Cult Classic
By Sloane Crosley

This is a very strange book about the power to affect situations – sort of a mind control via power of suggestion.

A woman named Lola is engaged to a man she calls Boots. She can't seem to make up her mind if she really wants to marry him or not. She has been in several relationships over time which have not ended well, and she is not sure where this is going.

Suddenly she starts seeing old boyfriends in unexpected situations. She doesn't understand why they are showing up or for what purpose. From here the story just keeps getting stranger.

The premise here is different, although I am not sure I would call it interesting – a little too weird for me.

This book was hard to get through. If I'm being honest, I had to skim much of the last bit of the book because I was getting sick of the plot, the writing, and the characters. The writing felt cumbersome and it didn't flow well. The overall storyline got lost in so many unnecessary flashbacks and inner thoughts of the extremely unlikable main character. This is a shame because I was excited to read this book.

Cult Classic was a wonderfully delightful little book. Romance is not my usual go to genre by any means, but I do enjoy a good rom com every once in a while and Cult Classic checked all the boxes for me. The characters were quirky, witty and funny yet also had layers of depth and personality. The plot line was original, which is a hard act to follow nowadays because most rom coms seems to follow the same patterns. This was a light and quick read that is sure to satisfy.

Is it coincidence or are you running into all your past boyfriends on the same day? Cult Classic is hard to genrify--little bit romance, little bit science fiction, little bit mystery. The story tells the tale of Lola who has become recently engaged, but she still needs to "deal" with her past relationships. Luckily for her, her former employer's new business venture can help her with this. While it wasn't a fast-paced read, it did make me think about how all of your relationships make you into the person you are today. Recommended.

I really enjoyed Cult Classic! It was very strange, very funny, and just all around well written. It reminded me a lot of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - though instead of forgetting your ex, you're forced to get closure from the romantic wounds of the past. I hope to get a physical copy too because the cover is truly stunning!

Great thriller. Never heard of the author but gave the story a try and really enjoyed it, the plot, characters, all of it. Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

It's hard to imagine any millennial woman not being immediately drawn in by Sloane Crosley's trademark brand of acerbic wit, which manages to be introspective and intelligent while also balancing that with a healthy dose of satire in the form of recognizing the absurdity of-- well, everything. That quality is in full effect in her latest effort, Cult Classic. Add to it the concept, of a woman possessing said acerbic wit, who gets stuck in a sort of loop whereby she must confront all of her former exes (or, really, flings), and I couldn't wait to dig in... But by the 25% mark, I realized the book wasn't working for me. I continued to push through, because Crosley's writing is fun and her observations and sarcasm make the read worthwhile, but I never fully 'dropped in'. The device, of the quirky Soho House-cum-cult offering specific services, was a bit too amorphous-- I couldn't pin down what the aim was, how it worked, or what it was helping Lola/its customers achieve. I think the plot as a whole suffered from this watery, loose approach. Based on the premise, I was expecting something more like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but there's really no strong through line and nothing really happens when Lola meets her former paramours. But the biggest problem, for me, was the narrative distance; because of all the quips and cleverness, I never felt a connection to Lola. She always felt removed, so there was never a moment when I felt real emotional stakes. Although there were many times that I related to her situation, having 'Mr. Right', but not feeling passionately for him, or being so hung up on your exes, on 'what if's' that you sabotage the good thing in front of you.

A warm, funny, furious novel about... well, it's strangely hard to describe. What starts out as a sort of Russian-Doll-esque "woman in NYC having a weird thing happen" story turns into something else altogether. And then it turns AGAIN into something else! Something altogether more classic and traditional, except that I never saw it coming.
I enjoyed this immensely, and found that it was like reading Crosley's early work again in terms of the snap of her pen.

The premise of this book struck a chord with me and had me intrigued. A mysterious string of random encounters with old boyfriends in a short frame of time and a cult. Sounds awesome!

The character development and story are interestingly interwoven and the pacing feels just right. Very stellar writing!

It is not very often that I don’t finish reading a book and this was one of them. I decided to step away at about the 45% complete mark.

The hardest part of the story for me was Lola, the main character. I knew a girl very much like her when I was in school. Very bright, a little self-absorbed, and had a sarcastic sense of humor. I really liked hanging out with her but only in short bursts; so spending time with this type of personality for the duration of a novel was draining for me. I also felt like many of the other characters were similar.

I was excited when I reached the “Cult” part of the story and had great hopes that this would override my focus on the characters and then pay more attention to the story. I tried to hang in there. I really did. Without giving any spoilers, all I can say is that the cult only reinforced my feelings and left me with no choice but to put this one down.

A huge thank you for my e-ARC, which was provided by the publisher and the author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Whip-smart comedy that gives its somewhat old premise -- woman with long, fractious romantic history runs into all her old lovers and tries to arrive at a reckoning about whether or not to commit to her current beau -- new life with an unexpectedly fantastical twist. Crosley's voice is the star here, with her protagonist's acerbic take on the Manhattan struggling literati's life as spot-on as it is frequently hilarious.

