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The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness
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Expected 23 Jun 26A wrenching, lyrical memoir by Skins and Game of Thrones star Hannah Murray, exploring the spiritual awakening that turned into a mental breakdown, and the healing made possible when we learn to save ourselves
He sat me down in a chair and he told me, in no uncertain terms, that magic is real. Magic is real. Three words that bound me to him. To his world of make-believe.
From her breakout role as a teen actor on the cult TV show Skins, to critically acclaimed movies, to the smash hit Game of Thrones, Hannah Murray built a career in Hollywood cracking open her own psychological foundations and pushing her body to its limits. But one day, the line between make-believe and reality disappeared, and she found herself confined to a psych ward, dangerously in love with the leader of a shadowy wellness organization, and believing in magic. How she got there—and how she managed to rebuild her life—is the heart of this gripping, powerful memoir that How far would you go to find enlightenment?
For Hannah, it was deceptively easy to fall down the rabbit hole. As she struggled with her mental health, she sought help in the form of wellness and self-care. After an eye-opening session with an energy healer, Hannah was introduced to an organization that she was told would bring her further spiritual rewards. Enthralled by its charismatic leader and his teachings of a world filled with magic and meaning, Hannah found herself sucked into a rigorous practice involving high control and financial outlay. And as her sense of reality began to slip, eventually resulting in her hospitalization and diagnosis with bipolar disorder, she realized she had fully ceded control of her life to this mysterious organization. And, she thought, as she reckoned with the Hollywood career that conditioned her to give her body and soul over to others, maybe she’d been doing that her whole life.
Both a cautionary tale and a cry for radical empathy, Hannah’s story of learning to trust herself will resonate with anyone who has struggled to find agency. The Make-Believe is a probing exploration of womanhood and mental health, and a search for the healing that comes when we reclaim our own narratives.
He sat me down in a chair and he told me, in no uncertain terms, that magic is real. Magic is real. Three words that bound me to him. To his world of make-believe.
From her breakout role as a teen actor on the cult TV show Skins, to critically acclaimed movies, to the smash hit Game of Thrones, Hannah Murray built a career in Hollywood cracking open her own psychological foundations and pushing her body to its limits. But one day, the line between make-believe and reality disappeared, and she found herself confined to a psych ward, dangerously in love with the leader of a shadowy wellness organization, and believing in magic. How she got there—and how she managed to rebuild her life—is the heart of this gripping, powerful memoir that How far would you go to find enlightenment?
For Hannah, it was deceptively easy to fall down the rabbit hole. As she struggled with her mental health, she sought help in the form of wellness and self-care. After an eye-opening session with an energy healer, Hannah was introduced to an organization that she was told would bring her further spiritual rewards. Enthralled by its charismatic leader and his teachings of a world filled with magic and meaning, Hannah found herself sucked into a rigorous practice involving high control and financial outlay. And as her sense of reality began to slip, eventually resulting in her hospitalization and diagnosis with bipolar disorder, she realized she had fully ceded control of her life to this mysterious organization. And, she thought, as she reckoned with the Hollywood career that conditioned her to give her body and soul over to others, maybe she’d been doing that her whole life.
Both a cautionary tale and a cry for radical empathy, Hannah’s story of learning to trust herself will resonate with anyone who has struggled to find agency. The Make-Believe is a probing exploration of womanhood and mental health, and a search for the healing that comes when we reclaim our own narratives.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 28, 2026
About the author
Hannah Murray
51 books124 followersHannah has been reading romance novels since she was young enough to have to hide them from her mother, and decided to try her hand at writing one when she realized the book she really wanted to read lived in her head. That was a dozen years and as many manuscripts ago, and there are still more stories to be told.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband—former Special Forces and an OR nurse who writes fantasy fiction, and acts as In House Expert for his wife on matters pertaining to weapons, tactics, the military, medical conditions and How Dudes Think—and their daughter, who takes after her father.
Hannah loves to hear from readers, and will answer questions here on Goodreads.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband—former Special Forces and an OR nurse who writes fantasy fiction, and acts as In House Expert for his wife on matters pertaining to weapons, tactics, the military, medical conditions and How Dudes Think—and their daughter, who takes after her father.
Hannah loves to hear from readers, and will answer questions here on Goodreads.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
March 9, 2026
There are a lot of beautifully told celebrity memoirs and utterly moving cult survival stories, this happens to be both.
