O Sinners! is a well-written book with an interesting structure that kept me reading. The book juxtaposes a contemporary story about a journalist's immersive investigation of a cult, the Vietnam backstory of the cult leader, and the script of a documentary about the cult from several years before the contemporary story. I was interested in all three of sections, though I think both Vietnam and the contemporary story occasionally got bogged down in repetition. There were clear points of connection among the story, of course, but I never felt that the narrative came together as a whole, and at the end I was left with a bit of a "what is the point" feeling.

The construction of O Sinners! is incredibly unique. This is the best experience I’ve had with a multipart timeline. Each section gives us a separate and fascinating story. I loved the breakup provided by the documentary script, and found the Vietnam War story interesting in that it’s near impossible to identify Odo, the cult leader present in the other timelines. I thought this makeup was clever and would love to see more authors approach this type of format.

My issues with the novel where with our present-day timeline which follows a journalist living with and reporting on the working of Odo’s cult “The Nameless.” I found the pacing of this section to be far too slow – it seemed like entire sections passed with a lot of reflection and little action. I think I can understand the author’s intention of mundanity leading to the passage of time, and normalization in living with the cult, but this did not feel very tangible. At several points our reporter is gaslight by the cult, yet he shows no agency until the very end of the novel. If the intention for the cult to either 1) be malicious or 2) bring him in as a member was there, I wish it would have been more obvious. Where this timeline tied the rest of the novel together, I thought there were a lot of missed opportunities for a more compelling story.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A fascinating book about a fictional cult told on different timelines? Sign me up!

This book follows a man named Faruq who is trying to get close to a cult he wants to write a piece about. The book follows his journey of staying with The Nameless and learning about the members of the cult, namely their leader Odo. On a separate timeline, we are following Odo before he created The Nameless while he was serving in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. And finally we get snippets of a documentary transcript about The Nameless.
I love a book told on different timelines and O Sinners! was a perfect book for that format. These three timelines wove perfectly together to provide a full picture of the cult and the characters in the story. I felt that the author did a fantastic job of providing a full picture through these different formats. I also appreciated how the current and past timelines had different voices since they were being told from two different character's point of views.
The only criticism I have of this book is that I felt the past timeline during the Vietnam War wasn't written as strongly as the present timeline and the documentary transcript. These sections tended to drag for me, and sometimes I found myself lost in what was happening during these past sections. I still feel that the writing and story were strong, but ultimately this did diminish my enjoyment of the story.

I would still recommend this book, especially if you are like me and enjoy books about cults (specifically fictional books). The cult itself was fascinating and it was cool getting to watch Odo go from a soldier in a war to the man we meet in the present. Overall I had a great time reading this!

Thank you to Random House for an advance review copy of this novel. I can't imagine this book not being well-loved by its audience, which I predict will be erudite, serious readers who like character development, slow-burn plots, and ideas.

The story unfolds in three different but beautifully interwoven arcs. There's Faruq, an intrepid but grieving journalist who travels to California to attempt to embed with a group called the nameless. The second arc takes the reader to Vietnam with a small group of Black soldiers as they brave the horrors of that war. One of them will become Odo, the leader of the nameless. If there was one irritating aspect of this novel, it's the secrecy about which solider would become Odo - I don't think anything would have been lost if that had been clear from the start.

The third arc - my favorite - was a script for a documentary that details the nameless' clash with an evangelical church in Texas.

I flew through this book. It's propulsive and captivating, yet accessible. I'll have my eye on it for a Booker nomination.

I enjoyed parts of this but I am walking away a little confused. I enjoyed parts of the story but overall the format felt a little too disjointed to full keep my attentinon.

2 STARS! 🌟 Huge thanks to Random House Publishing Group - One World & NetGalley for the ARC! 💌

Okay, so I hated it—well, not hated it, but I’m 64% in and I just can’t continue. 🚨 DNF ALERT 🚨

I don’t even know how to explain it, but this book was way too different from what I usually read—too philosophical, too slow, and honestly, just not my vibe. Also, I have no idea why I even requested this ARC. 🤦‍♀️

Faruq is a Muslim journalist (which I somehow didn’t notice before requesting), and the book leans into the usual Western stereotypes—strict parents, rigid rules, and the classic “leaving Islam” narrative. His struggle with faith, his overbearing father, and the Islamophobia he faces are all realistic but also frustrating. 😮‍💨 And while that didn't affect my rating, the execution of everything else did.

