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Ecstasy
A deliciously dark horror reimagining of a Greek tragedy, by Ivy Pochoda, winner of the LA Times Book Prize.
Lena wants her life back. Her wealthy, controlling, humorless husband has just died, and now she contends with her controlling, humorless son, Drew. Lena lands in Naxos with her best friend in tow for the unveiling of her son's, pet project--the luxurious Agape Villas.
Years of marriage amongst the wealthy elite has whittled Lena's spirit into rope and sinew, smothered by tasteful cocktail dresses and unending small talk. On Naxos she yearns to rediscover her true nature, remember the exuberant dancer and party girl she once was, but Drew tightens his grip, keeping her cloistered inside the hotel, demanding that she fall in line.
Lena is intrigued by a group of women living in tents on the beach in front of the Agape. She can feel their drums at night, hear their seductive leader calling her to dance. Soon she'll find that an ancient God stirs on the beach, awakening dark desires of women across the island. The only questions left will be whether Lena will join them, and what it will cost her.
Ecstasy is a riveting, darkly poetic, one-sitting read about empowerment, desire, and what happens when women reject the roles set out for them.
Lena wants her life back. Her wealthy, controlling, humorless husband has just died, and now she contends with her controlling, humorless son, Drew. Lena lands in Naxos with her best friend in tow for the unveiling of her son's, pet project--the luxurious Agape Villas.
Years of marriage amongst the wealthy elite has whittled Lena's spirit into rope and sinew, smothered by tasteful cocktail dresses and unending small talk. On Naxos she yearns to rediscover her true nature, remember the exuberant dancer and party girl she once was, but Drew tightens his grip, keeping her cloistered inside the hotel, demanding that she fall in line.
Lena is intrigued by a group of women living in tents on the beach in front of the Agape. She can feel their drums at night, hear their seductive leader calling her to dance. Soon she'll find that an ancient God stirs on the beach, awakening dark desires of women across the island. The only questions left will be whether Lena will join them, and what it will cost her.
Ecstasy is a riveting, darkly poetic, one-sitting read about empowerment, desire, and what happens when women reject the roles set out for them.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 17, 2025
95 people are currently reading
12798 people want to read
About the author
Ivy Pochoda
11 books800 followersIvy Pochoda is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Visitation Street published by Ecco / Dennis Lehane Books. Visitation Street was chosen as an Amazon Best Book of the Month, Amazon Best Book of 2013, and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Huffington Post, Self, and House & Garden. Her first novel The Art of Disappearing, was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2009. She has a BA from Harvard College in Classical Greek and an MFA from Bennington College in fiction. Ivy grew up in Brooklyn, NY and currently lives in downtown Los Angeles with her husband Justin Nowell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 264 reviews
July 9, 2025
I did enjoy this book and I am a massive fan of the author. What works well here is the writing, of course, and the crisp details. I felt like we were in Greece moving back and forth between the beach and a luxury hotel. Lena and Hedy and Jordan are all interesting characters but not fully realized. The shifts in POV didn’t necessarily serve the story and the metaphor/authorial project overwhelmed the actual storytelling. I would have loved to see more of the story at certain points but that’s merely my opinion. I admire the ambition here very much and can’t wait for Pochoda’s next.
October 16, 2025
I know not everyone is a fan of Greek mythology like I am, so here's a CliffsNotes recap of Euripides' play, "The Bacchae."
This particular Greek tragedy is the tale of Pentheus, king of Thebes, whose refusal to acknowledge the divinity of Dionysus — god of wine and pleasure — brings destruction to the royal family.
Ecstasy by Ivy Pochoda is a modern reimagining of Euripides’ drama, set at a luxury island resort in Greece.
Pochoda throws in a little feminist twist: her novel centers around mothers and the "monsters" they raise.
Now a tale of feminine rage, the story unspools with the help of the local underground rave culture, drugs, and dance.
Told in short, staccato chapters that read more like poetry fragments than traditional prose, Pochoda's version feels like one big hallucinogenic fever dream.
I dunno, a Greek retelling is usually a winner for me, but this tale of ecstatic debauchery was just plain trippy...and a bad trip, at that.
September 20, 2025
I usually avoid retellings of classical mythology, but I liked this one. It has been a while since I read Euripides' Bakkhai. For much of the book Pochoda reflects the spirit, and often the events of Euripides' play. The characters are distinctly modern: Luz, a drug dealer; Lena, a free-spirited dancer who traded freedom for comfort and has a lot of regrets; Hedy, Lena's friend and an aging free-spirited dancer who has none; Drew, Lena's son, a toxic and manipulative shit, and his pregnant wife/victim Jordan. But you can certainly see the characters of the Bakkhai; Drew, for example, is very much the rigid, controlling, and prurient Pentheus. I won't say much about the story to avoid spoilers. If you know Euripides, you broadly know what goes down. Pochoda departs from Euripides in significant ways at the end; something I find jarring, but it is her story.
