O Sinners! by Nicole Cuffy
Genre: Fiction
Themes: cults, belonging, war, race and religion

Reeling from the death of his father, journalist Faruq goes on assignment to investigate a mysterious cult in California called “the nameless.” Led by Vietnam War veteran Odo, the nameless follow the 18 Utterances, teachings that include “all suffering is distortion.” O SINNERS! is told through three interwoven points of view: Faruq’s present-day perception, the 1960s, and a documentary script that follows the nameless’ clash with Texas fundamentalist church.

O SINNERS! reminded me of Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, but it just didn’t capture my attention as much. I had a difficult time wanting to pick up the book, so it took me nearly a month to finish. I think the three points of view muddled the pacing; it could have been condensed or one viewpoint (war flashbacks) could have been eliminated. Also, no need for the Instagram posts. I definitely didn’t hate it, and I know lots of people will enjoy it. It just wasn’t for me.

Note: Goodreads lists one of its genres as horror, but I didn’t get any horror vibes — maybe a small touch of suspense.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Random Home for an advanced reader copy of #OSinners!

Jumping back and forth between two different timelines, and throwing in some epistolary formatting in between, this spiritual fiction novel HAD me.

A cult novel like I’ve never read before, I bought a physical copy the DAY it was released. I wasn’t yet finished with the ARC, but I KNEW I needed this in my collection. The depth of feeling behind the character Faruq, and the ways in which I could identify with him, made me apprehensive to put the book down for any reason. I wasn’t as enthralled with Odo’s backstory, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it to an extent. I think all of the military slang sort of held me back a bit because I kept having to Google certain terms . Other than that though, this book dug its way deep into my heart and I will recommend it till I am blue in the face.

Phenomenal. Gold.

Spoilers ahead: Faruq's struggle with balancing his own faith with this family's religious practices, and the wavering of his mother's mental health, felt all too real. His story was DEEPLY moving and relatable. While the military jargon may not have held me captive, the times when we are taken back to Odo's time serving in Vietnam gave me more depth as to what it was like for soldiers, especially those of color, during that time. I also very much appreciated how this novel on the topic of cults didn't ultimately result in the demise of the cult or get too dark and disturbing. It was very refreshing.

A BIG thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the digital ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and One World publishing for letting me read an e-ARC of this book! I've rated the book 4.75/5 stars, but for the purpose of this review, have rounded that up to 5 stars.

It took me far too long to pick this one up from my digital TBR shelf, but I finally did and it was SO worth it. Cuffy's research on cults and the Vietnam War are extensive and her ability to capture the tone of two very different time periods is impressive. I loved the structure of the book: floating between the present-day storyline with Faruq (a reporter who's attempting to break a huge story on the cult known as "the nameless"), descriptions of the nameless' Instagram posts, a documentary rehashing a battle between the nameless and a church, and a group of military men in the thick of the Vietnam War. Each section blends seamlessly into the next, but each has a very distinct voice. I loved getting to unravel the mysterious threads of Odo's origins, before he truly became Odo. It only made the plot unfolding in the present day even more tantalizing, as Faruq tries to resist the urge to fall into the cult.

I feel like sharing any more would ruin the anticipation and suspense, so I'll leave it here. But if you're on the hunt for an emotional dual storyline that features cults and war veterans, this might be it. (And I highly recommend the audiobook! I tandem-read the audio and print copies!)

O Sinners! is not your typical just sit down and read sort of book. O Sinners! makes you think and contemplate the notion of what is truly sin, what is good, what is evil, and most of all who you really are. The idea of someone being defined only by their name and upbringing and race comes into question as the reader begins to consider what really makes them what they are.

Cuffy's novel focuses on Faruq, a journalist that is invited to learn about a cult run by a man named Odo and his cult The Nameless. While Cuffy could stop there and just have this book be about a journalist exploring and learning about a cult she doesn't stop there. The question of religion and cult and what makes one different from the other comes into play. There is also the nod towards the similarities of cults and religion which leaves the reader to consider who is in the wrong when it comes to the insight of what should be condoned and condemned when it comes to both.

O Sinners! also jumps between the current time with Faruq and his time with the cult and the time before Odo was Odo when he served in Vietnam. The story also has clips of a documentary of the issues and disagreement between a church and the Nameless.

