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For Human Use
An unforgettable debut, For Human Use is a twisted tale of modern love that bends every genre, sears itself into your brain, and presents a horrific romantic comedy unlike anything you’ve ever read before.
★ “An utterly ingenious horror-romcom, darkly zeitgeisty, and unnervingly plausible—funny as hell, too. You will not forget this book.” ―Heather Aimee O’Neill, author of Read With Jenna book club pick The Irish Goodbye
Modern dating is dead.
Sarah G. Pierce’s debut, For Human Use, is a glossy, razor-cut spiral into algorithmic obsession and capitalist absurdity where the dread hits hardest because it reads like a headline you’ve already scrolled past. With darkly funny dialogue and a premise that shouldn’t feel this plausible, Pierce lures you in with laughter, then leaves you staring into the abyss of your own algorithmic despair.
When Liv, a sleek new app that matches users with dead bodies, becomes a cultural obsession, the world doesn’t recoil. It invests. It scales. And it starts asking how many more cadavers can be sourced before Q4.
Tom, a venture capitalist, knows this should be a hard no. But really, who can argue with a spreadsheet? The founder Auden is insufferable and Mara, who knows too much, is just trying to survive this Brave New World of bloodless tech-managed desire.
Twisted, smart, and disturbingly plausible, For Human Use is for the emotionally exhausted and professionally complicit—perfect for readers who didn’t know they were craving a crossover of Severance and John Marrs’ The One.
★ “A wildly entertaining debut. Sarah G. Pierce cleverly skewers our modern era of disconnection and corporate overreach. But amid the horror and humor there is a deeply human love story at the heart of this book.” ―E.K Sathue, author of Youthjuice
★ “A razor-sharp satire of venture capitalism, online influence culture, and The Discourse, Pierce holds a mirror to an all-too familiar reality where the unthinkable becomes thinkable if there’s profit to be made and prestige to be gained. A human romance in a world gasping for human connection, this one goes places!” ―Bitter Karella, author of Moonflow
★ “An utterly ingenious horror-romcom, darkly zeitgeisty, and unnervingly plausible—funny as hell, too. You will not forget this book.” ―Heather Aimee O’Neill, author of Read With Jenna book club pick The Irish Goodbye
Modern dating is dead.
Sarah G. Pierce’s debut, For Human Use, is a glossy, razor-cut spiral into algorithmic obsession and capitalist absurdity where the dread hits hardest because it reads like a headline you’ve already scrolled past. With darkly funny dialogue and a premise that shouldn’t feel this plausible, Pierce lures you in with laughter, then leaves you staring into the abyss of your own algorithmic despair.
When Liv, a sleek new app that matches users with dead bodies, becomes a cultural obsession, the world doesn’t recoil. It invests. It scales. And it starts asking how many more cadavers can be sourced before Q4.
Tom, a venture capitalist, knows this should be a hard no. But really, who can argue with a spreadsheet? The founder Auden is insufferable and Mara, who knows too much, is just trying to survive this Brave New World of bloodless tech-managed desire.
Twisted, smart, and disturbingly plausible, For Human Use is for the emotionally exhausted and professionally complicit—perfect for readers who didn’t know they were craving a crossover of Severance and John Marrs’ The One.
★ “A wildly entertaining debut. Sarah G. Pierce cleverly skewers our modern era of disconnection and corporate overreach. But amid the horror and humor there is a deeply human love story at the heart of this book.” ―E.K Sathue, author of Youthjuice
★ “A razor-sharp satire of venture capitalism, online influence culture, and The Discourse, Pierce holds a mirror to an all-too familiar reality where the unthinkable becomes thinkable if there’s profit to be made and prestige to be gained. A human romance in a world gasping for human connection, this one goes places!” ―Bitter Karella, author of Moonflow
448 pages, Paperback
First published February 10, 2026
181 people are currently reading
21681 people want to read
About the author
Sarah G. Pierce
1 book83 followersHailing from California, Sarah moved to New York to study photography at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and later, earn a master’s degree from NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts, where she specialized in minimalist painters. An avid 49ers fan, she lives in Manhattan with her poker-playing husband, whom she met on a dating app, and their two sons. For Human Use is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 331 reviews
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August 30, 2025what in the ever-loving fuck? i must read it
February 17, 2026
If the backstory of this book were its main plot, it would have been one of my favorite books of the year already. But that would be a different book then. For Human Use begins amazingly, a five star intro, because it is about that background, but then it kind of fizzles out for me. Still, really great ideas and meditations on death, the dead, and misunderstood equality. Oddly entertaining.