I like Pochoda's writing a lot. Often it is a smooth, quickly flowing narrative that keeps the story going, building up tension all the while. At other times, it is incantatory: short sentences and phrases, repetitions in passages you could chant. You can hear the drums of the Bakkhai in the background.
I am not entirely sure about Pochoda's Dionysus. She has nailed the wild, irrational elements and the mystery of Euripides' Dionysus. The creative force of Dionysus, "the force that through the green fuse drives the flower," is a bit too understated. The conflict between Drew's uptight luxury hotel and the chaos of the women on the beach brings out the conflict of the irrational and rational/controlling forces, but could do more with the creative aspects.
The characters are nicely developed, they come across as real people, for the most part, and inspire sympathy or loathing as appropriate. It is a good story and well told.
I like Pochoda's writing a lot. Often it is a smooth, quickly flowing narrative that keeps the story going, building up tension all the while. At other times, it is incantatory: short sentences and phrases, repetitions in passages you could chant. You can hear the drums of the Bakkhai in the background.
I am not entirely sure about Pochoda's Dionysus. She has nailed the wild, irrational elements and the mystery of Euripides' Dionysus. The creative force of Dionysus, "the force that through the green fuse drives the flower," is a bit too understated. The conflict between Drew's uptight luxury hotel and the chaos of the women on the beach brings out the conflict of the irrational and rational/controlling forces, but could do more with the creative aspects.
The characters are nicely developed, they come across as real people, for the most part, and inspire sympathy or loathing as appropriate. It is a good story and well told.
January 6, 2025
ARC for review. To be published June 17, 2025.
2 stars.
Lena’s wealthy, controlling husband has died but she still has to deal with another man trying to control her, her adult son Drew who has taken over the family business. She, Drew, Drew’s wife, Jordan and Lena’s close friend Hady travel to Naxos for the opening of Drew’s new project, the Agape Villas (cringe at the name.)
Lena tries to use the trip to discover the real her, but Drew keeps her on a tight leash, especially when she beckons mes fascinated by a group of women living rough on the beach in front of the Villa and their night music moves Lena. Who are they?
This is one of those “women who howl at the moon” stories. Why Lena never just kicked Drew’s ass is beyond me. And no one really cares too much about Hady, including Lena, in the end. I just didn’t get this one. Not for me.
2 stars.
Lena’s wealthy, controlling husband has died but she still has to deal with another man trying to control her, her adult son Drew who has taken over the family business. She, Drew, Drew’s wife, Jordan and Lena’s close friend Hady travel to Naxos for the opening of Drew’s new project, the Agape Villas (cringe at the name.)
Lena tries to use the trip to discover the real her, but Drew keeps her on a tight leash, especially when she beckons mes fascinated by a group of women living rough on the beach in front of the Villa and their night music moves Lena. Who are they?
This is one of those “women who howl at the moon” stories. Why Lena never just kicked Drew’s ass is beyond me. And no one really cares too much about Hady, including Lena, in the end. I just didn’t get this one. Not for me.
June 12, 2025
This book is a mashup of a midlife crisis and a turf war between an ecstasy dealer and a God. It’s a fever dream of visuals and atmosphere. I’m not sure it’s really horror except for the very last bit, but I enjoyed it.
I am an elder millennial who went to college in Miami in the early aughts. Ecstasy was huge and the club scene was massive. Festivals were small and intimate.
Then, much to Peter Pans chagrin, I grew up and have four kids. A real job.
This book was probably written by someone like me, for someone like me.
It was philosophical, mystical, and fun. However, the characters were impossible to like and not at all relatable. Except maybe Hedy. She was cool.
I’d recommend this to anyone looking to reminisce on their youth who also likes gore.
I am an elder millennial who went to college in Miami in the early aughts. Ecstasy was huge and the club scene was massive. Festivals were small and intimate.
Then, much to Peter Pans chagrin, I grew up and have four kids. A real job.
This book was probably written by someone like me, for someone like me.
It was philosophical, mystical, and fun. However, the characters were impossible to like and not at all relatable. Except maybe Hedy. She was cool.
I’d recommend this to anyone looking to reminisce on their youth who also likes gore.
June 19, 2025
Lena was married to a controlling man and, after his untimely death, finds herself still being controlled by her adult son. They have come to Greece for the planned opening of the family's latest luxury resort. The only problem is a bunch of women are camping on the beach! They have wild and crazy parties every night and the local police are dragging their feet about getting rid of them. Lena is strangely attracted to these women, their wild freedom, and especially to one woman named Luz.
