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Whoever You Are, Honey
'Built on simmering tensions at the precipice of boiling over . . . vivid storytelling' VOGUE
***
BEHIND THIS GLASS, EVERYTHING IS MORE BEAUTIFUL
On the Santa Cruz waterfront, every house is as perfect as the people inside. Not so for Mitty and Bethel, the oddball pair in the dilapidated bungalow – they are the last vestiges of a town now housing the tech elite. But Mitty is about to cross the threshold. Someone has arrived next door who finally wants to know this forgotten girl.
Lena is different and she knows it. Reliant on her entrepreneur boyfriend Sebastian, her life is oddly limited for someone bathed in wealth. But when she sees Mitty, Lena begins to recognize a part of herself she has yet to face, something anxious, something broken – something real.
And in this salt-blasted town, friendship will bleed into obsession, minds and bodies will betray, and the past will come back with a howl and a bite.
Thrilling, seductive and prescient, WHOEVER YOU ARE HONEY is a blazing debut that dissects perfection, examines how women are made and explores the intersection of passion, technology, and power.
***
BEHIND THIS GLASS, EVERYTHING IS MORE BEAUTIFUL
On the Santa Cruz waterfront, every house is as perfect as the people inside. Not so for Mitty and Bethel, the oddball pair in the dilapidated bungalow – they are the last vestiges of a town now housing the tech elite. But Mitty is about to cross the threshold. Someone has arrived next door who finally wants to know this forgotten girl.
Lena is different and she knows it. Reliant on her entrepreneur boyfriend Sebastian, her life is oddly limited for someone bathed in wealth. But when she sees Mitty, Lena begins to recognize a part of herself she has yet to face, something anxious, something broken – something real.
And in this salt-blasted town, friendship will bleed into obsession, minds and bodies will betray, and the past will come back with a howl and a bite.
Thrilling, seductive and prescient, WHOEVER YOU ARE HONEY is a blazing debut that dissects perfection, examines how women are made and explores the intersection of passion, technology, and power.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2024
189 people are currently reading
28216 people want to read
About the author
Olivia Gatwood
12 books958 followersOlivia Gatwood is a nationally touring poet, performer, and educator from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her work has been featured on HBO and Verses & Flow, as well as in Muzzle Magazine, Bustle and The Huffington Post, among others. She has been a finalist at the National Poetry Slam, Women of the World Poetry Slam, and Brave New Voices. She is a graduate of Pratt Institute’s Fiction Program.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 621 reviews
November 4, 2024
what does it mean to be a woman in a body?!?!
who knows. for me it's that i'm constantly, low-level craving cookies, but that's not the fodder of genre-bending semi-dystopian lit fic.
this book leans too far into the lit fic part — the first 90% is normal unhappy woman discovering she hasn't been Truly Alive, featuring tragedy and shameful backstory and forbidden romance.
then the last 10% is completely insane.
it feels a bit too little, too late. i wanted to spend more time exploring what this book revealed itself to be about (big tech's oversteps, the surreal nature of being female and alive), which felt unique, rather than the very well-trod steps we'd spent exploring before.
oh well!
bottom line: we'll get em next time.
-----------------
tbr review
i will read any book about women with a pretty cover. that's all it takes
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
who knows. for me it's that i'm constantly, low-level craving cookies, but that's not the fodder of genre-bending semi-dystopian lit fic.
this book leans too far into the lit fic part — the first 90% is normal unhappy woman discovering she hasn't been Truly Alive, featuring tragedy and shameful backstory and forbidden romance.
then the last 10% is completely insane.
it feels a bit too little, too late. i wanted to spend more time exploring what this book revealed itself to be about (big tech's oversteps, the surreal nature of being female and alive), which felt unique, rather than the very well-trod steps we'd spent exploring before.
oh well!
bottom line: we'll get em next time.
-----------------
tbr review
i will read any book about women with a pretty cover. that's all it takes
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
September 12, 2024
AI washing strikes again. If you want to read about an AI sexbot becoming increasingly sentient, try Annie Bot. Also, the only 'thrilling' part of this was when Lena tried to deep throat Mitty's entire arm. This was definitely a character-driven lit-fic. Lots of internal yappity yap and philosophizing about a variety of issues. It was okay, but it wasn't particularly thought-provoking or evocative. I prefer Annie Bot or Hey Zoey's to this one, the latter being more similar.
July 8, 2024
For 10 years Mitty has lived with her elderly roommate, Bethel, on the Santa Cruz waterfront. They’re the oddball pair in a dilapidated bungalow, the last vestiges of a town taken over by the tech elite. A new couple, Lena and Sebastian, move in next door and, as Mitty and Lena form a close friendship they are both forced to face their pasts.