March 11, 2026
In a publishing landscape of increasingly odd book premises, this one takes the cake. An eccentric entrepreneur, Auden, creates a Tinder-style app for dead bodies. Yes, you read that correctly. And it becomes an immediate sensation. I know what you’re thinking, and yes, some of the interest from users is romantic 🤮 But others use the bodies for all sorts of reasons, from keeping the dog company during the day to filming viral TikToks. Teenagers beg their parents for access to the app or risk being ostracized, and there is a panic when some begin talking about wanting to “join the dead.”
Against that bonkers backdrop, this book follows Tom, a venture capital employee reluctantly dragged onto the company’s board, and Mara, Auden’s stepsister and romantic obsession (yup, the book goes there too). As Tom tries stop Auden’s company from literally destroying civilization, he finds himself falling for Mara.
This is billed as a horror/romance/comedy novel, but above all it’s really a satire of start-up culture, social media, and possibly AI (as another tool that many young people can’t live without that people have valid concerns about). It is a wild ride, and it’s a fun one. I think this will be a book that people will either love or DNF early on. The tone is set early enough in the story that those who aren’t on board with the dead-body-dating-app angle will nope on out of there. Those who remain will be in for a treat.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to an eARC of this book.
Against that bonkers backdrop, this book follows Tom, a venture capital employee reluctantly dragged onto the company’s board, and Mara, Auden’s stepsister and romantic obsession (yup, the book goes there too). As Tom tries stop Auden’s company from literally destroying civilization, he finds himself falling for Mara.
This is billed as a horror/romance/comedy novel, but above all it’s really a satire of start-up culture, social media, and possibly AI (as another tool that many young people can’t live without that people have valid concerns about). It is a wild ride, and it’s a fun one. I think this will be a book that people will either love or DNF early on. The tone is set early enough in the story that those who aren’t on board with the dead-body-dating-app angle will nope on out of there. Those who remain will be in for a treat.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to an eARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Imagine an app where you match online with a literal dead body, the body gets shipped to you and then you get to hang out with the body. People are preferring this over real human interaction/relationships where it can even be looked down on if you're not using the app.
Going into this, I had a different idea of what the book was about and where it would go. The premise is unique and it’s a very interesting take on social media, the dating scene, and capitalism. Unfortunately, the book focuses on a love triangle and the business financials instead. This made me lose interest pretty quickly and we didn’t get too much of the weirdness that I expected.
I had both the e-book and the audiobook. Without the audiobook, I probably would've taken an extremely long time to get through this.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!
Going into this, I had a different idea of what the book was about and where it would go. The premise is unique and it’s a very interesting take on social media, the dating scene, and capitalism. Unfortunately, the book focuses on a love triangle and the business financials instead. This made me lose interest pretty quickly and we didn’t get too much of the weirdness that I expected.
I had both the e-book and the audiobook. Without the audiobook, I probably would've taken an extremely long time to get through this.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I got the audiobook for review.
The premise with a tinder like app for getting matched with a corpse was way to intruiging not to request. As odd of a book that I expected. I enjoyed the way it discussed trends and hype on social media and how easily and strongly people got obsessed with corpses, death and owning corpses. Its a story about love and the thin line to madness. So many things to pick a part of the story not just a weird and disturbing read. I enjoyed how we got to know three characters slowly and throughly and look closely in their mind and actions.
The premise with a tinder like app for getting matched with a corpse was way to intruiging not to request. As odd of a book that I expected. I enjoyed the way it discussed trends and hype on social media and how easily and strongly people got obsessed with corpses, death and owning corpses. Its a story about love and the thin line to madness. So many things to pick a part of the story not just a weird and disturbing read. I enjoyed how we got to know three characters slowly and throughly and look closely in their mind and actions.
November 24, 2025
Tinder for corpses. That is indeed the premise of Sarah G. Pierce‘s upcoming debut novel, For Human Use.
