Julius Julius

by Aurora Stewart de Peña

Welcome to the world’s oldest advertising agency, where ghosts control the board room AC, an ancient executive assistant runs a cave full of thousand year old billboards, and there are bones in the walls.

With biting wit, Aurora Stewart de Peña satirizes the creative industry she’s spent years in.

From the people who brought you the invention of advertising comes Julius Julius, a rambling architectural wonder, outpost of the very first ad man of ancient Pompeii, built on the backs of generations of creative survivors who just want to lie on the floor of a conference room and cry about the lumber account without being sexually harassed.

In a trio of voices from different time periods, we move through the mythical Agency, interrogating the process of stoking desire for a living. We meet the Senior Brand Anthropologist, who’s being surprised by dirty bars of Irish Spring she can’t remember buying, the Creative Director, whose ascent involved an ad campaign starring his dead best friend, and the Account Supervisor, whose only crime is not being a genius. (But the Fisherman Jack Tuna Campaign was her idea, despite what it says on the awards submissions.)

Stewart de Peña’s debut novel reveals the cracks in the veneer of the creative industries, and the crisis of consciousness underneath in a novel full of compassion, humour, and blonde sausage dogs.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Fantasy, Humor, Adult

336 pages, Hardcover

First published June 17, 2025

Reviews

[Hannah Greendale (Hello, Bookworm)]

This book sounds so weird & I'm 100% here for it. 🤪

👉 Publishes June 17, 2025 👈

[Alix · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This is a charming book set at an advertising agency with a history that dates back to Ancient Rome. There’s also a touch of magical realism, as the ghosts of former employees still roam the building. The story is told from the perspectives of three characters who work at Julius & Julius, though we spend the most time with the anthropologist, who I also found to be the most interesting. The other two characters were less developed.

Reading this gave me some new insights into the world of advertising and while that might seem boring, it’s delivered in a clever and entertaining way. I also appreciated every mention of the sausage dogs who live at the agency. Overall, this was a fun satire filled with eccentric characters and a rich history.

[Allyson Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be utterly delightful! It’s a super quick read. I can definitely see myself reading it again some lazy afternoon. No highlights because I read the actual book this time, but it was worth it because the formatting and style of the pages was unique and visually pleasing.

[Geonn Cannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick read about a very unusual ad agency. I would watch an entire series set in this office. I feel like the book only scratched the surface of the weird, interesting stuff happening there.

[John Caleb Grenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first third of this book had me cracking up nonstop. The humor here is top notch. Some of the charm wore off in the last two chapters. I think the choppy, short vignettes on each page worked really well I. The first third, but seemed forced in the last two sections. It adds something specific to the voice, which felt owned by the first narrator. The second two with the same (gimmick 😅) made it end up feeling too repetitive in the end for the great sense of humor to carry this book all the way. Overall, a good book about advertising with a good sense of humor and some very fun and odd twists throughout.

[Chrissy Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7!!! havent read anything quite like this. twas A fabulous millennial mad men/severance crossover!! Whipped through this one & it pairs nicely with the Heart Aroused akin to comte and riesling

this will be a hbo showww. I identified muchly with madam brand anthropoligist and z intern (future leader). well done and a DELIGHTFUL corporate surrealism novel which i clearly needed in the worst way

[Gen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Julius Julius a little strange but still enjoyed reading it. The book goes into the perspectives of 3 marketing agency employees, each section broken into short snippets/insights/thoughts. It’s dark-humour hilarious, original, and confusing - looking forward to discussing this one with book-club pals.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

simpatična knjiga, ali mi nekako nedopečena. prvi lik mi je bio najbolji i najrazrađeniji, druga dva su mi bili samo depresivni i bez poente? ali i appreciate sve advertajzing forice

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting little book, by this new Canadian author. I didn’t get it at first but then it grew on me, as the pages quickly flew by. Now
that I’ve finished it, I will miss it. When this comes out in paper back I will sell it to everyone. It’s sad, thoughtful, reminiscing, and sweet. A little nugget of contemplation.

[Eneko Uruñuela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had some funny moments but it must be the weirdest book I’ve ever read.

[Justin Timbol · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good I’d recommend it to the blind—does that mean anything?? Idk

But this was easily my fav fiction read from the first half of the year. Corporate magic realism is so cash money

[Rachel Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

Audiobook. Initially after finished this, I thought "wtf was this shit". And it's so short (about 3 hours listening) that I hadn't grasped the *meaning*-- well there really isn't one...it's simply 3 incredibly charming vignettes into the lives of people who have worked at this ancient and somewhat whimsically, odd advertising agency.