This book is rather strange and unusual as is the cover but I was totally immersed in it. We know from early on that both Mitty and Lena have secrets and their pasts are slowly revealed. The writing was lovely and the characters were interesting but, other than Lena and Mitty, not fully developed. I found I wanted to know more about Bethel than Mitty. And that ending ... once again I'm left scratching my head. Still, it was enjoyable and I'll be on the lookout for future novels by Olivia Gatwood.
I actually didn't notice until after I started reading that this book is classified as science fiction, a genre I rarely read, but obviously I need to start thinking outside the box! I didn't get much of a sci-fi vibe from it in any case. Mitty and Bethel watch many old shows and movies on TV and after much searching I found that the title of this book is from some of the dialog in a 1965 Vincent Price movie called Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine which revolves around Dr. Goldfoot's plot to use his army of bikini-clad robots to seduce wealthy men into signing over their assets.
My thanks to Madison Dettlinger, Penguin Random House, via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: July 9, 2024
This book is rather strange and unusual as is the cover but I was totally immersed in it. We know from early on that both Mitty and Lena have secrets and their pasts are slowly revealed. The writing was lovely and the characters were interesting but, other than Lena and Mitty, not fully developed. I found I wanted to know more about Bethel than Mitty. And that ending ... once again I'm left scratching my head. Still, it was enjoyable and I'll be on the lookout for future novels by Olivia Gatwood.
I actually didn't notice until after I started reading that this book is classified as science fiction, a genre I rarely read, but obviously I need to start thinking outside the box! I didn't get much of a sci-fi vibe from it in any case. Mitty and Bethel watch many old shows and movies on TV and after much searching I found that the title of this book is from some of the dialog in a 1965 Vincent Price movie called Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine which revolves around Dr. Goldfoot's plot to use his army of bikini-clad robots to seduce wealthy men into signing over their assets.
My thanks to Madison Dettlinger, Penguin Random House, via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: July 9, 2024
August 15, 2024
A story of female friendship and empowerment that quietly explores its themes.
Watch my BookTube video for more books on AI, advanced tech & sex bots. 👀
"Lena knew that if she weren't so afraid of having a flaw, she would wish for a scar. Some proof of her certain and specific existence."
Set in a gentrified Santa Cruz beach neighborhood where only one property remains in its original state, untouched by the changes wrought by the arrival of the tech industry, Whoever You Are, Honey explores the juxtaposition of new and old, real and fake in the age of the booming tech industry.
The dilapidated bungalow is home to an elderly woman and her young roommate, Mitty. When new neighbors, Sebastian and Lena, move in next door, Mitty takes an interest in Lena, a flawlessly beautiful woman who has inexplicable gaps in her memory. Both women have something to hide, and through alternating perspectives they confront their pasts and embrace uncomfortable truths about themselves.
Mitty’s story centers on sexual identity, envy, and shame, whereas Lena’s story examines life under the male gaze, patriarchal beliefs about women’s roles, and what it’s like to inhabit a female body in the age of the algorithm. Lena’s story asks where women fit into this new world of filters and photoshop and the expectation that we appear inhumanly flawless.
Throughout the book, there’s an underlying mystery that’s only subtly explored, and there's a hint of sci-fi, but this book is firmly in the realm of literary fiction. It focuses on character and internal conflict over plot, and it reaches an ambiguous conclusion.
Would recommend to fans of contemporary stories of female friendship and empowerment that quietly explore their themes.
My heartfelt thanks goes out to the good people at The Dial Press for sending me an ARC of this highly anticipated read.
--
ORIGINAL POST 👇
This is giving Stepford Wives in Silicon Valley and I'm 100% here for it. 👀
Mitty and Bethel live in a dilapidated bungalow amid the last vestiges of a town taken over by the tech elite. When a renowned tech founder and his girlfriend, Lena, move in next door, Mitty and Lena become friends. They both have secrets, including Lena's spotty memory. "As the two women begin to form a close friendship, they are finally forced to face their pasts—or lack thereof—which have overpowered their lives for far too long, and the urgent truths that could change everything."
Said to be gripping and seductive; "a kind of Stepford Wives meets Grey Gardens for the age of artificial intelligence". I need to read this!
Watch my BookTube video for more books on AI, advanced tech & sex bots. 👀
"Lena knew that if she weren't so afraid of having a flaw, she would wish for a scar. Some proof of her certain and specific existence."
Set in a gentrified Santa Cruz beach neighborhood where only one property remains in its original state, untouched by the changes wrought by the arrival of the tech industry, Whoever You Are, Honey explores the juxtaposition of new and old, real and fake in the age of the booming tech industry.
