An astonishingly expansive and ambitious novel, Nicole Cuffy masterfully weaves together three intricate storylines through flashbacks, first-person narratives, and creative use of transcripts, Instagram posts, and even music from a documentary. At its heart, the story revolves around Faruq, a highly respected journalist struggling to find his footing in the aftermath of his father’s death. Faruq attempts to channel his grief and focus his energy on investigating the enigmatic Nameless cult. His pursuit takes him deep into the Redwood Forest of California, where he begins a series of unsettling meetings with Odo, the cult’s infamous and magnetic leader.

Running parallel to Faruq’s narrative are two equally compelling storylines. One follows a group of soldiers in Vietnam, grappling with the physical and psychological tolls of war, as their paths intersect with the cult’s growing reach. The other storyline focuses on a tight-knit religious community in South Carolina determined to resist the colonization of their sacred land by the Nameless cult. These narratives converge in surprising ways, painting a rich tapestry of resistance, survival, and the human need for connection and meaning.

Cuffy’s ability to juggle these narratives is nothing short of extraordinary. Through the use of Instagram posts, transcripts, and other unconventional storytelling methods, she creates a vivid and immersive experience. The complex and deeply flawed characters breathe life into the novel’s exploration of grief, identity, purpose, and the dangerous allure of religion as an answer for all.

O Sinners! is a profound and daring exploration of the ways we cope with loss, seek purpose, and wrestle with the larger forces shaping our lives. With its intricate structure and bold storytelling, Cuffy delivers a novel that is both an emotional journey and a sharp commentary on contemporary issues. It is a story that lingers, asking questions about the nature of faith, the cost of devotion, and the price of redemption.

#randomhouse #osinners #nicolecuffy #cultfiction #literarythriller

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of O Sinners! by Nicole Cuffy.

This was a really interesting book, I've never read anything like it. It essentially has three sections.

A modern day journalist goes to seek information about a cult in the Redwoods called the Nameless.

A charismatic Black soldier fighting in the deepest trenches of the Vietnam war.

A documentary of the cult clashing with a fundamentalist church in Texas.

All three tie together, and are endlessly fascinating, especially Faruq's interactions with Odo, the cult leader of the Nameless, who consistently challenges him. It was interesting to see how Odo's wretched time in Vietnam shaped him, as well as the conflict displayed in the documentary. Overall, this was a fresh read, full of intrigue and conflict, but also a lot of heart.

Oh man, this book ended up really hooking me. It's slow and tense and I was never sure what was going to happen next but I really adored the main character and was rooting for him. Would have loved to have had more insight into the cult and its motives, but understand that leaving it more vague lent to the larger story. I almost wish I hadn't ready this as an ARC because all I want to do is talk to people about this book and watch interviews with the author and get into her head about the story.! Overall really fantastic writing and storytelling, I think it's a book that will be worth re-reading.

Thanks for the ARC NetGalley!

I really enjoyed this book. I think I enjoyed the backstory a little more than I did the present day scenes. If you enjoy books about strange cults then you will enjoy this. It's a pleasant read. I love the cover too.

In the story we follow Faruq, a journalist who is writing a piece on a cult. He is lost after the death of his Muslim father and prior to that the death of his mother. Then we met the “The Nameless”, who is a former Vietnam vet and from here the story weaves his Vietnam experience with cult life. I loved how this was written in to seem like a documentary transcript.
What was supposed to be at least a 6-week experience to gather material for his journaling piece as now turned into months and while I enjoyed this, I was left wondering if the wolf was even real…
Thank you Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the arc. Even though I was confused at times, it was a great read.

Beautiful book spanning many years and viewpoints. I enjoyed reading and couldn’t wait for more. I’m looking forward to this book’s debut to follow the discussion on a few loose ends for me.

This book was really solid and I can see why people are already raving about it! O Sinners! follows three interwoven narratives—the journey of a group of Black soldiers in the Vietnam war, a cult-exposé documentary (in script form!!! <3 ), and the efforts of our narrator, Faruq, to learn the truth about this controversial group, "the nameless."
You will see that, unlike the synopsis, I tragically did not refer to these narratives as "seamlessly interwoven." I found that, in an effort to have endings and reveals line up, some of the narratives felt incredibly stretched out, while others were prolonged. While they all had their brights spots, I wouldn't say that I was equally interested in the storylines throughout the whole book.
I also think cult-curious readers (like myself) should adjust their expectations to fully receive this different story. O Sinners! is much more a book of self-discovery than conspiracy-uncovering. It wasn't quite what I expected, but I did really enjoy it and will definitely be looking for more from Nicole Cuffy in the future!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. <3

5/5 ⭐️ This was a hell of a great read! I really didn’t know what to expect because I didn’t read the synopsis so I went completely blind! The past and present chapters were phenomenal but I do have to say the past chapters were the best along with the recordings of old footage! The ending I was expecting but the execution of it was superb and psychological! And I’m a fan of psychological storytelling!

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!