Dinner for Vampires, Bethany Joy Lenz
Dinner for Vampires, Bethany Joy Lenz
5 Rating(s)
List: $24.99 | Sale: $16.50
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Dinner for Vampires

Bestseller

Author: Bethany Joy Lenz

Narrator: Bethany Joy Lenz

Unabridged: 8 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/22/2024


Synopsis

Includes exclusive audio cameos from One Tree Hill cast members Tyler Hilton, Paul Johansson, James Lafferty, and Chad Michael Murray!

An “incredible” (Alex Cooper, Call Her Daddy), “riveting” (People) New York Times bestselling memoir by One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz about her decade in a cult and her quest to break free.

In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to break through as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her acting career was set to soar, but her personal life was beginning to unravel in ways her fans could never imagine. Unknown to the millions of viewers and even her costars, Lenz led a secret double life within a cult.

As an only child seeking belonging, Lenz thought she found a safe haven in a Bible study group with fellow Hollywood creatives. However, the group morphed into something more sinister—a web of manipulation and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family. Piece by piece, Lenz surrendered her autonomy, eventually moving to the Family’s Pacific Northwest compound overseen by a domineering minister who convinced her to marry his son and secretly drained millions from 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 escape and spare her child from a similar fate. After nearly a decade (and with the unlikely help from a devoted One Tree Hill fan), she broke free from the family’s grip, beginning her healing journey from deep trauma that reshaped her faith and identity.

Written with powerful honesty and dark humor, Dinner for Vampires is a “tart, refreshing” (The New York Times Book Review) story about the importance of identity and understanding what you believe.

About Bethany Joy Lenz

Bethany Joy Lenz starred in the hit TV series One Tree Hill. Her other acting credits include Guiding LightGrey’s AnatomyCharmedFelicitySuitsDexter, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She is also a recording artist who has released several albums. Lenz currently cohosts the podcast Drama Queens and is the founder/editor-in-chief of the broadsheet newspaper Modern Vintage News.


Reviews

Goodreads review by ♥︎ Heather ⚔(Semi-Hiatus) on February 07, 2025

This was fantastic and unnerving. I would have never guessed that Bethany had all of this going on while playing Haley on One Tree Hill. Highly recommend. 5 Stars. And it's on sale on Audible right now - narrated by the author. ⋆✴︎˚。⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹......more

Goodreads review by Holden on August 12, 2024

Dinner for Vampires is everything I expected and wanted from this memoir but don’t be fooled into thinking this is a good time or a new Lestat story. Growing up with One Tree Hill, I was absolutely enamored with our big three (Brooke, Peyton, and Haley) and it shaped my ideal for female friendships......more

Goodreads review by deniz on November 11, 2024

4 stars ‘I was just a 19-year-old kid enjoying a rainy day.’ Reading Dinner for Vampires felt like discovering whole new sides of someone I thought I knew. This memoir is raw, honest, and incredibly eye opening.just as she intended. Her main goal was to spread awareness, and she does so in a way tha......more

Goodreads review by Rosie on November 21, 2024

Incredible book and an incredible story. Loved on audiobook except I realllyyyy didn't like the random bits of singing but I also listened on 1.8 speed so maybe that's on me......more

Goodreads review by Angie on September 02, 2024

This is a pretty wild and infuriating read. I cannot handle how manipulated and controlled this woman was. As a Christian, it makes me so angry how God is weaponized for the sake of power, greed and control. I absolutely love reading books about cults. Women who are former members of cults. I have r......more


Quotes

"Actor-singer Bethany Joy Lenz’s vulnerability and resiliency radiate as she narrates her memoir, which is focused on her decade in a religious cult...Lenz’s wry laugh matches her dark humor, and she navigates accents well. Listeners will enjoy snippets of Lenz’s incredible singing and her rendition of actor and friend Sophia Bush’s famously husky voice. Lenz’s angry screaming at God highlights her journey from obedience to hopelessness to finding her faith again."