A diaristic, confessional debut novel that draws the reader into the throes of madness, love, and recovery. It weaves personal memory with fantasy and folktale, asking questions of the living and the dead. Examines the complicated relationships many people have with their abusers. Complex, nuanced queer relationship stories with abusive undertones don't get told as often as their straight counterparts, so many people will feel seen by this book. Readers who have struggled with depression, or love someone who has, will find a fresh perspective on mental health, disability, madness, and recovery. Explores the deep impact of intergenerational trauma, in particular how Holocaust trauma affects Jewish people, even generations later. The intersection between intergenerational trauma and the narrator's depression reveals the long-lasting, circular consequences of violence and oppression. For fans of Elif Batuman, Claudia Dey, and Kate Zambreno.
Also Bronwyn Fishcer's The Adult, Megan Nolan's Acts of Desperation, Daisy Alpert Florin's My Last Innocent Year, and Julia May Jonas's Vladimir.