All things cultish are in right now and it is entirely fascinating. This book was no exception. Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley captures everything readers love in a good cult story and is perfectly named. (Full review to post to good reads and Twitter closer to release date)

We're all patchworks of our past carrying through to the present and trying to carve out better futures, but how much time do you find yourself spending reminiscing and comparing the past? What would you give to be able to move forward without that pressure? Without the constant reminder of open wounds people leave on us when they leave? Without the constant drive to be the perfect version of someone you're not just so someone might love you, only to have it fall apart so you get stuck in an endless cycle of rediscovering yourself? For Lola of Sloane Crosley's Cult Classic, the answer is a little…complicated.

Lola is still a little attached to every man she's ever fallen for, which means she sometimes ends up comparing them to her healthy, stable relationship with her fiancé Boots, even though each of them ended in uniquely catastrophic ways. After her job at Modern Psychology falls apart when her boss announces they can no longer keep the magazine afloat, she begins bumping into every man she's ever dated. After enough encounters to establish it as a pattern rather than some freak accident, she confides in her best friend Vadis, who reveals the truth behind the astronomical coincidences. What unfolds from there is a unique, messy, complicated journey through Lola's past that forces her to confront her true feelings about both her present and her future.

I did not at first expect to find so much beneath the surface of Cult Classic, but what starts as what may as well be my own personal hell soon develops into a surprisingly poignant meditation on the ways women often mold themselves to fit into the confines of society's - and men's - ideas of worth, and what kind of lasting impact that can have on someone. Lola's history is peppered with both self-sabotage and genuine horror that feels all too common to the dating scene, where she by turns finds someone who doesn't interest her enough, someone who can hardly see past their own reflection, or someone who felt almost star-crossed for a fleeting moment. The ways in which she handles each confrontation with each of her exes serve as excellent litmus tests for how connected she still feels to them, and how often she must confront that she is no longer the center of their world.

Perhaps the strongest thing about Cult Classic is its willingness to let Lola be as consistently messy, and selfish, and toxic as she is without trying to defend her, justify her, or demonize her. Her fixations on each of the men and what they think of her are tragically familiar signs of someone so marred by their history they cannot see the progress made in their present. Only through confrontation with the truth - that each person's view of and emphasis on a relationship may not be as equal as we imagine - can she grow past her tendency to compare and embrace the person and circumstances in which she finds herself now. Because the truth is, despite their differences, her and Boots are truly matched for each other in ways she does not even begin to imagine for most of the novel, and he might be the first one on her level she's ever had.

Readers will find humor, heartache, and - if your history is anywhere as checked as mine - an uncomfortable sense of horror and suspense, pulsing through the heart of Cult Classic, making it a propulsive and engaging read perfect for the heat of summer nights and the dawning push and pull of existential crises we find ourselves in more and more with each passing major event. It'll have you laughing and pondering through your own past to wonder what kind of marks it's left on you and what kinds of healing we all have left to do to move forward. Let the messy, complex Lola be your guide through the semi-toxic minefield of mindfulness culture and genuine growth.

"Cult Classic" is witty and genre-bending blend of fun fantastical literary fiction that defies all categorization.
The novel follows the 30-something Lola who lives in New York with her fiancee, Boots. As their pending nuptials loom, Lola starts to question her choices and past while at a dinner with co-workers. Seemingly coincidentally, she soon starts running into the men of her past, giving her a glimpse of her past self and what could have been. Turns out it's not coincidence, but a cult-like program designed by her friends to help her reach some existential conclusion about her life — and she's their first test case. With each meeting, the reader gets a tiny glimpse into Lola's past love life and her own past — all the mundane, crazy, cringe-worthy and heartbreaking.
It sounds insane in summary, but Sloane Crosley's "Cult Classic" truly is fascinating, witty and engaging. It reminds me of a much more upbeat romp of Otessa Moshfegh's "My Year of Rest and Relaxation." Crosley truly shines throughout it all as she waxes on love, life in New York, missed opportunities and so much more. It's outlandishly fun and shouldn't be missed.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.
4/5

Cult Classic by Sloan Crowley



One night in New York City's Chinatown, a woman is at a work reunion dinner with former colleagues when she excuses herself to buy a pack of cigarettes. On her way back, she runs into a former boyfriend. And then another. And . . . another. Soon nothing is quite what it seems as the city becomes awash with ghosts of heartbreaks past.

What would normally pass for coincidence becomes something far stranger as our heroine, the recently engaged Lola, must contend not only with the viability of her current relationship but the fact that both her best friend and her former boss, a magazine editor turned mystical guru, might have an unhealthy investment in the outcome. Memories of the past swirl and converge 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.

Is it possible to have a happy ending in an age when the past is ever at your fingertips and sanity is for sale? With her gimlet eye, Sloane Crosley spins a wry literary fantasy that is equal parts page-turner and poignant portrayal of alienation.