I grew up watching Hannah Murray on Skins and Cassie felt so close to home when it comes to the female experience and unfortunately there’s a lot of reason for that far beyond the talent of her as an actress. While this story doesn’t go into depth on her time in Skinsor Game of Thrones, they are of course mentioned as they are a part of her story.
Instead we focus on her humanity and frankly, it’s so much better than a tell-all of set days. People tend to forget actors, artists, and celebrities are just people trying to survive and this is a true testament on that.
We follow Murray on her journey towards healing and how warped and abused she was while fighting for something so wholesome. It’s definitely a rough story to hear. There is a lot of toxicity, abuse, mental health struggles but all you want to do is hold her through the tough times and remind her she will make it through.
This was an absolutely beautiful story and in the likeness of Jennette McCurdy, Murray has a voice and I truly hope she continues writing.
I grew up watching Hannah Murray on Skins and Cassie felt so close to home when it comes to the female experience and unfortunately there’s a lot of reason for that far beyond the talent of her as an actress. While this story doesn’t go into depth on her time in Skinsor Game of Thrones, they are of course mentioned as they are a part of her story.
Instead we focus on her humanity and frankly, it’s so much better than a tell-all of set days. People tend to forget actors, artists, and celebrities are just people trying to survive and this is a true testament on that.
We follow Murray on her journey towards healing and how warped and abused she was while fighting for something so wholesome. It’s definitely a rough story to hear. There is a lot of toxicity, abuse, mental health struggles but all you want to do is hold her through the tough times and remind her she will make it through.
This was an absolutely beautiful story and in the likeness of Jennette McCurdy, Murray has a voice and I truly hope she continues writing.
June 1, 2026
This is a must read!! I can’t believe what I’ve just read.
Raw, shocking and impossible to put down, Hannah Murray’s memoir offers a fascinating and deeply unsettling insight into psychosis, vulnerability and the search for answers. Beautifully written, thought provoking and unforgettable.
I knew nothing about Hannah Murray before picking up this book. The memoir explores how she became involved in a wellness cult, which fuelled a devastating mental health crisis that ultimately led to her being sectioned and diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Along the way, Hannah writes about trauma, spirituality, drugs, sex, friendship, heartbreak, therapy, healing and self discovery. Her reflections are thoughtful and articulate, and I found myself completely drawn into her story.
What I found most upsetting was how easily her vulnerability was exploited. It was frightening to see how manipulative groups can prey on people who are searching for belonging, purpose or healing, and how spirituality can be twisted by those with harmful intentions.
I genuinely couldn’t put this book down and finished it in just two days. The subtitle, A Memoir of Magic and Madness, perfectly captures what lies within these pages. Reading about mental health or psychology isn’t usually for me, but I really hope more people pick up this book. It’s fascinating, eye opening and one that will stay with me for a long time.
Raw, shocking and impossible to put down, Hannah Murray’s memoir offers a fascinating and deeply unsettling insight into psychosis, vulnerability and the search for answers. Beautifully written, thought provoking and unforgettable.
I knew nothing about Hannah Murray before picking up this book. The memoir explores how she became involved in a wellness cult, which fuelled a devastating mental health crisis that ultimately led to her being sectioned and diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Along the way, Hannah writes about trauma, spirituality, drugs, sex, friendship, heartbreak, therapy, healing and self discovery. Her reflections are thoughtful and articulate, and I found myself completely drawn into her story.
What I found most upsetting was how easily her vulnerability was exploited. It was frightening to see how manipulative groups can prey on people who are searching for belonging, purpose or healing, and how spirituality can be twisted by those with harmful intentions.
I genuinely couldn’t put this book down and finished it in just two days. The subtitle, A Memoir of Magic and Madness, perfectly captures what lies within these pages. Reading about mental health or psychology isn’t usually for me, but I really hope more people pick up this book. It’s fascinating, eye opening and one that will stay with me for a long time.
March 3, 2026
This was a truly phenomenal memoir. It’s so immersive and pacy that you almost forget this stuff actually happened. Hannah Murray really bares her soul here and I feel like she has a hugely successful career in writing ahead of her after this 🌟
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May 23, 2026Thank you to the publishers @penguinuk for this one!
This memoir was unlike anything I've ever read.