The story is a retelling of a Greek tragedy involving an ancient god and is quite the gory horror story. A little too weird for me. I'm not sure I gleaned anything from this tale except maybe that women are filled with rage and really don't want to be controlled and held back anymore.
I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
The story is a retelling of a Greek tragedy involving an ancient god and is quite the gory horror story. A little too weird for me. I'm not sure I gleaned anything from this tale except maybe that women are filled with rage and really don't want to be controlled and held back anymore.
I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
May 1, 2025
After Lena’s husband dies, her best friend, son, and pregnant daughter in-law, go on a “family business-trip”, as her son opens a new hotel. But, a group of women living in tents on the beach pull Lena into their madness.
“Ecstasy” by Ivy Pochoda felt exactly like a hallucinogenic bad dream. Primarily consisting of flashes of images, which made for a speedy read, but severely lacked depth. The characters were one-dimensional and there wasn’t much to sink your teeth into besides the primary storyline. It felt like watching a trippy episode of “White Lotus,” except “White Lotus” has more to explore.
The prose was fascinating at first, but as time went on the novel seemed to drag. Pochoda wrote chapters from different character perspectives, however, most of the characters’ chapters are told in third-person, which seemed pointless, except for when it jumped to first person. For example, a single scene will occasionally jump perspective 5 or so times, but offers nothing new as they are all told in third-person. If you removed the chapter breaks and titles, it would read as one on-going scene. Which made me wonder… Why not just tell the entire story in third-person, but jump to first-person when needed? The needless perspective jumping felt clunky and slowed momentum dramatically.
While I hit some bumps, it was a quick read that felt like watching a movie. It was a lot of: what we see visually is what we know and there isn’t much beyond that. We can make interpretations and assumptions, but for the most part, what you see is what you get.
This book overall had a fascinating concept, but the lack of depth in character motivations and the overall conflict was a bump for me. I am okay with intentional vagueness, but “Ecstasy” took that to an extreme. The poetic language was beautiful and there were some stunning visuals (along with some horror-centric scenes that genuinely made me feel nauseous, which I appreciated). But, overall, it fell flat.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!
“Ecstasy” by Ivy Pochoda felt exactly like a hallucinogenic bad dream. Primarily consisting of flashes of images, which made for a speedy read, but severely lacked depth. The characters were one-dimensional and there wasn’t much to sink your teeth into besides the primary storyline. It felt like watching a trippy episode of “White Lotus,” except “White Lotus” has more to explore.
The prose was fascinating at first, but as time went on the novel seemed to drag. Pochoda wrote chapters from different character perspectives, however, most of the characters’ chapters are told in third-person, which seemed pointless, except for when it jumped to first person. For example, a single scene will occasionally jump perspective 5 or so times, but offers nothing new as they are all told in third-person. If you removed the chapter breaks and titles, it would read as one on-going scene. Which made me wonder… Why not just tell the entire story in third-person, but jump to first-person when needed? The needless perspective jumping felt clunky and slowed momentum dramatically.
While I hit some bumps, it was a quick read that felt like watching a movie. It was a lot of: what we see visually is what we know and there isn’t much beyond that. We can make interpretations and assumptions, but for the most part, what you see is what you get.
This book overall had a fascinating concept, but the lack of depth in character motivations and the overall conflict was a bump for me. I am okay with intentional vagueness, but “Ecstasy” took that to an extreme. The poetic language was beautiful and there were some stunning visuals (along with some horror-centric scenes that genuinely made me feel nauseous, which I appreciated). But, overall, it fell flat.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!
June 23, 2025
This book made me roll my eyes so hard I took a glimpse of the goblin controlling my brain and even she rolled her eyes.
Badly written retelling of the Bacchae, somehow managed to make the characters both one dimensional and totally despicable, repetitive writing (if I hear once more about the beating and thrum of techno I'llliterally scream) and the supposed "hierophant" of Dionysus was an unhinged pick-me ("you wouldn't believe I'm a WOMAN and a MOTHER, look at me I'm so BAAAAAD") drug dealer who sounded like a 2000s teenager dealing mj at schools. Come on.
Good news, I'm always glad to find authors I don't like, it means their upcoming or older books are immediately ticked off my never ending tbr 🙃
Badly written retelling of the Bacchae, somehow managed to make the characters both one dimensional and totally despicable, repetitive writing (if I hear once more about the beating and thrum of techno I'llliterally scream) and the supposed "hierophant" of Dionysus was an unhinged pick-me ("you wouldn't believe I'm a WOMAN and a MOTHER, look at me I'm so BAAAAAD") drug dealer who sounded like a 2000s teenager dealing mj at schools. Come on.