The dilapidated bungalow is home to an elderly woman and her young roommate, Mitty. When new neighbors, Sebastian and Lena, move in next door, Mitty takes an interest in Lena, a flawlessly beautiful woman who has inexplicable gaps in her memory. Both women have something to hide, and through alternating perspectives they confront their pasts and embrace uncomfortable truths about themselves.
Mitty’s story centers on sexual identity, envy, and shame, whereas Lena’s story examines life under the male gaze, patriarchal beliefs about women’s roles, and what it’s like to inhabit a female body in the age of the algorithm. Lena’s story asks where women fit into this new world of filters and photoshop and the expectation that we appear inhumanly flawless.
Throughout the book, there’s an underlying mystery that’s only subtly explored, and there's a hint of sci-fi, but this book is firmly in the realm of literary fiction. It focuses on character and internal conflict over plot, and it reaches an ambiguous conclusion.
Would recommend to fans of contemporary stories of female friendship and empowerment that quietly explore their themes.
My heartfelt thanks goes out to the good people at The Dial Press for sending me an ARC of this highly anticipated read.
--
ORIGINAL POST 👇
This is giving Stepford Wives in Silicon Valley and I'm 100% here for it. 👀
Mitty and Bethel live in a dilapidated bungalow amid the last vestiges of a town taken over by the tech elite. When a renowned tech founder and his girlfriend, Lena, move in next door, Mitty and Lena become friends. They both have secrets, including Lena's spotty memory. "As the two women begin to form a close friendship, they are finally forced to face their pasts—or lack thereof—which have overpowered their lives for far too long, and the urgent truths that could change everything."
Said to be gripping and seductive; "a kind of Stepford Wives meets Grey Gardens for the age of artificial intelligence". I need to read this!
July 7, 2024
I’ll start by saying this book is written beautifully and flows in a way that keeps you wanting to read more. The actual content of the book is what’s problematic and didn’t work for me. It’s labeled as Sci-Fi and I wouldn’t call it that at all. It’s barely Sci-Fi adjacent. If Lena was changed a bit, this could’ve been a beautiful contemporary fiction about female empowerment.
Bethel and Mitty are roommates/chosen family and we aren’t sure how they got to be this way. The story of their past is told through flashbacks from Mittys pov, although these focus on an ex named Esme, and eventually we find out how Mitty’s mom met Bethel. I’d rather have had this part told outright because I didn’t feel like there was a great payoff in holding that information to the end. I also didn’t care about Esme or that relationship, and the “big awful thing” Mitty did to end up with Bethel seemed silly.
Now we get to Sebastian and Lena. Sebastian was the more interesting of the two, but this is supposed to be female centric so it makes sense he wasn’t explored more. Lena is lonely and looking for friends so she gravitates to Mitty once she meets her. The “twist” wasn’t a twist for me at all, it was blatantly obvious from the get go, and I actually was more shocked to find out other readers didn’t realize Lena’s situation just from reading the synopsis. Even this though once it was revealed, was wrapped up in a few pages and left open which was completely unsatisfying and made me care even less than I did before.
The most interesting storyline was the murder of Sebastian’s friend and tech co-founder, Pax, and that is barely given a second thought past the funeral scene.
Overall the writing quality here is wonderful, the story is lacking. I’d try this author again. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Bethel and Mitty are roommates/chosen family and we aren’t sure how they got to be this way. The story of their past is told through flashbacks from Mittys pov, although these focus on an ex named Esme, and eventually we find out how Mitty’s mom met Bethel. I’d rather have had this part told outright because I didn’t feel like there was a great payoff in holding that information to the end. I also didn’t care about Esme or that relationship, and the “big awful thing” Mitty did to end up with Bethel seemed silly.
Now we get to Sebastian and Lena. Sebastian was the more interesting of the two, but this is supposed to be female centric so it makes sense he wasn’t explored more. Lena is lonely and looking for friends so she gravitates to Mitty once she meets her. The “twist” wasn’t a twist for me at all, it was blatantly obvious from the get go, and I actually was more shocked to find out other readers didn’t realize Lena’s situation just from reading the synopsis. Even this though once it was revealed, was wrapped up in a few pages and left open which was completely unsatisfying and made me care even less than I did before.
The most interesting storyline was the murder of Sebastian’s friend and tech co-founder, Pax, and that is barely given a second thought past the funeral scene.
Overall the writing quality here is wonderful, the story is lacking. I’d try this author again. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the digital ARC. I devoured this strange, gorgeously written story. The sci-fi elements mesh well with the overall lit fic tone, and some of the flashbacks tell me that Oliva Gatwood has got to have at least one amazing young adult book in her. I loved how well she captures the insidious nature of loneliness and how it can impact the way you interact with the world. The characters and the Santa Cruz/Arizona settings were so vivid, and the relationships all felt very believably messy and complicated. It was a little grislier than I expected, which I loved. It wasn't perfect — certain elements felt a little twee (not necessarily a bad thing) and the word "grin" was used about a thousand times — but I loved this book. It doesn't remind me of anything super specific, but it has elements of "Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro, maybe some Emma Cline, maybe some Melissa Broder. I'll def be preordering, and will probably re-read when it's published this summer.