Hannah Murray's writing is vivid and simple, but flows very well; and had such nice pace that the events happening, which were so crazy, felt like reading fiction.
I truly appreciated the way her writing took on different forms as she was recounting different events. I found the prose reflecting her mental state of the time, to be very effective in explaining the effect of the cult on her mind. I think that's what I liked best.
Hannah is relatable and funny, and I was fascinated the whole time with her story!
You empathize with her early on, and it makes you 'understand' why she gets involved in this cult. Makes you even wonder, if you'd been in her shoes, whether you would have gotten involved too!
This memoir was unlike anything I've ever read.
Hannah Murray's writing is vivid and simple, but flows very well; and had such nice pace that the events happening, which were so crazy, felt like reading fiction.
I truly appreciated the way her writing took on different forms as she was recounting different events. I found the prose reflecting her mental state of the time, to be very effective in explaining the effect of the cult on her mind. I think that's what I liked best.
Hannah is relatable and funny, and I was fascinated the whole time with her story!
You empathize with her early on, and it makes you 'understand' why she gets involved in this cult. Makes you even wonder, if you'd been in her shoes, whether you would have gotten involved too!
June 1, 2026
Flew through this. The further I read, the more I found myself forgetting that I was reading a memoir - mirroring Murray’s own deteriorating ability to distinguish reality from fantasy during this period of her life. It’s an immersive and raw depiction of mental illness and of how someone vulnerable can, little by little, be drawn into cults in search of meaning.
Also, fuck Steve - not only for being a prick, but also for making me sit here with the lingering question of why on earth Kung Fu Panda 2 wasn’t on the cult’s movie watch list when the first and third were.
Also, fuck Steve - not only for being a prick, but also for making me sit here with the lingering question of why on earth Kung Fu Panda 2 wasn’t on the cult’s movie watch list when the first and third were.
May 30, 2026
feels pretty odd to say I loved this given the content and what Hannah went through, but my god did I. beautifully written, introspective and lucid, I could have read another 400 pages. perfect mix of celeb memoir, literary flair and wild subject matter; thank god she survived to write it
May 9, 2026
4.5! ⭐️
This felt deeply confessional in a way that makes you feel less like a reader and more like you’re sitting across from a best friend, listening to them unravel their thoughts in real time. Hannah Murray writes so beautifully and descriptively, where even the smallest observations feel vivid.
I especially loved the interrogative nature of the prose: the rhetorical questions, the constant probing and circling of thoughts, which made the book feel intimate and searching. There’s a fascinating blurring between reality and imagination throughout, as though we’re being pulled directly inside her mind.
What stayed with me most was the honesty of it. She lays herself completely bare on the page, and because of that, the ending hit me far more emotionally than I expected.
This felt deeply confessional in a way that makes you feel less like a reader and more like you’re sitting across from a best friend, listening to them unravel their thoughts in real time. Hannah Murray writes so beautifully and descriptively, where even the smallest observations feel vivid.
I especially loved the interrogative nature of the prose: the rhetorical questions, the constant probing and circling of thoughts, which made the book feel intimate and searching. There’s a fascinating blurring between reality and imagination throughout, as though we’re being pulled directly inside her mind.
What stayed with me most was the honesty of it. She lays herself completely bare on the page, and because of that, the ending hit me far more emotionally than I expected.
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May 29, 2026This was the most beautiful, heartbreaking, sincere memoir I’ve ever read.
I’m still gathering my thoughts, but wow. Will edit once I’ve sat with it for a lil while!!
Thank you to the publisher for my gifted proof copy x
I’m still gathering my thoughts, but wow. Will edit once I’ve sat with it for a lil while!!
Thank you to the publisher for my gifted proof copy x
June 1, 2026
Heartbreaking 💔
May 29, 2026
“But there is magic in my life still, it was always there. That is how the story goes. You go on a journey, a quest, in search of something that was inside you all along. You just couldn’t see it until now.”
I ate the audiobook of this up in a day. I find it so interesting hearing people’s experiences of being lured in by different types of cults and Hannah’s story was no exception.
I ate the audiobook of this up in a day. I find it so interesting hearing people’s experiences of being lured in by different types of cults and Hannah’s story was no exception.
May 29, 2026
This truly was an immersive experience reading Hannah's memoir. The brutal honesty and openness was so refreshing. I read this in less than 2 days I was hooked.