Online dating is rough, a fact we know all too well in the year 2025. But what if, instead of sorting through the social muck of the living, we turn to the dead for company? A corpse that doesn’t talk back, doesn’t have strong opinions, or doesn’t ghost. That’s entrepreneur Auden White’s vision, a service called Liv where the living match with the dead. It sounds absolutely audacious, especially to Tom Williamson, a venture capitalist who is (unfortunately) tied to this app/service through his employer’s investments. As the money begins to flow, Tom realizes things are even more dire than previously thought. Perhaps the only silver lining is meeting Mara Reed, a woman in Auden’s circle who may just see things the way Tom does. What starts out as a weird social practice snowballs into a monstrous shift in public attitudes, habits, and rhetoric, affecting Tom, Auden, and Mara in unthinkable ways.
I’ll be the first in line to admit the premise of this novel seems rather open and shut, a plot without much room to run. Matching with corpses? Creating space for necrophilia? Hard no. No way that could work. But, I’ll also be the first to loudly admit my wrongness in this presumption as Pierce expertly crafts a social situation of horrifically believable proportions. What makes this seemingly outlandish set-up even more plausible is the darkly comedic moments of stark realization, the political interests that reveal themselves in true dramatic fashion, and the interpersonal drama bubbling beneath all of this. Mara, Tom, and Auden are written with an easy relatability, a familiarity that makes reader investment paramount. All of this is just bloody brilliant.
Even more stunning is Pierce’s unspoken dialogue with all advancements, social, technological, or other, that have emerged in recent years without guardrails. While For Human Use may use the shock factor of dead bodies to usher a response of disgust, the same arguments being made in this text can be applied to the out-of-control growth of AI, the unchecked landscape of the internet, autonomy, and so much more. For Human Use is a smart book, one that combines comedy and shock to oh-so-frighteningly point out that we aren’t so removed from this fictional reality as we think.
Audacious, darkly satirical, and absolutely gripping, For Human Use feels like the most entertaining social study of our current culture, a sandbox where gruesome castles are built under Sarah G. Pierce’s masterful hand. This is a debut novel that feels timely, deeply original, and oh so, captivating through a culmination of real-world anxieties, romantic dramas, and macabre social alternatives. Utterly enthralling and a true achievement, For Human Use is the exact kind of horror we should be reading in 2026, a shining beacon in daring, modern fiction.
Online dating is rough, a fact we know all too well in the year 2025. But what if, instead of sorting through the social muck of the living, we turn to the dead for company? A corpse that doesn’t talk back, doesn’t have strong opinions, or doesn’t ghost. That’s entrepreneur Auden White’s vision, a service called Liv where the living match with the dead. It sounds absolutely audacious, especially to Tom Williamson, a venture capitalist who is (unfortunately) tied to this app/service through his employer’s investments. As the money begins to flow, Tom realizes things are even more dire than previously thought. Perhaps the only silver lining is meeting Mara Reed, a woman in Auden’s circle who may just see things the way Tom does. What starts out as a weird social practice snowballs into a monstrous shift in public attitudes, habits, and rhetoric, affecting Tom, Auden, and Mara in unthinkable ways.
I’ll be the first in line to admit the premise of this novel seems rather open and shut, a plot without much room to run. Matching with corpses? Creating space for necrophilia? Hard no. No way that could work. But, I’ll also be the first to loudly admit my wrongness in this presumption as Pierce expertly crafts a social situation of horrifically believable proportions. What makes this seemingly outlandish set-up even more plausible is the darkly comedic moments of stark realization, the political interests that reveal themselves in true dramatic fashion, and the interpersonal drama bubbling beneath all of this. Mara, Tom, and Auden are written with an easy relatability, a familiarity that makes reader investment paramount. All of this is just bloody brilliant.
Even more stunning is Pierce’s unspoken dialogue with all advancements, social, technological, or other, that have emerged in recent years without guardrails. While For Human Use may use the shock factor of dead bodies to usher a response of disgust, the same arguments being made in this text can be applied to the out-of-control growth of AI, the unchecked landscape of the internet, autonomy, and so much more. For Human Use is a smart book, one that combines comedy and shock to oh-so-frighteningly point out that we aren’t so removed from this fictional reality as we think.
Audacious, darkly satirical, and absolutely gripping, For Human Use feels like the most entertaining social study of our current culture, a sandbox where gruesome castles are built under Sarah G. Pierce’s masterful hand. This is a debut novel that feels timely, deeply original, and oh so, captivating through a culmination of real-world anxieties, romantic dramas, and macabre social alternatives. Utterly enthralling and a true achievement, For Human Use is the exact kind of horror we should be reading in 2026, a shining beacon in daring, modern fiction.