Good news, I'm always glad to find authors I don't like, it means their upcoming or older books are immediately ticked off my never ending tbr 🙃
August 16, 2025
This was a cover inspired borrow from my library. I will admit that had I known more about the type of book this was, I would probably not checked it out. It is billed as a dark horror Greek tragedy remaining and that is there, but I also see it as a cautionary tale and a written hallucination. I imagine this would be considered a fever dream novel. It is very well written and the characters are unique. I can't say much about the plot without spoiling it and it is really a book best enjoyed without too much fore knowledge. It was ultimately not my typical type of book, but I couldn't put the 208pg novel down.
April 8, 2025
“Ecstasy” is a wild reimagining of a Dionysian bacchanal, complete with a golden god, rage fueled maenads, hedonism, and debauchery galore.
Pochoda has a distinctive way of writing that despite its descriptiveness, doesn’t come across as obnoxious purple prose, but rather prose that has been elevated. Where it sometimes felt out of place in her novel “These Women”, it works exceptionally well here.
There are quite a few repetitious words/phrases that could have been revamped a bit, but nothing major to pull you out of the story. The only thing that really bothered me was Lena asking, “can you still get on pointe?” Any former professional dancer knows it’s en pointe, not on.
On a personal note, as a former professional dancer myself who had to stop due to my body betraying me, this story resonated deeply with me. Aside from decades of traditional dance, I also danced professionally at raves and festivals working alongside some well known DJs and performance artists, so both worlds are extremely familiar to me.
Pochoda did a wonderful job writing about rave culture, especially the underbelly of the rave scene where it’s not always about PLUR: peace, love, unity, respect.
Having a character with macular degeneration also hit home for me as it runs in my family. I could completely empathize with Hedy and I wished there was a little more from her POV, especially near the end of the book as it seemed like everyone forgot about her.
I really, REALLY wanted to punch Drew. He is absolutely atrocious and incredibly ableist to boot. I know he’s supposed to be unlikable, but Pochoda did such a good job that it made reading difficult for me at times because he bothered me so much.
There are some sections that might rub people the wrong way; in particular, the comments made by privileged characters about others they feel are beneath them, (ie: stay at home moms, professional dancers, anyone who “marries up”). These aren’t throwaway comments though and are necessary to the character development, but I can just imagine some people complaining about them anyway.
Ecstasy is a wonderful fever dream of feminism, rage, angst, hubris, and shadow work. It makes you think and question your own life choices well after you’ve finished reading. 4.5 stars rounded up.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons, however this review is completely my own unbiased personal opinion, left of my own volition.
Pochoda has a distinctive way of writing that despite its descriptiveness, doesn’t come across as obnoxious purple prose, but rather prose that has been elevated. Where it sometimes felt out of place in her novel “These Women”, it works exceptionally well here.
There are quite a few repetitious words/phrases that could have been revamped a bit, but nothing major to pull you out of the story. The only thing that really bothered me was Lena asking, “can you still get on pointe?” Any former professional dancer knows it’s en pointe, not on.
On a personal note, as a former professional dancer myself who had to stop due to my body betraying me, this story resonated deeply with me. Aside from decades of traditional dance, I also danced professionally at raves and festivals working alongside some well known DJs and performance artists, so both worlds are extremely familiar to me.
Pochoda did a wonderful job writing about rave culture, especially the underbelly of the rave scene where it’s not always about PLUR: peace, love, unity, respect.
Having a character with macular degeneration also hit home for me as it runs in my family. I could completely empathize with Hedy and I wished there was a little more from her POV, especially near the end of the book as it seemed like everyone forgot about her.
I really, REALLY wanted to punch Drew. He is absolutely atrocious and incredibly ableist to boot. I know he’s supposed to be unlikable, but Pochoda did such a good job that it made reading difficult for me at times because he bothered me so much.
There are some sections that might rub people the wrong way; in particular, the comments made by privileged characters about others they feel are beneath them, (ie: stay at home moms, professional dancers, anyone who “marries up”). These aren’t throwaway comments though and are necessary to the character development, but I can just imagine some people complaining about them anyway.
Ecstasy is a wonderful fever dream of feminism, rage, angst, hubris, and shadow work. It makes you think and question your own life choices well after you’ve finished reading. 4.5 stars rounded up.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons, however this review is completely my own unbiased personal opinion, left of my own volition.
June 19, 2025
One sentence summary: Woman who let a man control what she does decides to let another man control what she does, until she lets other women decide what she does. Lena was barely a character. She was just a sock puppet floating through the story letting things happen to her. I didn't care where she ended up by the end.
April 4, 2025
3.75⭐️
This was a fun and short read that I inhaled in one sitting. I really loved the focus surrounding how women are often viewed, discounted, and controlled through the different lenses of several generations and classes of women. Now, more than ever, this felt extremely relevant, powerful, authentic, honest, and extremely cathartic.