May 6, 2026
Wow what the hell did I just read?? I cannot believe all the things in this book actually happened to a person, someone successful and famous. It’s terrifying how life can change quickly with one tiny thing leading to another that eventually leads someone to …this level of insanity and tragedy.
I can tell from her writing that she is still recovering, still a little unsure of her self, not the present but if she can stay off from the harmful path she went down once. She is so brave to have written this and gotten it published. I hope she is ok and she will be ok. And continue to write perhaps, anything, fiction or non-fiction, because she is a good writer. I loved the lyrical prose in this memoir. I think it can be quite difficult to write disorientation and about tipping into insanity. She did such a good job conveying the terrifying feelings she had to have.
I found it difficult to put down. It’s propulsive, and a warning from her to say keep cautious, keep checking and taking care of your self, your mind, your world.
It is already making a lot of noise. Is it worth a read? Absolutely yes!
I can tell from her writing that she is still recovering, still a little unsure of her self, not the present but if she can stay off from the harmful path she went down once. She is so brave to have written this and gotten it published. I hope she is ok and she will be ok. And continue to write perhaps, anything, fiction or non-fiction, because she is a good writer. I loved the lyrical prose in this memoir. I think it can be quite difficult to write disorientation and about tipping into insanity. She did such a good job conveying the terrifying feelings she had to have.
I found it difficult to put down. It’s propulsive, and a warning from her to say keep cautious, keep checking and taking care of your self, your mind, your world.
It is already making a lot of noise. Is it worth a read? Absolutely yes!
June 2, 2026
When I saw that Hannah who portrayed Cassie on Skins had written a memoir I was elated. Hannah Murray dominated the Tumblr era during my teen years and I was intrigued to know how life had gone for her post Skins. Sadly this went a different way than I expected, I was hoping for a memoir along the writing style of Dinner for Vampires and I'm glad my mom died. The writing feels detached like an account of someone else's experience and even when she tries to reflect it doesn’t really feel believable. I will say she bravely recounts this era of her life without painting herself in a better light and I respect that so much. I do believe stories like these are important for those struggling with mental health and addiction because when you're most vulnerable, you're more susceptible to being taken advantage of. This does contain explicit material and profanity so please procced with caution. Sadly that was also another reason I did not enjoy this memoir.
June 1, 2026
I really wanted to like this but I found the writing to be strangely detached. The author has a compelling life experience and the potential for a good story is certainly there. I’ve read a lot of memoirs about mental ill health and different experiences. I’ve read literary memoirs, commercial memoirs and ghostwritten ones. Most of these were far more readable than this one. It reads as if the author is telling a story that happened to someone else. The action is described like this happened and then this happened and then this happened. Even when there is personal reflection it doesn’t seem believable “curiouser and curiouser” thinks the author. I had really high expectations of this book but I ultimately had to force myself to finish it.
May 30, 2026
DAMN, THIS SHIT IS CRAZY BRO! DID YOU SEE SHE DRANK HER OWN PISS BRO!
Jokes aside. I have to say being this honest in a celebrity memoir is pretty fucking baller. You truly get the sense that Hannah didn’t hold anything back here which is extremely hard to do and therefore I have no choice but to stan. She made reading the part where she “goes mad” (her words) and gets sectioned make a lot of sense. Walking away from this read I feel like I have lot more understanding of people who go into psychosis.
Jokes aside. I have to say being this honest in a celebrity memoir is pretty fucking baller. You truly get the sense that Hannah didn’t hold anything back here which is extremely hard to do and therefore I have no choice but to stan. She made reading the part where she “goes mad” (her words) and gets sectioned make a lot of sense. Walking away from this read I feel like I have lot more understanding of people who go into psychosis.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2026
This was amazing and I hope Hannah continues to write. She writes about her experiences with so much honestly and it’s so gripping and intense you sortof forget that it was completely real for her. It is a unique and lovely memoir!!
May 28, 2026
Hannah Murray was the ultimate cool girl for those of us growing up on tumblr and myspace, and I remember thinking I can't wait to see what she goes on to do. It's such a shame this cult consumed her and took everything from her. I'm glad she got out and got help. Not an easy read, but a ✨joy✨ to listen to the audiobook where Hannah tells her story in her own words!