September 7, 2024
This book was DNF several hours in. Everything in it is so vague, things are just hinted at and the story, well, doesn't feel like there even is one to speak of.
September 4, 2024
this started out really strong, and i loved following the characters of Mitty and Lena as they form a friendship. I do believe this book’s marketing is a bit misleading - i expected the AI/sci-fi elements to be stronger but it really just serves as a backdrop setting for the story, which is just more of a litfic slice-of-life character study. again very well written but I wish it had a little more in the way of plot and the unexplored sci-fi was disappointing.
February 17, 2024
I have been pining for this book since the first hint Olivia Gatwood dropped of writing a novel years ago, so yeah you could say MY LIFE IS COMPLETE! What a beautiful transition from poetry to fiction! I love Mitty and Lena and Bethel, and I loved learning about their histories and thoughts and seeing them learn about each other. And wow the ending got me!
February 4, 2025
It was prescriptive, ungrateful, to imagine needing more from a person than the part of their body that said your name.
September 18, 2024
ok I think I should start off this review by saying that I’ve been a long-time of fan of Olivia’s work for years. Like can quote her poetry off the top of my head, tuned into the podcast, ordered my library copy of WYAH the day it came out type of fan. If you’re a fan of lyrical and beautiful prose, I really believe you will like this book. If you get creeped out by the unsettling composure of “tech bros” and love to read about womanhood and identity and internal longing and female solidarity, I think you’ll enjoy this book. Olivia’s writing is beautiful and detailed and filled with so much admiration for women it’s really beautiful to read!
However, I feel like the girls in marketing and editorial were not aligned and it’s a shame because I think this book was marketed as something much darker and adventurous than it really is which made me anticipate a pace that was was never really reached. Or maybe it’s that the premise of the book has so much potential for heightened stakes that I’m left wanting more? It just feels like the book starts off with crazy events (w the interns) and that just casually takes the backseat for a lot of personal reflection. And don’t get me wrong i love a lit fic w personal reflection but it felt like the whole book danced around this huge plot line and that so much time was spent wandering around the landscape before hitting these huge scenes w very little time and then backing away from them almost immediately afterwards. Idk I just feel like I’m walking away from this one wanting so much more.
I’m excited to see more, and again, I think there’s a lot you can grab from this book if you decide to pick it up. But imo I wish this plot was pushed a little farther. 🤷🏿♀️
October 1, 2024
everyone really is autistic with very real and specific special interests and that was so enjoyable to relate to. (except lena. she’s not autistic; she’s just AI) ((maybe))
June 11, 2024
4.5
olivia gatwood the woman you are <3
I've watched olivia's performance of her poem "ode to the women on long island" probably 200 times. she has such an incredible way worth words and what a TREAT that she's brought her talents to the novel.
I absolutely devoured this and have very few complaints, except that I often find these slice-of-life/unwell women/quiet but heartracing books to end abruptly when really I want olivia to hold my hand and please tell me everything that happened and will happen.
but, at the very least, you should read it. and then maybe we can talk about it together.
olivia gatwood the woman you are <3
I've watched olivia's performance of her poem "ode to the women on long island" probably 200 times. she has such an incredible way worth words and what a TREAT that she's brought her talents to the novel.
I absolutely devoured this and have very few complaints, except that I often find these slice-of-life/unwell women/quiet but heartracing books to end abruptly when really I want olivia to hold my hand and please tell me everything that happened and will happen.
but, at the very least, you should read it. and then maybe we can talk about it together.
August 14, 2024
As expected, Olivia Gatwood’s writing is beautiful. So detailed, and rich. The scenes she painted were incredibly vivid and it was easy for me to visualize everything that was going on.
Generally I love a novel dependent on characters over plot, but the first two thirds of this book felt a bit too aimless for me. It didn’t feel like anything was really driving the story forward and I found myself wondering what the book was even about. The ambiguously twisty ending, which surprised me though the clues to figure it out were there all along, did redeem some of that aimlessness but not all. I wanted the ending section to be longer. Rather, the reveal happens and we’re ushered pretty quickly into the end.
I liked this novel, but it definitely reads like a debut. Regardless of any plot issues, Gatwood’s prose shines and if you’re a fan of her poetry you’ll be a fan of her novel.