There were themes of motherhood, autonomy, choice, grief, aging, and the pressure to center the men around them instead of their own needs and wants. We saw this several times through Drew as he casually and cruelly picked apart his mother’s decisions and desires. As soon as the women around him start centering themselves instead of him, they are deemed “crazy”, “wild”, and “unstable. This is one of the greatest frustrations in our society for women, where independence and indulgence are frowned upon and attacked as some malady or something that needs to be controlled and contained. I felt that frustration with the women in this book, and felt the ending was cathartic and satisfying.
I think I just wanted more substance, and I got lost at times with how the book flows. I had a hard time connecting with Luz at times, not completely understanding what her motivations were or really knowing very much about her.
Also, this was labeled as horror so I think I was expecting more on the horror front, but that is completely personal to me and not a criticism of the book at all. I just caution people like myself who read a lot of horror to not expect to not go into Ecstasy expecting a lot of horror elements.
I saw someone refer to this book as a “feminist fever dream” which is so so accurate. Overall I do recommend this and will be telling the women in my life about it, but I recognize it definitely won’t be for everyone.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an early e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own
This was a fun and short read that I inhaled in one sitting. I really loved the focus surrounding how women are often viewed, discounted, and controlled through the different lenses of several generations and classes of women. Now, more than ever, this felt extremely relevant, powerful, authentic, honest, and extremely cathartic.
There were themes of motherhood, autonomy, choice, grief, aging, and the pressure to center the men around them instead of their own needs and wants. We saw this several times through Drew as he casually and cruelly picked apart his mother’s decisions and desires. As soon as the women around him start centering themselves instead of him, they are deemed “crazy”, “wild”, and “unstable. This is one of the greatest frustrations in our society for women, where independence and indulgence are frowned upon and attacked as some malady or something that needs to be controlled and contained. I felt that frustration with the women in this book, and felt the ending was cathartic and satisfying.
I think I just wanted more substance, and I got lost at times with how the book flows. I had a hard time connecting with Luz at times, not completely understanding what her motivations were or really knowing very much about her.
Also, this was labeled as horror so I think I was expecting more on the horror front, but that is completely personal to me and not a criticism of the book at all. I just caution people like myself who read a lot of horror to not expect to not go into Ecstasy expecting a lot of horror elements.
I saw someone refer to this book as a “feminist fever dream” which is so so accurate. Overall I do recommend this and will be telling the women in my life about it, but I recognize it definitely won’t be for everyone.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an early e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own
October 17, 2025
3.5 stars
Ecstasy by Ivy Pochoda is what happens when The White Lotus takes a detour through Greek mythology and horror. Recently widowed Lena heads to Naxos for her son’s glitzy hotel opening, only to find herself drawn toward a drum-thumping, moon-lit sisterhood camped out on the beach—and maybe toward something divine, dangerous, and delightfully unhinged.
Pochoda writes with a lush, fever-dream intensity that makes the island shimmer and rot at the same time. The story is part mythic awakening, part maternal rebellion, part “why did I pack heels for this trip?” The horror leans more psychological than gory, and while the pacing sometimes stumbles, the book’s sensual atmosphere and feminist bite keep you hooked.
Ecstasy by Ivy Pochoda is what happens when The White Lotus takes a detour through Greek mythology and horror. Recently widowed Lena heads to Naxos for her son’s glitzy hotel opening, only to find herself drawn toward a drum-thumping, moon-lit sisterhood camped out on the beach—and maybe toward something divine, dangerous, and delightfully unhinged.
Pochoda writes with a lush, fever-dream intensity that makes the island shimmer and rot at the same time. The story is part mythic awakening, part maternal rebellion, part “why did I pack heels for this trip?” The horror leans more psychological than gory, and while the pacing sometimes stumbles, the book’s sensual atmosphere and feminist bite keep you hooked.
January 30, 2026
Wtffffff
April 20, 2025
Ecstasy by Ivy Pochoda is a wild, dark, and fiercely liberating ride. This book dives headfirst into the complexities of female autonomy, desire, and identity—with zero apologies.
Loosely inspired by the Greek myth of the Bacchae, it spins a modern, feminist take through multiple perspectives that are sharp, bold, and brilliantly developed. The pacing? Smooth and steady. The characters? Complex, layered, and unforgettable.
It’s a short read, but it hits hard—equal parts fun, feral, and thought-provoking. If you’re into stories that unravel the chaos and beauty of womanhood while flipping the patriarchy the bird, this one’s for you.
Loosely inspired by the Greek myth of the Bacchae, it spins a modern, feminist take through multiple perspectives that are sharp, bold, and brilliantly developed. The pacing? Smooth and steady. The characters? Complex, layered, and unforgettable.
It’s a short read, but it hits hard—equal parts fun, feral, and thought-provoking. If you’re into stories that unravel the chaos and beauty of womanhood while flipping the patriarchy the bird, this one’s for you.