May 29, 2026
genuinely fascinating! hannah is incredibly vulnerable and self aware in her writing and i think that is so brave. i’m so glad she is doing better now 🤍
June 1, 2026
her real strength is being brave enough to be vulnerable and narrate her experience in excruciating detail. hard read but such a compelling story.
May 28, 2026
The Make- Believe by Hannah Murray was so raw and vulnerable I absolutely couldn’t put it down! It felt as personal as reading a journal and I truly appreciated how authentic and engrossing this memoir was. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I never read a book quite like this. Incredibly unique, exceptionally vulnerable - I was captivated. Really hope this is the beginning of a long writing career for Hannah Murray.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
We all know I love memoirs. I love them so much that I requested THE MAKE-BELIEVE on NetGalley even though I had no idea who Hannah Murray was. I've never watched SKINS or GoT; the draw for me was the premise of the book: Hannah is drawn into a mystical wellness cult and suffers a psychotic break. Say no more, my dudes! I'm in. You may not know this, but I'm a recovered new age girlie. I was woo-woo wayyyyy before it was cool; I was up in the crystal shops in like 2007. I was reading the old school spiritual gurus, I was making vision boards before Instagram existed. It's a whole story for another day, but the spell for me was broken in 2020 when I was suddenly facing my actual lying-awake-at-night-in-terror deepest fear, a global pandemic, and I realized that the tools I had always relied upon would do exactly jack shit to help me cope with the existentially horrifying reality of what was happening. I couldn't use affirmations to make it go away; I couldn't manifest not having to go through it with a wannabe-dictator in charge. Combine that with watching most of the teachers I had always looked up to take a hard-alt-right in their beliefs and becoming loudly anti-vax on top of that: girl NOPE. I was out. And it sucked. I digress, but the point is, I related deeply to the author's experience of being drawn in by the so-called magical teachings of The Organization, growing more deeply entranced as the teachers cultivated her dependence on their support, on their courses, on their "healing sessions." When everything falls apart for Hannah, she's left to pick up the pieces and disentangle the cognitive dissonance of having found real community within a predatory group and finding some level of relief from her very real mental illness but within an illusory framework. Having narrowly avoided my actual local yoga cult; again, her struggle felt very authentic to me. At times the narrative grows repetitive as Hannah describes engaging with her vices again and again, but as anyone who battles destructive patterns knows, those journal entries get real Groundhog Day real quick (ask me how I know!). If you are at all interested in the subject matter, or if you're a fan of Hannah on the large and small screens, this is an engaging account of a phenomenon that is more widespread that you may think. So many of us are desperate for answers, for deliverance from the grind, from the ubiquitous and crushing overwhelm of our modern existence, and it's easier to blame a lack of "inner peace" than it is to dismantle the actual root cause, which is pretty much always capitalism. So read this book, go check your voter registration, and keep fighting the actual good fight. I promise, the crystals won't actually fix your life. Big thanks to Random House and Hannah Murray for the e-ARC via NetGalley! THE MAKE-BELIEVE drops on June 23rd.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book was easily one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I have been a huge Hannah Murray fan since the Skins days, so when I heard she was releasing a memoir—especially one centered on her experience with a cult—I was all in. Getting my hands on an ARC felt like a total "pinch me" moment.
The Make-Believe is a fascinating, unsettling, and deeply personal look into a world that is much weirder than your standard cult narrative. If you’re expecting a typical story about a religious fringe group or a high-control financial scheme, this isn't that. It’s less "Scientology" and more "You’re a wizard, Harry"—but in a way that’s actually quite haunting.
Murray explores a group that leaned heavily into fantasy and magical thinking, which makes the psychological grip they had over her feel both unique and incredibly surreal. Her writing is sharp and voice-driven, capturing that specific vulnerability of being young and searching for something more. The way she describes the blurring of reality and "the make-believe" is brilliant. It’s a very different kind of cult experience than anything I’ve ever read about. Her perspective is raw and honest, and because she’s such a talented actor, you can really feel the theatricality of the group she was involved with.
Because the subject matter is so abstract and "magical," there were a few spots where I felt a little lost in the logistics of how the group actually functioned. It’s a very internal, emotional memoir, so if you’re looking for a dry, investigative "true crime" style breakdown, this might feel a bit more like a fever dream.
It’s a powerful, strange, and beautiful coming-of-age story that just happens to involve a cult. If you like memoirs that focus on the psychology of belief and the power of narrative, you need to read this. Thank you so so much NetGalley for the eARC!
