Hello Bookworms,
I hope that when you read this you are well and safe. I have been doing well, and my reading is steady as I have finished yet another book. I’m going to dive right into this book review as I am excited to share.
I just finished reading Little One by, Olivia Muenter. I had never heard of this book or the author. A coworker passed it on to me to read. I started reading the book March 28, 2026 and I finished it by April 13, 2026. It did not take me long to read. I will say that at first I didn’t think I was going to be able to get through the first chapter. The main character started off with weird strong negative thoughts about herself. Which made me wonder if I wanted to read a mental health type of book when I had not expected it. Not that there’s anything wrong with those books. From the description of the book I didn’t think it was surrounded around the mental health of the character. The self doubt and negative talk the character mentally did was borderline self abuse. And that’s why I felt like I might not be able to read the whole book. I just wasn’t prepared to read a heavy book like that.
As I kept reading the story line the details unfolding in the story were beginning to keep my attention so I kept going. I told myself to keep reading but if I felt it was becoming to much or to heavy then I would stop. That allowed me to push on. As I kept going I began to understand the characters thought process and why the self doubt and negative thoughts were so harsh and harmful.
The character was raised in a cult as a child. Some of the scenes were difficult to read due to the mental abuse and manipulation. I remember as a child myself hearing about a cult and how it had been raided by the government after investigations. Now because I was a child trying to do child things I didn’t pay much more attention to cults or the news. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I learned and became more aware of what was really happening during that time in certain areas of the United States.
In the end the character learns a lot about herself and about her past in the process of opening up to a journalist. She relives some of it and although it’s hard for the character, it gives the reader time to relate to the character in an empathetic way. Life is life, and every reader understands that because things happen. We go through things and have gone through things in our lives that we had no control over. Just like the main character in this book couldn’t help being born to a man who created a cult.
See, that’s the thing about reading. Your mind can be expanded to learn new things and to help remember the things of the past. That’s why it’s so important to read and stay engaged in the book community because there’s something out there for everyone. I do recommend reading this book. I think it gives a good perspective on the inside of cults and the people that lived in them.
Until next time bookworms, stay safe, and stay positive.
M.C. Addington 