July 8, 2025
Interesting Concept
Ecstasy is the kind of book that wants to be more than a story — it wants to be an experience. It's artsy, experimental, and unapologetically weird. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it doesn't. For me, it landed somewhere in the middle.
The novel centers on Lena, a once-wild woman now living in forced domestic stillness after the death of her older, wealthy husband. Her son is pushy and condescending, her past is elusive, and her present feels like a trap. Alongside Lena's narrative, we drift between abstract sections from a narrator called "Before" and a cryptic figure named Luz, who seems to be less a person and more a myth in motion. It’s all told in short, staccato chapters that often read more like poetry fragments or dream sequences than traditional prose.
I am a sucker for a book set in Greece, and a Greek retelling is usually a winner for me. That mythological pull was definitely part of what drew me in — I liked the nod to The Bacchae, especially the image of Dionysus reimagined as a rave DJ. It’s clever, and the hedonistic chaos at the heart of Euripides’ play is a strong match for Pochoda’s vibe. But I’ll admit: the execution didn’t fully click. The novel leans so hard into mood and mystique that it sometimes loses grip on clarity, momentum, or emotional payoff.
The book is short and that compactness could’ve been its strength. But instead of building to a satisfying crescendo, the ending just... stops. It doesn’t feel resolved so much as abandoned. Maybe that's intentional — myth doesn't always need tidy endings — but in this case, it left me cold. I wanted something more from Lena’s arc. More reckoning. More change. Or even just more consequence just more.
Bottom line: Ecstasy is a bold swing. It’s stylish, strange, and occasionally striking. But it also feels uneven and emotionally distant. If you’re in the mood for something quick and surreal, it might scratch that itch. Just don’t expect a cathartic finale or a clear message. It's more of a mood than a story — and whether that works for you depends on how much you're willing to let go and just float.
Ecstasy is the kind of book that wants to be more than a story — it wants to be an experience. It's artsy, experimental, and unapologetically weird. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it doesn't. For me, it landed somewhere in the middle.
The novel centers on Lena, a once-wild woman now living in forced domestic stillness after the death of her older, wealthy husband. Her son is pushy and condescending, her past is elusive, and her present feels like a trap. Alongside Lena's narrative, we drift between abstract sections from a narrator called "Before" and a cryptic figure named Luz, who seems to be less a person and more a myth in motion. It’s all told in short, staccato chapters that often read more like poetry fragments or dream sequences than traditional prose.
I am a sucker for a book set in Greece, and a Greek retelling is usually a winner for me. That mythological pull was definitely part of what drew me in — I liked the nod to The Bacchae, especially the image of Dionysus reimagined as a rave DJ. It’s clever, and the hedonistic chaos at the heart of Euripides’ play is a strong match for Pochoda’s vibe. But I’ll admit: the execution didn’t fully click. The novel leans so hard into mood and mystique that it sometimes loses grip on clarity, momentum, or emotional payoff.
The book is short and that compactness could’ve been its strength. But instead of building to a satisfying crescendo, the ending just... stops. It doesn’t feel resolved so much as abandoned. Maybe that's intentional — myth doesn't always need tidy endings — but in this case, it left me cold. I wanted something more from Lena’s arc. More reckoning. More change. Or even just more consequence just more.
Bottom line: Ecstasy is a bold swing. It’s stylish, strange, and occasionally striking. But it also feels uneven and emotionally distant. If you’re in the mood for something quick and surreal, it might scratch that itch. Just don’t expect a cathartic finale or a clear message. It's more of a mood than a story — and whether that works for you depends on how much you're willing to let go and just float.
July 15, 2025
"Ecstasy" is my first book by Ivy Pochoda but it will certainly not be my last! It is the perfect book to read at the beach or poolside, deliciously dark and entertaining from the first page until the last. Pochoda deftly braids horror, mythology, and family drama into one heck of a wild ride! It is a bit gory, but I loved the "girl power" theme even though I disliked almost all of the characters. Sometimes it is great fun to read about trashy rich people (and money certainly can't buy class) doing things to ruin their seemingly-perfect lives. "Ecstasy" is compulsively readable and accessible for mainstream readership; it isn't exactly highbrow but I considered it more literary than what I deem "fluff" because of the underlying feminist themes and top-notch writing. I think this book will be all over Booktok and Bookstagram.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this fun, though unhinged, book!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this fun, though unhinged, book!
dnf
July 9, 2025dnf@61%
Eh, mano mylima Ivy šįkart nuvylė.
Eh, mano mylima Ivy šįkart nuvylė.
October 3, 2025
This was a magical realism novel about male control, uber wealth and the drive to stay young through partying.
July 14, 2025
This book was a trip and a half. I am near speechless. I have no idea what to say about this story.