Generally I love a novel dependent on characters over plot, but the first two thirds of this book felt a bit too aimless for me. It didn’t feel like anything was really driving the story forward and I found myself wondering what the book was even about. The ambiguously twisty ending, which surprised me though the clues to figure it out were there all along, did redeem some of that aimlessness but not all. I wanted the ending section to be longer. Rather, the reveal happens and we’re ushered pretty quickly into the end.
I liked this novel, but it definitely reads like a debut. Regardless of any plot issues, Gatwood’s prose shines and if you’re a fan of her poetry you’ll be a fan of her novel.
July 19, 2024
this was weird and I really really liked it. makes me want to spend more time in California and more time hating tech bros. i loved bethel and mitty through lena’s eyes, and lena & sebastian’s relationship will weird me out for a while
November 8, 2025
Un peu perplexe de la fin, ma théorie ne se confirme pas mais ne s'infirme pas non plus. Malgré tout c'est un très beau livre très bien écrit, qui pose beaucoup de questions et souligne de belles valeurs.
September 18, 2024
I would usually write out a longer review better detailing my thoughts…. But this book was boring. I’ve already picked up another one and will forget I even read this.
Edited: I’m back. Thought I should muster up something to say.
This book reminded me that not every book is meant for every reader. It ended up feeling like a missed opportunity for what could’ve been a really captivating sci-fi tech story. Instead, it leaned too heavily on vulgarity, and while I don’t mind vulgarity if it serves the story, there’s a point where it feels unnecessary. I didn’t need to know about someone’s “pimple booty hole” or how often this woman watches her neighbors have sex. This had the potential to reach Ex Machina levels of depth, but unfortunately, we got something much less engaging.
It’s disappointing that in a book that seems so focused on the connections between women—across different ages, forgotten selves, and found family—the most interesting aspect ends up being the man or his storyline. I think the author missed an opportunity by not telling the story strictly from Lena’s perspective or even just Sebastian’s. Either would have made the book stronger. Bethel’s character also felt largely unnecessary, and honestly, the twists weren’t really twists. Like many reviewers have noted, it’s fairly obvious that Lena is AI.
I completely understand the conversations the author was trying to start, but the delivery made it feel like some of those discussions weren’t even worth having. And if you know me, you know I can’t stand mis-genred books. Yes, I know “mis-genred” isn’t a real word, but it’s frustrating to pick up a book labeled as sci-fi when it’s really more of generic women’s literature. Or reading a “horror” novel that’s more like cozy suspense. The best thing about this book is the cover, and I think that’s what drew in a lot of readers, who, like me, were left feeling disappointed.
That said, I’m sure there will be readers who feel connected to these characters. I personally didn’t.
Edited: I’m back. Thought I should muster up something to say.
This book reminded me that not every book is meant for every reader. It ended up feeling like a missed opportunity for what could’ve been a really captivating sci-fi tech story. Instead, it leaned too heavily on vulgarity, and while I don’t mind vulgarity if it serves the story, there’s a point where it feels unnecessary. I didn’t need to know about someone’s “pimple booty hole” or how often this woman watches her neighbors have sex. This had the potential to reach Ex Machina levels of depth, but unfortunately, we got something much less engaging.
It’s disappointing that in a book that seems so focused on the connections between women—across different ages, forgotten selves, and found family—the most interesting aspect ends up being the man or his storyline. I think the author missed an opportunity by not telling the story strictly from Lena’s perspective or even just Sebastian’s. Either would have made the book stronger. Bethel’s character also felt largely unnecessary, and honestly, the twists weren’t really twists. Like many reviewers have noted, it’s fairly obvious that Lena is AI.
I completely understand the conversations the author was trying to start, but the delivery made it feel like some of those discussions weren’t even worth having. And if you know me, you know I can’t stand mis-genred books. Yes, I know “mis-genred” isn’t a real word, but it’s frustrating to pick up a book labeled as sci-fi when it’s really more of generic women’s literature. Or reading a “horror” novel that’s more like cozy suspense. The best thing about this book is the cover, and I think that’s what drew in a lot of readers, who, like me, were left feeling disappointed.
That said, I’m sure there will be readers who feel connected to these characters. I personally didn’t.
March 14, 2024
From the cover alone you know you are in for something unique and dark.
Gatwood's first novel takes place in Santa Cruz where the waterfront has been razed and rebuilt by the wealthy elite leaving one sole house where Mitty and her roommate Bethel reside. When Sebastian and Lena move in, there every day solitary lives are punctured. Why does Lena have holes in her memory? Why is Mitty so entranced? What are the secrets that have arrived with this new neighbor?
Gatwood offers thoughtful and intricate writing on loneliness, self and being a woman. And a twist that will leave you thinking about this book for a long, long time.
