Little One - by Olivia Muenter (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A searing new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Such a Bad Influence, about a young woman whose life is upended when a journalist uncovers her hidden past as the daughter of an insidious cult leader.

From the outside, Catharine West's childhood sounds idyllic--balmy days spent running barefoot through the gardens, plucking ripe tomatoes straight from the vine as sunlight warmed her skin. Her parents built a life that was simple and community-focused, an ethos that soon attracted others in need of a change. For a time, Catharine's magnetic father was enough to keep the farm thriving, and temptation outside its gates. But as she grew older, the farm and family she was raised to love faded into something darker, forcing Catharine to evolve with it.

​It's now been a decade since Catharine abandoned the farm and has done her best to reinvent her life, until an email from a charismatic journalist interrupts her peace. Her first instinct is to ignore the stranger's prying questions--whether she knew about a mysterious "cult" in central Florida, whether she is the same "Catharine-with-an-A" who lived there for a time. But when she realizes the journalist knows far more than he's letting on, she reconsiders. If Catharine can stay one step ahead of him, she may be able to find the one thing she never wanted to leave behind--her sister, Linna--and make sure her own secrets remain buried too.

Sharp-eyed and sweltering, Little One masterfully captures the dread of facing your deepest desires, when the hunger to become your best self threatens to drown out everything else. An achingly astute look at modern womanhood and wellness culture, it tackles the enduring question: How far would you go to be good?

Review Quotes

"Little One is lush, unsettling, and utterly magnetic. Olivia Muenter strips the shine from the utopian promises of both cult and wellness to reveal their shared shadow--the way the hunger for transformation can slide into dangerous control, and the desire to belong can become a blinding trap. Written with heat, beauty, and unflinching precision, this is the kind of novel that keeps you turning pages long after dark. A knockout."--Chelsea Bieker, bestselling author of, Madwoman

"Hypnotic, transporting and deliciously unsettling, Little One buried under my skin from the first page. The story of control, betrayal and the fragility of memory is taut and tense, with each thrilling twist both entirely unpredictable and inevitable at the same time. Muenter's characterisation is as sensitively layered as ever, and the setting is so richly-drawn that I could feel the dirt of the farm underneath my own fingertips. Creeping and addictive, this isn't a book you'll forget anytime soon."--Ella Berman, author of, The Comeback

"Olivia Muenter's Little One is a brilliant, fresh take on the cult thriller that links the 'swallow-your-medicine' groupthink of cults to the ways women have been conditioned to think about their bodies and desires: always in terms of restraint and control, with an eye toward pleasing others. Not only is Muenter's protagonist Catharine smart and layered--both a victim and not--but her story is so propulsive I could've sworn the pages turned themselves. This is a stay-up-all-night, suffer-a-book-hangover-the-next-day banger, with one of the most satisfying endings I've ever read: I cackled and then cheered."

--Ashley Winstead, author of, Midnight is the Darkest Hour

"A smart, fast-paced examination of wellness culture, disordered eating, addiction in all its forms, and family secrets. I loved this novel." --Liz Moore, author of, The God of the Woods

"Little One is a suspenseful, smart novel written with heaps of heart and intelligence--as well as beautiful, evocative prose. It asks smart questions about family, guilt, and coercion, through the prism of a wellness-oriented cult in Florida. I devoured it."--Clémence Michallon, bestselling author of, The Quiet Tenant and Our Last Resort

"Such a Bad Influence is as addictive as Instagram. Woven into its twisty, propulsive story of a missing influencer are complicated questions about the cost of mining one's life for content. I was riveted the whole way through."--Ana Reyes, author of, The House in the Pines

"A fascinating exploration of the dangers of social media . . . smart and timely."--Carola Lovering, author of, Tell Me Lies

"With her newest, the bold and delicious Little One, Olivia Muenter both rewrites the victim narrative of the cult member and takes on our cultural obsession with true crime. Catharine is a brilliant, diamond-strong protagonist, but where will her confessions lead? A swift, smart, tantalizing novel. Olivia Muenter nails it." --Amity Gaige, author of, Heartwood

Praise for Such a Bad Influence:

"A smart and intelligent thriller that is a not-to-be-missed page-turner. Buy multiples because this one has the making of a big best seller."--Library Journal (starred review)

"Packed with trenchant critiques of internet celebrity and topped off by a satisfyingly nasty finale, this leaves readers wanting more from Muenter."--Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

About the Author

Olivia Muenter is a writer, reader, and co-host of the Bad on Paper podcast. She lives in an old house in the Hudson Valley with her family. Her first novel, Such a Bad Influence, was an instant USA Today bestseller.