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Asunder
Best-selling author Richard Goldsmith has always been at war—with his past, his addictions, and the ghosts of those he’s lost. Drowning in the wreckage of his choices, he reminisces about the life he’s destroyed. He’s holed up in a New York hotel room with drugs, whiskey, deadlines, and a plan to end it all.
When a chance arrest lands him in a jail cell alongside Damien Worthridge—a sharp-tongued, fiercely defiant teenage runaway—Richard’s carefully constructed isolation begins to crack. As he takes Damien under his wing, their bond becomes a mirror, reflecting the traumas Richard has buried and the humanity he thought was gone forever.
Set against the haunting backdrop of post-9/11 New York City, Asunder is a raw and intimate exploration of grief, addiction, and the fragile hope of rebuilding from the ruins. Jessie Rose weaves a gripping narrative of human fragility and resilience, where redemption is hard-won and the past is never far behind. A tale of trauma, loss, and the fight to find connection in chaos, Asunder is an unforgettable story for readers who crave literary fiction that cuts to the bone.
When a chance arrest lands him in a jail cell alongside Damien Worthridge—a sharp-tongued, fiercely defiant teenage runaway—Richard’s carefully constructed isolation begins to crack. As he takes Damien under his wing, their bond becomes a mirror, reflecting the traumas Richard has buried and the humanity he thought was gone forever.
Set against the haunting backdrop of post-9/11 New York City, Asunder is a raw and intimate exploration of grief, addiction, and the fragile hope of rebuilding from the ruins. Jessie Rose weaves a gripping narrative of human fragility and resilience, where redemption is hard-won and the past is never far behind. A tale of trauma, loss, and the fight to find connection in chaos, Asunder is an unforgettable story for readers who crave literary fiction that cuts to the bone.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 11, 2024
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4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 17, 2025
I couldn't put this psychological drama down! It’s called Asunder by Jessie Rose. Knowing Jessie Roses's work, I knew there was going to be more to the story than just a clear-cut, arrogant, unreliable narrator. Rose always writes interesting, complex, characters who have plenty of flaws.
We discover that all his life, he has been pressured to hide in the closet. He dreams of writing LGBTQ poetry and fiction, but feels he would lose readers. He is a well-known pulp detective writer. His addiction, depression, and his fake "tough guy who hates everyone" act are because he hides his true self. Unfortunately, he allows his alternate persona and the pressure to appear straight to take over, causing him to make horrible decisions. He is a truly unlikeable character for most of the book, but there are many times where Richard's heart is in the right place and tries to redeem himself. But is it because he truly wants to do the right thing or is it for selfish motives? That is for readers to decide for themselves.
Knowing his past, you will feel sympathy for him and understand how PTSD drives what he does. He had a horrible home life while growing up, with a lot of trauma. We begin to understand his inner turmoil and feel sorry for him. I felt disappointed in him every time he made a poor decision. Those decisions often turn into impossible predicaments or tragic events. He's an emotional trainwreck, bent on self-sabotage.
Will he ever get his life together? Will he have the courage to come out and live authentically? That is something you'll have to find out. I know the answers, but I don’t want to give anything away. I truly loved this psychological drama. It was a very intense journey!
We discover that all his life, he has been pressured to hide in the closet. He dreams of writing LGBTQ poetry and fiction, but feels he would lose readers. He is a well-known pulp detective writer. His addiction, depression, and his fake "tough guy who hates everyone" act are because he hides his true self. Unfortunately, he allows his alternate persona and the pressure to appear straight to take over, causing him to make horrible decisions. He is a truly unlikeable character for most of the book, but there are many times where Richard's heart is in the right place and tries to redeem himself. But is it because he truly wants to do the right thing or is it for selfish motives? That is for readers to decide for themselves.
Knowing his past, you will feel sympathy for him and understand how PTSD drives what he does. He had a horrible home life while growing up, with a lot of trauma. We begin to understand his inner turmoil and feel sorry for him. I felt disappointed in him every time he made a poor decision. Those decisions often turn into impossible predicaments or tragic events. He's an emotional trainwreck, bent on self-sabotage.
Will he ever get his life together? Will he have the courage to come out and live authentically? That is something you'll have to find out. I know the answers, but I don’t want to give anything away. I truly loved this psychological drama. It was a very intense journey!
December 20, 2024
This book had me closing it and staring at the wall like "what just happened? No, let me read that again to make sure" a few times. I don't even know how to describe it. Emotional rollercoaster doesn't really cover it when it comes to Jessie Rose books. This was more like a tornado.
I so badly wanted good things for Richard throughout this book. He is the worst, but he also has this level of self awareness that gives you hope that he'll do better, make better choices, be better. The things he experienced broke my heart. The things he did broke my heart, but I kept rooting for him anyway.
This book traumatized me and I loved every second of it.
I so badly wanted good things for Richard throughout this book. He is the worst, but he also has this level of self awareness that gives you hope that he'll do better, make better choices, be better. The things he experienced broke my heart. The things he did broke my heart, but I kept rooting for him anyway.
This book traumatized me and I loved every second of it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews