A fluidly written and surprisingly harrowing story of an investigative reporter who digs deep into the life of a new religious movement (NRM). Faruq Zaidi has just lost his strictly orthodox Muslim parents and is following up on a movement that just calls themselves the nameless (small n intentional) and their founder, Odo. The novel slips back and forth between the present (told from Zaidi's point of view), third-person recollections of Odo's time as a grunt in Vietnam, and the script from a documentary about the nameless' clash with fundamentalist Christians in Texas. Cuffy artfully tells each story so that there is no clear answer to the novel's most important questions: Is the nameless a cult? Is Odo a prophet, a charlatan, insane, or all three? Will Faruq enter into the nameless' enlightenment or resist being sucked into their delusions? Cuffy never answers the questions of truth or veracity, leaving it to the reader to decide - much like anyone who has ever encountered an NRM, or had a family member become part of one. The reader can almost feel their own grip on reality sliding away. Whether they allow that to happen or resist it with rationality mirrors the journey of Faruq, of Odo, and of all of us.

3 ⭐️

This book lost me at 22% and I didn’t feel interested in reading anymore. I understand there needed to be the backstory of how Odo became Odo, but I just felt meh about his backstory up to this point. Once the author got into the descriptions of him realizing he was actually being shot at, I just put the book down. His backstory just wasn’t connecting with me at all and I frankly just wanted to skip the “Before: 1969” chapter because I found Faruq far more interesting.

I love the premise of the book, I love books having to do with cults and how their followers end up there but I just don’t think this is the book for me! Maybe I’ll pick this up again in the future and give it another try.

"O Sinners!" is a compelling and well-crafted novel that grabbed my attention from start to finish. The writing is sharp and engaging, and the alternating chapters between different storylines add a layer of intrigue and variety that kept me hooked. One standout feature is the inclusion of a documentary script format, which is not only creative but adds depth to the narrative. The topic itself is fun to read about. The exploration of a cult is both fascinating and inventive, offering a fresh and creative perspective that makes the story stand out.

That said, my expectations may have been shaped by a misunderstanding of the genre. I found myself waiting for twists that never came, which left the ending feeling a bit anti-climactic. While the resolution was fitting in its own way, I couldn’t help but hope for a little more payoff.

Overall, "O Sinners!" is an enjoyable read with strong writing, unique storytelling elements, and a creative exploration of its topic.

What an amazing, interesting, thought-provoking book! This book explores the life of Faruq, a young man in New York, whose parents have both died. Through his grief and anger, due to his dad’s overbearing religion and his mom’s untimely death, he sets out on a writing project to study a cult. He goes to live with the cult and tries to understand if the cult represents just a beautiful place where people are free to come and go as they please, or whether there is manipulations and a power play behind the scenes. As Faruq fights his internal demons with the help of the group’s leader, Odo, he learns about Odo’s past in Vietnam and the history of the group. Without ever telling us if the cult is good or bad, the reader gets a glimpse of goodness throughout. But what the reader comes away with is a little glimpse of what life could be like if everyone treated each other with grace and helped each other with their struggles. There is also a better understanding of how easily people can get pulled into bad cults/groups because everyone just wants to be loved and accepted, and understood - and this is what they are getting from the group, whether real or fabricated.. I will remember this book and would give it more than 5 stars if I could.
Th al you NetGalley for an ARC.

A book that keeps you guessing. Is the cult a cult, is the protagonist being drawn in, what exactly is at work? But beyond that lie deeper questions - who gets villainised in which narrative, how does war impact a person's perception of the world, how do we cope with grief? Very well written and well-paced, though the ending was mildly disappointing.

I really enjoyed this book; i loved the multimedia format and how the narrative went back and forth from present to past with the documentary interspersed. i thought that faruq's narrative voice was super compelling as well!! was not what i expected at all from a cult novel but in a good way.

Thank you NetGalley and One World for this eARC of O Sinners!

Wooooooooooowwwwwww!!

The book follows three storylines. One about Faruq, a award-winning journalist, who decides his next big story will be about a cult rising in prominence. One about four black infantrymen in Vietnam. One following the script of a documentary about a clash the cult had a church in Texas. Weaving through all three of these storylines is the story of Odo, the leader of the cult who seems to be able to convice anyone to join his movement.

This book is just incredible. The way it dives into grief, and love, and trauma, and the ways others manipulate us. It's just . . . mwah! I can't find the words for how much I loved everything about this book. Never a slow spot, never a boring chapter, never a wasted word, a wasted detail.

I whole heartedly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Go in with as little information as possible and just let the story take you with it. Its a long book, but it flies by and you won't regret picking it up.

This book rocks. It's about a journalist, Faruq, who is trying to get through the losses of his parents, most recently, his father. Their complicated relationship leaves him ruminating on faith and family, and with that in mind, he goes on assignment in the woods of California to research a cult called the nameless.

As Faruq gets more and more entwined with the people in the nameless, especially their charismatic leader, Odo, he struggles to figure out what is real and what isn't.

I loved the prose and the characterization in this book. It isn't a typical "cult" book, and it looks at many different facets of cults and why people join them. A satisfying and compelling read.

