This is the second book I've read recently about people being influenced and sucked into a cult. Each was very different but hit the mark on what that is probably like when people get hoodwinked in without realizing it.

Frances Bean is on scholarship to a prestigious private school because her mom is a teacher there. She gets paired up with her crush for a school project and the crush just so happens to be the daughter of a mysterious, wealthy CEO who is now recruiting young folks into the mix. It's quite a whirlwind and Bean is sucked in almost immediately. Glamour, attention from the girl she likes, what's not to love.

Until there is something not to love, of course. I'm not opposed to same sex relationships (you do you, boo!) but this relationship felt a tad too forced for me because it was like one second Bean didn't exist to Julia and then suddenly they are a couple. It was just kind of weird.

Overall the story is good and will likely be entertaining to the YA audience it is targeted for. It has it's issues but I don't think most teens who pick this up will be bothered by those issues.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me the opportunity to read an advanced review copy. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.

The story grabbed me right away. The characters are well developed and interesting. Strong young adult read. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Is it really a cult if they are all so nice?

Krischer really knows how to get you invested in a story while also questioning every part of it! How was Bean suppose to know what was going on when everyone was so nice? Who knows? But Krischer really makes you ask questions and honestly question every character and question all they are doing!

This sounded interesting but was disappointing (and frustrating). I didn’t like the forced plotting, stale dialogue, and heavy-handed moralizing. If the synopsis sounds good to you, try it out. If we don’t share pet peeves, you may like it more than me.

Energy: Faux. Shady. Sanctimonious.

🐺 Growls: Heavy-handed explanations and flat, cringey dialogue. The writing style isn’t bad, but the lines are. Everything felt forced and tell-not-show. It was hard to believe in the character interactions (especially the romance). The pacing drags for the first half, then glosses over a bunch of reveals in a rush near the end. The characters kept re-explaining the plot.

🐕 Howls: All the characters sounded alike with this dreamy, oddly formal way of talking (even those not involved in the wellness group). The main character was too much of a Poor Me, popular-but-doesn’t-realize-it caricature and kept randomly changing her beliefs and motivations to fit the needs of the plot. Awkward explanations and clunky moralizing (especially at the end…this read like a middle grade book with a moral message tying too hard to seem unintentional about it). The main character kept getting in the way of the story and she’s the only perspective – I wish we got the PoV of a friend or her girlfriend.

Scene: South Brent, New Jersey, USA
Perspective: A private high school student on scholarship with a group of misfit friends. They are crushing hard on the popular girl, whose mother owns is a semi-famous wellness influencer/CEO and are curious about attending her youth group.
Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s).
🔥 Fuel: What are Julia's intentions in inviting a classmate to her mother’s wellness party? Is the wellness youth group toxic, dangerous, or helpful? Is Frances’ crush actually crushing back? Who can she trust in her girlfriend’s group and family?
📖 Cred: Plausible to suspended disbelief

Mood Reading Match-Up:
Victorian goth style. Dewey skin. White lace. Cushions. Parasol. Patchouli & lemon. Lymphatic drainage facials. Crystals.
• Linear timelines
• Tagging along, peering over shoulders, theorizing
• YA romantic suspense & drama
• Falling for the popular girl
• Plot-driven, reflective, simplistic writing style
• Behind closed doors of sketchy wellness youth group
• Blinded by love, I-can-change-for-them sapphic romance
• Mentor-protégé toxicity
• Red flags everywhere
• Moral exploration defining victims and perpetrators

Content Heads-Up: Adult/minor relationship, grooming (20-something with teens). Alcohol addiction (family history, parent; recovery-relapse, death). Alcohol use (underage). Cannabis use (gummy; underage). Cult. Drugging. Drug use (psychedelics). Emotional abuse. Loss of parent (as teen). Murder.

Rep: American. Jewish heritage. Hindi and Black peripheral characters. Cis. Lesbian. Gay. Hetero. Ghostly, dark, and tanned skin tones.

📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from Penguin Group-Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley.

Don’t be deceived by the intriguing cover, this story is dark and twisted! There is SA involved in this story so beware of that as well. I can’t wait to reread this on a stormy summer night.

You Belong To Me is a thrilling story about a normal high school girl who, in order to get with her beautifully unattainable crush, attends a skincare and wellness event and accidentally gets sucked into a cult. More than that, it’s a story about the dangers of impossibly high beauty standards, constant comparison, and, most importantly, free will.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who finds cults endlessly fascinating, I devoured this book. It’s clear that Krischer did a ton of research into cult dynamics and tactics, and it absolutely shows. What I found especially compelling was the decision to base the cult around the idea of free will, constantly reminding its members that they’re individuals who should think for themselves while simultaneously proving the exact opposite. It was exhilarating to watch it all build up and unravel.

That said, for a book I enjoyed so much, I was surprised by how much trouble I had deciding on a rating. At times, it felt like the book over-explained itself, ruining the vibes it was trying so hard to create. It also leaned into some tired YA clichés, like having the main characters spend the entire semester working on a school project that just happens to be thematically similar to what they’re actually going through.