Except:
Wtf.
The gore was a little more than even I could handle.
I didn't see any of that coming. Like... none of it.
WTF.
I've never done drugs but now I feel like I have.
I don't think I would even recommend this to anyone. B/c I can't think of a situation in which this book would be offered to ANYONE.
And yet. 4 stars. Fucked up, weird, gory, with a weird possible message of chaotic freedom really being a cage when you're buying that freedom from someone else. Maybe?
I don't even care. This was a RIDE.
Except:
Wtf.
The gore was a little more than even I could handle.
I didn't see any of that coming. Like... none of it.
WTF.
I've never done drugs but now I feel like I have.
I don't think I would even recommend this to anyone. B/c I can't think of a situation in which this book would be offered to ANYONE.
And yet. 4 stars. Fucked up, weird, gory, with a weird possible message of chaotic freedom really being a cage when you're buying that freedom from someone else. Maybe?
I don't even care. This was a RIDE.
July 17, 2025
After the death of her controlling husband, Lena finds herself shackled to yet another controlling man- her son, Drew. Lena, Drew, Drew’s wife Jordan, and Lena’s old friend Hedy travel to Naxos, Greece to vacation while Drew gets the Agape Hotel, his first solo venture since his father’s death, primed and ready for opening day. Unfortunately for Drew, a turf war between an ecstasy dealer and Dionysus is taking place right on “his” hotel’s beach. This book was definitely a trip so it certainly lived up to the title. None of the characters were particularly likeable, except for Hedy. I did not really enjoy this book much at all. The prose was fine but it felt neverending and my favorite character kind of just evaporates from everyone’s mind at the end. I don’t really see this as being horror, though there were some gruesome bits you couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t until the very end. Definitely give this a go if you like those fever dream kind of books, and also if you enjoy women howling at the moon type books.
August 19, 2025
I get what this book is trying to do, but not my cup of tea!
July 5, 2025
Ebook/ Overall Story: 2.5/5
Audiobook/Narration: 4/5
This was an interesting exploration of one’s reclamation of power, latent desires, femininity, and sacrifice. It reads like a fever dream of forgotten nights and past selves.
While I enjoyed the premise of rediscovery and release told through the eyes of suppressed and muted women—the delivery ultimately wasn’t for me. Every character’s role is clear and predictable in a way that leaves little room for excitement or development. I finished this feeling disconnected from the characters and withdrawn from their circumstance. I wanted to be immersed in the haze and awe that consumed them, but instead felt like I was just a bystander on the beach who saw everything happen and forgot it shortly after. There was never a point in the story where I felt the pace increased or horror elements escalated. There were moments of gore, but nothing that felt unique or surprising with the context of the book.
I still believe there is a target audience for this book that will be absorbed by its execution and better relate to its characters. It may not have been my cup of tea, but I’m grateful to have received an egalley of this book. Thanks to Putnam and Netgalley!
Audiobook/Narration: 4/5
This was an interesting exploration of one’s reclamation of power, latent desires, femininity, and sacrifice. It reads like a fever dream of forgotten nights and past selves.
While I enjoyed the premise of rediscovery and release told through the eyes of suppressed and muted women—the delivery ultimately wasn’t for me. Every character’s role is clear and predictable in a way that leaves little room for excitement or development. I finished this feeling disconnected from the characters and withdrawn from their circumstance. I wanted to be immersed in the haze and awe that consumed them, but instead felt like I was just a bystander on the beach who saw everything happen and forgot it shortly after. There was never a point in the story where I felt the pace increased or horror elements escalated. There were moments of gore, but nothing that felt unique or surprising with the context of the book.
I still believe there is a target audience for this book that will be absorbed by its execution and better relate to its characters. It may not have been my cup of tea, but I’m grateful to have received an egalley of this book. Thanks to Putnam and Netgalley!
Read
October 31, 2025DNF and likely won’t try again…was reading to research mother and son dynamics for a novel I’m writing, but couldn’t see my characters being mirrored in ECSTASY. No disrespect to the author, of course!
dnf
September 21, 2025DNF at 60pages. Premise is interesting but I just don’t like the main character and for such a short book and 60pages in nothing was happening. Just not my type of book personally
January 23, 2026
Enjoyed this - hits many things I like: beautiful setting, female friendship, women behaving badly, cults. But agree with the comments on debauchery and the end what the fuck 😂.
August 23, 2025
This is one of the most refreshing and pleasurable reads I’ve had in a long time. Lena and her wild best friend from her wild young days go with Lena’s dickhead son and his pregnant wife to Greece, to stay at the luxury beachfront hotel Lena’s husband was building when he died. And man, on that beach, all muhfuh’n hell breaks loose.
