The brilliant title alone honestly merits giving this one a try. This one was WILD AND CRAZY but in the best way for a memoir! 

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version of "Dinner for Vampires," which is read by the author and lends such levity to an insane story. She also does great voices for some of the characters (and names them cleverly for what I assume are legal reasons), which made for a really engaging listening experience—I suppose we might expect this from an actress, but it still surprised and delighted me! I could NOT stop listening. 

I've never actually watched "One Tree Hill," the show for which Bethany Joy Lenz is known, so don't hesitate if you're not already familiar with her or her work; she actually doesn't go too much behind-the-scenes of the show, as it's clear that the isolation of her cult life impacted her connections to the show and her coworkers. You won't necessarily be dazzled by her life as a TV star, but you'll absolutely be blown away by her storytelling, her honesty, and her bravery. 

It can be hard to relate at times to the seriousness of Lenz's religious convictions, but it's easy and sad to see how effectively she was manipulated and taken advantage of as a vulnerable girl who just wanted a place to belong. Lenz doesn't shy away from showcasing her own failings and questionable decision-making, but she certainly paints a clear picture of how anyone can be pulled into a warped reality without realizing it. But even though she has to really claw her way out of cult life, and loses almost everything she has, Lenz still ends with a message of hope that escape is always possible and support is out there.

It's scary stuff, but an important read for sure. You can't always support others at the expense of yourself, or you might end up losing sight of what makes you, you [yes, I'm speaking about Lenz's dream of making it on Broadway :'( ].