not a Cult takes us on a fast-paced ride from the first page all the way through the end. I felt nearly breathless as I finished it, and dare I say, relieved? While some of the dialogue felt stilted at times, I was drawn into the wacky world of Glinda as she deals with her own grief and trauma while attempting to save her mom from a cult threatening to take over her life. Guilt, grief, trauma, family dynamics, and more are on display and yet Danhof manages to inject humor and heart throughout the novel. The moral of the story? Only you can save yourself, but it doesn't hurt to have support and help along the way.

After returning home Glinda Glass find her mother, who has already been a little eccentric at times, has joined a cult and is involved with the leader Arlon.

Alarm bells start to ring for Glinda as she witnesses some very strange events and with her friend Troy, goes to find her twin sister in Oklahoma, to ask for help to save their mother.

A great read, which at times I found myself holding my breathe. Thank you Lauren Danhof and thoroughly enjoyable read!

According to the book blurb, the main character, Glinda, "always has the best intentions, even if her emotionally clumsy efforts to fix things constantly end in disaster".

I was amazed and rather appalled at how true this was. This book, told in dual timeline, was a snowball effect of bad decisions that Glinda makes. I felt for her, suffering a loss and other traumas, but my goodness it was like watching a train wreck...over and over and over.

The story was somewhat fascinating in the same sense of being unable to look away from that train wreck. At the same time, I was frustrated beyond belief with the level of denial that Glinda displayed towards her ability to actually handle the situation.

All in all, it's an absorbing tale of how different people grieve and try to fill the hole created by that loss, albeit taken to the extreme.

An interesting and different read - not what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it.
Thanks for the chance to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book! With a title like that, it was hard to pass up the opportunity to get my hands on this book. And by the way - definitely a cult. This book was generally pretty good and kept me engaged throughout the story of Glinda trying to prevent her family and her family's house from falling into the hands of a nefarious and honestly creepy cult leader. One problem, I found Glinda as a character really difficult to deal with. Her lack of patience towards other people was downright exhausting. I also lost the plot a bit towards the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own."


It's not a cult is by far the most unique and creative book I have had the pleasure to read this year. It is like Freaks and Geeks meets Heaven's Gate, a crossover the world didnt know it needed but very happy it exists.

My only critique related to this story is that I only got one hour of sleep last night, which is more of a me problem than Lauren Danhof's problem..

Glinda's mom might be in a cult. Scratch that--she's definitely in a cult. And the leader has set his romantic sights on her. Glinda must infiltrate the cult to expose his true intentions and save her mother.

This is a fun book with a unique voice that is ultimately rooted in women's familial relationships. Glinda's relationships with her mother and her sister are compelling and give what is a very tonally lighthearted book some real heart, allowing it to address issues of grief, guilt, and finding a place in the world when nothing feels like it's going right.

A fun little adventure - It's Not a Cult follows Glinda as she returns to her hometown to discover that her mother has become involved with an organization that is definitely NOT a cult... according to her.
I thought this book was just fine - the characters were funny but there wasn't much depth to the personalities or situations. I would have loved if there was a bit more commentary on wellness culture and the circumstances that lead people to join these organizations but ultimately what made this premise interesting only served as backdrop. Excited to see what comes next from Danhof, this one just wasn't for me.

IT'S NOT A CULT is exactly what one says when it actually is a cult. Such a captivating title and entertaining read with quirky characters and a devolving story that one can't turn away from!

Glinda Glass had a lot going for her until she dropped out of graduate school, moved back into her mom's house and realized that her mom has joined a cult and is basically a different person. How do you talk a loved one out of being in a cult? Legit question!

I loved the premise of this book, cults are one of my micro genres that I enjoy, but I found the story a bit jarring at time and not smooth in the storytelling. Some of the plot points didn't seem to fit in and the purpose behind them could have been worked it a bit better IMHO.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the complimentary advance e-copy of this book.

I absolutely adored this book. While quirky and full of humor, It’s Not a Cult also addresses what it is like to deal with real life traumatic experiences, grief, and family fractures.

Glinda Glass is not okay. Her mom has joined a cult following her father’s death, she’s working at a medieval faire in a wench drenching booth, and her sister has run off in search of bigfoot after a huge fight. When her mom announces she is marrying the cult leader and the cult members are moving in, Glinda decides it is time to put an end to the crazy.

What I loved most about this book is that each and every character is viscerally human. They have the flaws that we all have. There is shame, fear of confrontation, fear of being forgiven and loved in spire if our flaws and mistakes - these characters are far from perfect, yet by the end of the book, they all feel like family.

It’s Not a Cult is a book about family, forgiveness, and that it’s okay to not be okay. Highly recommended for anyone who has experienced family drama or had to save someone from a cult (personally, been there, done that).

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Lauren Danhof for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

A super quirky main character with middle-sister energy has the world on her shoulders. This book was riveting, exploring the intricacies of grief along with trying to save your loved ones from falling into hosting a cult in your childhood home. While I loved this story, it flew a little too close to being impractical. A 3/3.5 stars, and a thank you to Netgalley for a free advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Props to Danhof for taking a difficult and sensitive subject and delivering an entertaining read. The characters are relatable, through flaws and quirks; and throughout the reader is reminded we must first rescue ourselves before helping those we love.

This was a fun and engaging book. Definitely a different pace than the kind of thriller I’m used to. Maybe not something I would have picked up without Netgalley, so big thank you!

I went into this thinking it would be a comedy with some family relationship stuff along the way, but it also is a thriller, mystery, and romance. I think it would be good for book clubs since it has a bunch of different genres represented and is a very fast read.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, all opinions are my own.

This book is a tough book to categorize because it's not exactly traditional horror and not exactly traditional young adult. It's just creepy and fun. It reminded me a lot of Grady Hendrix's work - very pulp fiction over the top kind of drama.

It was a fun read, and I loved every page!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I can't wait to see this one in print so I can start recommending it to everyone I know.

Thank you NetGalley & Alcove Press for my advance reader copy!

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, depression, estrangement, death of a parent, murder, gaslighting