We follow grieving journalist Faruq's adventure to the cult nameless, and the cult's guru Odo's time during Vietnam war.

Give me anything with cults in it and I will eat that shit up. But, this book just left me unsatisfied.. It started off great but it started to slag as it went on. In the end it was just an okay book for me.

After watching way too many HBO documentaries about religious cults, I was more than ready to read this literary novel about a young man who sets out to write an article about The Nameless, an organization run by the mysterious Odo, who believes in finding beauty. As a Libra, I could sucked into this cult myself.

If the book had only focused on the cult, I would have liked it more. Unfortunately, it jumps backwards in time, following a group of young men fighting in Vietnam in the late 1960s. (Eventually this turns into a very annoying guessing game of which one of these boys grows up to become Odo.) War sucks of course, but it was very tedious to read about, and nothing very interesting happens, except that you get to know these very young men, or at least, who they have become fighting a senseless war so far from their homes. Also interspersed in the story is a script of a documentary called Nero. Oh, and there are literal descriptions of the Instagram posts of the Nameless throughout. I very much wish the obviously visual aspect of this novel hadn't been included since it did a lot to distract from the bigger story.

The bigger story focuses on Faruq, the journalist who is writing his article while struggling to deal with the death of his parents, and the complicated feelings he has for them, and for the religion he was raised in (Islam) which he doesn't believe in, but for which he was too afraid to reject. He isn't really looking for an alternative, and he is rightfully skeptical of Odo, and the strange little community he has built in Northern California. It's pretty obvious that this organization is a standard cult, and Odo is plainly no different from any other charismatic cult leader, but there are some interesting parallels between the fear of faith (or lack thereof) that Faruq felt growing up, and what Odo's followers may face should they ever turn their back on their leader. Getting hipped isn't a guarantee of paradise, but then, Odo never promises paradise, so he is more of a liar than Faruq's own father? Or did Faruq's father's belief in God and the promise of the Koran protect him from the terrible things he faced in his own life?

If the book had stayed focused on Faruq it would have been an amazing read. The huge pieces of filler killed the book for me, and it will very low on my list of recommendations this year. The part that dealt with Faruq and Odo was very well written, but the rest of it wasn't, and dragged the story down.

This was truly an incredible read and it could have easily been twice the length and I would have savored every second!

Cycling between present day when Faruq is living with the nameless while pursuing his story, scenes from a documentary about the nameless, and of course, the nameless' leader's Odo's time in Vietnam, the reader is given all possible backstory and information - but no real answers. By that I mean that we are never told what to believe about anything. I found this really exceptional and genius - it was difficult to turn my brain off while reading and try not to either (1) find evidence to implicate the nameless as a cult and Odo as a manipulator as seems to have always been the case with similar groups in history or (2) that Odo and the nameless are just trying to live their lives in the way they want with no ulterior motives. By the story's end, I found myself thinking that perhaps its none, or both, and honestly? Maybe there isn't an answer and if there was, it doesn't really matter.

Of course its the main setting, but there is so much more to this story than that of the nameless (and what they are and are not). As an exploration of how one processes grief, trauma, emotions...it was truly unparalleled.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read. There is something that about cults that interests me just like Faruq. I also loved the way the author approached this story and the message. The best part I think for me was the fact that Faruq ends up really benefiting from the teachings of the nameless, and ends up understanding why his dynamic which his father is so strained. This book definitely wasn’t what I expected but I really enjoyed where it went. I only wish I could have read the article/book faruq was writing!

3.5/5⭐️

I finished O Sinners yesterday, and have spent a substantial amount of time since then clinging to the feeling of being in that story, living the investigation that main character Faruq initiated against the mysterious nameless collective.

A simple explanation of this book is that it’s a story about exploring a cult. However, Nicole Cuffy goes far beyond what I’ve come to expect from a book focused on a cult. Rather than focusing on some nefarious mystery, Faruq is simply living among the nameless community and simultaneously unpacking some of his own long-buried grief regarding his parents, his religious beliefs, and his identity. The closing scene of this book left me with a sigh of relief, as if all of this had actually happened to me; it also left me angry, it left me hungry for more, it left me filled with lingering mysteries that I suppose I just have to accept.

Cuffy builds an intensely real religion in O Sinners. It felt like I was reading about a real group, and their leader - the enigmatic Odo - felt unique and familiar all at the same time. The book is told in three different way: Faruq’s present day POV as he lives among the nameless, through a documentary about an infamous event the cult was involved in while located in Texas, and through a past POV that follows a group of Black soldiers in Vietnam (one of whom is Odo, though we don’t learn which one until the end of the novel.) Initially, I felt like the Vietnam scenes slowed the pace of the book. However, after reaching the end, I realized how necessary they were to tell the full story and found myself appreciating the backstory.

So in case you can’t tell: I think this book is absolutely brilliant. It is thoughtful, tender, and honest about the ways people seek meaning in life. I hope it finds the right audience and gets the attention it deserves.