December 20, 2025
3.25 ⭐️
When I saw the absolutely unhinged premise for this book, I knew I had to pick it up. In For Human Use we follow Tom, a venture capitalist whose company has been approached to fund a new dating app. The twist? The app — called Liv — matches users with corpses, touting the psychological benefits of spending time with the dead.
Tom is a great main character and acts as the straight man in this satirical horror comedy. He is one of the only people in the narrative that is (rightfully) horrified by the concept of hanging out with a corpse. We follow the anxious and stressed out Tom as he tries to draw attention to the flaws in this concept, and along the way, meets a kindred spirit in Mara.
I enjoyed the premise of this a lot as a thought experiment— it was a unique critique of how capitalist interests can shift the Overton window. It also had a lot of commentary on culture wars and social media behaviour (including corpse influencers) that was fascinating to read about.
The connection between Mara and Tom was another element that worked well for me. I found myself caring deeply about them both and rooting for them against all odds. The scenes when they were together or interacting were noticeably engrossing. Other characters were less interesting, and Auden in particular is someone whose motivations confused me and were never fully explained.
There were other things that didn’t work well for me — I felt like overall, this novel could have used a more critical editor. The writing style felt overwrought at times, yet stilted at others, and there were many sentences that either didn’t quite make sense or devolved into word salad. I think cutting 50 or 100 pages from this would have improved it a lot. There were also a number of time jumps that left me confused about how much time had passed; it would have been helpful to get some sense of timeframe throughout the novel. Finally, there was a LOT of finance terminology that wasn’t really explained and I expect that many readers (including me) will be a bit lost when reading because of that.
I would describe this as a mix between Emily St. John Mandel’s The Glass Hotel and John Marrs’ The One — it was wide-ranging, complex, but still quite silly. Overall, I enjoyed it and would pick up future books by this author.
*DISCLAIMER: Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book for the purposes of providing an unbiased review.*
When I saw the absolutely unhinged premise for this book, I knew I had to pick it up. In For Human Use we follow Tom, a venture capitalist whose company has been approached to fund a new dating app. The twist? The app — called Liv — matches users with corpses, touting the psychological benefits of spending time with the dead.
Tom is a great main character and acts as the straight man in this satirical horror comedy. He is one of the only people in the narrative that is (rightfully) horrified by the concept of hanging out with a corpse. We follow the anxious and stressed out Tom as he tries to draw attention to the flaws in this concept, and along the way, meets a kindred spirit in Mara.
I enjoyed the premise of this a lot as a thought experiment— it was a unique critique of how capitalist interests can shift the Overton window. It also had a lot of commentary on culture wars and social media behaviour (including corpse influencers) that was fascinating to read about.
The connection between Mara and Tom was another element that worked well for me. I found myself caring deeply about them both and rooting for them against all odds. The scenes when they were together or interacting were noticeably engrossing. Other characters were less interesting, and Auden in particular is someone whose motivations confused me and were never fully explained.
There were other things that didn’t work well for me — I felt like overall, this novel could have used a more critical editor. The writing style felt overwrought at times, yet stilted at others, and there were many sentences that either didn’t quite make sense or devolved into word salad. I think cutting 50 or 100 pages from this would have improved it a lot. There were also a number of time jumps that left me confused about how much time had passed; it would have been helpful to get some sense of timeframe throughout the novel. Finally, there was a LOT of finance terminology that wasn’t really explained and I expect that many readers (including me) will be a bit lost when reading because of that.
I would describe this as a mix between Emily St. John Mandel’s The Glass Hotel and John Marrs’ The One — it was wide-ranging, complex, but still quite silly. Overall, I enjoyed it and would pick up future books by this author.
*DISCLAIMER: Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book for the purposes of providing an unbiased review.*
November 25, 2025
This is...not what I thought it was going to be. The blurb describes it like a funny horror satirical romcom about this insane app, but the focus of the book doesn't seem to be the app at all. I would describe it more as a business/legal drama.
It's mainly focused on the interpersonal relationships of the three main characters, where both of the guys (Tom and Auden) have dated this girl, Mara. Also Mara is Auden's stepsister?? I think this could've been an interesting thing cuz there's a lot more to the relationships than that, but I feel like we didn't get enough time building up their relationships to begin with.