I enjoyed O Sinners! and it's thought provoking depth. This is not a light read but it is enjoyable regardless of its depth. My favorite portions of the book had to be the flashbacks to Vietnam and the times Faruq was in the stable with the horses. There is so much to appreciate about this book.

What I found most interesting is the ending of this book. While some may see the book to not have a true ending per se there was a kind of open ended contemplation to be had when it comes to the reader. Here we have Faruq at the end finally at peace and accepting of his environment and himself but the ending leaves the reader to question just how at peace he truly is. Faruq towards the end seems to present a man okay with possessing his peace and his whole world within himself, a man that is content with being alone and the space he has. However, his actions at the very end seem to say otherwise.

To me O Sinners left me looking within myself to determine the ideal of what is truly self. The other contemplation goes back to good and evil, religion and cult and who is in the right and in the wrong. The book makes you evaluate who if any of us is ever truly a sinner. Is it our actions or is it the name and view of others that define us as a sinner? Needless to say this book makes you think. The characters have so much depth but there was some that I wish had more definition.

Minh-An i felt as she was older did not have explanation of her change from the girl in the Nero documentary to the woman Faruq meets.. Along with this there is no real transition of the soldier in Vietnam and the one that becomes Odo. Besides this I felt the book was thought provoking and enjoyable. Until next time, happy reading!

Unfortunately I just couldn't get into this book.

This book follows our protagonist, Faruq, who is a Muslim journalist and decides to write a story on the cult called The Nameless. He gets more intertwined with the cult the more he learns about it and the closer he gets with the cult leader.

The premise really hooked me, but the execution was not there. If this novel had focused specifically on the cult, like I thought it would, it could have been great. However, it jumped around a lot, and left me confused in places. There were too many perspectives and the pacing was off. I really wanted to like this, but I just didn't.

Oh Sinners by Nicole Cuffy this book is about Baruch and Islamic reporter who investigates a cult, deep in the redwoods in California. At the same time coming to terms with the death of his father and their relationship., every few chapters we also get a glimpse into the past of Odo while in Vietnam but throughout the book we’re not quite sure who or which one Odo is. Let me just say I liked a lot about this book not so much the Vietnam part because I wasn’t expecting it but it also was so adverse to the main story and what I chose the book to read it for in the first place. I mean I was so down to read about a Muslim man grappling with his own faith his relationship with the strict father and reconciling the two and at the same time that man talking to members of a cult about all the reasons they love the nameless and watching him descend into the same delusion but the whole thing about Vietnam in my opinion just takes you so far out of the story and I get it it was supposed to give us a glimpse into how although became old but I myself could’ve lived without it. Having said that that is only maybe 1/3 of the book in the rest is the main story in the main story is a great story in one I recommend.#RandomHouse, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #NicoleCuffy, #OSinners,

I loved how true to history this book was, how precient it was, and the gorgeous prose. One of my favorite reads of the year.

There were parts of this I found really interesting, namely that it was about a potential cult, it questioned religion, and it used various media to tell the story. I will say that the Vietnam sequence felt slower in pace than the present day chapters. The documentary sections reminded me so much of 'Wild Wild Country' and the Rajneeshpuram. I wish there had been more closure on the nameless, though perhaps that was the point: there's not need for us to understand what drives the faith of others.

O Sinners! documents a journalist’s infiltration of the nameless—not a cult, not a religion. A philosophy, maybe.

Following a drawn out conflict with a small-town Texas church, claiming the leader of the nameless, Odo, is the antichrist, Faruq decides he wants to find the truth. Still reeling from the recent death of his father, he disappears into the California redwoods—the Forbidden City, the home of Odo.

Of course, the entire time I was reading, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop; anticipating Faruq’s inevitable demise as the nameless managed to suck him in. I was waiting for the truth, the hidden dark underbelly of what for all intents and purposes is a cult. Who really is Odo?

My first few days reading were slow-going and I wasn’t making a lot of progress. I don’t know what changed but last night it was like something came over me and suddenly I was whipping through it; I looked up and it was one in the morning and I was 90 percent through. I remember thinking, Finally, something is going to happen.

The novel itself, I want to preface, is extremely well-written. However, almost nothing happens in the story. I’m not sure if this was purposeful and intended to make the reader feel the monotony of Faruq’s time with the nameless. That feeling only changes when he starts to feel like he’s going crazy, when inexplicable things happen and no one can give him answers.

