I hate rating memoirs because it happened TO someone and it is someone’s actual life, and oftentimes the people that are writing a memoir aren’t seasoned writers. This. This is the book. I picked this one up because I recognized Lenz from her years on One Tree HIll and I am a sucker for a book about a cult!

Lenz suffered at the hands of people she loved and the story is raw and hard at times to read. As an outsider, you can see the writing on the wall and I think she foreshadows beautifully. It is compelling, and I hope the royalties are 10000% because she absolutely deserves it. This book is not the next memoir winner, but it is compelling and it kept me up all night reading. If you read I’m Glad My Mom Died, try this one.

As a One Tree Hill fan, I was so excited to get a copy of this to read ahead of its publication day. I was expecting a lot more about OTH but it was really more about her time as a member of a cult. Once I started, I couldn't put it down and wanted to know more about her story. As far as memoirs go, I really enjoyed it - her voice was strong and she did a good job of explaining how she arrived in the situation she did as people who lead cults prey upon vulnerabilities.
Overall, would definitely recommend to OTH fans or those interested in cults. Thank you for the copy!

As a big OTH fan, I was super excited to have the opportunity to read this book early through NetGalley. I finished this morning and can’t stop talking about it. It’s absolutely mind-blowing what Joy went through behind the scenes during the entirety of her OTH run and nearly a decade of her life.

I love Joy’s writing and how open she is about the whole experience, and I honestly wish the book was a bit longer… I would’ve loved to learn more about her healing process and the decade since removing herself from that cult environment. I also, of course, would have loved a bit more behind the scenes on OTH, since it was such a huge part of her life.

Would definitely recommend to any pop culture fans, and am hoping for a sequel about her healing and motherhood process!

I loved One Tree Hill. Like a lot. So I was of course going to read yet another memoir from one of its stars. BUT the thing here is - this one is about cults! So if you are not an OTH person, that's fine, come for the cults.

Bethany Joy Lenz (goes by Joy) speaks of her time in what was a Bible study between friends but ended in her being in a cult led by a man named Les that took over her life and her finances. She starts evangelical and being very religious to begin with and it was a slow slide into giving over all her autonomy to a religious leader to help her be more Christian in her life. They controlled what roles she took and, as she was the only working member, used her earnings to finance the cult. Her parents definitely saw it as a cult and tried to get her out but she was like "no, mom, it's just friends in a prayer group!" Girl, wake up, the cult call is coming from inside the house.

It was really interesting to see the insidious way a cult pulls you in bit by bit and takes over drip by drip. And that she was in this cult the *entire* time she was on One Tree Hill. I have to rewatch just to think about all that was going on in her life while she filmed it.

I recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Dinner for Vampires is out Oct. 22, 2024.

4.5 stars rounded up. This book was more than I expected it to be. A nuanced and deep dive into what happens when the search to belong collides with misplaced and warped faith, and the predatory monsters who are present in every religion. As someone who both grew up in church and was a fan of OTH as a young adult, this was a particularly interesting read, especially in today’s climate of politics warped with so-called Christianity.

But the title is a little deceptive, although I understand why it the book was named this way for marketing purposes. If you’re an OTH fan looking for any juicy gossip or fun tidbits, this ain’t it. Fair warning, the show isn’t mentioned until 40% in, and any stories about it revolve mostly around BJL’s cult experiences. But I think if you’re someone who is a big fan of the show and especially of the actress, you’ll still find this book immensely interesting.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was a One Tree Hill kid, originally Dawson's Creek, but then when you move to Eastern North Carolina, you end up around the show. I loved living there, and loved the fact that One Tree Hill has honestly been such a joy. (No pun intended.) Bethany Joy Lenz was always so sweet to us that would even be there as extras, something that I appreciated. I know that I think I was surprised, that the show wasn't mentioned as much as I thought it would be, but the way that Joy writes about her co-stars, I loved that. I had no idea that Joy had gone through everything that she had, and I am so glad that she was able to find her way out with the help of friends and family. I appreciated that she was so open about her experience, and I hope that others find solace in that. Thank you to NetGalley, to Bethany Joy Lenz, and to Simon & Schuster for the good fortune to get to read the ARC of this. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. It was exactly what I wanted; equal parts of cult and One Tree Hill It was super intriguing, sad and wonderful. A must read!

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! I've never watched One Tree Hill, but am always a fan of celebrity memoirs. When I read the summary of this book, I was instantly intrigued. This book is the best memoir that I have read this year. Bethany's story is real and genuine. She takes you through the reality of how somebody can think they are doing everything right and be taken advantage of due to status, money, and need to find community.

Her recount of her experience in a cult while on the well known cult tv show One Tree Hill is an unbelievable story about faith, humanity, abuse, realization, and ultimately bravery. This book is very impactful and well thought out, Bethany is a wonderful storyteller. I believe she will help many people by telling this story to the world and that even though her journey was difficult - she will be a huge difference with this memoir.

I definitely recommend this book whether you are a One Tree Hill fan or not!

I am a huge OTH fan and a Nathan/Haley fan, specifically, and I'm also fascinated by cults so I was excited about this one. I immediately liked the fact that it sounded like Bethany. The writing was (mostly) unpretentious and relatable and sounded conversational, like she's telling you the story rather than trying to be overly wordy or thought about it. I had no idea she was going through this while filming and I think it's very impressive that she was able to handle things, though I do wonder how having so much physical distance between herself (filming in rural NC) and the cult (being on the west coast) didn't make it very easy to get out. I do think fans of OTH will enjoy reading this and hearing a more in-depth version of her story which to this point we'd only heard bits and pieces of, but I don't know that it will appeal to people really looking to understand cults because it just never really hammered home the whole appeal. It just never seemed like a very successful cult. So while her story is interesting, it is mostly because of who she is.