I really wish we got more insight into the app itself. Things are just kind of mentioned as facts here, without ever explaining how society actually got to that point. I don't understand how the app itself works, why people were okay with this to begin with, what people do with the bodies, etc.... I understand that it's satirical, but I feel like there needs to be at least a little more information about the app as a whole.
I also felt like there was some interesting commentary sprinkled throughout the book, but a lot of it was bogged down by financial/legal gibberish. If I ever read another monologue about hedge funds, IPOs, stock market attacks, profit valuations, or investment trading, it'll be too soon. I feel like that just distracted me so much, and those spaces could've been used for relationship building and app dealings. But I'm not a finance person, so I could see other people finding those parts more interesting than I did.
I just really thought this book was going to go in a different direction, and unfortunately the direction it did go in, was not for me at all. Though, I could see where people might find it more enjoyable for sure.
It's mainly focused on the interpersonal relationships of the three main characters, where both of the guys (Tom and Auden) have dated this girl, Mara. Also Mara is Auden's stepsister?? I think this could've been an interesting thing cuz there's a lot more to the relationships than that, but I feel like we didn't get enough time building up their relationships to begin with.
I really wish we got more insight into the app itself. Things are just kind of mentioned as facts here, without ever explaining how society actually got to that point. I don't understand how the app itself works, why people were okay with this to begin with, what people do with the bodies, etc.... I understand that it's satirical, but I feel like there needs to be at least a little more information about the app as a whole.
I also felt like there was some interesting commentary sprinkled throughout the book, but a lot of it was bogged down by financial/legal gibberish. If I ever read another monologue about hedge funds, IPOs, stock market attacks, profit valuations, or investment trading, it'll be too soon. I feel like that just distracted me so much, and those spaces could've been used for relationship building and app dealings. But I'm not a finance person, so I could see other people finding those parts more interesting than I did.
I just really thought this book was going to go in a different direction, and unfortunately the direction it did go in, was not for me at all. Though, I could see where people might find it more enjoyable for sure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
February 24, 2026DNF for now. No rating because I was liking it, I think I’m just not in the mood to read it right now.
Currently reading
March 6, 2026🖤For Human Use
Full ARC Review to come. Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy.
🎧 Narrated by Marie Hawkins and Eric Burgher
📅 Pub Date: February 10, 2026
Full ARC Review to come. Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy.
🎧 Narrated by Marie Hawkins and Eric Burgher
📅 Pub Date: February 10, 2026
March 20, 2026
Unforgettably unhinged!
’Finding a human connection online has become impossible. Enter Liv: a dating app that matches people with dead bodies.’
If you enjoy disturbing satire, with sharp social commentary and genre-blending uniqueness (like me!), then I would recommend you give this one a go.
I consumed this as an audiobook, and despite the macabre themes, I found it very well narrated by Marie Hawkin and Eric Burgher.
This is a very unique debut, and I am interested to read what is next from the author.
’Finding a human connection online has become impossible. Enter Liv: a dating app that matches people with dead bodies.’
If you enjoy disturbing satire, with sharp social commentary and genre-blending uniqueness (like me!), then I would recommend you give this one a go.
I consumed this as an audiobook, and despite the macabre themes, I found it very well narrated by Marie Hawkin and Eric Burgher.
This is a very unique debut, and I am interested to read what is next from the author.
March 22, 2026
A dating app that matches people with dead bodies? It’s weird, original, and honestly kind of genius. I went in expecting something bold and completely unhinged in the best way.
And the plot sounds like it should deliver. You have this app, Liv, that starts as this shocking concept and then spirals into a full-blown cultural obsession. It’s about how quickly something disturbing becomes normalized, how tech and capitalism push things further than they should, and how people just… go along with it. There’s a lot there.
But for me, it just got lost in itself.
There was so much focus on the bigger “this is changing the world” narrative and the business, scale, and societal impact of it all, that it pulled away from what made the story interesting in the first place. I kept waiting for it to feel more intimate, more character-driven, more grounded in the actual relationships and the emotional weight of what was happening, and it just never fully hit.
And the characters made it harder. I didn’t connect with any of them. They all felt frustrating in their own ways, and not in a layered or compelling way, just in a way that made me feel detached from the story.
It’s one of those books where the idea is stronger than the execution. I kept thinking about how good it could have been, especially with a concept this unique.
Such a wild premise, but for me, it ended up feeling kind of flat.
