ok, I should probably admit right away that I've never seen One Tree Hill, the show that made Bethany Joy Lenz an icon. But I knew my daughter had watched it, and honestly, when I requested it from NetGalley I pretended I was getting it for her to read. But of course, I couldn't resist. I was interested in it at first because I had a close friend who went through a similar experience. Lenz's story is particularly unique, but also, sadly, universal. Having some knowledge of cults, I was not surprised that she fell prey to their grooming, but it is still astonishing (and devastating) to me the level of evil that can exist in otherwise ordinary people. I admire Lenz's willingness to admit she was duped, but I was not surprised by her being duped—they preyed on her every fear and exploited her sheltered, trusting nature. What is most alarming is how common this is. Lenz notes that, having publicly told her story, people expect to hear her mention one of the more well-known, newsworthy cults (yikes!), but there are so many smaller groups operating this way all over the country. While I wish there had been more good people in her life that spoke out and insisted on compelling her to leave, I understand the spell the "family" in Idaho cast. I'm sure sharing her story was not easy—her vulnerability is moving and intense. I stayed up until 3am last night to finish it because, on the eve of this momentous election, I just couldn't go to sleep worrying about her, too.

I was so excited about this book but unfortunately it fell flat. I found it really hard to connect with her, like even in her memoir she was trying to hard to put on a good face. Also, knowing that the timeline was changed (which I realize happens more often than you’d think In memoirs) to protect the children still in the cult really kept me thinking, “If she isn’t honest about the timeline what else isn’t she honest about?”

So, I couldn’t understand the title of this book until the very end. Now I get it. I don’t know if I’m just “slow” or it was meant to be so cryptic from the beginning. Maybe those that knew who she was or had watched One Tree Hill and knew the actors behind the show at least a little bit might have understood it sooner, but I had no idea who she was when I asked to review this book. I just love reading celebrity biographies. I love to hear the stories of how they got to where they are and what they had to endure to stay there. Joy had so much to endure, it is so sad that someone can be so manipulative (I’m talking about the cult leader that she looked up to because she so desperately wanted a family. What kept me turning the pages was to see what finally snapped her out of his control, and how she got out. I could never allowing someone to control my life that way so it always fascinates me how some people just fall right into it. Reading this book helped me see what she was thinking and feeling at the time she had decided to really give her life to these people. It’s just hard seeing good people feel so down on themselves to the point where they feel they need to sacrifice all of themselves just to feel loved. That man should be ashamed of himself…. But he’s clearly not, and never will be. It’s sick really. Yes, I’m judging. It’s hard not to! Ugggghhh. I’m just glad she’s out now and onto a better mental health.

5 Stars

As a giant One Tree Hill fan back in the day I was super excited to read Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz aka Haley James Scott on OTH. However, I had no idea how gripping & interesting it would actually be! I could not stop listening to it & when I wasn’t I was thinking about it.

I’ve read a lot of memoirs and this was pretty different from any of the others I’ve read! It was a mix of a normal memoir and Educated by Tara Westover. I feel like there was a lot of detail about her life before the cult and her life in the cult but I wish there had been more about her time at work on One Tree Hill & her time since leaving the cult. I could have read hours more about her life honestly.

I got a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review but chose to wait for the audiobook once I found out Joy was doing the narration for it herself. I would highly recommend listening to this one! It’s much more compelling hearing her tell her own story & her voice is actually so lulling & relaxing! She should start narrating audiobooks as a side hustle to acting for real.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of Dinner for Vampires in exchange for an honest review!

Interesting memoir. I appreciate her reflecting some back on her experiences and pointing out the points she should have been aware of the manipulation. I wish she had leaned more into this.

I don't enjoy ratings on memoirs because I don't want to take away from the author's personal experience. I will say that the story was engrossing and so sad to read about. She is so brave for sharing all that she went through... Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to confess that I didn't really know much about Bethany Joy Lenz before reading this book. I've never watched One Tree Hill. I was interested in reading it because I love memoirs and especially from someone formerly in a cult.

She did a great job showing how easily someone can be manipulated. And I think you see more and more how cults use religion to do this. They known that believers want signs and feelings that they are living the way God intended. I'm not a religious person so I was nervous that some of the book would come off preachy. But I think she just shared her personal beliefs without forcing it as she was.

I think she tried to be respectful to others involved too. Which is more than I would've been able to do.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bethany Joy Lenz, and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read Dinner for Vampires. I have written this review voluntarily.

I loved this. It was such an interesting (and terrifying) story of her life. She did a great job of showing how these groups work and how it can be easy to be swept up.

One Tree Hill is my all-time favorite show, so I was so intrigued to dive into Bethany Joy Lenz's story about her experience being in a cult during her time on the show. I was shocked to learn she was involved in it the entire time, and hearing what was happening in her personal life added a whole new perspective to her journey. Listening to her narrate the audiobook brought such a personal touch—her voice and story made it feel incredibly real.

Really captivating memoir. I had no idea she’d even gone through half of this since I haven’t followed her closely. I grew up watching one tree hill in passing with friends.

Very illuminating about the dangers of falling into groupthink and destructive behavior patterns. With great anecdotes

Bethany Joy Lenz is one of my favorite actresses, and when I heard about her memoir addressing her time in a cult, my brain stopped in its tracks: wai..huh..cult? Her acting is so pure and natural and joyful, and I believed only a woman who had it all together with wisdom and confidence and a healthy dose of cynicism could be as skilled as she is. It can be hard to imagine, much less truly understand, how narcissists are able to manipulate and socially isolate intelligent, loving, and so easily lovable people unless you’ve experienced or witnessed it happening. Lenz unfolds her story as she experienced it, noting the warning signs she missed. Courageously uncovering the way she was tricked and emotionally, financially, and physically abused by those she thought were more of a family to her than her own parents, Lenz bares her painful memories and brings them to light in a fascinating expose to help the rest of us understand that while all cults are insidious, not all are as extreme or as large as the ones we’ve learned about in the news.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Netgalley, and Lenz for early access to this astounding and heartbreaking story.