I enjoyed O Sinners! but it took me a while to finish it. You jump back and forth between 3 perspectives: Faruq, Odo, and parts of a documentary. I really enjoyed the “past” with Odo’s time from the Vietnam war. I felt the most connection to this portion of the story. The fear and emotions of the characters really came through in these sections. The documentary portion definitely adds some history and backstory about The Nameless, but I found it harder to read and follow since it’s like you’re reading the script. The biggest sections are from Faruq and his journalistic adventure to learn more about The Nameless. Certain Faruq chapters I loved, others I felt drug on without feeling like the story was going anywhere. I think this book is going to bring out the love/hate reviews. People are either going to love the in-depth personal journey of facing the truth about the people we admire or they’re going to be bored. If this is the kind of book you generally like and the description is intriguing, go for it!!

O Sinners! is told from the perspective of Faruq Zaidi, a young journalist has recently lost his father, Odo, who spends some time in Vietnam with other soldiers, and a documentary style POV. Faruq investigates his fathers death then becomes involved with a California cult called the Nameless. The group is led by Odo, and they follow the 18 Utterances of the aforementioned cult. The combination of flashbacks, transcript then current day was a great choice by the author. Thank you NetGalley and One World for the ARC. You can check this out when it publishes March 18, 2025 wherever you buy books.

promising start that slowly deflated over the course of the story. the flashbacks were wholly unnecessary and a slog to get through, but the present day was engaging enough to keep me wanting to pick this up at any given opportunity. entirely personal gripe, but I don't love that once again, we have a main character who is an atheist man who was raised by a cruel muslim father, who wants nothing to do with the religion. I'm not sure if the author grew up around islam so I can't speak to the purpose of writing it this way, but to me it came off as extremely stereotypical and repetitive, given the way the religion is usually portrayed in western media.

I know I keep saying this but I am so sick of this seemingly endless trend in literary fiction of raising dozens of questions and answering none of them. what I used to write off as ambiguity that functions as a mirror for the reader now feels more and more like a cop out to avoid having to actually think things through to their logical conclusion. maybe it's a symptom of the times we're living in, and the way it feels impossible to imagine a future at all with everything that's happening. maybe I'm actually being very unfair to these authors but it's so frustrating that it really ruins my reading experience entirely, even if everything up until the end was spectacular.

Nicole Cuffy's prose is so breathtaking. Her writing style is so fluid, poignant, and enchanting. "O Sinners" is a beautiful and interesting story about a young journalist named Faruq who is writing a story about a charismatic cult leader named Ono who lives in the California Redwoods. Faruq is very suspicious and intrigued by Ono and his followers. Usually, I don't really like novels about cults, but this one was so well written and complex. The novel is divided up into the three sections. The first section is from the Faruq's point of view, the second section are flashback scenes of Ono's time serving in the Vietnam War, and the third section are transcripts from a film documentary about Ono's cult. I think the novel would've been stronger without the Vietnam chapters. I found those scenes confusing and dragged the overall story down. Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It was very eerie, emotional, and gripping. I really loved the scenes where Faruq curses Ono out. I don't know why but those particular scenes gave me heart palpitations. I definitely want to read Nicole Cuffy's debut novel, "Dances" now. She is a very talented storyteller. Also, the cover art is gorgeous!

Admittedly I'm biased, I am a huge fan of stories about cults. I'm a big fan of the framing device (the documentary bit was a ton of fun) and overall this was a very entertaining read!

I appreciate all the work that went into this, but did not finish it at 27%. i felt its length to be too long, the war parts were way more prominent than I thought they'd be which was boring to me, and the pacing was way too slow. unfortunately i won't be recommending this to anyone.

I appreciated the different timelines throughout the book that helped to slowly put the pieces of the story together. The characters were interesting and I was invested in what was happening to them. I was captivated and constantly wishing I had more time to read throughout the book. If you like interesting stories, especially about cults, this is one I’d highly recommend.

the book definitely had a strong premise and i liked the writing style on the Present and Movie sections. the vietnam war section wasn't great, though, and parts of the story got repetitive. 3.5 stars, rounded up. tysm for the arc.

The plot centers around a Muslim journalist, Faruq, who decides to write an article about a cult named Nameless. He travels to a gated city in California built by the cult’s followers to stay with them, where the enigmatic leader, Odo, resides. The story unfolds through four parallel threads: 1) Odo’s history as a Black soldier during the Vietnam War; 2) Instagram posts from the cult’s official account; 3) A transcript from a documentary that highlights the clash between the cult and an Evangelical church in Texas; and 4) Faruq in the present day, attempting to uncover information about the mysterious leader, Odo, and the workings of the cult.