And the plot sounds like it should deliver. You have this app, Liv, that starts as this shocking concept and then spirals into a full-blown cultural obsession. It’s about how quickly something disturbing becomes normalized, how tech and capitalism push things further than they should, and how people just… go along with it. There’s a lot there.
But for me, it just got lost in itself.
There was so much focus on the bigger “this is changing the world” narrative and the business, scale, and societal impact of it all, that it pulled away from what made the story interesting in the first place. I kept waiting for it to feel more intimate, more character-driven, more grounded in the actual relationships and the emotional weight of what was happening, and it just never fully hit.
And the characters made it harder. I didn’t connect with any of them. They all felt frustrating in their own ways, and not in a layered or compelling way, just in a way that made me feel detached from the story.
It’s one of those books where the idea is stronger than the execution. I kept thinking about how good it could have been, especially with a concept this unique.
Such a wild premise, but for me, it ended up feeling kind of flat.
Did not finish
February 20, 2026DNF @ 18%. Yeah, no. Life is too short to read books that aren’t fun. There was so much gruesome potential here. Imagine having this plot and instead talking about numbers and financials? 👎
February 20, 2026
This book was 200 pages way too bloody long.
February 25, 2026
Interesting concept, very centered on social commentary.
February 13, 2026
DNF at 25% of the Audiobook.
This is categorized as "General Adult Fiction, Humor & Satire, Romance"...I think labeling this book as satire is being generous...as far as humor and romance goes, I think the book utterly fails to show any promise of that happening. For my listening experience, this book seemed to over promise and under deliver. I found myself zoning out multiple times because the plot seemed lost in the mess of stereotypical "corporate dramatics".
I think the author could have done a lot better, a lot sooner. But, I am completely bored out of my mind that I don't want to waste more of my time on the rest of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Run For It for the ALC.
This is categorized as "General Adult Fiction, Humor & Satire, Romance"...I think labeling this book as satire is being generous...as far as humor and romance goes, I think the book utterly fails to show any promise of that happening. For my listening experience, this book seemed to over promise and under deliver. I found myself zoning out multiple times because the plot seemed lost in the mess of stereotypical "corporate dramatics".
I think the author could have done a lot better, a lot sooner. But, I am completely bored out of my mind that I don't want to waste more of my time on the rest of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Run For It for the ALC.
November 6, 2025
Thank you to edelweiss and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!
So I was obsessed with the premise of this book from the beginning. Like it gives you such a wtf feeling and I love that when reading.
I don’t even know what to say about the main parts of this story. Like the concept of a dating app to match you with corpses might sound ridiculous but is it really? Like how far along are the weirdest men you know from doing this? There is so much moral dilemma here and it was interesting to see the different perspectives. This mostly divides into 3 POVs. Tom who is a main member of the corporation funding Liv, Auden who is the founder of Liv, and Mara who is Auden’s stepsister. The drama between these 3 was even more interesting to read. Like I was eating up this drama. You come for the bonkers premise and stay for the people in their 30s and 40s acting like idiots. While this is pitched as a horror book I don’t think it’s scary. More like revolting how some people can believe certain things. I was trying my hardest not to scream through so much of this. The frustration was real.
So I was obsessed with the premise of this book from the beginning. Like it gives you such a wtf feeling and I love that when reading.
I don’t even know what to say about the main parts of this story. Like the concept of a dating app to match you with corpses might sound ridiculous but is it really? Like how far along are the weirdest men you know from doing this? There is so much moral dilemma here and it was interesting to see the different perspectives. This mostly divides into 3 POVs. Tom who is a main member of the corporation funding Liv, Auden who is the founder of Liv, and Mara who is Auden’s stepsister. The drama between these 3 was even more interesting to read. Like I was eating up this drama. You come for the bonkers premise and stay for the people in their 30s and 40s acting like idiots. While this is pitched as a horror book I don’t think it’s scary. More like revolting how some people can believe certain things. I was trying my hardest not to scream through so much of this. The frustration was real.