Dinner for Vampires is a memoir by Bethany Joy Lenz who is best known for her role on One Tree Hill
I mostly picked this book up for its subtitle "Life on a Cult TV Show While Also in an Actual Cult" and it did not disappoint. Lenz perfectly blends the celebrity memoir with cult memoir that made this book impossible to put down. It was so interesting to read about her slow descent into the cult and the dynamics within.

Bethany Joy Lenz details her time slowly joining a cult and her time in the cult while filming One Tree Hill,

The first half of this book was super slow for me. It was hard to get through, especially as someone who is not religious, 150 pages about her Bible study was a lot. The second half got a lot more interesting, but it was tough to get to that far. I felt bad for a lot of the stuff she went through, but in all honesty she came off very snobby and rude in a lot of things she said. Things like "hotels are for families and motels are pay by the hour" and "she was a plus-sized blonde" were just so unnecessary and rude and they really rubbed me the wrong way. I was a huge OTH fan, but had no real opinion on her before this book, but now my opinion is not very high for her.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I just couldn't get into this one, but it could be me - I loooooooved OTH so if you're a fan I'd definitely try it!

What an absolutely enlightening and heartwrenching book. Bethany Joy Lenz endured a cult like rise to stardom on One Tree Hill while also being raised in an actual cult. Powerful, hopeful, and wonderful.

You might need to be a fan of or at least familiar with Bethany Joy Lenz to give this 5 stars, but I think as a memoir on its own, it deserves at least 4. When I read a book and explain to my husband how I'm feeling, that book is exceptional in my eyes. I was mad at this book. How people can take advantage of others and make them question themselves or feel less than is unacceptable. I'm so glad this author shared her story.

Bethany's story is so fascinating to read. While reading the story, it was sometimes hard to get through parts. As someone who watches documentaries on different cults and finds the psychology of cults interesting to research, it was painfully obvious what she was going through was manipulative and built on control. You would never want someone to go through that, and to see someone who always had a smile on their face be dealing with all of that behind closed doors is difficult to hear. I was so entranced with the entire story and found it difficult to put down. I highly recommend this read to anyone!!

I have always been a One Tree Hill fan, ever since the day it aired on the WB in 2003. I graduated high school the year before so when I learned about the premise of the show, I was instantly hooked. And if there is one character on the show that I identified with the most, it was Haley James. ⁣
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In 2003, there wasn’t social media like there is now so I didn’t know much about Bethany Joy Lenz. I do remember some tabloid-related news about other cast members- who was dating who etc. but overall I think I knew very little about Joy. I remember while watching one season that her last name changed in the opening credits because she got married…and then I remember seeing her last name changed again back to her maiden name. I always wondered what had gone on in her personal life back then. If you’re a fan of Joy and you’re anything like me (curious about what she went through during that time) - read her book!⁣
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Joy went through so much while filming OTH and it’s truly amazing she was able to stay sane through the decade she spent on our TVs. This book focuses on her time spent in a cult, marrying into that cult, having a daughter while trying to escape from this cult and how she ultimately broke away. There are small sections that focus on her time on OTH and how she isolated herself from fellow cast mates because of the control she was under. I think looking back she carries a lot of regret about that time because she had a wall up to anyone who tried to go too deep with her. ⁣
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I love that the OTH women have now come together to host a podcast, Drama Queens, where they share behind the scenes drama that was happening and what they’ve learned since their time on the show. I always love to hear Joy’s insights and now I feel like I understand her more after reading 𝘋𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘝𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴. I highly recommend their podcast and now I can highly recommend Joy’s book too. ⁣
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Thank you Netgalley for this advance copy, I’ll definitely be ordering a physical copy to add to my shelves.

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Just a little slow and unbelievable at some points. Love Bethany from one tree hill. Her story seemed very woe is her and all her occurrences that happened in her life were not a fault of her own. It got super annoying at some points. I totally get she had some bad events but own some of it too. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow ! This was such a good memoir ! It sucks you in right from the beginning and does not let go. I flew through this book so fast and did not want it to end. I was a huge One Tree Hill fan so I jumped at the opportunity to read this book. Even if you are not an OTH fan, I still recommend giving this a read if you enjoy anything cult related.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the digital arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

Reading Dinner for Vampires was a very eye=opening experience for me. Although I loved One Tree Hill growing up, I never followed the cast and their lives after the show ended. However, I was intrigued to hear more about Joy Lenz' life upon coming across this book. The way that she was able to tell her story felt very authentic and personable. I was able to understand her emotions and feelings, without the text feeling preachy. My only issue with the writing was that it was just claustrophobic and blocky. Nonetheless, the story of Bethany Joy Lenz made it super interesting and hard to put down.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of Dinner for Vampires by One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz! This gripping memoir reveals her secret decade-long involvement in a cult while navigating a successful acting career on One Tree Hill. The story is both shocking and unsettling, offering a raw glimpse into the challenges Bethany faced behind the scenes. Fans will be amazed at the strength and resilience she demonstrated while portraying Haley James Scott, unaware of the harrowing ordeal she was enduring in real life.