Ivy Pochoda took a bit of a departure from the genre of her other work, and holy shit did it pay off. This is mesmerizing, scary, visceral, real, surreal. So lyrical, some parts feel like a poem. Some of the best dialogue ever. Wonderful, well-drawn characters. Cannot recommend highly enough.
Ivy Pochoda took a bit of a departure from the genre of her other work, and holy shit did it pay off. This is mesmerizing, scary, visceral, real, surreal. So lyrical, some parts feel like a poem. Some of the best dialogue ever. Wonderful, well-drawn characters. Cannot recommend highly enough.
September 14, 2025
This book was a chore for me to get through. The last 75 pages were quick. I wish the setup was that fast.
April 11, 2025
Ecstasy is a dark, feminist fever-dream that is based loosely around the Greek myth of the Bacchae. It explores themes motherhood and autonomy, female empowerment, and the damaging effects of catering to the male figures in ones life over the self.
This was a fairly fast read, and super fun.
I am not a partier. Never been to a rave, never actually even been to a house party. But Pochoda does an incredible, visceral job setting the dance/rave scene. The writing is poetical and unsettling and perfect for this style of story.
The book shifts perspectives amongst several different characters: Lena, a former dancer who's controlling husband has just died, being the central narrative; her son Drew, as equally cruel and domineering as his father; his wife, the calculating and serious Jordan; Lena's besfriend Hedy who faces macular degeneration; and the mysterious figure Luz who sets the plot underway.
Important note: Fuck Drew. That guy sucks. I rolled my eyes and gritted my teeth every time we got a chapter from his POV. But I guess that is the entire point of him.
I enjoyed this sort of modern reimagining of maenads, drunk on freedom and rage. And the ending is so damn cathartic. I wanted just a little more substance.
Luz was still a bit of a mystery, I wish we got more of her background and motivations. Also, it felt like Hedy was completely forgotten about until the very end.
Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam, NetGalley, and the author forbthis arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fairly fast read, and super fun.
I am not a partier. Never been to a rave, never actually even been to a house party. But Pochoda does an incredible, visceral job setting the dance/rave scene. The writing is poetical and unsettling and perfect for this style of story.
The book shifts perspectives amongst several different characters: Lena, a former dancer who's controlling husband has just died, being the central narrative; her son Drew, as equally cruel and domineering as his father; his wife, the calculating and serious Jordan; Lena's besfriend Hedy who faces macular degeneration; and the mysterious figure Luz who sets the plot underway.
Important note: Fuck Drew. That guy sucks. I rolled my eyes and gritted my teeth every time we got a chapter from his POV. But I guess that is the entire point of him.
I enjoyed this sort of modern reimagining of maenads, drunk on freedom and rage. And the ending is so damn cathartic. I wanted just a little more substance.
Luz was still a bit of a mystery, I wish we got more of her background and motivations. Also, it felt like Hedy was completely forgotten about until the very end.
Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam, NetGalley, and the author forbthis arc in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2025
3.5 stars
In Ecstasy, our main character is going through a mid-life crisis. Her husband recently died and she’s starting to realize the rich, uptight, and sheltered life she lived isn’t the life she truly wanted. Her son is a controlling asshole, just like her husband was. She longs for her younger, wilder days, when she danced all night and was free. Things take a sharp turn when she joins a group of women on the beach and from there, the story spirals into a fever dream. You’re never quite sure what’s real.
Lena definitely annoyed me at times because she often acted out like a rebellious teenager, but it was also understandable given the life she’s led up to this point. There are some interesting side characters too, like her best friend and her son’s wife, who added depth to the story.
Apparently, this book is a retelling of Euripides’ The Bacchae, which I wasn’t familiar with going in, so I had no idea what to expect. And wow, that ending was wild but also inevitable. Overall, this was a quick and entertaining read. If you’re into Greek mythology, especially reimaginings with a modern twist, you’ll probably enjoy this one.
In Ecstasy, our main character is going through a mid-life crisis. Her husband recently died and she’s starting to realize the rich, uptight, and sheltered life she lived isn’t the life she truly wanted. Her son is a controlling asshole, just like her husband was. She longs for her younger, wilder days, when she danced all night and was free. Things take a sharp turn when she joins a group of women on the beach and from there, the story spirals into a fever dream. You’re never quite sure what’s real.
Lena definitely annoyed me at times because she often acted out like a rebellious teenager, but it was also understandable given the life she’s led up to this point. There are some interesting side characters too, like her best friend and her son’s wife, who added depth to the story.
Apparently, this book is a retelling of Euripides’ The Bacchae, which I wasn’t familiar with going in, so I had no idea what to expect. And wow, that ending was wild but also inevitable. Overall, this was a quick and entertaining read. If you’re into Greek mythology, especially reimaginings with a modern twist, you’ll probably enjoy this one.
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