The Make-Believe

“A frank and often darkly funny exploration of the convergence of hedonism with the self-help industry that led [Murray] headlong into ‘the underbelly of the wellness and spiritual world.’”—The Guardian

“Completely absorbing. . . . Beautifully written, harrowing, unexpectedly funny in parts and genuinely jaw-dropping throughout . . . I haven’t stopped thinking about The Make-Believe since I finished it.”—Vogue

“The Make-Believe is a harrowing read, as Murray navigates a predatory unnamed wellness cult in the lead-up to her collapse, but it’s not a punishing experience. Murray—like the characters she once played—is mercurial and wry, and The Make-Believe is fearless in its depiction of psychosis and criticisms toward the world of wellness.”—Vulture

“[An] extraordinary memoir . . . Astonishing and brilliant.”—The Telegraph

“Impressive . . . The immersive feel of [Murray’s] writing allows for a deft bit of trickery. It is so claustrophobic as to make you feel like you’re stuck in someone’s mind with their thoughts pressing up against you, and with no footing on solid ground.”—The Observer

“The Make-Believe is one of the most addictive [books] I’ve read in a long time. . . . A compelling mental health memoir about spiritual cults, vulnerability, and fame.”—Emma Ganon, The Hyphen

“In The Make-Believe, Hannah Murray traces the subtle architecture of belief: how need becomes trust, and trust becomes surrender. What makes this memoir so remarkable is what Murray resists—she does not cast herself as a victim or offer easy lessons. Instead, she reveals, moment by moment, how a person in search of healing can gradually lose herself. The power lies in the restraint, in the questions left unanswered.”—Ruth Wariner, New York Times bestselling author of The Sound of Gravel

“Utterly exceptional memoir . . . a lyrical, powerful examination of what it means to be ‘well.’”—Elizabeth Day

“A memoir of real literary power that wields a writer’s full tool kit, with finger-biting dramatic irony, vivid sensory evocation, and pithy statements of uncomfortable truth. . . . The premise is fascinating, but her execution is what makes this story uniquely compelling.”—Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times

“I was deeply moved by this vital, brave memoir. Hannah Murray’s compelling account of her experience is intensely open-hearted and lyrical, depicting just how porous the boundaries and realities of our lives can become. A stunning achievement.”—Sophie Mackintosh, author of The Water Cure

“A page-turning and generous book that is intensely concerned with what it means to be human. Hannah Murray is a masterful storyteller.”—Rebecca Watson, author of Little Scratch

“This book is brilliantly and beautifully written, fast-flowing, deeply felt and observed. Hannah Murray is a writer of tremendous skill and fearlessness.”—Daisy Johnson, author of Sisters

“An extraordinary memoir—propulsive, immersive; like nothing I have ever read before. I read it in one day and thought about it for weeks afterwards.”—Dolly Alderton, New York Times bestselling author of Good Material

“Reading The Make-Believe, I shivered as I recognized the terror and seduction entwined in Hannah Murray’s story. This memoir is harrowing, yes—but it is also exquisitely written, tracing the fracture of a mind and the fierce, fragile work of reclaiming it.”—Daniella Mestyanek Young, author of Uncultured