I am so thankful to Random House, Netgalley, and Veena Dinavahi for granting me advanced access to this title before publication day. This was a harrowing tale that will resonate with me for some time.

DID NOT FINISH @45%

"Everyone wants to live. Some of us just don't know how."
Veena Dinavahi

As much as I want to continue this book, I cannot [and I am deeply disappointed over that fact].

I struggle with depression myself [much like the author, I have heard "what do YOU have to be depressed about" more times than I can count], and I was about 8 years old when I first thought about unaliving myself [I didn't know the name for suicide at 8 years old, but I did know the feeling of thinking everyone would be better off if I was no longer around, something I still struggle with today], so much of the 45% of the book I listened to really resonated with me [except my parent's never really tried to help me; it was the 70's and times were so very different]. Add in that I was also in a cult with my ex, and I felt very close to this story, and herein lies the problem. I am currently really struggling in my own life [the only caregiver to my elderly, Alzheimer's-ridden mother, loneliness, etc etc], and in listening to this[important] story, I found myself in a very dark place [that will take me weeks to get out of; I can barely even write this right now, but I try and honor my obligations no matter how I feel; also, this is sometimes helpful - doing mundane things] and realized that I needed to stop listening to this book. I just cannot. It has been quite some time since I tried to end things and I don't want a book to send me back to that mindset. It was a tough decision, but my mental health is so much more important than finishing a book, even when it is a very good book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is NOT suffering from depression/suicidal thoughts; it is an excellent look at what that can be like especially within the family dynamic of overachievers, and add in the cult aspect, and you have a good story that will keep you engaged, will also enrage you, but {I can only guess at this, but it feels right], ultimately, will leave you with hope. I really wish I could have finished it.

I was invited to read/review this book by the publisher [Random House Publishing Group - Random House] and I thank them, Veena Dinavahi, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A teenager gets caught up in a cult that she is introduced to by her parents as they seek help in resolving her suicidal tendencies.
This story has a very interesting premise but the execution was quite disappointing. For starters, it feels too long and a lot of the narrative is telling a lot and not showing. Readers will keep asking themselves "why" throughout this book and even though this is a very tragic story, the writing makes it a chore to read.
I appreciate the author's resolve to tell her story but this could have been a much better book if it was ghost-written by a journalist.
Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!

The True Happiness Company was super interesting! I liked the author's recounting of her descent into a controlling man's power, thinly veiled Mormon cult. It was well written and the audio was well done

The True Happiness Project pulled me in right away with its unique premise — a personal unraveling of how someone ends up in what they later realize is a cult. I had never heard of The True Happiness Company or Bob Lyon before, so the story was both surprising and fascinating from that angle alone.

Dinavahi’s voice is compelling, and the “how did I get here?” theme is something a lot of people can relate to in smaller, less extreme ways. That universal thread makes her experience feel personal yet eye-opening.

Overall, it’s an intriguing read that offers a rare, firsthand look into the slow, subtle pull of manipulative belief systems — and the strength it takes to break away.

MWhile I don't typically assign ratings to memoirs, I found *The True Happiness Company* to be a compelling read, particularly in its reflective passages. The author's insights into her experience were most impactful in the quieter, more introspective moments, and the closing notes offered a poignant and grounded conclusion. The inclusion of humor throughout provided balance without undermining the seriousness of the subject matter.

I would recommend this book to readers interested in the psychology of cult dynamics and the long-term impacts of coercive systems. Content warnings include sexual assault and coercive control, including within intimate partner relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

Veena, the author, gives us all the details on how she found herself in a cult and, boy is it a wild ride! I honestly don't think I need to say anything more about it because I just know that if you're into reading about cults, you're going to enjoy this memoir. It's well written and full of cult-y drama.

This unexpectedly happened near me! Who knew that was Severna Parks legacy? I really felt for her parents who clearly were trying their best and didn’t know what to do. It’s unfortunate they reached out to this creepy man who stunted them all for so long.