At the end of a book, I think it should feel like you’ve just finished a really good meal—you’re sated, satisfied, full. Unfortunately, that’s not the feeling I had. The ending didn’t feel like an ending to me; I went to the next page expecting the story to continue, to get the answers I wanted, and they weren’t there.

All in all, I think the concept is really interesting and the way the story was structured worked well in keeping me invested, but it just fell flat at the end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC.

I was immediately drawn to this not only because of the title but also because of the beautiful cover. After reading the blurb and seeing that it was a story about cults I was beyond excited to receive a copy thanks to NetGalley. The perspectives from which the story is told are extremely well written and the story itself was very intriguing. It just wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be going into it - which isn’t a bad thing. I appreciated Cuffy’s writing and the twists and turns that kept me invested. I’m beyond excited to read more of the authors work in the future.

I found this very interesting. I kind of wish Faruq would have discovered more about Odo, seeing as he was a journalist but it seems all he did was ask Odo and other about the documentary that was already created. I liked that the book takes you back to Odo and how his life experiences shaped him to this person. I think we should have gone further back to his childhood, at least snippets. And also at least a chapter from Odo's perspective on what he did after the war and his reaction to how other people reacted to him. It seemed like the Vietnam parts were in-depth but not enough from Odo's perspective (of course, his name isn't Odo during that time.) And instead of Faruq getting home sick and then driven away out of the compound, I wish he had a more compelling reason for leaving other than realizing Odo is not really who he says he is. That's the definition of every cult leader. Still a good cult story, especially when Faruq is trying to meditate and the friends he makes at this compound try to help him. And the whole birthing the horses was interesting but kind of demented in that they were relying on a stranger to make sure the foals didn't die? I mean that is the cult. Great writing though. I think every character had a defined personality and I enjoyed reading this!

I really enjoyed reading this book.
It was amazing, addictive, and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

Hands down the best read of 2025! This story follows the lives of people who question everything and I’m here for the cult chaos. I related to Faruq so much and wanted him to rise above the story and reflect in on his own life and doing. His character does not disappoint and I hope he is finding his way towards his inner peace and happiness.

The best part of the novel was the documentary script and I can already see this novel turning into a Netflix doc with the humorous priests and lawyers telling their sides of Odo’s story in Texas. Overall, I was impressed by the accuracy and flow of the documentary and how we can also have a look into Odo’s mental journey and PTSD while fighting in Vietnam.

A huge thank you to Nicole Cuffy for writing a brilliant work of art, I’m just glad to be alive and be able to read O Sinners! and truthfully enjoy it.

O Sinners! was an amazing read. I'm so glad I got to experience it. I loved the dual timeline storytelling and how we never quite know which soldier is our later "Odo." I loved the reflections on choice, positive thinking, faith, race, and service to country.

This is an unsettling, fascinating, and revelatory book. Faruq is a journalist who’s felt adrift since his father died, and his next assignment is immersing himself in a cult - wittily named the Nameless - nestled deep in the redwoods of California. The book goes back and forth between Faruq’s investigation of and immersion into the cult, the cult leader Odo’s formative experience in the Vietnam War, and the script of a documentary about the cult’s clash with a Texas fundamentalist church.

This is both a fast paced and meditative book, which is definitely an impressive feat, and I enjoyed it immensely. We follow Faruq as he goes deeper and deeper into the cult, and I appreciated that we really got to see the seductive nature of a group like the Nameless, as well as the ways in which cults require their members to cede their identities, privacy, autonomy, and so much more. The Nameless want Faruq and their followers to release themselves from society’s expectations and mores and be truly themselves, but this book masterfully teases out how that is a form of control and expectations too. Faruq is an incredibly introspective protagonist, and he provides the emotional beats and depth that anchor the narrative.

