Dinner for Vampires is a well-written, evocative memoir. Bethany Joy Lenz spares no detail as she bravely recounts her past and reflects on her experience in a religious cult. 

As a One Tree Hill fan, I've been looking forward to reading Bethany Joy Lenz's autobiography. It did not disappoint. Lenz's story stands out from other celebrity memoirs. She writes openly about her heartbreaking experience in a religious cult.

Lenz referred to the diaries she kept to portray her experience as accurately as she remembers. Her story is a slow, horrifying tale of manipulation. People desire connection and belonging, which is part of the human experience. Lenz's desire for family and her ambitious career made her a target. Her seamless integration into the cult was explained well. 

The group Lenz found manipulated her desire for family to achieve their own ends. Lenz unflinchingly details the cult's systematic isolation and control over her personal and professional life. Lenz relives her dark experiences with honesty. She talks about how the cult siphoned her One Tree Hill earnings and forced her to endure emotionally abusive meetings, among other things. 

Lenz explains that she changed some characters' details to protect their identities. I was curious to learn more about her husband (Quiet Boy) in the memoir. Lenz's husband was in a band in real life, although the memoir didn't mention this musical connection.   

While Lenz's time on One Tree Hill is mentioned in passing, she does not dive into too many details into her time on the show. She brings up the show only in the context of her experience in the cult. She also talks about how her frame of mind at the time made it difficult to build connections with her co-stars.

While Lenz is brutally honest about her experiences, she writes with wit and hope. The subject matter can be quite heavy at times, but Lenz's overall tone and message are uplifting. She's found peace in sharing her story so she can connect with others. Lenz's story spreads awareness about these groups, so people can help loved ones who may be targeted.  

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for an advance copy of this book! I didn’t know anything about Lenz’s personal life and only knew of her big role on One Tree Hill. This was wild to read about and I flew through this book in about a day. Would recommend to others for reading!

I love One Tree Hill and listen to Joy's podcast so I was excited to read this book. I thought it was awesome!

It definitely paints the picture of how a smart, successful person can get caught up in cults. I love when she said that if you aren't allowed to question what someone tells you, they don't have your best interests in mind. Always true. But especially good lesson for those who believe everything they are told by any source: a person, a religion, the media, a government. If you can't ask questions and disagree, there is a cult-like mindset at play. I am so glad that she got out of this awful situation and made the decision to move on with her life with her daughter.

Thank you #Netgalley for this advanced copy!

WOW! wow! wow! I remember hearing years ago about the possibility of Bethany being in a "cult" but never really looked into or learned more. This memoir is well written documenting her life, beginning with her childhood, parents divorce and her passion for being an actor. This took her to multiple cities were she found work and small friend groups, but was eager to find a group that had similar beliefs with her which ultimately led her to a small home in Los Angeles. This home was full of young like minded people and she felt that she had finally met her people. But when additional people make their way into the small group, they eventually take it over, praying on the young. Getting them to trust, ignore their "bio-family" become part of "the family" or inner circle. The last part was really hard to read about how they took advantage of her financially, affecting her career choices, life decisions and so much more. I am so happy that she has come of out this but still has so much healing to do.

I like celebrity memoirs, and even though I didn't watch One Tree Hill or remember Bethany Joy Lenz's character, I devoured this book (pardon the pun). It reads like a horror story that just keeps getting worse. When reading some of the revelations, I gasped out loud. I rooted for Joy throughout her journey, and loved how she credits her own parents' love and her love for her daughter as a means to get out. I recommend this book to anyone who read and enjoyed "I'm Glad My Mom Died", or anyone who is interested in cults and religious fervor. This was very well-written, with a lot of heart.

As a self-proclaimed One Tree Hill junkie back in high school and a person fascinated by cults, this book was written for me! I loved the little touches of OTH throughout the book but appreciated that the main focus was on the cult that heavily ran her life during that time. You can absolutely tell that Joy is an artist with how wonderfully written the book is. It held my attention and left me researching more about her life and the cult outside of what she wrote (I only wish there was more!). I think anyone intrigued by cults will like this book, but it’s my fellow One Tree Hill fans that are going to LOVE it! 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this memoir.

I’ve been a fan of OTH for about a year now, and knew I had to read this book when it came out. Not everyone can share their traumatic experiences let alone so eloquently. I felt like she didn’t hold back from the nitty gritty of everything she felt and experienced. Like I said, I was a fan on OTH but now I’m a fan of Bethany Joy Lenz.