The Make-Believe is a fascinating, unsettling, and deeply personal look into a world that is much weirder than your standard cult narrative. If you’re expecting a typical story about a religious fringe group or a high-control financial scheme, this isn't that. It’s less "Scientology" and more "You’re a wizard, Harry"—but in a way that’s actually quite haunting.
Murray explores a group that leaned heavily into fantasy and magical thinking, which makes the psychological grip they had over her feel both unique and incredibly surreal. Her writing is sharp and voice-driven, capturing that specific vulnerability of being young and searching for something more. The way she describes the blurring of reality and "the make-believe" is brilliant. It’s a very different kind of cult experience than anything I’ve ever read about. Her perspective is raw and honest, and because she’s such a talented actor, you can really feel the theatricality of the group she was involved with.
Because the subject matter is so abstract and "magical," there were a few spots where I felt a little lost in the logistics of how the group actually functioned. It’s a very internal, emotional memoir, so if you’re looking for a dry, investigative "true crime" style breakdown, this might feel a bit more like a fever dream.
It’s a powerful, strange, and beautiful coming-of-age story that just happens to involve a cult. If you like memoirs that focus on the psychology of belief and the power of narrative, you need to read this. Thank you so so much NetGalley for the eARC!
May 9, 2026
This was emotionally intense, unflinchingly honest, and utterly gripping.
Like many people my age, I grew up watching Hannah Murray on Skins and Game of Thrones. Cassie was always a favourite of mine on the series, but I knew little of the actress herself. At the age of 27, Hannah Murray joined a ‘wellness organisation’ and quickly fell in love with its leader. What followed was a rapid downward spiral, a psychotic break, and a life-changing diagnosis. In her new memoir, Hannah recounts her story of magic and madness, and the devastating impact on her career, her mind, and her health.
I was so absorbed by this book. It reads as though a friend is telling you their story, and it was hard to put down. Hannah is so honest about her risky choices and erratic behaviour before she joined the organisation - it’s so sad seeing warning signs on the page and knowing what is coming. While the story is gripping, and at times fantastical, overall I felt very sad for Hannah and what she went through. It was clear from the start that at turns she was vulnerable, lonely, and always searching, which made her a prime target for the group. She never makes excuses, and is at times embarrassed by what happened, but in pouring her heart out through this cautionary tale she exposes the tactics used to draw her in, and the warning signs that were missed as her mental state and grip on reality declined. It is a brave and honest account of a traumatic period and the rebuilding of her life. While I am sure many would shy away from the story and try to forget it, Hannah Murray courageously recounts the darkest of experiences.
This is a must read if you enjoyed Dinner for Vampires, I’m Glad My Mom Dïed, From Here to the Great Unknown, and other brutally honest celebrity memories.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy!
Like many people my age, I grew up watching Hannah Murray on Skins and Game of Thrones. Cassie was always a favourite of mine on the series, but I knew little of the actress herself. At the age of 27, Hannah Murray joined a ‘wellness organisation’ and quickly fell in love with its leader. What followed was a rapid downward spiral, a psychotic break, and a life-changing diagnosis. In her new memoir, Hannah recounts her story of magic and madness, and the devastating impact on her career, her mind, and her health.
I was so absorbed by this book. It reads as though a friend is telling you their story, and it was hard to put down. Hannah is so honest about her risky choices and erratic behaviour before she joined the organisation - it’s so sad seeing warning signs on the page and knowing what is coming. While the story is gripping, and at times fantastical, overall I felt very sad for Hannah and what she went through. It was clear from the start that at turns she was vulnerable, lonely, and always searching, which made her a prime target for the group. She never makes excuses, and is at times embarrassed by what happened, but in pouring her heart out through this cautionary tale she exposes the tactics used to draw her in, and the warning signs that were missed as her mental state and grip on reality declined. It is a brave and honest account of a traumatic period and the rebuilding of her life. While I am sure many would shy away from the story and try to forget it, Hannah Murray courageously recounts the darkest of experiences.
This is a must read if you enjoyed Dinner for Vampires, I’m Glad My Mom Dïed, From Here to the Great Unknown, and other brutally honest celebrity memories.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Like many teens of my generation, I was fascinated by Skins and the characters therein. The show launched the career of several young actors - Murray portrayed Cassie, a troubled young teen., with heartbreaking realism. In the days of tumblr, Cassie was everywhere with her melancholic smile and thin limbs, eccentric and self-desctructive and beautiful.