The documentary portions move fast and give us great insight into the context Faruq arrives into, as well as one of the central characters in the cult. There were times when the Vietnam War timeline dragged, and I don’t think the book totally made the connection between Odo’s time in Vietnam and his decision to start his group. But overall, this book made me think a lot and kept me flipping the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

n O Sinners! there are two men who play the key roles. One is Faruq, a young man raised by an observant Muslim father and, until her death in a car accident, a mother who was less observant. Faruq writes for an online site but he needs a break shortly after his father dies. His grief is overwhelming and his guilt is as well: Faruq's relationship with his father was complex, because Faruq is an atheist, but he never told his father. Faruq's cousin, ever loyal, knew and had his back and has his back at all times. Faruq lived with his father in a New York Brownstone he now inherited. This means they prayed together and observed holidays and religious practices consistently. Faruq believes his father made his mother's life too hard by choosing not to learn about depression/mental health issues and because his father recognized she was not a devout Muslim. He yelled at her for her deficiencies, worsening her depression. So his feelings about his father include pain around not being able to be himself with him, his mother not being able to be herself with him how this caused them tremendous pain.

Odo is the head of a large, nationally known movement called, the Nameless. He is African American and he is a Vietnam Vet, having served in the late 1960s. He and his followers have created a large community among the redwoods. It is a sophisticated town with a variety of small industries. It is common for Odo's followers to be educated and wealthy. Many donate what they have to the Nameless.

Odo experienced a lot in the frontlines in Vietnam. We know about his time in Vietnam through stories of days here and there while he was serving there. But try as I could, I kept failing to figure out which soldier from the close knit group of African American men, each with a nickname and a story to tell was Odo. It was a relief and I thank the author for giving us enough information to eventually figure it out.

Faruq's editor suggests he spend six weeks embedded with the Nameless and put together an article about them. There are contentions as to just what they are: a cult? a religious group or religious cult? a secret and possibly dangerous movement? Faruq, does manage to get an invitation to the Forbidden City and audiences with Odo. Odo does not live lavishly, cars are shared, golf carts are used to get around the property. As to "religion," there are 18 utterances everyone masters that represent a kind of doctrine/creed/philosophy to live by, but they are not explicitly a religion. Faruq uses his in the Forbidden City to interact with members. He takes his morning runs and has some sort of mystical experiences. He stays far longer than intended. This is of serious concerns to the New York Aunties who wish to get him married off to a good Muslim woman.

Before they moved to their the Forbidden City, the Nameless tried to establish themselves in a rural area in Texas near a small town largely made up of people who always knew each other and who largely attended the same church. When a local girl who is 18, i.e., an adult, joined the Nameless and then claimed Odo was the father of her unborn child, the town goes crazy, lawsuits are filed, words that cannot be forgotten are hurled. So, the Nameless leave Texas. But both sides participated in a documentary about the period that these events occurred. We know this because parts of the script are in the novel.

The Nameless has an Instagram page. We know this because some of the photographs are described in the novel. And it helps Faruq understand how the Nameless choose to present themselves to the world.

And so, in this nonlinear novel, we meet Faruq in the present time in New York, trying to set boundaries with his Muslim aunties but continually having them make copies of his new keys so they can do things in his house. He is smart, bilingual, well regarded professionally for a person still near the beginning of his work as a journalist. But, he lacks a sense of self and is therefore not confident.

We meet Bigger, a young man who ends up in Vietnam in 1969 because he ran out of money he wants to finish college. He ends up being accepted by a group of men who mentor him, name him Bigger an look after him. The Vietnam segments of the book beautifully tell the stories of Black men drafted to fight that war, how they interact in both negative and positive ways with the White soldiers, and each section that tells a story of a day or a few days lets us know various the men individually, although the portraits do not run too deep.

As Faruq works in the Forbidden City, he watches -- again -- the documentary, "NERO," to get a feel for his subjects during that time and to understand others' perspectives about the Nameless. He interviews Odo, but not always to his satisfaction, because Odo is also trying to work on or help Faruq. He will only interact with Faruq, as opposed to responding to questions. Faruq must give too. He regularly checks the Instagram page, which shows some of the highlights of day to day life. He traverses through the community where people are uniformly friendly to him, all have work to do and they are doing it. Eventually, he is assigned a rather lovely job himself. But I dare not spoil that.

Faruq is constantly conflicted about the Nameless. sometimes experiencing amazing understanding of himself and how he fits into the world, but always trying and generally succeeding in maintaining his emotional and intellectual distance. Still, this is a coming of age story -- about Faruq and a reflection on Odo's post-Vietnam coming of age that led him into his present role.