Ultimately, while I would’ve loved for this book to take an even darker, deeper, and more poetic approach, I think it’s only fair to rate it for what it is: a perfectly well-executed and captivating YA novel.

Frances Bean is more of the outsider girl who just wants to fit in with the pretty girls. One of her friends, Julia is apart of the group because her mother is the one whom is selling the products to make all the girls exceptionally pretty. The girls who were serial killers are now sweet girls due to the skincare products and wellness shots they keep drinking. The whole story is a brainwashing cult from what I am getting at in the beginning of the book.
The characters seem to be addicted to the products but not realizing that it is changing them and making them only want to be around those who are to in the liking of the products or environment. Bean started drawing the dots together noticing that some of them are not aging like how they should so they looking like how old she is just by using the products. The book is really good, it really makes me feel like I am reading an American Horror Story Episode. The more I read it, it got better along the way and the end was crazier than what I could have imagined. But I loved this.

This work started off strong, and I enjoyed the unsettling vibes that were present throughout. The author did a good job setting the scene and making it difficult to guess what exactly was going on and how involved certain people were with the whole thing. I quite liked the premise and the idea of how wellness industry trends often feel like cults for the wealthy.

The romance/crush aspect started off strong, but it soon jumped into insta-love in a way that I don’t prefer or find compelling. The resolution was also faster than I prefer, which made it feel on the weak side. I think this was partially because it was somewhat unrealistic and didn’t allow for realistic growth or reflection for the characters.

There were many technical issues with this work. There were errors and typos throughout, and there were many instances where the writing/wording was awkward and took a few rereads to figure out what exactly the author was trying to say. I did read an ARC, though, so hopefully these things will be cleared up in the final copy.

Despite the negatives, this was an entertaining read, and I can see many YA thriller readers loving it. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

You Belong to Me by Hayley Krischer is an intoxicating blend of dark romance, social commentary, and psychological suspense. Set against the glossy, seductive world of wellness culture, the story lures you in with promises of self-discovery and empowerment, only to unravel into something far more sinister. It’s a compelling, unsettling read that lingers long after the final page.

Frances Bean, the goth, bookish outsider, is a brilliantly drawn protagonist. Her dry humor and self-awareness make her easy to root for, especially as she grapples with the intoxicating pull of Julia and the glamorous world of DEEP. Her transformation—from skeptical observer to fully immersed participant in Femme—is both believable and heartbreaking, a slow burn that underscores just how easily even the strongest can fall under the spell of wealth and charm.

Julia Patterson is a fascinating foil to Frances. Beautiful, enigmatic, and burdened by her mother’s fame, Julia is at once alluring and deeply flawed. Their romance is tender and electric, but it’s tinged with an underlying sense of unease, as Frances begins to question whether Julia’s feelings are genuine or merely part of the Patterson family’s carefully curated image.

The world of DEEP is another standout. Hayley Krischer captures the allure of the wellness industry—the promise of empowerment, beauty, and belonging—while peeling back the layers to reveal its darker underbelly. The Femme program, with its glittering parties and pseudo-spiritual jargon, feels unnervingly real, a sharp commentary on how wellness culture can exploit vulnerability under the guise of self-improvement.

Favorite moments? The buildup to the infamous DEEP party is masterful. The contrast between the glitzy veneer and the creeping sense of dread is palpable, and when things finally take a dark turn, it’s as shocking as it is inevitable. Frances’ gradual realization that she’s been swept into something far more dangerous than she anticipated is both heartbreaking and thrilling.

The book’s pacing is deliberate, which works well for the first two-thirds as Frances is drawn deeper into Julia’s orbit. However, the final act feels slightly rushed, with some of the fallout from the party’s events and Frances’ ultimate reckoning with DEEP’s manipulations left somewhat underexplored. Despite this, the ending delivers a powerful punch, leaving readers to grapple with the story’s haunting implications about identity, authenticity, and the cost of belonging.

Themes of power, privilege, and identity run deep in this novel, woven seamlessly into Frances’ journey. The question of what it means to live authentically—and the dangers of chasing someone else’s definition of empowerment—is at the heart of the story, making it both thought-provoking and deeply relatable.

Final verdict? You Belong to Me is an enthralling, darkly atmospheric tale of desire, manipulation, and self-discovery. Perfect for fans of We Were Liars or The Girls, it’s a book that lures you in with its surface beauty before revealing the rot underneath. Hayley Krischer has crafted a story that’s as sharp as it is seductive—a cautionary tale that resonates in today’s influencer-obsessed world.

I really enjoyed the start of this book and how culty it was. The characters were a little flat and very similar, however, there is the culty aspect to this book so this may have been intentional. But, as the story progresses, I think it loses a lot of the steam that was building up. The ending felt so rushed and way underwhelming for how intense the contents of the book are.

Overall, I did like and enjoy reading this. There were a few glaring errors throughout, but it was a fun read that goes by quick.