This book had so much potential. A journalist infiltrating a mysterious cult in the California redwoods?? YES, PLEASE. But then... BAM. Vietnam War flashbacks. WHY. Just WHY. They completely ruined the pacing. I signed up for cult drama, not war stories.

Also, the way this book is structured? Confusing as hell. 🚨
✧ One part is about Faruq investigating the cult.
✧ One part follows Odo, the cult leader, during the Vietnam War.
✧ One part is literally a fake documentary script.
✧ AND there are Instagram post descriptions. 😭

WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA??

The cult parts? Actually interesting. 🧐 The Vietnam parts? Snore-fest. 💤 Every time I started getting into the story, it would jump back in time and completely kill the momentum.

And let’s talk about Faruq. I really wanted to root for him. His grief? Heartbreaking. His struggle with his faith? Handled well.
His time in the cult? Interesting… at first. But did I feel connected to him? Nope.

The ending? I have no idea, because I didn’t finish. But from what I skimmed, it didn’t sound satisfying.

Look, if you love slow-burn literary fiction with heavy themes, maybe you’ll love this. But for me? Not enough mystery. Not enough cult drama. Too much filler.

Final thoughts?🫠
✧ Cults? Cool. ✅
✧ Philosophical rambling? No thanks. ❌
✧ Vietnam War flashbacks? Absolutely not. ❌❌
✧ A documentary script?? WHY. 🤦‍♀️
✧ Would I recommend? Nope.

Sorry, but this book just wasn’t it for me. 😬

Nicole Cuffy's forthcoming novel, O Sinners!, slated for release on March 18, 2025, is a compelling exploration of faith, identity, and the human desire for belonging. The narrative intricately weaves together multiple perspectives and timelines, offering readers a multifaceted view of a mysterious commune known as "the nameless."

At the heart of the story is Faruq Zaidi, a Muslim journalist grappling with personal loss, who embarks on an immersive investigation into the nameless, a group led by the enigmatic Odo and nestled in the California Redwoods. Faruq's journey is driven by both professional curiosity and a personal quest for understanding, as he seeks to uncover the true nature of the commune and its charismatic leader.

The novel's structure is particularly noteworthy, alternating between Faruq's present-day experiences, a documentary script detailing the nameless's controversial history, and vivid flashbacks to Odo's harrowing past as a teenage soldier in the Vietnam War. This layered storytelling approach not only enriches the narrative but also challenges readers to piece together the complex puzzle of motivations and histories that define the characters.

Cuffy's prose is both fluid and evocative, capturing the nuanced emotions of individuals drawn to the commune's promise of enlightenment and community. Themes of trauma, redemption, and the blurred lines between devotion and fanaticism are explored with depth and sensitivity. As Faruq delves deeper, he confronts unsettling truths about the nameless and, ultimately, about himself.

DNF @ p118

Pre-Read notes

I have few expectations going in, but that title and cover design combo was completely irresistible to me!

Final Review (partial)

Review summary and recommendations

I like absurdism, but it was impenetrable in this book. I do think readers out there will like this, it's just not a good fit for me!

Partial Reading Notes

Two things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. The screenplay format is hard to read and follow. I don't understand the purpose of using experimental form here. It's needlessly convoluting the story.

2. This book is so absurd that I have no idea what's going on.

3. DNF @ p118

Rating: DNF @ p118
Recommend? I think some readers will love this!
Finished: Feb 24 '25
Format: accessible digital arc, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🥸 absurdism
🤡 absurdism
🙈 absurdism
🪢 experimental form

Thank you to the author Nicole Cuffy, publishers Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of O SINNERS. All views are mine.
---------------

We follow grieving journalist Faruq's adventure to the cult nameless, and the cult's guru Odo's time during Vietnam war.

Give me anything with cults in it and I will eat that shit up. But, this book just left me unsatisfied.. It started off great but it started to slag as it went on. In the end it was just an okay book for me.

After watching way too many HBO documentaries about religious cults, I was more than ready to read this literary novel about a young man who sets out to write an article about The Nameless, an organization run by the mysterious Odo, who believes in finding beauty. As a Libra, I could sucked into this cult myself.