I had high hopes of liking this book, but unfortunately, I don’t think autobiographies are my jam. I think I would have preferred this type of book to have a slightly slower start, which is not something I say. I feel like the next several chapters really kind of drag with home the first one jumps at you. I am a huge fan of BJL, so it was easy enough to read the book from her perspective and have that vision, but I also feel like I’ve been trying to force myself to get to through some pieces.

I grew was the same age as the OTH characters and loved the show. This premise seemed very interesting and learning about her time on the show was offering a bonus.
But I ended up bored. The beginning was drawn out and once she got out and how she struggled to get her life back felt rushed. There was a lot of detailed religious joy and prayers you had to sit through to get to them taking advantage of her.

✨ This was a great memoir by Bethany Joy Lenz, who played girl-next-door Haley James Scott on the popular teen drama, One Tree Hill. Although this show was popular during my teen years, I never watched it, but I did know a little about it and its stars.

✨ This memoir follows Joy’s upbringing by “spiritual hippies” into early independence as she found success with acting.

✨ During her time in California, Joy got sucked into a “Bible study gone bad.” It started as an actual Bible Study, but once a new leader became involved, it went downhill.

✨ She makes comments about how her cult wasn’t NXIVM / wasn’t cultish enough compared to other recent Hollywood cults. I thought that was poignant because a cult doesn’t have to look one particular way, or all wear white robes and Reeboks, or take multiple wives. It can look like a Bible Study with young women and a preacher…

✨ This book showed how we can be manipulated and controlled when in more vulnerable situations. As a young, sheltered, religious but also independent girl, Joy was prime for that manipulation.

✨ It was sad to see how much Joy strived to be a good, godly person but was told to do so, she had to be submissive to the elders and men in her new “Family.” It was also sad how badly she deserved a normal, loving relationship and found herself in the complete opposite.

✨ I’m so mad at the cult for stealing $2 million from her. Can we ride at midnight? I’m glad she was able to tell her story and hope the public outing brings some responsibility!

✨I wanted even more at the end. How is Rosie now? What is it like co-parenting with a cult member ex-husband? At the very least, I want Joy to get her happy ending. And, I may go watch One Tree Hill after all!

Loved this book! She has been a favorite of mine since One Tree Hill. I had no idea any of what she went through so to hear this being told by her, opened my eyes to a lot. Would recommend to anyone. Very interesting from start to end!

This book was kind of boring. It was too much into the religious details of the cult and not enough info on the one tree hill experience. It was a super slow read and not one of the better memoirs.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced reader copy.

A very interesting look at how someone can fall into joining a cult. Lenz does a great job of telling her story.

3.5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

Like most millennial white women, I was obsessed with One Tree Hill...at least in the early years. My best friend would TVR that, Grey's and Supernatural while I would pick up Chinese food after my classes ended on Wednesdays at the community college. I feel like I never once heard about Lenz being in a cult, so it was wild to see this pop up as a suggested read!

All told, Lenz is a pretty good storyteller. She wrote a memoir that felt relatable, like sitting down with a friend over a glass of wine. The trauma she experienced was heartbreaking. I'm so glad she made it out of there. It was put together really well with the story of her life broken down to three parts. Before, during, and after.

I think where the book has it's faults is that Lenz is a good storyteller, but could have done with a little bit more editing. Writing a memoir like an internal monologue meant that there was just so much information when there didn't need to be.

Dinner for Vampires is a captivating memoir where the author, actress Bethany Joy Lenz, reflects on her journey through life and the ups and downs of Hollywood, all while belonging to a religious cult. Through candid storytelling, Lenz reflects on the complexities of belonging to “The Family”, who seemed to truly care about and nurture her journey into stardom, while also guiding her in her religion. After ten years, Bethany realized that “The Family” is more than just a close group of friends gathering for Bible study. With a blend of vulnerability and resilience, she navigates her quest for identity and authenticity during and after her life in the cult. She shares insights that resonate with anyone who has grappled with the influence of community and the search for self. This is a must read for those enjoyed I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy or Down the Drain by Julia Fox.

I was a One Tree Hill fanatic and especially loved the character that Bethany Joy Lenz played on the show. I didn’t know much about Lenz’s personal story, other than the speculative rumors that popped up in entertainment gossip. When I saw she was writing a memoire, I knew I had to read it!

Bethany Joy Lenz did a phenomenal job of documenting her life, which made for an authentic and factual retelling of how she came to be in a religious cult as a young adult and its impact on her personal and professional life. Her recount of how she joined a seemingly harmless Bible study group which slow progresses into becoming a controlling and manipulative presence in her life was so heartbreaking. She had so much going for her and was constantly being held back and gaslit for the personal benefit of others.

Lenz told of her abusive marriage, a severed relationship with her parents, her loss of close friends and how 2 million dollars was stolen from her without her knowledge. As time passed and Lenz became more involved in her religious group, she so clearly lost more and more of herself and her individual identity. It took years before she finally came to understand the truth of what was taking place right under her nose. How she was deceived and corrupted under the guise of God fearing elders. Her strength when it came to finally standing up for herself and her daughter, leaving her loveless and abusive partner and “family”, was so impactful and empowering!

Overall I thought the story was very well written and the flow of the book was well paced. The author’s vulnerability came through the writing so clearly. I laughed, I cringed, I felt so much compassion for the author and others like her. This book had you feeling an array of emotions! This book was clearly written as a way to heal and help others who may be in similar situations or experienced circumstances resembling hers.