So, full disclosure, I’ve never watched One Tree Hill and didn’t know who Bethany Joy Lenz was. But cults intrigue me so I had to read this book. Joy tells an insane, compelling, and heartbreaking story about how truly anyone can be pulled into a cult or cult like dynamic.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

First off - I was a HUGE One Tree Hill Fan. Haley was my favorite character. I’ve been a fan of Bethany Joy Lenz since she was on Guiding Light and I’m still a fan now of all her Hallmark Movies.

I admittedly did not know she was in a cult during her stint on OTH. I really enjoyed this book - she was raw and honest, but also managed to add in some humor. I cannot believe what she went through and I was so happy she was able to find her way out.

I wish her continued success.

Absolutely wonderful biography. I am a huge fan of Bethany, especially her work in one tree hill. I had NO CLUE she was in a cult until her mention if it in the drama queen podcast. I am so so glad she wrote about her experience and shared her story, while also sharing others stories as well. This brings so much light to a very scary, but real thing that could happen to anyone. My heart breaks for what she endured but I am so glad she is out now, with her daughter and safe.

Very well written, very raw, very emotional. A must read for anyone, but especially if you are a fan of her. You will see her in a whole different light.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

Though marketed as a memoir, Bethany Joy Lenz’s thoughtfully restrained "Dinner for Vampires" is perhaps more accurately described as a testimony. It’s jarring, specific, and boldly redemptive in its willingness to interrogate religious language without dismissing it entirely.

Full disclosure—I haven’t seen any of "One Tree Hill." In fact, my only exposure to Bethany Joy Lenz’s work is Psalty the singing hymnbook, a horrifying Christian cryptid I don’t recommend googling before bed. Truthfully, the book seems likely to resonate more with people who are in a similar boat; if you're an OTH superfan, you might be disappointed by how absent the show is here.

Throughout the book, Lenz details the way her involvement in a house church shifted from an exciting alternative to mainstream Christian culture to a more pervasive and perverse part of her life. “I Escaped A Cult” books are a dime-a-dozen, but "Dinner for Vampires" is distinct from its peers in that Lenz has a genuine desire to believe the best, leading her to earnestly ask questions and dissect the cult’s beliefs and language. Where many books of this ilk demand that readers assume someone would be “crazy” for getting involved, Lenz’s vulnerability invites readers to experience the discomfort of feeling “crazy” for assuming that something is actually wrong.

The muted approach makes for a less splashy book, but it’s one that arguably reflects the reality of religious trauma more accurately. So much of the spiritual, psychological, and emotional abuse depicted occurs within the space of plausible deniability. Lenz expertly describes behaviors that seem just a few degrees shy of innocuous—the kind of off-kilter actions that summon a pit in your stomach before you quickly tamp it down out of fear. To anybody who has moved through evangelical circles, it will feel all too familiar when the author notes the way “repentance” allowed cult members to shirk personal accountability, or how skin-crawlingly recognizable phrases like “guard your heart” and “love on people” are used to exert control.

Suffice it to say, "Dinner for Vampires" is an exceptionally meaningful book, and not merely another glossy celebrity memoir. Regardless of readers’ religious background, Bethany Joy Lenz has crafted a a grace-filled opportunity for all of us to reflect on how the language of freedom can so easily be abused, and how true freedom is often found in people being there to pull us out.

This book was so interesting. I was a young adult when OTH originally aired, and watched it through the years. I never knew any of this was going on. I can totally understand how she became wrapped up in this situation.. it's so unfortunate that this happened, and they took so much from her, much more than money! I would be interested to hear more of what happened after getting custody, if she's been able to completely break ties, or if she still has to give QB visitation. I'm so glad she was able to break free from this guild and reclaim her life. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially OTH fans or those which come from broken homes.

I am a big fan of One Tree Hill, and I was excited to read this memoir by Bethany Joy Lenz, who played Haley on the iconic teen show. This didn't disappoint! It was a fascinating read. I honestly did not know she had once been part of a cult, but I thought the way she wrote about it was both intriguing and heartbreaking, It just goes to show that we are more susceptible to cults that we might believe. The book details a heavy topic but she makes it easier to digest and laces it with dark humor, which I personally enjoyed. It's emotional and traumatic but also really eye opening and funny, with the right dose of reality and religion. I think it's a different kind of celebrity memoir but one many people will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Bethany Joy Lenz for the eARC of this book.