#randomhouse #oliviagatwood #whoeverryouarehoney
Gatwood's first novel takes place in Santa Cruz where the waterfront has been razed and rebuilt by the wealthy elite leaving one sole house where Mitty and her roommate Bethel reside. When Sebastian and Lena move in, there every day solitary lives are punctured. Why does Lena have holes in her memory? Why is Mitty so entranced? What are the secrets that have arrived with this new neighbor?
Gatwood offers thoughtful and intricate writing on loneliness, self and being a woman. And a twist that will leave you thinking about this book for a long, long time.
#randomhouse #oliviagatwood #whoeverryouarehoney
July 18, 2024
4/5 ✧
The characters of Mitty, Bethel, and Lena are endearing and dissimilar and their relationships to each other are compelling and sometimes heartwarming. If you go into this book for the characters alone, I think you will get a lot out of it. The themes that Olivia Gatwood explores through these three different women (loneliness, patriarchy, figuring out who you are or who you want to be, what aspects of the human condition make you human at all) are done well and all of Whoever You Are, Honey is written beautifully.
However, there were some things I wanted more from in regards to Lena's character, Sebastian, and Sebastian's partner. I do think it's possible that some of the things that i wanted to be different, were intentional on Gatwood's part, but they did take away from the overall story a bit, for me.
I still think Whoever You Are, Honey was a fantastic debut from Olivia Gatwood! I can't wait to see what she does next as an even more seasoned novel writer. I also think that Olivia Gatwood and Julia Armfield should be besties because this book & Private Rites are written in the same font, if you get what I mean.
The characters of Mitty, Bethel, and Lena are endearing and dissimilar and their relationships to each other are compelling and sometimes heartwarming. If you go into this book for the characters alone, I think you will get a lot out of it. The themes that Olivia Gatwood explores through these three different women (loneliness, patriarchy, figuring out who you are or who you want to be, what aspects of the human condition make you human at all) are done well and all of Whoever You Are, Honey is written beautifully.
However, there were some things I wanted more from in regards to Lena's character, Sebastian, and Sebastian's partner. I do think it's possible that some of the things that i wanted to be different, were intentional on Gatwood's part, but they did take away from the overall story a bit, for me.
I still think Whoever You Are, Honey was a fantastic debut from Olivia Gatwood! I can't wait to see what she does next as an even more seasoned novel writer. I also think that Olivia Gatwood and Julia Armfield should be besties because this book & Private Rites are written in the same font, if you get what I mean.
July 11, 2024
Whoever You Are Honey
By Olivia Gatwood
A short, but densely packed novel set in a Santa Cruz area beach which is almost completely gentrified bar one holdout property.
Mitty and Bethel are unusual housemates. Not related, a 50 year age gap, but they have a steady, predicable lifestyle in their shabby home. Next door, the new neighbours live an exposed life of beauty and privilege in their glass mansion. Mitty can't keep her eyes off Sebastian and Lena, and when they become acquainted Mitty and Lena are drawn to each other for different and compelling reasons.
Through alternate perspectives this stylishly written story examines a multitude of themes that come to bear on the development of the female psyche; friendship, empathy, envy, guilt, embarrassment, body consciousness, the male gaze, power dynamics, patriarchal attitudes to the female "role", femininity in it's various forms, the power of female wisdom.
There appears to be a debate about how this book has been marketed as Sci-fi. It has a nod to The Stepford Wives, and another recently published book which I think is a spoiler to mention, but there's enough ambiguity about that in the novel. You can chose your own ending regarding that, but because the themes are so strikingly similar, they are surely in conversation with each other.
I found this book to be easy to get into, I loved the setting, but it was one of those reads that I spent a lot of time trying to imagine where it was going. It finds it's way, beautifully, but I imagine opinion will be divided about the resolution, as some of the best books are.
This is an author I will read again. She writes from the heart.
Publication date: 11th July 2024
Thanks to #NetGalley and #randomhouseuk for the eGalley
By Olivia Gatwood
A short, but densely packed novel set in a Santa Cruz area beach which is almost completely gentrified bar one holdout property.
Mitty and Bethel are unusual housemates. Not related, a 50 year age gap, but they have a steady, predicable lifestyle in their shabby home. Next door, the new neighbours live an exposed life of beauty and privilege in their glass mansion. Mitty can't keep her eyes off Sebastian and Lena, and when they become acquainted Mitty and Lena are drawn to each other for different and compelling reasons.
Through alternate perspectives this stylishly written story examines a multitude of themes that come to bear on the development of the female psyche; friendship, empathy, envy, guilt, embarrassment, body consciousness, the male gaze, power dynamics, patriarchal attitudes to the female "role", femininity in it's various forms, the power of female wisdom.
