This book made me uncomfortable, in several moments, actually squeamish, but I think that was really the point of this book. My students will tell you that I’m obsessed with the concept of cults and of the people who join them and lead them. My mother would tell me that no cult would ever want me because I would ask too many questions and not be compliant enough. I think this book does a really good job of exploring what cults are to teenagers, which may not mean David Karesh and Waco, but the cult of beauty, of fitting in, of Instagram and the way that we depict the world we live in. It’s so easy for girls, especially teenage girls, to get sucked into so much of that as they try to find themselves, especially as they’re dealing with trauma in their lives. This was a powerful read, if an uncomfortable one. My only reason for giving 4 stars was how quickly and neatly it seemed to wrap up.

I thought this book had such a great premise, and I really enjoyed Hayley Krischer's latest, WHERE ARE YOU, ECHO BLUE?, so I was especially excited to read this one! Overall, I liked it a lot. It tackles a few interesting topics—the darker side of the wellness industry, how easily people might get sucked into things like cults, and what it means to be your own person, stay true to yourself, and "belong to" yourself first and foremost, not anyone else. I love the author's writing style, and liked how while this is definitely quite the twisty psychological thriller, it's more of a slow burn in terms of pacing. Ironically, the romance was kind of the opposite—I felt like the relationship between Frances and Julia was a little bit rushed, which made sense for the story, but I did wish it had been drawn out a little bit more. Highly recommend this one for fans of psychological thrillers with well-developed characters, that explore the downsides of beauty and wellness culture! Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin, and Putnam Books for Young Readers for the ARC.

I loved the concept of this, but it fell a bit flat for me. It took way too long to really pick up—by over 35% in I noted nothing had really happened yet. I felt removed from the story a bit, never really getting enough backstory or knowledge of the characters and situations. It all felt kind of surface level.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam publishing for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

Started reading October/2/2024
Finished reading October/4/2024

My rating 4.5/5

One note I would like to give is that I would have liked to have seen a content warning note in this book for some of the themes touched upon. I feel like there are some very heavy subjects in the content and even as an adult I felt it would have been nice to have a little warning about everything.

The book is a bit of a slow burn, I feel like leading up to the books half way point its a lot of background building in a way, I personally enjoyed it. The way all of the characters seem to go through such a variety of changing emotions and personalities throughout the book really adds to the intense feeling of story itself. The MC is a very sweet character, one that is simply out for love and friendship and belonging. The relationship between her and all of the characters at the beginning of the book feel so genuine and very picture perfect but as the book goes along you start to see just how easily it is for that to change.

I personally went back and forth a lot in loving and hating these characters. The notes I scribbled down about certain characters, while reading, would change sometimes within a single chapter. The way you look back at certain actions of characters, when you get to the end, makes you almost feel silly for having missed such red flags that now seem so obvious.

The story was really easy to follow and definitely did have you wanting to know what happened next. I found that the way it ended was very neatly tied up in a bow. You really didn't have any questions left unanswered, which after such an emotional read feels really nice.

I will definitely be recommending this book to all my book girlies and book men and book pals who love a good emotional thriller with an air of mystery and heavy cult themes. I also plan to keep it on my list of books that I would gladly re-read.

The premise was so intriguing a wellness cult I had never really heard of that and wanted to give it a shot. It did not quite work for me to be honest. I just did not get into it at all.

This was an interesting premise and reading it was an intriguing experience to say the least. I never really thought about wellness cults before this so I suppose my horizons are broadened now. Other than that it was fine. The romance could’ve been done slightly better to me but that’s not a huge deal. Decent.

WTH! This is quite disturbing!

Really dark and I had to read the book flipping page after page until the last page. I really love the author’s writing!

I have read one of the author’s books two years ago and I absolutely loved it. Quite disturbing too but a realistic one with issues on SA.

Trigger warnings for SA.

This is the story of a girl who wants a perfect relationship with her crush. The crush happens to be the daughter of one of the most influential wellness guru. With their flawless group/followers, they are almost unreachable perfection.

With her being consumed in the unexpected perfect relationship, things darker and more disturbing surfaces becoming a threat to their relationship.

Read this book for the thrill and the most darkest secrets influential famous people hide.

I wish the best friends were a better part towards the end as it was in the first half.

The ending is really satisfying! Perfect for spooky nights and weekends.

I love the sapphic romance. The chemistry is amazing!

Thank you, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, for the ARC.

This book is an absolute rollercoaster of emotions, deception, and dark allure. The themes of class, authenticity, and the dark side of the wellness industry are handled so well here. It really makes you think about how far people will go to fit in, to feel like they're living their best life. The writing is sharp, immersive, and full of suspense. I found myself flipping pages frantically, desperate to figure out where this whirlwind romance and newfound lifestyle would lead Frances. And the ending sticks with you, leaving you questioning who’s really in control. This is a gripping, addictive psychological thriller that blends romance, friendship, and class exploration into a story that feels fresh and utterly captivating.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

This book gave me more than I was expecting. I went into it expecting more of a hard hitting story about cults and murder, but instead I got a story about self reflection. I think that this story is an important one especially for younger readers as it emphasizes the importance of trusting your own gut and staying true to yourself. It also reinforces the idea that meaning from life can come from many different places, That might sound cheesy but I appreciated the way this book tackled individualism without being too stereotypical.

I also thought it was important in how it showed how easily people can be trapped in things like cults. Things start off slow and seem perfect, and before you know it, you’re in too deep. I’m excited for this book to come out and hear thoughts from others. I think it is a contemporary book that isn’t a masterpiece but it worth being read,

This YA thriller has a lot of promising aspects, magic skin care products at the heart of a cult, a sapphic romance, and class exploration. The main character Bean gets invited to this exclusive club that feels like a secret society almost called Femme(kinda ironic) and starts dating Julia. Femme is like a gateway to a job at DEEP, they're given a bunch of free products that pretty much hook those young vulnerable girls in. I didn't really like the romance in this one, but I did like the friendships. I like how Bean's friends stayed there for her and didn't just turn their back when she started acting weird because it was clear she needed help.