If the book had only focused on the cult, I would have liked it more. Unfortunately, it jumps backwards in time, following a group of young men fighting in Vietnam in the late 1960s. (Eventually this turns into a very annoying guessing game of which one of these boys grows up to become Odo.) War sucks of course, but it was very tedious to read about, and nothing very interesting happens, except that you get to know these very young men, or at least, who they have become fighting a senseless war so far from their homes. Also interspersed in the story is a script of a documentary called Nero. Oh, and there are literal descriptions of the Instagram posts of the Nameless throughout. I very much wish the obviously visual aspect of this novel hadn't been included since it did a lot to distract from the bigger story.

The bigger story focuses on Faruq, the journalist who is writing his article while struggling to deal with the death of his parents, and the complicated feelings he has for them, and for the religion he was raised in (Islam) which he doesn't believe in, but for which he was too afraid to reject. He isn't really looking for an alternative, and he is rightfully skeptical of Odo, and the strange little community he has built in Northern California. It's pretty obvious that this organization is a standard cult, and Odo is plainly no different from any other charismatic cult leader, but there are some interesting parallels between the fear of faith (or lack thereof) that Faruq felt growing up, and what Odo's followers may face should they ever turn their back on their leader. Getting hipped isn't a guarantee of paradise, but then, Odo never promises paradise, so he is more of a liar than Faruq's own father? Or did Faruq's father's belief in God and the promise of the Koran protect him from the terrible things he faced in his own life?

If the book had stayed focused on Faruq it would have been an amazing read. The huge pieces of filler killed the book for me, and it will very low on my list of recommendations this year. The part that dealt with Faruq and Odo was very well written, but the rest of it wasn't, and dragged the story down.

This was truly an incredible read and it could have easily been twice the length and I would have savored every second!

Cycling between present day when Faruq is living with the nameless while pursuing his story, scenes from a documentary about the nameless, and of course, the nameless' leader's Odo's time in Vietnam, the reader is given all possible backstory and information - but no real answers. By that I mean that we are never told what to believe about anything. I found this really exceptional and genius - it was difficult to turn my brain off while reading and try not to either (1) find evidence to implicate the nameless as a cult and Odo as a manipulator as seems to have always been the case with similar groups in history or (2) that Odo and the nameless are just trying to live their lives in the way they want with no ulterior motives. By the story's end, I found myself thinking that perhaps its none, or both, and honestly? Maybe there isn't an answer and if there was, it doesn't really matter.

Of course its the main setting, but there is so much more to this story than that of the nameless (and what they are and are not). As an exploration of how one processes grief, trauma, emotions...it was truly unparalleled.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read. There is something that about cults that interests me just like Faruq. I also loved the way the author approached this story and the message. The best part I think for me was the fact that Faruq ends up really benefiting from the teachings of the nameless, and ends up understanding why his dynamic which his father is so strained. This book definitely wasn’t what I expected but I really enjoyed where it went. I only wish I could have read the article/book faruq was writing!

3.5/5⭐️

I finished O Sinners yesterday, and have spent a substantial amount of time since then clinging to the feeling of being in that story, living the investigation that main character Faruq initiated against the mysterious nameless collective.

A simple explanation of this book is that it’s a story about exploring a cult. However, Nicole Cuffy goes far beyond what I’ve come to expect from a book focused on a cult. Rather than focusing on some nefarious mystery, Faruq is simply living among the nameless community and simultaneously unpacking some of his own long-buried grief regarding his parents, his religious beliefs, and his identity. The closing scene of this book left me with a sigh of relief, as if all of this had actually happened to me; it also left me angry, it left me hungry for more, it left me filled with lingering mysteries that I suppose I just have to accept.

Cuffy builds an intensely real religion in O Sinners. It felt like I was reading about a real group, and their leader - the enigmatic Odo - felt unique and familiar all at the same time. The book is told in three different way: Faruq’s present day POV as he lives among the nameless, through a documentary about an infamous event the cult was involved in while located in Texas, and through a past POV that follows a group of Black soldiers in Vietnam (one of whom is Odo, though we don’t learn which one until the end of the novel.) Initially, I felt like the Vietnam scenes slowed the pace of the book. However, after reaching the end, I realized how necessary they were to tell the full story and found myself appreciating the backstory.