There appears to be a debate about how this book has been marketed as Sci-fi. It has a nod to The Stepford Wives, and another recently published book which I think is a spoiler to mention, but there's enough ambiguity about that in the novel. You can chose your own ending regarding that, but because the themes are so strikingly similar, they are surely in conversation with each other.
I found this book to be easy to get into, I loved the setting, but it was one of those reads that I spent a lot of time trying to imagine where it was going. It finds it's way, beautifully, but I imagine opinion will be divided about the resolution, as some of the best books are.
This is an author I will read again. She writes from the heart.
Publication date: 11th July 2024
Thanks to #NetGalley and #randomhouseuk for the eGalley
November 19, 2024
That’s a whole lotta words for such a little plot, too bad I read them all
August 30, 2024
I found this book unsettling in a lot of ways even as I also found it predictable and dull. Though I didn't see the full ending coming, I guessed a "twist" early on. But maybe it was never meant to be a surprise?
The descriptions were vivid but almost always negative in their clinical nature. It was as much a character study as a societal critique. I was hoping for more sci-fi, like "The Echo Wife", but got a lot more repressed teenage drama/trauma and modern female body and memory dysmorphia.
This is not a book with answers and clear resolutions. It also didn't feel like an escape, which is what I want from most books. But it's good to switch it up and appreciate your own life.
I wouldn't want to read this book again, and I'm not sure I'd recommend it...but I know I'll think about it so I guess the author was successful.
The descriptions were vivid but almost always negative in their clinical nature. It was as much a character study as a societal critique. I was hoping for more sci-fi, like "The Echo Wife", but got a lot more repressed teenage drama/trauma and modern female body and memory dysmorphia.
This is not a book with answers and clear resolutions. It also didn't feel like an escape, which is what I want from most books. But it's good to switch it up and appreciate your own life.
I wouldn't want to read this book again, and I'm not sure I'd recommend it...but I know I'll think about it so I guess the author was successful.
September 3, 2024
DNF
the final straw for me was when a man walked into the kitchen naked (why was he naked??? we don’t know.) and started drinking directly from the carton of milk, and it described how his p*nis moved up and down as he gulped. that’s pretty much all you need to know about this book. that’s all there is. that’s it.
bottom line: BARF
the final straw for me was when a man walked into the kitchen naked (why was he naked??? we don’t know.) and started drinking directly from the carton of milk, and it described how his p*nis moved up and down as he gulped. that’s pretty much all you need to know about this book. that’s all there is. that’s it.
bottom line: BARF
July 15, 2025
strašne som chcela aby sa mi táto kniha páčila, lebo je od mojej obľúbenej poetky. nakoniec jediné, čo sa mi na nej páčilo bol krásny poetický jazyk, ktorou bola napísaná. ku hlavnej zápletke, aj keď zaujímavej (jedna z postáv bola bot, ktorú si vytvoril jej partner ako dokonalú ženu) sa dostávame v podstate až nakoniec a zostáva zvláštne nedotiahnutá, aj keď implikovaná bola od začiatku. oveľa radšej by som bola keby sa príbeh viac venoval priateľstvám a tým o čom mala byť, predpokladám, teda o dopade technológií na predstavu mužov o ženách - nanešťastie sa veľmi dlho venoval minulosti hlavnej postavy a jej problémami s vlastnou sexualitou. škoda, nevyužitý potenciál :( hlavne ma to mrzí lebo som Oliviu sledovala na ig počas toho, ako písala a straaašne som sa tešila.
July 30, 2024
I don't have much to say about this book (as proven by the fact I've read a whole other book since finishing this one and didn't bother marking it read). It's fine, a quick read and an interesting story about two women dealing with Various Things. Weirdly I sometimes had a hard time differentiating between Mitty and Lena, and I'm not sure why. There were times they seemed so similar that the characters blended together. I'm not saying it's BAD, I'm just saying I wasn't particularly moved by the story or characters.
August 2, 2024
(rounded up from 4.5)
If you, like me, are a person who loves characterization more than any other elements of a novel, then you'll enjoy this book.
This is the story of two women (and other supporting characters) who are feeling incomplete as humans, wrestling with their pasts and have moved out into a most deserted neighbourhood in Santa Cruz to get away from things. Mitty has been living with her mother's friend, seventy-ish-year-old Bethel, for ten years. She fled her home under mysterious but urgent circumstances and we slowly peel back the past to understand and recontextualize her decisions and loneliness.
Mitty and Bethel live in a neighbourhood full of newly rich Silicon Valley tech bros and resist going out or socializing beyond what is necessary. They live this solitary and mildly agoraphobic existence until someone buys the house just opposite: a tech millionaire named Sebastian and his partner, Lena. Lena has holes in her memory, has a general lack of feeling and remains mostly "blank" but doesn't understand why. Her life is centred around Sebastian and pleasing him until she meets her neighbours and starts to form some connections based on how lost and lonely both she and Mitty are for various reasons.
