During the writing process of my debut novel, Paper Cut, I became obsessed with stories about women and power. I was particularly drawn to the fragile time in a woman’s life when she comes of age and wields far more power than she realizes. It’s at this precise juncture that a girl’s desperate desire to be seen might lead her to believe anyone claiming to have all the answers.
Paper Cut centers on a cult, the ultimate exertion of power, but on a deeper level, it’s about one woman’s unraveling of who she really is and reclaiming that narrative for herself, all her current and past manipulators be damned.
Here is a collection of books (and a few onscreen tales) that stayed with me during my creative process and have loomed large since my final edit. They are stories about power, manipulation, resilience, belonging, and the dangerous bargain of being told you who are.
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Emma Cline, The Girls
In her stellar debut, literary darling Emma Cline reimagines the story of the Manson family. Instead of focusing on the cult leader’s prowess, she zooms in on the kind of relationship that can feel like a religion of its own: the bond between two teenage girls.
At fourteen, the most intimate and precious relationship a girl can have is with her new best friend and vulnerable, lonely Evie finds exactly that with the older, mysterious, free-spirited Suzanne. Infatuated, Evie tags along for the summer and finds herself newly indoctrinated into a northern California cult that culminates in an infamous act of violence. The kind that reverberates throughout Evie’s adulthood as if it only happened yesterday.
Whenever I recommend this book, which I do often, I tend to convey my desire to eat Cline’s sentences. Her prose, though sharp with plenty of bite, is just that delicious.
Mona Awad, We Love You, Bunny
If you subscribe to the so-called “weird girl” canon, chances are you probably know Mona Awad and if you don’t, prepare for a wild ride because her mind is a surreal and gloriously strange place to inhabit. This hybrid sequel-prequel to Bunny gives a voice to the Bunnies, the creepy, chipper clique of literary hopefuls who call each other, Bunny, with affection.
Underneath the gloss, humor, and horror, it’s a story about identity and performing your way into belonging. If you love dark academia, Heathers, and the uncanny brilliance of Charlie Kaufman, you’ll fall down this rabbit hole and curse yourself for being so late to the party.
Chelsea Bieker, Godshot
Bieker’s gorgeously written debut takes place in the Central Valley of California, a fictional town in a community plagued with a drought and steered by Pastor Vern. Mother-daughter relationships run through much of Bieker’s work (a tour de force in her recent Madwoman), and Lacey’s story is no exception.
When Lacey’s mother abandons her, her whole world shifts and what ensues is a meditation on groupthink, faith, and the gnawing desperation to be chosen.
Jessica Knoll, Bright Young Women
Knoll’s 2023 retelling of the Ted Bundy murders takes back the narrative and puts the reigns in the hands of the women involved in the case. The media machine spent so much time focusing on Ted Bundy’s charm and supposed good looks that these women and the impact the violence had on their lives was dangerously overshadowed.
It’ll make you reconsider the mythology we consume and perpetuate about the monsters that live among us.
Kate Elizabeth Russell, My Dark Vanessa
When I think about displays of coercive power, My Dark Vanessa races to the top of my list. This is an intimate story about the devastating sexual relationship between a young girl and her teacher. In retrospect, the narrator reexamines the story she told herself to survive this act of grooming and captures the painful process of seeing your life clearly for the first time.
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Bonus Viewing and Listening
Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God (documentary)
I’ve seen my fair share of cult documentaries, but this one has stuck with me. What makes it so compelling is Olson’s access to current believers who still believe in Amy Carlson and the restraint in which she does not exert judgment over them, but gives them space to share their experiences unfiltered.
There’s a rare moment in which Carlson questions her divinity in a flash of clarity and it’s her followers who lead her back to the story she created, which eventually leads to her disturbing demise. That scene still haunts me.
Martha Marcy May Marlene (film)
Fresh out of NYU drama school, Elizabeth Olsen gives a stunning performance as a young woman reentering civilization after her time in a cult. Her disquieting portrayal of a woman who struggles to embrace her freedom is incredibly moving.
The cast is also stacked: Julia Garner, Christopher Abbott, Hugh Dancy, Sarah Paulson, and John Hawkes round out the ensemble. Durkin made the short film Mary Last Seen as a proof of concept to get the feature financed and the prequel is just as intoxicating as the final cut.
The Deep End (documentary)
Teal Swan isn’t your average cult leader. She’s striking, internet-savvy, and fully aware of marketing strategies. Her following serves as a warning of what can happen when belief goes digital and the art of persuasion turns algorithmic.
A Little Bit Culty (podcast)
Whistleblowers of the Keith Raniere cult, NXIVM, Sarah Edmondson and Nippy Ames’ podcast unpacks the strategies of cult leaders. Every episode, Sarah and Nippy talk to cult survivors and experts, while reexamining their pasts with reflection, curiosity, and empathy.
The two-parter with behavioral science expert Laura Richards detailing the early signs of coercive control and the battles law enforcement face when trying to prosecute these cases should be mandatory listening.
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