Juniper and Athena are writers. One successful and one not. Their friendship is of convenience until one night Juniper witnesses Athena’s death. Before she leaves the apartment she swipes Athena’s latest manuscript and decides to rewrite and publish it. It’s a sensation but quickly people wonder about a white woman writing a masterpiece about Chinese oppression under a vaguely Asian pseudonym. The madness begins there… as Juniper tries to hide the truth and reckon with the ghost of Athena stalking through her conscience.
What a car crash of a book! The main character is entirely unlikable and every choice she makes is giant cringe but boy did I enjoy every second of it. The weaving of the story with the scathing takedown of the publishing industry and a unique take on the impact of race is masterful. I’m not sure who the perfect audience is for this one except people who love trolls, comeuppance and a wild descent into madness.
I sweated my way through every second of the audiobook but loved every second of it. I was tempted to take half a star off because the baddie was a bit obvious but then the last few chapters turned me back around. Definitely a 5 star reading experience.
Read this one if you liked The Plot or Kill all Your Darlings.
Thanks to Harper Audio for gifted access via Netgalley. I did go on to purchase a copy. All opinions above are my own.
What’s the last book that blew you away?
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