There's no twist here, really, just a slow peeling back of history and realisations as these two women interact and explore their pasts and histories. The interactions with each other, Bethel, and Sebastian are really interesting and nuanced and sometimes loaded, which makes for a fascinating character study. Bethel's past and Sebastian's current character are presented in much less detail than the main characters but both are complex characters who are interesting to dive into themselves. An example of random conversations that are multi-layered:
I can somewhat tell that Olivia Gatwood generally writes poetry because of the abundant and rich imagery for the setting and characters, just quiet moments where someone is adjusting their hair or fiddling with something to set the scene visually for the mood without needing to have paragraphs dedicated to it.
This was a very enjoyable read for me and I'll definitely be looking forward to Olivia Gatwood's next book.
If you, like me, are a person who loves characterization more than any other elements of a novel, then you'll enjoy this book.
This is the story of two women (and other supporting characters) who are feeling incomplete as humans, wrestling with their pasts and have moved out into a most deserted neighbourhood in Santa Cruz to get away from things. Mitty has been living with her mother's friend, seventy-ish-year-old Bethel, for ten years. She fled her home under mysterious but urgent circumstances and we slowly peel back the past to understand and recontextualize her decisions and loneliness.
Mitty and Bethel live in a neighbourhood full of newly rich Silicon Valley tech bros and resist going out or socializing beyond what is necessary. They live this solitary and mildly agoraphobic existence until someone buys the house just opposite: a tech millionaire named Sebastian and his partner, Lena. Lena has holes in her memory, has a general lack of feeling and remains mostly "blank" but doesn't understand why. Her life is centred around Sebastian and pleasing him until she meets her neighbours and starts to form some connections based on how lost and lonely both she and Mitty are for various reasons.
There's no twist here, really, just a slow peeling back of history and realisations as these two women interact and explore their pasts and histories. The interactions with each other, Bethel, and Sebastian are really interesting and nuanced and sometimes loaded, which makes for a fascinating character study. Bethel's past and Sebastian's current character are presented in much less detail than the main characters but both are complex characters who are interesting to dive into themselves. An example of random conversations that are multi-layered:
“You know my perspective,” Bethel’s voice is tinged with a subtle annoyance. “Women who look like that are lonely,” she says. “They get too deep into their own minds when they aren’t being looked at.” She flips off the television and begins walking toward the stairs.
“I’m not arguing that,” Mitty says. “I understand what loneliness looks like.”
“Why?” Bethel peers up, preparing herself for the task of climbing toward the second floor. “Because you’re lonely?” She says it with a burgeoning sarcasm, but Mitty can hear that the question is shadowed with genuine concern.
“No,” Mitty lies, unable to shake the desire to protect Bethel’s feelings. “But I have been.”
I can somewhat tell that Olivia Gatwood generally writes poetry because of the abundant and rich imagery for the setting and characters, just quiet moments where someone is adjusting their hair or fiddling with something to set the scene visually for the mood without needing to have paragraphs dedicated to it.
This was a very enjoyable read for me and I'll definitely be looking forward to Olivia Gatwood's next book.
August 25, 2024
This was very much a book about the ideals of curated perfection and the endless awareness of what ultimate physical beauty is and how the body falls short again and again. A fairly quiet read, possibly lacking in plot, but it’s a beautiful study of being an outsider or some kind of exile. I loved the timeless quality— without mention of AI, the concept of what decade it was kept slipping by. Mitty and Bethel live fairly self contained lives and the appreciation for older mediums to occupy themselves cut a contrast to newer houses around them.
I loved this one, I wanted more from this one, I think this is a really strong start for Gatwood’s career in novels to separate from her body of poetry.
I loved this one, I wanted more from this one, I think this is a really strong start for Gatwood’s career in novels to separate from her body of poetry.
March 4, 2025
What a strange, beautiful book. Gave me similar feelings to Never Let Me Go — a just-under-the-surface mysterious unease whose conclusion feels inevitable.
August 2, 2024
Beautiful cover, but unfortunately the story fell flat for me. I thought this was supposed to be sci-fi, but there wasn’t any? The writing is great and flows nicely together. It all made sense, so nothing wrong on that part. It kept my interest just enough, but it was a hard read.
October 17, 2024
I loved the writing. The story started strong but a little more than halfway through I struggled to stay interested. There are definite anti tech themes, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I loved the descriptions of the Santa Cruz area - took me right there!
Audiobook was well narrated by the author.
Audiobook was well narrated by the author.
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