Stinkbug

by Sinéad Stubbins

In this wildly original and deeply unhinged story, Sinéad Stubbins turns her keen but empathetic eye on the lies we tell about ourselves in order to belong. Part anxious millennial fever dream, part searing workplace satire, this corporate gothic novel is perfect for fans of Yellowface, Nightbitch and Such a Fun Age.

You're a stinkbug and they're worried if they come near you, your stench will get all over them and they won't be able to wash it off.'

When Edith and a select group of employees at Winked advertising agency are sent to Consequi, an elite three-day work retreat in the remote mountains, she sees an opportunity to impress her bosses and dodge an inevitable restructure.
But this is no ordinary corporate retreat. Trapped together in the revamped convent, the threat of mass redundancy looming over them, their phones confiscated and the team-building activities becoming increasingly extreme, the 'work family's' cracks begin to widen – and Edith has a secret that threatens to make her the office the stinkbug. When Edith realises there's something suspicious about Consequi, she's faced with a conform and shut up, or accept stinkbug status and find out what's really going on.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Thriller, Contemporary, Book Club, Gothic, Humor

Kindle Edition

Published May 27, 2025

About the author

Sinéad Stubbins is a writer, editor and cultural critic in Melbourne.

She writes popular TV recaps for Junkee, most notably on Game of Thrones, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Neighbours, and also writes about film, music and culture for The Guardian, ELLE, frankie, The Big Issue, New York Magazine, Pitchfork and others.

In 2016 she contributed to the University of Queensland Press anthology ‘Doing It’ and has also appeared in two frankie press collections, ‘Something to Say’ and ‘Look What We Made’. She has spoken at the Emerging Writers’ Festival, National Young Writers’ Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival and The Wheeler Centre’s Storytelling Gala.

In 2018 she was long-listed for the Richell Prize for Emerging Writers. In 2020 she sold her essay collection ‘In My Defence, I Have No Defence’ plus a second book to Affirm Press.

Reviews

[Emily Conaghan 🐛 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book taught me that I would absolutely get caught up in a corporate cult. Hand me my robe.

[Mikaela G · Rating 5 out of 5]

unhinged girl my age doing weird and wacky things = my favourite type of book <3

[Rach A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

the way several moments of this *gothic* book have actually happened to me or people I know. can we set corporate culture on fire pls

[Amy Lee Corr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Down bad for culty corporate thrillers (art reflects life)

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wildly unique and satirical story, exploring unhinged corporate culture and workplace 'retreats'.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.75 stars)

Sort of weird, fun and also kinda stressful? The story was cool but really it's the writing that shines the most. Stubbins has a really fun style that works perfectly for this kind of story where everything is a bit weird and the characters all sort of low level suck as people.

It reminded me a lot of Rytul in both style and concept though I think I enjoyed that a bit more because of it's culty feminism and sapphic undertones, however, this is a great recommendation for someone looking for their next slightly weird, is it a cult workplace drama.

[Jaclyn]

I love workplace satire! Stubbins locks her advertising executives in a corporate retreat and then starts to increase the temperature. With a restructure imminent and their respective wages revealed, they start to implode in interesting ways, especially our people-pleasing protagonist Edith who is hiding all kinds of mean girl secrets. The ending was particularly triumphant. This book brought to mind Maxx Barry’s Syrup, Joshua Ferris’s Then We Came to the End and This Could Hurt by Jillian Medoff. I do delight in Stubbins’s writing and here she’s at her glorious slightly unhinged and anxious best.

[Victoria Gillespie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was written like a movie, a movie which I would not see

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3.5 Stars⭐️
Stinkbug by Sinéad Stubbins features a nightmarish corporate three-day retreat at a converted convent and it’s no ordinary work event. The characters aren’t nice people and it’s full of quirky workplace drama.

A restructure is imminent at Winked advertising agency and Edith our outspoken protagonist is invited to a work retreat with a group of her advertising co-workers. On arrival the employees have to hand in their phones….. something fishy is going on and then chaos ensues.

The activities given to the employees are whacky and weird but you can’t stop reading! It explores the compromises we make to fit in, corporate office culture and office shenanigans.

This is one for those that love their stories slightly unhinged and enjoy dark humour. I thought it was a little crazy at times! Entertaining, fun and timely satire.

Publication Date 27 May 2025
Publisher Affirm Press

Thank you so much to the fab team Affirm Press for a copy of the book.

[Jess Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book makes me feel like I could never be inducted into a cult bc I would be too frustrated with everyone around me. It was a fun read with a little mystery surrounding it which was interesting - but as I’ve spelled out, kind of frustrating like just stand up for yourself omgggg.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big thanks to Affirm Press for sending us a copy to read and review.
Anarchic, manic and totally bonkers!
I really enjoyed this one.
A clever work satire featuring a lead character that’s in your face, relatable, funny and outspoken.
When a group of workers go away for a weekend of corporate and workplace politics anything can happen.
Edith and some of her colleagues from Winked advertising agency are off on a three day retreat excursion in the mountains.
A converted convent in the middle of nowhere.
No phones, cut off from the outside world, Edith is stuck with her work associates for team building exercises.
With a mass redundancy impending and everyone on edge, Edith holds a secret that could cause disruption in the office and make her persona non grata.
There’s also something fishy about the retreat and its instructors….
A delightful, honest and appealing tale of shenanigans on a company hideaway.
Sinead’s writing is inviting and engaging and the witty banter has many laugh out loud moments.
A very entertaining read.

