This book and the main character's situation in general stressed me out so much, I really had to sit and think about how I was going to rate it. But ultimately, I think that strong reaction is a mark of how good the writing is. But if reading desperate characters negatively impacts your mental health, skip this one (Mom, I'm talking to you.)

Glinda has dropped out of grad school and moved back in with her mom and 17-year-old sister, West, and the only job she's been able to get is at the Renaissance Faire. Her coworker at the Dunk the Wench booth, Troy, is just happy to be there and deserves the world. I will not be taking questions on this.

Glinda's whole family has been struggling to process their grief after her father's death, and her mom's way of coping was to join the Starlight Pioneer Society. Don't let the book title fool you, it is in fact a cult. 

Glinda is happy to ignore her mom's quirky way of coping when it's just burning incense to illuminate their inner light, but when suddenly the cult leader is about to become her new stepdad and the family house is being turned into a commune, she has to do something. 

The humor in this book was great, which I expected, but the emotional weight of this story surprised me. The portrayal of grief was well-done, and I got choked up at a couple of parts, but mainly I just found myself just so stressed out for Glinda. She is a pretty unlikable FMC, but the way her loved ones kept writing off her concerns about the cult and her mom had me on her side anyway. I was gaslit FOR her. By the end of the book, I was hard-pressed to think of a reason why she should talk to most of these people ever again. But maybe that's a me problem...

I would definitely read more from this author, though!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, & the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.