I was really moved by this novel and the complexities it raises about people who are not interested in conforming to their culture or live conventional lives, and who have been very thoughtful about this. The language the Nameless members use include lots of inside cult like words and the practices seem cult like. A lot of people give all of their possessions to the community. And yet, Odo seems to see this as communal living with deep principles and always non coercive. I don't think our author, Cuffy tells us the answers. She gives us the questions to ask and then, generally, has an objective but vulnerable journalist ask them.

The writing is lovely. It takes a while to get used to the script for the documentary being offered up in script form intermittently. You don't have to read all the directions. Just find where a person answers a question in a longer paragraph. Then it will not be an issue. The characters we are meant to know are well developed, with lots of interesting extras included to fill out the scenes and give us the information we need. I appreciated the way this book was structured and the way the subject gets addressed from every possible perspective. It is one of those books tat never bored me. I did not want it to end.

This is a well-written look into a “cult” and its creator. I enjoyed the two timelines that included present day, with Faruq visiting the cult and learning about them for an article he’s writing while also learning about himself, and the past timeline which was about the cult leader’s time in the Vietnam War. Though we never quite get some answers, it is still an intriguing storyline. The reason I didn’t give 4 or 5 stars is because I was left feeling like it was all a bit pointless at the end. It did not wrap up well for me, as I needed some connections cleared up and needed to know what happened with Faruq. This wasn’t a mystery or horror really, but there was some disturbing stuff that did seem necessary to the story, so I wasn’t mad about it. Basically, if you enjoy reading or watching things about cults, you will probably like this at least some!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy to review.

What to say about "O Sinners!"? First off, Nicole Cuffy can write. Like with "Dances," I was impressed by her strong and unique style—there's something so fluid about how she builds a story. And the premise was very intriguing. A charismatic cult leader, a haunting past, a documentary being made in the aftermath—yes, please. There were entire chapters I couldn't put down.

Maybe it's because I'm a full-blown true crime obsessive, especially when it comes to cult-like behavior. I've always been fascinated by what makes people follow someone so blindly, and sometimes I even find myself wondering if, in the right (or wrong) situation, I could've been one of them. So naturally, I was hooked by Odo and Faruq's story early on.

But then the book started shifting gears… a lot. Different timelines, different perspectives, different formats. Sometimes, it worked, but after a while, I started to dread flipping the page and seeing that it was another script excerpt or a chapter set in Vietnam. It pulled me out of the story more than it pulled me in.

I kept reading mostly because I wanted to see how it ended, not because I was still fully invested. The present-day scenes—especially the ones between Faruq, Odo, and the rest of The Nameless—were easily my favorite. But that only made up about a third of the book, and I found myself wishing the whole thing had stayed there.

So… mixed feelings. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. If you enjoy experimental storytelling and books that play with structure, you might have a very different experience. Cuffy is clearly a powerful writer—this one just didn't totally land for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced reader's copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love the premise, but on paper the plot fell a little flat for me. As I was reading often found myself a bit confused, and some of that was left unresolved even after flipping back a few pages to make sure I had my bearings. I was also disappointed it was less "culty" that I'd expected.

The experimental format I tip my hat to, though. I'm a sucker for IG posts in books.

Thank you bunches to Nicole Cuffy, RHPG, One World and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I was immediately mesmerized by the prose and structure of this book. a unique premise that switches between contexts allowing the reader to make their own connections that the story isn't saying outright.

We join as a modern day journalist goes to northern California to investigate a cult-like group called 'the nameless' led by a Black Vietnam war vet. We switch then to a script of a documentary about a lawsuit between the cult and a fundamentalist Christian group in Texas. We switch again to see a Black man fighting in the Vietnam war and what happens to him psychologically and physically when he witnesses his friends kill and his friends die. Interspersed in these narratives are instagram posts 'documenting' the varied experiences.

Nicole Cuffy is masterful in writing driving prose that keeps you immersed into each of the storylines.

Because of how carefully deep and thoughtful the book was, I found myself wanting more from the ending and can't tell if that was actually the intention of the author because of how many places we are already asked to make our own connections outside of the prose as readers. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give away the plot. I think it's important to go into this one without a lot of things spoiled for you.

I really enjoyed this and was refreshed by how different it was, grieved with our characters, and was on the edge of my seat for experiencing a psychological mystery. I'll absolutely recommend this book!