Thanks to NetGalley for e-arc.
When you look back on your past relationships....is closure what you need? Crosley examines this possibility with great humor and style. Her take on a man's perspective on break-ups is fascinating. A good read !

This was good. I really enjoyed the premise. Her humor is so clear yet subtle. You can tell that she is a funny person and not someone who is trying to write about a funny person.

After dinner in Chinatown, Lola finds herself running into her exes several nights in a row, each encounter causing her to reflect on those relationships, each unique in its own right. This made for a lively approach to examining romance in the current age. I chose to not pay much attention to the otherworldly aspect of the plot, which made me enjoy it more, but that's me. It was a device that worked to propel the story, but I was just enjoying Lola and her NYC life.

A romp! It's a certain type of joy to read a woman spiral and reach self awareness! Thanks to net galley as always.

One of the most unique and original plots I’ve ever read. The humor is biting about love and relationships. As a person who is looking for her past while walking the streets of New York I really got it.

I really enjoyed this book. I have not read anything by this author yet. The main character, Lola is the typical cynical New Yorker, engaged to "Boots". She is witty and hilarious, and I really loved her. She randomly starts running into her ex-boyfriends and is initially confused but then suspicious of her journey forward, wondering why? When she finally uncovers the source of her random mysterious ex meet-ups, she is first surprised then confused and finally reflective over her past and future with Boots. The writing is sharp, unconventional and sarcastic and Lola along with her cohort of friends were hilarious together. Very original story!! I can't wait to read more by this author!! Thank you so much for the ARC!!!

I am a huge fan of Sloane Crosley. I think the hardest thing to do it "write funny" and she pulls it off every time. I am still laughing about the "Like Donald Duck?" comment. There is so much going on in the story that even though the main character is discovering herself the story doesn't get bogged down in misery and introspection.

What if a super secret wellness cult could grant you the ability to randomly reconnect with every single one of your exes. Personally, I would say no, but that's just me. Sloane Crosley's Cult Classic explores this notion as the main character, Lola, is graced with the presence of her numerous exes all within the blocks of Chinatown.

I think what I liked about this book so much was its plot (and coming from someone that gravitates towards character driven stories, thats saying a lot). I found myself constantly wondering what would happen next and was surprised by the directions the story ended up taking. Crosley weaves in musings on life and relationships well, all while keeping you on your toes about the intentions of the cult. This book was not only fun but provided an opportunity for me to look back on my own relationship with the past and how I hold on to moments, events, and people. This novel releases on June 7th!!

This is not what I expected. I thought I was diving into some cult story, but this turned out to be a weird love story where everyone needed to jump through several hoops to agree that they love each other.

I’m not sure if most of the people would want to face their past boyfriends, hookups or heartbreaks on different street corners one day after another. Some might long for that one relationship but if you have so many that didn’t mean so much to you or you tried to forget, you wouldn’t want to be in Lola’s shoes. Because past boyfriends are popping up everyone like mushrooms after the rain.

After reading above, you might ask so what’s the cult connection here. So this eccentric ex-boss came up with the “genius” idea of manifesting everyone’s past significant others to show them whether they are making the right decision or not. He decided to use Lola as his trial case for his “investors”. There will be bunch of what the hell is this guy doing but it’s an interesting take on love and trust

What if romance was managed by a cult...?

Part noir mystery, part Christmas Carol, Cult Classic is a look at relationship from the perspective of an empowered, emotion-hoarding, confused woman that has a decided problem with comitment. Newly engaged, she finds herself alone as her fiancée leqces on a business trip... only to be confronted by an old flame evey night.

I really enjoyed, not only the story, but the portrayal of complex emotions. Lola, our MC, bounces from reflective to narcissitic to out and out insane as she relives her past relationships and decisions, and the crazy source of her parade of paramores.

Not only was Lola and her mentality well drawn, but the cast of supporting characters drawn by Crosley was phenominal! Well done!

Unlike a lot of other reviewers here, I'd never read Slone Crosley before and wasn't sure what to expect. This was such a fun read! It was really sharp, smart without being pretentious or try-hard, and very funny and perceptive. I found some of the late-middle section when the narrator was describing various exes to drag a bit, but overall the book held my interest throughout. I am not sure I'd classify this as a "cult novel," though -- maybe more like a "mad scientist and his helpers" novel? I was missing some of the group dynamics that I would expect from a book that's really about cults (though the book is really smart about group dynamics in workplaces and other types of relationships).

The book this reminded me most of is Catherine Lacey's "The Answers," more in terms of theme than tone or style.

One evening Lola goes out for dinner with her old work crowd. Later that evening, through happenstance, she begins running into her many exes. What on earth is going on? Soon, Lol a finds herself through the looking glass in a sort of secret society. This is a clever and witty exploration of commitment and cultist behaviour. If you have a great sense of curiosity this book is for you.