The documentary portion of the book is particularly well done, with footnotes containing song names/soundtrack information, captions for photographs and videos, and accompanying dialogue. While the documentary itself is not explicitly shown, these elements help paint a complete picture of it. One of the book’s strengths is its ability to illustrate how cults can make individuals feel "seen," especially during times of emotional turmoil. In Faruq’s case, he is grappling with the grief of losing his parents and unresolved trauma regarding his mother and religion. Faruq is both charmed and distrustful of the cult, and the book does an excellent job capturing his ambivalence.

The narrative also explores how cults, even when trying to distinguish themselves from organized religion, often take on the same toxic characteristics. There are moments of humor, such as when Faruq is surprised to see cult members using Dial Soap in the gated city, a place where everyone seems so detached from ordinary human life. The book further excels in capturing Faruq’s emotions toward his own religion. While he does not believe in the cult or its messaging, the cult members and their ways help him confront his trauma, which he had buried for so long.

While the book does a good job at depicting both the horrors of the Vietnam War and the harsh realities of how the soldiers lived, as well as the prevalent racism and complex interpersonal relationships they developed, this aspect of the narrative was a bit of a letdown for me.. The present-day sections with Faruq and the documentary were engaging, but the narrative about the soldiers became repetitive and disorienting. Despite its significance in explaining why Odo became a cult leader, this part of the story falls short. It touches on his past, but never delves deeply enough to clearly explain what drove him to start the cult. The book is very readable, but at times it becomes bogged down by excessive repetition and constant narrative shifts.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author (Nicole Cuffy), and the publisher (Random House Publishing Group - Random House | One World) for an advanced copy. Thoughts and review are completely my own.

(Will be sharing to my Instagram closer to the publishing date)

amazing! so original i had been waiting for this book for a long time and i’m so glad i got to it! the plot was so immersive and the characters were so unreal.

Journalist Faruq takes on a new assignment to embed with a cult in California. He struggles to get straightforward information from Odo and his followers, but gets tangled up in culty things because of his own childhood trauma and vulnerability. At the same time, an alternate timeline of Odo's experiences fighting in Vietnam weave in and out, along with a documentary transcript about the cult's legal battles in Texas.
I may not have been in the mood for this. I didn't find Faruq to be a particularly sympathetic character, even with his personal struggles. He doesn't come across as a particularly good journalist, as he has a lot of trouble interacting neutrally and objectively (or heck, calmly) with his subjects, and doesn't acknowledge that he might be too compromised. I also found the world building around the cult a little tedious, although maybe necessary for fleshing things out. The Vietnam chapters were the most engaging, maybe because they didn't require a lot of embellishment to be effective. Anyone who has consumed other Vietnam media can picture those scenes.
I'm sure this has an audience but I got in too critical of a mindset to really enjoy it. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc!

I have never read anything like this, and honestly, I’m still grieving the fact that it’s over. The way it weaves together three different storylines is masterful, with seamless transitions and pitch-perfect pacing. I was most captivated by the present-day narrative, but the book wouldn’t be the same without the other two. The Vietnam War sections made me feel the soldiers’ desperation, the documentary script added this intense performative quality, and the present-day story had an almost mystical energy.

Faruq, as a journalist, is supposed to be an objective observer, but his reactions and choices feel so deeply human that you can’t blame him for anything. I was completely hooked from start to finish, and I need a copy to pass around to friends. It’s such a singular, mesmerizing read—I can’t recommend it enough.

A journalist named Faruq investigates a cult called The Nameless in the woods of California and ends up living with them for months.

This book was so cool because it went in a direction that I was not expecting at all. It’s told through four interwoven narratives including 1) Faruq’s present day perspective, 2) the script of a documentary detailing one of the cult’s recent conflicts, 3) instagram posts published by the cult, and 4) a narrative from the past during the Vietnam War. These narratives work together to really paint a picture of how BIPOC have historically been, and continue to be, controlled in the U.S.. I think this gives the story more depth and makes it stand out from other books about cults I’ve read.

This is a book that left me with a lot of questions. It didn’t explicitly spell out the conclusions the reader was supposed to draw, and it left room for me to really think about and engage with the story.

Who decides what makes a cult a cult? What deems an organization *not* a cult (*cough* white evangelicalism *cough*)? Is a group of people that have been marginalized by American society finding community and ways to deal with trauma a bad thing?

O Sinners! releases on March 18, 2025. Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the arc!

(This review is posted on StoryGraph, Instagram, and TikTok on February 9, 2025)

O Sinners! has an intriguing plot as it takes a look at a cult. The story is told through flashbacks between two different timelines. I was very interested in reading this story. The story being unfolded between the two timeliness wasn't as seamless as it could be, so I struggled at times to stay focused. There were many elements that were interesting and I felt like the author did a good job of conveying the grief the MMC is experiencing from the sudden death of his father while also trying to investigate the cult.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book! Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. Between the present day, flashbacks to Vietnam, and documentary, I was incredibly confused. Usually I’m fine with following multiple storylines, but this felt disjointed.