[Larissa Larin · Rating 4 out of 5]

brilliant take on a modern corporate environment that is so hung up on work being a ‘family’.
batshit crazy stuff though, so glad i just work for a lil’ church.

[Sim ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

not to compare this to another corporate/culty book I read earlier this year… but this one took too long to get to the good bits. there were many scenes where lots of dialogue was happening but it felt like filler and didn’t advance the plot enough. however, there was some great wacky stuff in there and some noice deadpan humour!

the timing of this book is a bad omen for me though (pls @alice be my best work friend forever 😭)

[Evangeline Polymeneas · Rating 5 out of 5]

So entertaining and bloody terrifying. I hate the corporate world.

[Lauren Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll accept Stinkbug status, but I’ll happily join when we’re slapping colleagues across the face xx

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3. stars 🌟🌟🌟
I alternated between reading and listening to Stinkbug, and at first, I was all in. The satirical humor? Sharp. The corporate absurdity? Hilariously on point. But as the story progressed, it started to spiral and by the final 20%, I was speeding through just to reach the finish line.

Premise: A corporate team is sent on a “transformational” work retreat designed to build culture, strengthen connections, and ultimately improve productivity.

Goal: Find your assigned “work best friend” by the end of the trip because nothing screams success like forced vulnerability.

Method: Air your childhood traumas in group sessions, listen to what your coworkers really think of you, risk spinal injury during trust falls, take swings at colleagues in a boxing ring, and pop company-issued stimulants to keep the emotional chaos running on schedule.

Outcome: Well I don't want to give away any spoilers, but wtf?

It starts off strong with witty satire and sharp commentary on workplace culture but somewhere along the way, it loses the plot. The tone gets increasingly ridiculous, the characters become caricatures of themselves, and the ending is a real letdown. What began as clever and cutting eventually just felt chaotic and overcooked.

[Kirra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this was somehow simultaneously stressful and cathartic. I love, love, love a workplace satire and this is truly the best one I've read so far. It felt so good to read a book that questions why we are expected to do so many activities in the workplace that are extraneous to our actual jobs to prove that we are serious about our work. I nearly cheered out loud when one character said "I have friends outside of work" (an actual thing I have said at my job when it was suggested that my workplace should organise more social activities). I loved this book.

[Elizabeth Feeney · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had one word for this book it would be ‘disappointing.’ It started off well and was engaging. Then it just basically went into complete fantasy.. Stupid and unbelievable. I think it is trying to be metaphorical and make claims about corporate America but I don’t think it managed this is any real nuanced way and just seemed childish really.

[Emilie (emiliesbookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This unhinged story follows Edith who has been invited to attend a retreat with other selected coworkers. The three day retreat promises a career opportunity, and will hopefully ensure she misses an impending restructure.

Except this isn’t your every day work retreat, the employees must hand over their phones upon arrival and are closed off from the outside world. It doesn’t take long for tension to build and those common workplace pleasantries to fade. Secrets, honest opinions and truths are revealed. Is it really all happy families at this workplace?

This is one crazy corporate workplace satire. It’s very funny and clever, and Edith is such a complex character that I was torn between cheering for her and screaming at her.

Thank you AffirmPress for sending me an arc copy of this quirky read

[Charlotte Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a 3.5 ⭐️ - this was fun and I read this quickly but was very much just vibes not a whole lot of point to the plot

[Rehanna Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was witty and original, I liked the satire on corporate “wellness,” but it was a little too long and too weird for me to fully connect with.

[Chloe Ŀicious · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completely unhinged. Absolute chaos. Super weird. Exactly what it says on the tin. A fun ride 👌🏻

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Grace Phelps · Rating 2 out of 5]

not my jam. felt really outlandish but predictable at the same time. I didnt enjoy this book unfortunately

[Holly Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those descend into madness books but they didn’t set up the descent that well it kind of just started happening

[Brydie Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, culty lil read that had me hooked

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like if "Nine Perfect Strangers" and "I Hope This Finds You Well" had a baby. Brilliant reading.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a member of the wider media/marketing industry in Australia, parts of this book were SO relatable. It was fun at first, great scene setting, clever writing and a bunch of characters who I know or have worked with.. but then the satire turns a bit too black mirror-esque for me. The silliness got stressful and the main character's arch had me on edge. I would definitely still recommend it, especially to my media mates as a comment on our industry.. but I didn't love it all the way to the end.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5 stars

Fun and infuriating workplace satire (at times horror story) that devolves into somewhat of an action/mystery thriller towards the end. I really enjoyed the first half but was underwhelmed by the resolution. Definitely an entertaining and potentially angering read if you’ve ever worked in a toxic office environment with the most surface level, two faced coworkers.

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this book made me finish off the 979k word fanfic I've been reading for 12 months so make of that what you will. I think I just need to stop reading books about corporate life, they are too sickeningly real and this one was a bit too unhinged even for me.