My Dear Cult Leader by Aly Acevedo is a winding, weighty collection-at once layered with scars and warm, velvet nights. The collection dissects cyclic violences through the figures of the 'cult leader' and his followers, interwoven with personal narratives of trauma and survival. Acevedo examines the lasting effects of sexual assault and toxic relationships on the body and mind. Dynamically sensory and emotionally raw, Acevedo's work calls for female safety and solidarity, and strikes a remarkable balance between devastation and hope. My Dear Cult Leader gives careful attention to the wounds of humanity-finding in them the way back to love and self-empowerment.