This is a pretty wild and infuriating read. I cannot handle how manipulated and controlled this woman was. As a Christian, it makes me so angry how God is weaponized for the sake of power, greed and control. I absolutely love reading books about cults. Women who are former members of cults. I have read the Duggar ones and Unfollow from a member of Westboro Baptist. These have the similarity of the women growing up in the cult, and never choosing it. Joy’s account in Dinner for Vampires is unique in that she was groomed, recruited and manipulated to be in this one. If you are a fan of One Tree Hill, know that this experience doesn’t have a big part in the memoir, it is more background information. After reading this, I will be in @msbethanyjoylenz corner forever, biltmore all the way.

This really does make you think and question your assumptions about cults and groupthink. Almost none of us think we are susceptible to propaganda and influence and yet we are all hugely influenced by it every day. Maybe it isn’t religion related, but the definition of a cult can be broadened to other groupthink behavior. How many times have you said, “I just can’t believe that X actually believes _________, knowing what I know about X, I cannot reconcile how X can possibly believe both _____ and _____.”

Who hasn’t thought that?

One thing I wish she had gone more into was how this has shaped her faith today. I also like to hear more of the ways that the cult improved her life. There are a lot of good things about being in cults. That seems strange to say, but if they didn’t have positive effects, they wouldn’t be able to take advantage of people. Someday I would like to read a memoir of someone who turned into a cult leader and how they rationalized it in their mind.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the ARC. Book to be released October 21, 2024

#netgalley #bookreviews #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booktok #dinnerforvampires

As a One Tree Hill fan, I was thrilled to get an ARC of Bethany Joy Lenz's memoir. I hadn't realized that she had been in a cult, and was surprised when I found out. I read this really quickly, and enjoyed learning more about her life and time in Hollywood and on One Tree Hill.

It was an intriguing look into how a smart, talented woman could be drawn into such an unhealthy environment, and the struggles one goes through when they try to extricate themselves.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

**ARC RATING** As a giant One Tree Hill fan who especially felt the most connected to Haley James Scott, I was so excited to have the chance to read an ARC of this book! It was both gut wrenching and beautiful - both in the writing and as well as seeing everything Joy had gone through and overcome. This was my first memoir and definitely has opened my eyes in exploring more of them. I absolutely would recommend this book.

dinner for vampires✨| @msbethanyjoylenz
ARC review

as a huge fan of one tree hill and the @dramaqueensoth podcast i knew i HAD to get my hands on this one! i don’t typically read a lot of non-fiction, but i’m so glad to have read this. it was an absolutely riveting memoir, and the writing and timeline flowed so well—i couldn’t put it down. although it was a heavy topic, so much personality and dark humor was still able to shine throughout the story. i also really enjoyed learning more about her and paul johansson (mr dan scott) being very good friends in real life! a very powerful story.

thank you @netgalley @msbethanyjoylenz @simonandschuster for the chance to read and review this ahead of time!

dinner for vampires releases october 22, 2024🤩

Did someone say “cult”? If so, I’m here and ready to read.

As Lenz herself says at the end of the book, people have high expectations when they hear you escaped a cult. But cults come in all shapes and sizes. The small size of Lenz’s group added to just how deeply their control could take root in members.

This book is a really unflinching look into Lenz’s experience that I think can help a lot of people in controlling situations similar to this. Maybe through her experience, more can step away from unhealthy relationships.

As a One Tree Hill fan, I found Bethany Joy Lenz’s memoir to be very intriguing. I learned a lot about her experiences as an actress and her encounters with those with bad intentions. This is a great celebrity memoir I will be sure to recommend.

Thank you to the publisher who reached out and pre-approved me for this title based on my previous reviews. Memoir, pop culture, tv star of my teenage years, and cults?? Sign me up! (um for the book, not the cult.) I was not even aware Bethany Joy Lenz had a book coming out, so I took this offer immediately. I was only a casual fan of OTH and only sort of heard rumblings about her being a cult way back when, so I was ready to dig in.

Dinner For Vampires was yet another important reminder that if you think you're not the type of person to be caught in the trap of a cult, you might be wrong. It was terrifying how gradually this "family" controlled Lenz all the way through stealing millions from her. The pacing was really great and made it compulsively readable. A few times I wondered if I accidentally skipped a page because of the rapid moving of point A to point B, but her stories didn't drag and weren't padded with unnecessary details memoirs tend to be filled with. I do think there's a lot she left out in general, but that's her choice and understandable. Just makes me wonder who these people really are and if they're going to account for themselves once this book is officially released.