I really enjoyed this book! The writing was creative, the characters compelling, and the storyline exciting. This book takes your classic cult tropes and makes them engaging for a younger, more tech-savvy audience, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. One of my favorite parts that really enhanced my involvement in the story was the present tense first-person POV narration.

You Belong to Me by Hayley Krischer is a chilling and thought-provoking exploration of obsession, control, and identity. Krischer’s sharp writing and complex characters create a tense atmosphere that will have readers questioning the fine line between love and possession. This gripping psychological thriller is a must-read for those who enjoy dark, intense narratives with powerful social commentary.

This is a weird damn book.

It's so well written but everyone is terrible and I genuinely don't know how to review it because everyone except Ivy kind of... sucked.

It brilliantly captures the way social media brainwashes us with silly buzzwords and makes us buy into the most RIDICULOUS things because of how glamorous the person selling it to us appears. And also how giving any man any kind of power over a group of women will go HORRIBLY wrong almost immediately and it just really made me angry, haha

I cannot recommend this enough if you want to see social media and their gross ways in a new light and probably hate men a lot more than you already do.

You Belong to Me is a book about Frances Bean, the main character, who is invited to a Femme gathering by Julia, Deena Patterson's daughter. Femme is a product of Deena's wellness brand "Deep." This invitation is the start of Bean's involvement towards Deep, and she pulls away from her friends.

The book had a nice pace, and it became thrilling halfway through, when it came to Kai's story line. Kai's character is a huge mystery which is what made the book so interesting. You had to keep reading to learn more about him and his motives. Otherwise, I felt that the book often relied on just telling you that there's something wrong with the Deep brand, rather than letting that speak for itself. Bean's investment in Deep and wellness in general in the beginning seems to be forced and it just felt like there was no natural increase in her interest. For instance, there's an emphasis on how much she doesn't believe in skincare, then she's suddenly using a product from Deep and talking about how it made her skin so clear. There's nothing wrong with that, it just feels like you couldn't progress with that character because everything was so sudden. However, the mystery deepens and that part was really interesting.

This is a unique and thought-provoking YA thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The author did an excellent job building tension and slowly unraveling the mystery, with a sharp commentary on the wellness industry and the dangerous allure of superficial beauty. The slow burn of the cult-like atmosphere in Julia’s world was chilling, and I appreciated how it made me question the things we often take for granted in today’s culture, like beauty standards and social media perfection.

Frances Bean's character development was one of the highlights for me. Watching her move from being an outcast to being pulled into the world of luxury and self-empowerment was fascinating, though the relationship between her and Julia felt a bit rushed. While their romance seemed too instantaneous to feel fully authentic, I think it worked in the context of the story, especially considering how young people often experience intense, whirlwind emotions. Still, I would have liked to see the connection between them develop more gradually.

Tthis was a fresh take on the YA thriller genre, with plenty of social commentary that felt relevant to today’s world. The book's exploration of the dynamics between power, beauty, and young women is both disturbing and thought-provoking. I hope it gets a lot of readers as it deserves—this is quality YA fiction with an edge.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

2.5 stars, rounded up.
This was a great look at how you can end up in over your head without noticing how deep you are until it happens. This is vague on purpose, because I'm not really sure how to review this without spoilers. I did really like this one, though, even though I figured it out well in advance. Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

i really like these creepy spas/beauty treatments/beauty standards ones. I love the cult vibes that are going on from part 1, and i found the characters VERY fun. I didn't LOVE our protag but i liked her enough, and I LOVED the other chars. 5 stars. tysm for thearc.

You Belong to Me unfortunately has the kind of writing that makes me want to slam my head against a wall. It's a not-like-other-girls, 2010, misogynistic playground. I don't enjoy anything where the main character is constantly talking about how she's so not like other girls because she wears dark clothing and isn't very girly, or anything like that. This isn't the kind of book I'd recommend to young girls because despite the interesting premise, it's surface level writing full of stereotypes and flat characters.

Will not be recommending to my audience.

First off so many characters were involved, and I enjoyed them all! With so many different personalities, what couldn’t go wrong. I could not put this book down; I finished it in 3 days! The story is very relatable and who doesn’t love a story with cult like vibes!
I have always said that with today’s influence culture, younger girls are so much more vulnerable to wanting to fit in and we as adults do not do much to save them. Beauty standards are set to high, and they are untamable.
This book does do a great job at covering multiple topics though, status, right from wrong, how to handle adults, LGBTQ+, and just how much grooming goes in cults.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

I started this book knowing what was going to happen which would usually be annoying. However, getting a front row seat to the inner workings of what was definitely a cult was fascinating. I obviously didn’t know exactly what was going to happen but could see it coming from a mile away and yet I wasn’t bored and tired of reading the book.

It’s honestly sad because there are really businesses and people out there in the world that do similar things to “easy” targets. Even though this is just a fun thriller I picked up, it could maybe be helpful for the younger generation. Open up their eyes and make them not to easy to target!

Overall, this was a fun and interesting one to pick up!