I would have liked a little more about her husband. He was very manipulative and abusive as well but she seemed to think it was cultural. I can see that argument for her—growing up in a place where suicide and threads of it is common but in what world did he think it was okay to control his wife to that degree. The afterward where she thanks her new boyfriend for falling in love with her because of this book is a red flag too. I hope she is well.

I genuinely loved this book. The way that the author weaves their story is both entertaining and gut wrenching. It is cleverly told and explains so much, you also feel like you'd join the True Happiness Company.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC.

Veena Dinavahi did not hold back in her memoir, The True Happiness Company. I was so uncomfortable reading what she endured with Bob. What her boyfriend did, how he was involved in every single decision in her life and how she came to break away. It was a total view of her experience and I could not stop reading it.

Intriguing memoir that answers the question I often have: how does a relatively normal person end up deeply involved in a seemingly insane cult?”
It seems one answer is…gradually, during a time of personal vulnerability. Dinavahi herself is shocked she fell for the Mormon-ish cult that tore her life apart and describes the conditions that led to, and kept her following this cult leader.
Eventually, after many years, the nagging feeling that something was not right became too strong to ignore, and she was able to leave the cult and create a fulfilling and meaningful life for herself.

The True Happiness Company is a memoir detailing Veena Dinavahi’s experience in a Mormon-adjacent cult and a misdiagnosed mental health disorder, both shaping nearly a decade of her life.

Veena does an exceptional job of placing readers in the point of view of her parents-immigrants navigating the unfamiliar terrain of a teenager struggling with depression, feeling unequipped to manage it, and turning to anyone willing to help. Even when that "help" came from the deeply harmful Mr. Lyon and The True Happiness Company, their desperation is palpable and, sadly, understandable. As a reader, you can clearly see how Veena’s circumstances created the perfect storm-making her vulnerable to manipulation and coercion. I especially appreciated the present-day narrative during that time: present-day Veena, caught in the throes of confusion, panic, and the deep desire for guidance and relief. It allows the reader to feel the rawness and urgency of her experience in real time.

I also deeply value Veena’s honest account of navigating the mental health system as a woman of color. As a therapist, it is always my hope that those seeking support find care that is compassionate and competent but this memoir reminds us that access to safe and affirming care is far from guaranteed, especially at this time. I was glad to read in Veena's author note that post-True Happiness Company, therapy has become a strong part of Veena’s healing journey - highlighting the importance of good clinical support when it is accessible and culturally sensitive.

There are multiple trigger warnings in this memoir (including sexual abuse, self-harm, and suicidality), so please take care and do your own research before reading.

Thank you to Random House, Veena Dinavahi, and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is so powerful; I’m deeply grateful to the writer for sharing her story! I feel like this book gave me insight into a person ensnared in a cult, and it gave me greater empathy and compassion.

This was a darkly humorous and deeply personal memoir that showed me the struggles that could lead to being caught up in a cult and I felt so much compassion for what Veena endured.

4.5🌟

"The True Happiness Company: How a Girl Like Me Falls for a Cult Like That" is Veena Dinavahi's deeply personal memoir, detailing how struggles with mental health from an early age made it easy for her to slowly fall prey to Bob Lyon and his "self-improvement" cult.

This book was incredible. It's so raw and emotional. Veena shows how easy it can be, under the right circumstances, for someone to have you completely doubting your sanity. Throughout the book, I was so frustrated with her parents and her husband, Charlie. Charlie didn't seem to take any accountability in the end. I appreciate that she was willing to bare her soul like this. I can't imagine how painful it would have been to write this all down.

Recommended for anyone interested in cults and how they operate.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

The True Happiness Company by Veena Dinavahi

This was an unflinching memoir that was structured in a way that allowed the reader to experience how easily anyone could be susceptible to cults. This memoir strived to challenge the “it couldn’t happen to me” mentality and it succeeded through its descriptions, explanations, and structure.

