Book Review - Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz

Title: Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV show while also in an actual cult
Author: Bethany Joy Lenz
Genre: Non-Fiction/ Memoir
Published: 2024
 
Description: In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to breakthrough as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama “One Tree Hill”. Her career was about to take off, but her personal life was slowly beginning to unravel. What none of the show’s million’s of fans knew, hidden even from her costars, was her secret double life in a cult.
An only child who often had to fend for herself and always wanted a place to belong, Lenz found the safe haven she’d been searching for in a Bible study group with other Hollywood creatives. However, the group soon morphed into something more sinister – a slowly woven web of manipulation, abuse, and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family. Piece by piece, Lenz began to give away her autonomy, ultimately relocating to the Family’s Pacific Northwest compound, overseen by a domineering minister who would convince Lenz to marry one of his sons and steadily drained millions of her TV income without her knowledge. Family “minders” assigned to her on set, “Maoist struggle session”- inspired meetings in the basement of a filthy house, and regular counseling with “Leadership” were just part of the tactics used to keep her loyal.
 
Only when she became a mother did Lenz find the courage to leave and spare her child from a similar fate. After nearly a decade (and with the unlikely help a “One Tree Hill” superfan), she finally managed to escape the family’s grip and begin to heal from the deep trauma that forever altered her relationship with God and her understanding of faith.
 
Review: I don’t read non-fiction a lot, especially not when it’s a memoir. I’m not particularly drawn to them, nor do they interest me for the most part. But “Dinner for Vampires” is different. I watched “One Tree Hill” when it aired in the early 2000s and my favorite character, from the start, was Haley James, played by Bethany Joy Lenz. I have followed Lenz on social media for years and I was not aware of what life she had outside her job as an actor, until she wrote this book.
 
In “Dinner for Vampires” Lenz talks about her life, how she started as and actor. But also about her life outside that and that she was part of a cult. Because of her lack of belonging when she moved away from her home to become and actress, she joined a Bible study group. There Lenz felt like people understood her and she didn’t feel so alone anymore. While being part of the group, she landed her breakthrough role on “One Tree Hill”. No one ever knew she was on a cult, even though there were several people that had suspicions or at least found her Bible group family a bit strange.
 
Lenz is very openhearted in her memoir. She is open, has wit, uses humor in her storytelling as well, even though it being a heartbreaking story at times. I’m not religious, I don’t feel a connection with any religion. In fact, religion kind of scares me. And this book shows exactly how scary things could get. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe that everyone practicing any religion is automatically in a cult. I respect everyone’s believes and would never judge anyone for believing in a higher power. But, religion can be dangerous if people use it to gain from it or to manipulate other people. And that’s what Lenz had to endure. Het faith was very important to her and people took advantage of that. Making her doubt herself, she had lack of self-worth and Lenz sacrificed a lot for her religion.
 
If you decide to read this, I would highly really recommend the audiobook. It’s narrated by Bethany Joy Lenz herself, with some guest appearances from a few of her “One Tree Hill” co-stars. It being read aloud by the author herself makes this story hit even more. There is one moment in the end where her co-star Paul Johansson says some kind words to her and that really made me cry. Just like that moment that followed. She tells a beautiful, heartbreaking story and I’m very happy I read it.
 
Rating: 4/ 5