Murray's memoir centers around her initiation into system of beliefs that fractured her psyche. Of course, cults don't advertise themselves as cults - Murray was referred for energy healing, and her healer connected her with the organization after. She uses pseudonyms for members and never names the organization in her book, so those curious will have to research on their own. This intense pressure coupled with her undiagnosed bipolar disorder led to a psychotic break - the most heartbreaking sections for me were how this organization continued to communicate with her and validate the delusions they created even after she was in a psychiatric facility. It was fascinating to read about her thought process throughout the experience, and I especially loved the final review where she discussed how pulling away from a manipulative organization was not a clean break.
Excellent, fascinating read. I love Murray's prose, and hearing about her life and experiences. It was more honest and raw than many memoirs go, especially for those in the spotlight.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of this Digital ARC.
Murray's memoir centers around her initiation into system of beliefs that fractured her psyche. Of course, cults don't advertise themselves as cults - Murray was referred for energy healing, and her healer connected her with the organization after. She uses pseudonyms for members and never names the organization in her book, so those curious will have to research on their own. This intense pressure coupled with her undiagnosed bipolar disorder led to a psychotic break - the most heartbreaking sections for me were how this organization continued to communicate with her and validate the delusions they created even after she was in a psychiatric facility. It was fascinating to read about her thought process throughout the experience, and I especially loved the final review where she discussed how pulling away from a manipulative organization was not a clean break.
Excellent, fascinating read. I love Murray's prose, and hearing about her life and experiences. It was more honest and raw than many memoirs go, especially for those in the spotlight.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of this Digital ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I feel bad rating this a 3 because it’s not a bad book and it’s a memoir. I feel like I’m rating someone’s life. This is a very vulnerable book written by Hannah Murray about the events that lead to her mental breakdown, joining a cult and eventually leaving acting. I was a huge skins back in the day and thought she did a great job playing cassie, a teenage girl struggling with anorexia. Then like the rest of the world, I was a big fan of game of thrones and Cassie was Gilly in game of thrones. I’ve always been curious as to why Hannah Murray and Kaya Scodelerio haven’t hit the same mainstream success that Nicholas hoult, Jack O’donnall and dev Patel from skins had hit, even if Kaya still acts. Reading that Hannah left made a lot of sense.
One thing I liked about this was that Hannah didn’t make herself look better in any of the parts, she just said it like it was. Not everything painted her in a good light, which is how things should be. I think it’s interesting to see a modern day cult that focuses more on “hippy/reiki” concepts. I just felt a distance between the text and Hannah that I didn���t feel when I’ve read some other memoirs (dinner with vampires, I’m glad my mom died). I also struggled with how focused Hannah was on just having a man in her life for a lot of it. I was happy to read that she had left it completely and seemed to be a in a much better place.
**thank you netgalley and random house for the e-arc**
One thing I liked about this was that Hannah didn’t make herself look better in any of the parts, she just said it like it was. Not everything painted her in a good light, which is how things should be. I think it’s interesting to see a modern day cult that focuses more on “hippy/reiki” concepts. I just felt a distance between the text and Hannah that I didn���t feel when I’ve read some other memoirs (dinner with vampires, I’m glad my mom died). I also struggled with how focused Hannah was on just having a man in her life for a lot of it. I was happy to read that she had left it completely and seemed to be a in a much better place.
**thank you netgalley and random house for the e-arc**
June 3, 2026
A very bold thing - Murray is unafraid to be the complicated, unreliable and at times unlikeable protagonist in her own memoir as she charts the course of a cult-induced psychotic break.
It made me think a lot about disgust, as a psychological function. There were times, particularly at the start of the psychotic break before it is obvious what is happening, that I felt revolted by Murray's presentation of herself to the point where I wanted to reduce my rating or even abandon the book. But I realised as the narrative continued that this was a very functional, primal revulsion on my part. Because of the immediacy and rawness of the text (and the self-narrated audiobook), I felt right alongside Murray as I listened to her descent into ultimate narcissistic lunacy, and my body and mind were crawling like I was watching a horror movie. I think part of me wanted to get away from the madness because something in me recognised the dangers.
