Known for her podcast "Sounds Like a Cult", Amanda Montell returns with her latest nonfiction read "The Age of Magical Overthinking" where she dives into a different sort of cult-like behaviour. What is "magical thinking"? Montell breaks it down, discussing the psychology behind manifesting through an array of witty chapters which reflect much on her personal experiences and examples from popular culture.

You can see her voice shine through and I genuinely enjoyed her writing style, though I might categorize this as being more of a memoir-like/ pop culture analysis, and less as something that is fits in with scientific research/ popular science. Points seem loosely strung together which had me guessing where her points were and a lot of her research seemed to lean more towards basic Google searching rather than scholarly methodology.

Montell has a way of weaving cultural criticism with personal experiences without making it seem boring or too autobiographical. There is always a great blend of academic insight, psychology, and beautiful language. There were some topics it felt like we skimmed the surface where I wish we could do a deeper dive, but I assume that would make the book longer and it sits at a digestible length.

I didn't find this as engaging as Cultish but this was still a fun read. This one had more of a memoir vibe as well which threw me a little.

I had high expectations for The Age of Magical Overthinking after really liking Cultish Montell’s previous book. TAOMO was interesting enough, but I definitely didn’t love it. Montell explores the concept of magical thinking and cognitive biases, how people sometimes believe their thoughts can impact unrelated events in the world. While the concept intrigued me, the book felt a bit scattered.

As much as I loved her previous book, this one felt scattered and not connected to the premise it projected.

The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell didn’t quite live up to my expectations, especially after loving her previous book, Cultish. While Montell’s writing is still sharp and engaging, this one felt a bit repetitive at times, and I didn’t connect with the themes as much as I did in Cultish. The exploration of how overthinking can feel like its own form of magic is interesting, but I found myself wanting more depth and insight than the book ultimately provided. It’s still an easy read, but it didn’t hit the same mark for me.

I read this finally and was not impressed with it. I started and stopped it many times and finally just forced myself to finish because I wanted to clear it from my shelf but shew — this was not like Montell’s other books. I didn’t love this one.

Felt pretty disjointed. The bouncing between examples/stories was sometimes really hard to follow! Bummed. The idea behind this book is great.

I enjoyed Cultish by Montell so that is why this one was on my radar (And the cover!). I like the way Montell writes her book as if you're sitting down to have dinner and she's dropping facts at you in a conversational, accessible way so even if you have no idea what she's talking about, you feel like you can ask her questions. That's how her writing comes across to me. I had high expectations for this one so maybe that is why it didn't deliver in the way I was hoping? I found it to be disjointed and mismatchy which was hard to pick up, because I did not know where I had left off.

I love learning about biases and psychological quirks. Montell does such a good job of making the topic accessible and fun, and weaving in her own personal narrative.

Amanda Montell writes in such a way, you feel like you are having a conversation with a good friend. The way she can take subjects that can be difficult to put into words and make them not only relatable and thought provoking, but also have you questioning your own biases and ideas. This is my second book by Amanda Montell, if you find interest in this book, I would highly recommend, Cultish.
The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell dives into the minds of overthinkers. It explores how language, culture, religion and more, can influence our perception of life and events, and create an alternate reality in our own minds. Montell walks through the different ways that many of us navigate the world by engaging in overthinking in everyday situations. These can quickly turn into irrational thoughts and have a huge impact on our every day lives.
Something Montell explores within her own experience and her research is how individuals are influenced to find meaning and patterns in everyday life. We are often wanting to feel in control and self aware in all situations. The book reminds us to explore reasoning and not take everything we see, hear, or believe at face value.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books publishing company for allowing me to read the advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this addition to Amanda Montell's ouvre. I think it was smart, accessible, and well-written. I enjoyed learning about different types of fallacies paired with personal anecdotes that felt relatable to me even when I couldn't specifically relate to the incidents. It feels like the first book of hers that delivered on exactly what it promised (I was hoping for more cults in Cultish and frankly don't remember reading Wordslut).

It’s like Amanda is in my head, giving voice to every hyper-self aware rumination that I have experienced. I loved how Montell treats her audience as fellow intellectuals. She doesn’t hold back with her language and consistently challenges her readers to rise to her level of vocabulary and introspection. Such a joy to read!

I have no idea what the intention behind this book was. I read the entire thing, and quite enjoyed it, but it almost felt like stream of consciousness word vomit. I know there was a point to all of the researched anecdotes and personal experiences, I’m just not real sure what the purpose was.

A classic Montell, this is the perfect books for millennials on the quest for “all the answers.” I would love to just sit with her someday and talk about how it’s all just too much.

I absolutely adore Montell and always find the topics she writes in to be very intriguing. This one was very interesting much like her previous two but I craved more of the linguistics side here and it felt like the collection could have come together more.

Amanda Montell delivers yet another captivating read with The Age of Magical Overthinking. In her signature style, Montell combines sharp insights with a conversational tone, making complex topics feel approachable and relevant. This book feels particularly timely, exploring the collective anxieties and rituals we cling to in an ever-chaotic world. Like her previous works, Montell strikes a balance between wit and depth, leaving you entertained and reflective. It’s a thought-provoking exploration of how we try to find meaning and control in the uncontrollable, and I found it both resonant and deeply engaging. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I love Amanda Montell after finding her podcast Sounds like a cult. I then consumed all of her work.

I love her style in delivering complex issues, and her insight to linguistics is fantastic.

Of all her work, this book made me feel the best after reading. I know I am not alone in my thought spirals.

Maybe it was because many were expecting a science book. But I enjoyed reading this memoir-essays-non-fiction on social psychology.

Montell breaks down different cognitive biases. It is light on academic research, but she does have several quotes and citations to other thinkers/writers/philosophers that added to her point. And after laying down the concept and any statistics she does expand with an essay on an illustration whether from her life or others.

The book was easy to digest and interesting.
Perhaps this is not the science book some were hoping for, but I believe Montell had good insight when it came to each of the social psychology concepts presented.
Overall, I enjoyed my read. It is accessible and entertaining.