I picked up O, Sinners because I love a cult story. Unfortunately, this one didn’t grab me. I am surprised by this being described as smoothly moving through the three narratives because I was mostly confused. This is slow moving and not always easy to follow. Thanks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A journalist Faruq spends months in a sort-of-commune in Northern California interviewing the leader Odo and members of the "Nameless" cult. His story is woven with the back story of soldiers in Vietnam--one of who becomes the cult leader, and a documentary made about the cult.

Really well done, especially the tension between Faruq and Odo that kept me guessing the whole time. The whole thing was different and original.

I think this book is going to be biggggg!! Faruq was a really interesting character to get to know, and I loved learning alongside him. The storyline, characters, and setting were all really well developed and I never quite knew where anything was going. I found the parts in the past and in the movie a little difficult to get into, but that’s more a me thing than the book’s thing. Overall it was really interesting and provided a lot of insight into religion as a concept (also can we talk about the genius it takes to create a fictional cult/religion) and What It Means To Be Human.

O Sinners! is the story of Faruq's, investigation of a cult like group in Northern California. He is Muslim by birth, but now more of an atheist. He goes to live with the cult for a couple of months and tries to understand the cult's leader "Odo", and what the group stands for. He does some soul searching. The book moves back and forth from 1970's Vietnam wartime to present day. It intermittently verbally describes a documentary that sheds light on the cult and their interactions with some "holy roller" types in Texas.

I could not relate to this story or the characters. I wanted to terminate reading about halfway through, but decided to stick with it, hoping there would be incredible resolution or some sort of surprise change of events. I understand, I think, the meaning of the last few pages, but still felt quite unsatisfied.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review O Sinners!

DNF @ 22%.

Although I do love a good cult book, the way the multiple timelines were organized here did not work for me. It left me unable to connect with the story or any of the characters, and therefore, I felt lackluster about flipping the pages.

I’ve never read a book like this and I am still processing my sadness that it’s over. It’s impeccably told, transitioning between 3 stories, and the pacing is perfect. I was most drawn to the present day story, but it would not be the book it is without the other two. I felt the distraught nature of the soldiers in the Vietnam War sections; the performance aspect of the documentary script; the mystic vibes of the present-day story. We get to see the nameless through Faruq’s perspective, ostensibly a transparent one since he is a journalist, but the way he reacts and communicates is so human - it’s hard to fault him for that.

I was absolutely enthralled the entire time, and I cannot wait to buy a copy to loan out to friends - it’s such a unique, sensational book and I feel compelled to sing its praises!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In "O Sinners," three interconnected stories cover a grief-stricken journalist who aims to expose a cult called the Nameless and its leader, Odo. then another delves into Odo’s past during the Vietnam War, exploring his friendships, experiences with racism, and personal losses, and another covers Faruq’s background and his current struggles dealing with faith, racism, Islamophobia, and personal losses. The book is engaging and thought-provoking and encourages us to see new perspectives and experiences.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

I am not really sure how to categorize this novel, but I can say I really enjoyed it. The story follows Faruq, a young journalist who is writing a piece on a "religious" cult of some kind or is it? He is a tad lost after the death of his devout Muslim father, a devotion he himself never felt and prior to that, the death of his mother.
The leader of "The Nameless" is a former Vietnam vet and the story weaves his experiences in Vietnam with the the current cult life and a transcript of a documentary filmed before along with Faruq's daily interaction with the group. .

Faruq was going to take at most six weeks to gather enough material to write a really good article. Months go by and he is still there, but now he has a book to write. I found his trying to understand what was being taught and trying to make sense of his own life as the main struggle. The writing was very good and I would love to see more from this author.

Was the wolf real?

I would like to thank Penguin Random House for offering me this read through NetGalley.

In this story, Cuffy tells the struggles that Faruq faces after the loss of his mother and his cold father. Faruq goes to visit the nameless, a cult led by Odo. Will Faruq fall for their ideology, and what will Faruq learn about himself on this journey?

I loved the way this book was written: flashbacks, transcripts, and the current. Duffy adds such a level of depth to her characters. I think this novel will be a top seller in 2025. Excellent book for a book club discussion— this one will leave you thinking!

Once again I am asking for half stars as this was closer to a 5…I’ll be thinking about this one for quite a while

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Tightly plotted, tense but humorous, warm and human, O Sinners! is a book I’m glad to have read and will recommend for a long time.

This book really embodies the definition of a page-turner; at every new development of the plot, I just wanted more. The pace was relaxed and took its time, but it was certain of where it wanted to go, like an experienced tour guide leading you through an exotic labyrinth. The author revealed just enough to satisfy a readers curiosity, but did not venture into over-explanation. The tone was perfectly eerie and unsettling, yet remained in the realm of believable normalcy which kept the narrative grounded. I also really enjoyed the narrative structure--using Instagram posts, transcripts from a documentary, and flashbacks alongside the traditional narrative really enriched the storytelling and was such a creative way to envelope the reader in the world of the nameless. Faruq was also a very interesting and memorable protagonist, and his backstory served as a brilliant contrast with Odo's characterization as a frustratingly gentle antagonist. Odo and his nameless philosophy will stick with me for a long while after I put this book down.