This is all a testament to the writing, ultimately, that I felt so in-the-moment with this terrifying story of wellness cults and undiagnosed mental illness, and a generation - my generation - brought up on the power of magic and wishful thinking without a balancing pragmatism.
Thoroughly unique and difficult (complimentary). And the last word on millennial magical thinking, in my opinion.
Also, fuck Steve.
It made me think a lot about disgust, as a psychological function. There were times, particularly at the start of the psychotic break before it is obvious what is happening, that I felt revolted by Murray's presentation of herself to the point where I wanted to reduce my rating or even abandon the book. But I realised as the narrative continued that this was a very functional, primal revulsion on my part. Because of the immediacy and rawness of the text (and the self-narrated audiobook), I felt right alongside Murray as I listened to her descent into ultimate narcissistic lunacy, and my body and mind were crawling like I was watching a horror movie. I think part of me wanted to get away from the madness because something in me recognised the dangers.
This is all a testament to the writing, ultimately, that I felt so in-the-moment with this terrifying story of wellness cults and undiagnosed mental illness, and a generation - my generation - brought up on the power of magic and wishful thinking without a balancing pragmatism.
Thoroughly unique and difficult (complimentary). And the last word on millennial magical thinking, in my opinion.
Also, fuck Steve.
Read
April 27, 2026Thank you Penguin for the advanced copy 🫶🏻
I’m quite conflicted about this one, I’m familiar with Hannah after watching her in Skins as a teenager and I think in a way this subconsciously affected the way my brain pictured her and thought of her throughout this story, particularly given she doesn’t seem too dissimilar to the character she plays in the show.
This, combined with the subject matter of cults made the whole reading experience quite uncomfortable. I’m struggling to pinpoint exactly why this was the case, particularly because I have read a number of books about cults, including another memoir, and not had the same response.
However, I did also whizz through the book and found myself desperate to find out what happened and how it ended, which is more in line with how I’ve reacted to this subject matter previously as I generally find cults an insanely interesting subject.
I don’t think I’ll be jumping at the chance to recommend this one but it can’t argue with the fact that it is a compulsive read.
I’m quite conflicted about this one, I’m familiar with Hannah after watching her in Skins as a teenager and I think in a way this subconsciously affected the way my brain pictured her and thought of her throughout this story, particularly given she doesn’t seem too dissimilar to the character she plays in the show.
This, combined with the subject matter of cults made the whole reading experience quite uncomfortable. I’m struggling to pinpoint exactly why this was the case, particularly because I have read a number of books about cults, including another memoir, and not had the same response.
However, I did also whizz through the book and found myself desperate to find out what happened and how it ended, which is more in line with how I’ve reacted to this subject matter previously as I generally find cults an insanely interesting subject.
I don’t think I’ll be jumping at the chance to recommend this one but it can’t argue with the fact that it is a compulsive read.
May 8, 2026
Thank you so much @penguinukbooks for this early copy, it did not disappoint!!
You may know Hannah Murray for her acting as the staple character Cassie from Skins, or from her work in Game of Thrones, but in this book is everything you DIDN’T know about her.
The Make-Believe tells of what happened in Murray’s personal life, following her wrapping shooting the movie Detroit. After finding herself in a place of trauma and overwhelm, Murray finds aid in a spiritual wellness community, highly recommended to her - though there is much more to the community than what she initially finds at the surface.
The novel is a really important and fascinating exploration of susceptibility when vulnerable, mental health and mania, never skirting around the uncomfortable.
The Make-Believe comes out May 28th and I would wholeheartedly recommend the read! It’s not just another celebrity memoir, in fact it is very lacking in anything to do with Murray’s celebrity status.
You may know Hannah Murray for her acting as the staple character Cassie from Skins, or from her work in Game of Thrones, but in this book is everything you DIDN’T know about her.
The Make-Believe tells of what happened in Murray’s personal life, following her wrapping shooting the movie Detroit. After finding herself in a place of trauma and overwhelm, Murray finds aid in a spiritual wellness community, highly recommended to her - though there is much more to the community than what she initially finds at the surface.
The novel is a really important and fascinating exploration of susceptibility when vulnerable, mental health and mania, never skirting around the uncomfortable.
The Make-Believe comes out May 28th and I would wholeheartedly recommend the read! It’s not just another celebrity memoir, in fact it is very lacking in anything to do with Murray’s celebrity status.
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