Damn I loved this book. Is that even appropriate to say? It was like a snarky, cynical version of Before & After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum. Every aspiring writer should read this wild ride. June is the quintessential unlikeable narrator but somehow we feel for her. A little bit. Less so by the end. At least, we understand her. She’s tough to read, but I loved the themes this book raised and how it made me think without telling me what to think. Also, I think it’s so cool that Kuang who is known for fantasy, published this very pacey, voicey, contemporary literary novel. Definitely worthwhile.

Short summary: When aspiring author June discovers her dead friend’s unpublished novel, she decides to publish it as her own. There are a few problems with that but especially that she’s a different race than her friend, and the POV characters. Can she pull it off? Should she?

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