It wasn't deep or emotionally taxing but it was satirical and fun! Though this may be for a particular kind of reader, I think many will enjoy it.

[Mackenzie Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine Severance and The Office adopted a dozen blonde haired weenie dogs

[Carly Basch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun book to read! The format was unique and fresh as it read like work memos, which made the experience of the three narratives a fun ride. If you’re looking for a snack, pick up this book!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick and very quirky satire about advertising and corporate culture/greed at the world's oldest advertising agency, Julius Julius. The first half of the book is told in 1-2 page ramblings by the Senior Brand Anthologist, a brilliant young woman trying to land the coveted lumber account (wood supports us, wood IS us) while dodging her sexually abusive stalker ghost. She muses on the history of advertising with tidbits that seem just offbeat enough to make you question their validity. It's laugh out loud funny and endlessly quotable while also being disturbing and somber at times. The second narrator follows the same format, but more depressing as the Creative Director recounts his rise in the company from literally the bottom, getting hired as a young teenager to build one of the country's first elevators (designed by graphic designers, not engineers, to save money) in a project that ultimately killed his best friend. Lastly, we meet the longtime intern, stuck in what was supposed to be a temporary post but isn't because of a clerical error and her unlikable personality. When she finds that her one good idea is accredited to the higher ups, she starts to unravel.

I was thinking with the three main characters, there would be more crossover within the stories, but the only real constant is Julius Julius, the iconic endless building with its caves and outdated sponsored lounges, and the corporation, with its culture that rewards the best and worst in humanity. It's definitely something different!

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was initially intrigued by the premise and the touches of magical realism hinted at in the summary. The book starts strong, drawing you into the world of the first protagonist with sharp writing and the sheer weirdness of the setting

It's structured as three separate vignettes, each centered on a different first-person narrator. Unfortunately, the voices don’t feel especially distinct from one another (despite being very different people), which makes the shift feel less purposeful and more like a disruption. I was most invested in the first story, and the later sections pulled away from that momentum without adding much in return.

That said, I’m still interested in what author writes next. The originality and creative spark behind this story show a lot of promise, even if the execution didn’t fully come to fruition.

[Dillion Lalor · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.3 Stars

I’m just gonna say it. What was the point of this book?
Seriously it was just the most random stuff with no guidance besides they all work at JJ.

A lot of reviews throw the word Horror around and I’m sorry goosebumps has more horror this was just three weird short stories that serve no purpose in reading.

Going off that I would’ve enjoyed this more had it stuck with the first narrator and only her story. Perhaps make this a series then I’d enjoy it more. But the stories just abruptly end out of nowhere.

The writing style was also very weird having listened to the audiobook it just sounded so weird like AI was used to narrate.

All in all the reader gets nothing from any of the stories and the time invested (although short) is literally wasted on this book.

[Natalie Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just delightful and not just because I’ve worked with the author. To read a whole book of Aurora’s sharp witted quips after her words graced many creative briefs we worked on together was a REAL TREAT!!!

A must read if you work in the ad world (and if you don’t!).

[Hayden Finkelshtain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange little book that almost reads like a play (maybe that's just me...?)

The world of Julius Julius is wonderful, but the first of the three vignettes really carries it; I felt a bit shortchanged by the other two (even though they were also fun).

The voices of the three narrators felt indistinct from each other, but it was a quick read that I found to be largely delightful (and I am always happy to support Ontario based creatives)!

[Jeanelle d'Eon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure this was for me.

I can’t really articulate what I didn’t like about it. I liked the marketing elements, but didn’t really understand the point of the book. All three sections just kind of ended. They were kind of related but not.

[Denise Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Equal parts strange and beautiful. I couldn’t put it down. Reading this was like dropping into a series of fever dreams, blurring fiction and reality. I loved every moment.

[Charlotte Lepage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the humour! Full review soon!
Thank you to the publisher for my copy!

[Marty Summa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quirky, unique, very quick read. Loved every page, each in their own length. Dachshund dad with a soft spot for all the pasta puppies.

[Darby Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird whimsical satirical look at advertising

[Danielle Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight! Unique & insightful, I enjoyed it very much. A quick read, made slower by the fact that so many sentences resonated with me or moved me, etc. that I’d have to pause to jot them down.

[Sarah Kogs · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the h*ck was that!

[Heather]

Fine, but the premise is more interesting that the book itself, especially as when the first narrator's section ended.

[Ivy Munyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was such a fun read. Loved it

[Ruth Jaensubhakij · Rating 4 out of 5]

perfectly delightful and short - great prose, and blonde sausage dogs are my favorite kind of dog