I was uncomfortable the entire time reading this because I knew where it was headed given the blurb. From mental health struggles to cult-related incidents, this book was not an easy read. But the dark humor sprinkled throughout brought moments of levity to an overall dark read. The addition of psychology at the very end rounded out the story.

Fans of dark, unflinching memoirs, books exploring cults, and well-written reads will enjoy this one.

I’m so grateful for the chance to read this outstanding memoir. My full review has been published on BookBrowse: https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/5013/the-true-happiness-company

In this riveting memoir, Veena Dinavahi recounts her slow immersion into the cult known as The True Happiness Company. With a child struggling with suicidal ideation as she was surrounded by multiple peers who tragically died by suicide, Dinavahi’s parents were desperate for a way to help their daughter. They turned to Bob Lyon, the leader of The True Happiness Company, who promised to guide Dinavahi to a better life. What follows is an insidious and harrowing descent into a cult, filled with unimaginable trauma and brainwashing.

To say this book had me glued to the edge of my seat is an understatement. I was heartbroken, infuriated, hopeful, and inspired. Some moments had my jaw hitting the floor, and more than a few times I had to stop reading to just try to absorb what the author went through.

I identified with Dinavahi on a deep level, having struggled with mental health myself. This only made her writing more visceral, and I found myself truly understanding how someone could fall under the spell of Bob Lyon. It is hard to put into words the immense joy I felt as Dinavahi broke free of the abusive environment and people she was captive to for so many years. Her transformation is inspiring and impactful. The fact that she is now using her voice to help others feel seen in a way she never did is one of the most beautiful full-circle moments I’ve ever read about.

What a debut. Everyone should read this memoir.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the gifted eARC!

Dinavahi has written an important and thoughtful look at how a young woman can fall through the rabbit hole of a cult and then come back out alive. She survived Bob Lyon and True Happiness with self awareness and insight that she shares with others. Her parents thought they were doing the right thing when they brought Lyon into her life and his influence over her grew slowly. She details it in just that way-as it happened-and the reader will want to tell her to just turn away more than once. That's the genius of this book. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A great read.

This was just incredible. I've read a lot of memoirs, and a lot of cult memoirs at that, but True Happiness Company is now easily one of my favorites of all time. Dinavahi is a talented author with not just a great sense of humor, but a captivating and emotional way of retelling the dark parts of her past. I feel like this is an example of a person who is truly ready to write a memoir; all too often lately, I feel like I've been reading premature autobiographies from people who don't quite have the necessary introspective abilities yet, or who aren't fully comfortable letting the world in. Dinavahi's understanding of herself, her younger self, and the psychology of what she went through is wildly refreshing.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster, and it deals with so many varieties of trauma that I think pretty much everyone will have to put this down a few times and take a few laps like I did--even if only to be angry on the author's behalf. This is at times a tough read, but very worth it.

This one just really worked for me. The only real criticism I have is that I wanted more and I think the book could get away with being longer. There were simply so many different cultural, religious, and internal factors the author dealt with through this process, and so many huge life events, that I sometimes wanted to spend more time with her thoughts on certain moments. In particular, I wanted to hear more about her first two pregnancies and the births of her daughters. I think the narrative could have really benefitted from including a bit more about how she was being dismissed by doctors earlier so it's not being explained at the same time as she's talking about how she begins to advocate for herself.

I will say that even though there is very little discussion to be found about them online, it is possible to tell which group Dinavahi is referring to if you are very familiar with cults in the US, especially Mormon offshoots, which I am. I respect the author's judgment on the amount of information she chooses to share and I am trying not to be specific in this review; this is her story, and here in the United States, we're nothing if not litigious. There are many reasons, personal and legal, why someone might not divulge this stuff, and I only bring it up because I think it's important that when you are genuinely trying to anonymize something, especially that which includes very intimate details of others' lives, you are very careful. The passages are brief, but they're there, and without them, I think it would be nigh impossible to tell.