4 stars

Despite the strong urgings of several trusted friends, this is still - somehow - my first Sloane Crosley effort, and I can see what the buzz is all about.

Lola, the m.c., is on the path to getting married, and unlike so many heroines who find themselves on this same trajectory, she is edging up on 40 and thus has a fair amount of life in her back pocket. This is important because Lola's past plays a central role in this novel, which is a little bit love story, a dash of _The Truman Show_, a hint of _Sliding Doors_, and a sprinkle of a character Parker Posey would have played perfectly a few years ago (and no doubt still would). The main talking point I hear about Crosley is the wry humor, and while I did find this funny at times, the situations were (to me) too awkward to be funny (and that is admittedly my own problem stemming from the thought of running into a bunch of exes. Lola is healthier, or at least really different, than I am in this way. It is what it is). Overall, the concept feels fresh, incredibly quirky, and meaningful based on an ending I particularly enjoyed.

This is a quick read and a terrific audiobook for those who are able to access this version. The narrator adds a lot of personality to an already compelling m.c. I expect I'll *finally* be taking that good advice and circling back to Crosley's earlier works and keeping an eye out for future installments.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is exactly what I expected if Sloane Crosley wrote a novel about cults. If you’ve read her books and you are familiar with who she is, you know what I’m talking about. Every box ticked. You either like that kind of thing or you don’t. If you are not familiar with this author I do not recommend this book. As it is I would give it a 3.5

Despite a very interesting premise, I was not able to finish reading this novel. I found the writing style to be disengaging and the characters flat. Because of this I had no interest in the plot or character development and gave up on the book.

I would not reccomend this book to anyone since I failed to finish it.

Thank you to Netgalley.

What a bizarre book! I was instantly drawn to the description and it didn't disappoint, it just....surprised and confused. It's definitely something you have to experience for yourself so I'd suggest picking this one up!

Thanks so much to Netgalley for the ARC!

I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would. I was really drawn to it by the description and the cult elements, but I couldn’t connect with the characters unfortunately. I was super engaged at the beginning by the setting and imagery but halfway through I became super annoyed and frustrated with the main character’s personality.

I love Sloane Crosley. Her essays have been long time favorites and my first experience with her fiction was a success! Something about the story didn’t *quite* give me that 5 star feeling, but I loved it nonetheless. This was such an interesting take on relationships and what the true motivations behind “getting closure” might be. I wasn’t sure how the magical aspects were going to work at the beginning of the novel, but it all clicks perfectly and added such a fun take to the story. I should have known not to doubt. Her humor is unmatched and I will gladly continue reading anything she ever writes.

If a book has the word “cult” on the title, I’m sold.

I had SUCH high expectations for this book. The premise is great. It sounds like the perfect book to read by the pool.

3 stars

Lola is a reliable character. She’s a 37-year-old woman with a lot of dating experience. She’s engaged and not sure if Boots is really the guy.

Even though Lola is reliable, I didn't feel emotionally connected to her. Or any of the characters. They were just so meh to me. And believe me, there are a lot of characters. Basically, each chapter introduces us to one of Lola’s exs.

The humor in the story is pretty dark and I kinda liked that. It wasn't the “laugh out loud” kind of funny, but still funny.

I think the major problem I had with the book was the writing style. It was confusing and I didn't know where they were, who was who, who they were talking about. I think it’s supposed to be an intellectual style and maybe I’m not smart enough for it? Lol
Oh well. The intellectualness in it didn't hook me, it just made me tired and bored.

To be fair, this book is rated at 4.31 on goodreads, so maybe it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with an E-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is definitely one of the most anticipated reads of the year, and I'll tell you what. It does not disappoint!
Cult Classic was a delightful read. This is the first book I get to read by Sloane Crosley and it definitely won't be my last.

The story follows Lola, a New Yorker, who, excusing herself from a work reunion dinner with former colleagues, to buy a pack of cigarettes, when she runs into one of her ex-boyfriends. What would normally pass for coincidence becomes something far stranger as, the next night, she bumps into another one of her ex-boyfriends...

As she contemplates on her current relationship, memories of the past start swirling around in ways both comic and eerie, as Lola is forced to decide if she will surrender herself to the conspiring of one very contemporary cult that has somewhat very familiar...

Cult Classic was such fun read and beautifully written with a lot of character and it leaves you wondering a lot about your own perspective both on love and alienation. I loved the way the author makes the reader navigate through the book so effortlessly, with witty remarks and a compelling story about relationships and how does one (or not) can reconcile the past with the future. Is there really such thing as closure or moving on from the past? This is the question that Lola must ask herself when deciding if she is going the right way or not with her latest relationship.

The premise of this story is wholly original, with both interesting and mysterious characters. But what makes this book especially amazing is Crosley's insightful and delightful writing. The pacing is slow and even though the execution takes a while to build up, I appreciated what the author was trying to tell with this story.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it! I know I'll be buying a physical copy when it comes out in the world on June 7th!