Ripe

Etter expertly diverts the novel from neat or didactic tropes…Etter’s exquisite prose powers the book. There are also moments when one wishes that Cassie might seek more connection with others, might reflect a bit more deeply about those around her. However, Etter doesn’t grant us such easy ways out. Sometimes embracing the darkness is the only way to get through it. – Alexandra Chang * The New York Times *An absolute must read… Unsettling, tense and funny * A Glamour ‘Best New Books for August 2023 *In Sarah Rose Etter’s surreal follow-up to her 2019 debut, The Book of X, Cassie’s black hole becomes an apt metaphor for depression, growing to the size of a melon or becoming big enough to block out the sun depending on the state of her angst. Etter’s prose is so visceral it’s hard not to get caught up in Cassie’s infinite sadness * TIME (The 100 Must Read Books of 2023) *Etter’s work is undoubtedly surreal, but then so is American life today… Ripe hits very close to home – Jessica Ferri * Los Angeles Times *bold and beautiful * bookshop.org *

Sarah Rose Etter is the author of the chapbook Tongue Party and The Book of X, winner of a Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel. Her work has appeared in Time, Guernica, BOMB, The Bennington Review, The Cut, VICE, and elsewhere. She earned her MFA in fiction from Rosemont College. She lives in Los Angeles.