So in case you can’t tell: I think this book is absolutely brilliant. It is thoughtful, tender, and honest about the ways people seek meaning in life. I hope it finds the right audience and gets the attention it deserves.

I enjoyed O Sinners! but it took me a while to finish it. You jump back and forth between 3 perspectives: Faruq, Odo, and parts of a documentary. I really enjoyed the “past” with Odo’s time from the Vietnam war. I felt the most connection to this portion of the story. The fear and emotions of the characters really came through in these sections. The documentary portion definitely adds some history and backstory about The Nameless, but I found it harder to read and follow since it’s like you’re reading the script. The biggest sections are from Faruq and his journalistic adventure to learn more about The Nameless. Certain Faruq chapters I loved, others I felt drug on without feeling like the story was going anywhere. I think this book is going to bring out the love/hate reviews. People are either going to love the in-depth personal journey of facing the truth about the people we admire or they’re going to be bored. If this is the kind of book you generally like and the description is intriguing, go for it!!

O Sinners! is told from the perspective of Faruq Zaidi, a young journalist has recently lost his father, Odo, who spends some time in Vietnam with other soldiers, and a documentary style POV. Faruq investigates his fathers death then becomes involved with a California cult called the Nameless. The group is led by Odo, and they follow the 18 Utterances of the aforementioned cult. The combination of flashbacks, transcript then current day was a great choice by the author. Thank you NetGalley and One World for the ARC. You can check this out when it publishes March 18, 2025 wherever you buy books.

promising start that slowly deflated over the course of the story. the flashbacks were wholly unnecessary and a slog to get through, but the present day was engaging enough to keep me wanting to pick this up at any given opportunity. entirely personal gripe, but I don't love that once again, we have a main character who is an atheist man who was raised by a cruel muslim father, who wants nothing to do with the religion. I'm not sure if the author grew up around islam so I can't speak to the purpose of writing it this way, but to me it came off as extremely stereotypical and repetitive, given the way the religion is usually portrayed in western media.

I know I keep saying this but I am so sick of this seemingly endless trend in literary fiction of raising dozens of questions and answering none of them. what I used to write off as ambiguity that functions as a mirror for the reader now feels more and more like a cop out to avoid having to actually think things through to their logical conclusion. maybe it's a symptom of the times we're living in, and the way it feels impossible to imagine a future at all with everything that's happening. maybe I'm actually being very unfair to these authors but it's so frustrating that it really ruins my reading experience entirely, even if everything up until the end was spectacular.

Nicole Cuffy's prose is so breathtaking. Her writing style is so fluid, poignant, and enchanting. "O Sinners" is a beautiful and interesting story about a young journalist named Faruq who is writing a story about a charismatic cult leader named Ono who lives in the California Redwoods. Faruq is very suspicious and intrigued by Ono and his followers. Usually, I don't really like novels about cults, but this one was so well written and complex. The novel is divided up into the three sections. The first section is from the Faruq's point of view, the second section are flashback scenes of Ono's time serving in the Vietnam War, and the third section are transcripts from a film documentary about Ono's cult. I think the novel would've been stronger without the Vietnam chapters. I found those scenes confusing and dragged the overall story down. Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It was very eerie, emotional, and gripping. I really loved the scenes where Faruq curses Ono out. I don't know why but those particular scenes gave me heart palpitations. I definitely want to read Nicole Cuffy's debut novel, "Dances" now. She is a very talented storyteller. Also, the cover art is gorgeous!

Admittedly I'm biased, I am a huge fan of stories about cults. I'm a big fan of the framing device (the documentary bit was a ton of fun) and overall this was a very entertaining read!

I appreciate all the work that went into this, but did not finish it at 27%. i felt its length to be too long, the war parts were way more prominent than I thought they'd be which was boring to me, and the pacing was way too slow. unfortunately i won't be recommending this to anyone.

I appreciated the different timelines throughout the book that helped to slowly put the pieces of the story together. The characters were interesting and I was invested in what was happening to them. I was captivated and constantly wishing I had more time to read throughout the book. If you like interesting stories, especially about cults, this is one I’d highly recommend.