Friday, December 19, 2025

Pub Date Feb 03 2026 /NETGALLEY/READ NOW/ Little One- A Novel by Olivia Muenter

 book cover for Little One Netgalley catalog link

General Fiction (Adult) 

 "Olivia Muenter’s stand-out Little One is a taut and unflinching examination of being the obligatory good girl, and what happens when hunger threatens the control we hold so tightly….A dark, deeply engaging and emotionally charged ride from start to finish."―Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push

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?


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780316594561
PRICE $29.00 (USD)
PAGES 320

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MY REVIEW NOTES (5 Stars) Titled: Great, emotional, odd story
 
Catharine 's father was one honest believer in what he was doing. Well, at least in the beginning! Her mother,  I wasn't so sure about.  The 'family" seemed to be more like a indentured prison. All of which Catharine was totally blind to as a child.  Her father, had brainwashed her and she loved him so. She also loved the green, life of the farm and didn't want to leave. Ever.  She also loved her adopted into the family sister, Linna.  Those two together was so great to read about even when as Linna got older she began to question the b.s. of their father and his rules.  A VERY dangerous thing indeed. 
Libraries became her first best friend after she escaped "The Farm".  They taught her how to live AND how to be alone.  An interesting thought ! Her first human friend was a woman named Stella, who had no idea who her friend really was.  
 This story was SO well written and easy to slip right into the plot and the people. I liked how the author handled the, Then (farm life) and the Now.
Then Reese, the charming, handsome reporter explodes into her life. She no longer trusts men, and she doesn't trust him. He's picking at some of her very painful past and just won't let go. To be honest, I wasn't sure of his motives either. She reads him pretty well even though a few times he catches her off balance.  All she wants to know is "Where is Linna?" I want to see Linna again ! Surprise after surprise happens!
It has a stunning Epilogue, that I didn't see coming
.
 

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