Minnie's Fiction Addiction

👀 First impressions:
This book grabbed me immediately, partly because of the setting and partly because of how utterly unhinged the premise is in the best possible way. A struggling band playing awful pubs across the northeast, fictional gods of mishap, and a viral act of violence is already a wild mix, but setting it all in Northumberland gives the story a grounding that makes the chaos feel oddly believable. At its heart, this is a story about belief, about wanting to matter, and about what happens when something that should stay small suddenly explodes. The Solkats start as a joke, a bit of lore woven into songs no one understands, but the novel slowly peels back how easily stories can become movements and how quickly movements can turn dangerous.

✅ What I Liked:
The sense of place is spot on. The pubs feel grimy, the gigs feel chaotic, and the north feels lived in rather than romanticised. The humour is sharp and strange, with that very specific northern dryness that makes even the darkest moments funny without undercutting their impact. I also loved how the book explores fandom culture and influencer power without feeling preachy. It lets things spiral naturally, showing how good intentions, loneliness, and the hunger for meaning can morph into something genuinely frightening. The band’s dynamic is another highlight. Their loyalty to each other feels real, messy, and earned, which makes the stakes hit harder when everything starts to unravel.

❎ What I didn’t Like:
At times the narrative feels deliberately chaotic, which absolutely fits the story but occasionally made it harder to stay fully grounded in what was happening. There are moments where the line between metaphor and reality blurs so much that it can feel disorientating. While I think that is largely intentional, it may not work for readers who prefer a tighter, more straightforward plot progression.

📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
If you enjoy books that sit in the uncomfortable space between satire and horror, this one is for you. It is a sharp look at modern cults, internet fame, and the dangerous comfort of believing in something bigger than yourself. It is also refreshingly different, rooted firmly in the northeast rather than the usual big city settings, and it takes big, weird risks that mostly pay off.

💭 Final Thoughts:
It’s Not a Cult is funny, unsettling, and surprisingly thoughtful. It starts off scrappy and strange, then slowly tightens its grip until the humour curdles into something darker. This is a novel about stories, about gods both invented and real, and about the terrifying power of being truly seen by an audience. It will not be for everyone, but for the right reader it is memorable in all the best and worst ways.

🛍️ Where to buy
To buy your own copy click HERE and HERE

Final Rating ★★★★ – Darkly funny folk horror for the internet age