————————————

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Cult Classic. Well guys, I wish I could say I enjoyed this book until the end. While it started off great for me, I found myself getting lost in its wordiness. At points, I felt like it was trying to be the next literary classic- maybe too much. I did however think it was clever at times and a quick read. Overall, nothing to write home about.
3⭐️

First I wanted to say thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for the ARC copy of Cult Classic in exchange for an honest review.

Cult Classic isn’t normally the type of book I pick up but when I read the synopsis I was so intrigued I needed to read it. I’m glad I did! Cult Classic is about a woman named Lola who keeps running into her exes without knowing why.

I was hooked from page one from the wit and writing style of Sloane Crosley. I was hooked by the suspense and mystery of the never ending parade of boyfriends.

If you’re a fan of witty suspense, engaging dialogue, and a fun plot I 100% recommend this book.

First of all, how fantastic is this cover?

All I heard about this was “genre bending” and I thought: Sold! The synopsis completely captured my attention and it certainly was not at all what I was expecting. Hands down one of my favorite prologues ever, too. If Writers & Lovers by Lily King and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind had a baby, it would be this book. Overall, I really enjoyed this. It was an interesting and captivating exploration on modern romance. Crowley has an excellent writing style that had me both philosophical and cracking up. Such an interesting concept and I loved Lola as a narrator that was very transparent about her faults. I actually really related to Lola, which always makes a book more interesting for me. I think the first half was very strong but I definitely gassed out in the second half as the relationships Lola was reflecting on were less impactful on her life. The entire time I was like okay, I need more Boots! Thankfully it had a strong end to tie it all together. I’m definitely keen to read more by this author and found this an enjoyable read.


Favorite Quotes:

“Everyone feels like if only they had been more or less tolerant, if they could commit to a version of themselves, they could be with anyone they’d ever dated.”

“ You know, when you’re younger, you worry that maybe no one will ever love you and that fear makes you do some dumb shit. What you don’t know is that fear has nothing on the fear of not being capable of loving someone in return.”

“ Romance without practicality is a fling. Love is agreeing to live in someone else’s narrative.”

“Romance may be the world’s oldest cult. It hooks you when you’re vulnerable, scares the shit out of you, holds your deepest fears as collateral, renames you something like ‘baby,’ brainwashes you, then makes you think that your soul will wither and die if you let go of a person who loved you.”

“Men,” I said, plunking my chair to the floor. “I can never decide if I forgive them too easily or punish them too easily. My whole life, I’ve never known.”


“They say you only hurt the ones you love, but you can hurt lots of people you only moderately like.”

“A normal person tries to take responsibility for their own personality, their own choices. But I don’t think you’re normal. And I love you and it sucks.”

“It’s like Field of Dreams except instead of baseball, it’s your vagina.”

“What’s past is prologue, right?”

“I was a sane person imitating a broken person imitating a sane person, which did not feel sane, not at all.”

“A hero without a damsel is a mere man.”

i always think I am going to enjoy Crosby as i really liked her essay collections...Cult Classic goes the way of The Clasp...over blown rhetoric that is just not necessary to get the point across. Did not finish this one. Crosby can belong in the Jennifer Egan category, if you like that sort of thing then this one is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and FSG for the advanced reader copy!!!

I devoured this. Cult Classic was a romp! Witty, strangely suspenseful and eerie, comically entertaining - I could not get enough.

New York City dwelling Lola is recently engaged to her soon-to-be husband, "Boots". On a night out in Chinatown with former colleagues, Lola steps out to buy a pack of cigarettes and runs into an ex-boyfriend. Unsettling internal emotions arise with this coincidence (if only it were a coincidence at all). Night after night, Lola runs into former boyfriend after former boyfriend. What would typically be chalked up to bizarre serendipity begins to have Lola questioning her personal sanity and logical reason. What Lola comes to find is that there is much more going on than perpetual freak chance, and her best friend and former boss possibly have stakes in the end result.

Unsettling emotions arise as Lola grapples with what she has sought in previous partners as well as the long-term viability of her current relationship with Boots. Will she succumb to the eccentric scheming of a newfangled cult, relinquishing her skepticism to see how her life plays out? In this day and age, how can there be happy endings when your past is so easily accessible and at the fingertips of a manipulative world?

A great read. This book has such an intriguing premise it draws you in from the outset, and is hard to put down. Crosley weaves together a witty tale peppered with a great cast of characters, that really resonates. I dont really have any criticisms for this book, My favorite book of the year so far.

Great fun especially for female readers of a certain age, who occasionally look back to previous relationships. Lola is uncommitted but in a committed relationship. Will a scheme to bring closure help her decide she found the one? Rapid-fire dialogue, questionable friends and a string of of ex-boyfriend sightings play their scenes in a neighborhood in New York. There also may or may not be a cult involved.