The True Happiness Company by Veena Dinavahi (eARC/ebook)
OVERVIEW
I will think about this memoir for a very long time. Veena writes about her slow descent into a cult and how she came out the other side. I grew up in what I personally believe is a cult: Jehovah's Witnesses. There are so many similarities and so many differences for me to unwrap. My biggest question is this: Can an "organized religion be a cult?"
This book may not appeal to everyone because of the subject matter, but it worked for me. YMMV.
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars.
Writing: 5.0 stars
Veena writes so beautifully. The writing changes somewhat depending on where she is in the "cult cycle". She writes from the heart and soul.
My only issue is that it could have been edited more, but Veena is purposeful in all aspects of this memoir, as she indicates in her Endnote.
Character development: 5.0 stars
The main characters were Veena (a teenager suffering from situational depression), Bob (a pseudo-therapist), and Charlie (her boyfriend). They are fully fleshed out individually and together (as it is a triangle relationship).
Veena's family is the secondary characters: Amma, Nanna, and Venkat (mother, father, and brother).
The tertiary characters are the extended friends, family, therapists, the Mormon church, and the True Happiness Company cult.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
The storyline is so scary. Veena is a driven, first-generation daughter in an immigrant family who lives in a town with a reputation for teenage death by suicide. She is surrounded by semi-regular deaths by suicide. Veena half-heartedly tries to die by suicide, and then the chaos, misdiagnosis, and mind-games begin. Horrible!
Additionally, this book is told in real-time chronological order, which could be confusing, but it does pay off in the end!
The locations were: Connecticut, New York City, Georgia, and California.
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
It is terrifying how easily Veena and her family got sucked into an unhealthy and dangerous cult. They were looking for answers and help for her, but instead, things became much worse.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Beautiful!
Book title: 5.0 stars
So on point!
HIGHLY recommend
NetGalley eARC/ebook
The True Happiness Company by Veena Dinavahi
320 pages
Random House
FUTURE release date: 5/20/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
TRIGGER WARNING: Cursing, infidelity, classism, sexual abuse, cult, drug use, forced institutionalism, pregnancy, mental health issues, gaslighting
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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