February 10, 2026
when i heard this book called ‘tinder for dead bodies’ i KNEW i had to swipe right and read it asap!!
the idea alone is so unique, and as a debut novel? slay! but then you add in the other elements from the story: taboo, moral dilemmas and macabre, that sometimes don’t feel like they make sense in a normal world and could never outside of it, but make you stop and think what if? a question that makes this story even more dark and wild in it’s own way!
it took me longer than normal to get through the book and even longer to sit with my feelings on it. i don’t think that had anything to do with the writing itself and how it flowed, though sometimes i wondered if the book would be better on audio than read physically. but i simply just wanted more. to learn more about the app, to dive deeper and get a glimpse at the behind the scenes of it all.
the characters and everything else we got made up for it in certain areas, they really drove the story. i was hoping certain plot points and aspects leaned more this way than that, but that’s personal preference and i think if you like a little bit of the macabre, taboo, questionable characters, and have a weird moral curiosity then you’ll love this!!
a big thank you to the publisher and netgalley for blessing me with this arc!
the idea alone is so unique, and as a debut novel? slay! but then you add in the other elements from the story: taboo, moral dilemmas and macabre, that sometimes don’t feel like they make sense in a normal world and could never outside of it, but make you stop and think what if? a question that makes this story even more dark and wild in it’s own way!
it took me longer than normal to get through the book and even longer to sit with my feelings on it. i don’t think that had anything to do with the writing itself and how it flowed, though sometimes i wondered if the book would be better on audio than read physically. but i simply just wanted more. to learn more about the app, to dive deeper and get a glimpse at the behind the scenes of it all.
the characters and everything else we got made up for it in certain areas, they really drove the story. i was hoping certain plot points and aspects leaned more this way than that, but that’s personal preference and i think if you like a little bit of the macabre, taboo, questionable characters, and have a weird moral curiosity then you’ll love this!!
a big thank you to the publisher and netgalley for blessing me with this arc!
March 13, 2026
My Selling Pitch:
Take American Psycho the movie’s biting feminist commentary and political satire and wrap it around a Gatsby romance and you have my best book of 2026 so far. It’s a quiet character study using a dystopian setting to underline the emotional terrorism of modern dating, not your typical horror thriller. An absolute must read.
Pre-reading:
Pink cover superiority. I love dystopian horror. Fuck me upppp, baby!
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
And I’m SAT. Black mirror, this you?
Brother, they are going to fuck these.
This is wild. I feel like Tom screeching. You can’t just order dead bodies to fuck that’s insane.
So help me, god, if this is some help me stepbro, I’M LITERALLY DEAD-
Oh Auden, what the actual fuck?
It’s such an interesting way to tell this story because I feel like the audience is all seated with Tom being like what the fuck, no? And you’re just watching in mixed shock and horror while everyone else in the world intellectualizes it- like why are you so upset on behalf of dead bodies if you think they aren’t there anymore?
The nervous giggles leaving my body. This is 5 star misogyny, desire, capitalism commentary. Roll credits right here.
Oh. My. God. I feel like Janice from Friends the way I’m screeching every few minutes. Again, such excellent commentary, but holy fuck.
24/7 baby machine🎶. You don’t like women, just what they can do for you, holy fuckkkk
Holy fuck. I feel like that’s it. That’s the review.
Hey hey hey I’m sorry. IM SORRY?!?!? You hated that the corpse didn’t fight back against you violating her. Holy shit, this book.
Men are predators, and not in a fun way!!!!
This book’s excellent at color visuals.
I like the jump cutty-ness of the writing too. There’s an American Psycho the movie quality about it.
Oh, if only calling the cops just solved it.
This book’s incredible.
Hold on, if this is my stepdad fucked me and my stepbro is jealous of that-
This book is gonna give me a nervous breakdown.
HE FEELS ILL, I FEEL ILL!
Insomnia isn’t insomnia if you don’t want to be asleep. Rape isn’t rape if-OH LORD, I’M GONNA HURL.
Fuck me, this is so heavy and such angry, important commentary. Being a woman sucks. It sucks so bad.
What part of the story did she share? Was I supposed to pick up on that? Was it the night before the C-section? That would be my guess.
Why isn’t this a limited series????
Weirdly, this is Intermezzo. If you like that book, you’ll like this.
It’s dna of a dead baby proving stepdaddy raped her?? Like god, what else could it be? (You know, I went too dark, and that’s on me.)
The way this book keeps making my jaw drop.
MAKE SURE IT’S THE DEAD BODY YOU ORDERED BC IT MIGHT BE SOMEONE’S KINK LIKE THAT RUG GUY IN NYC. OMFG
Brother, I am gonna hurl.
This book is so brutal with its maybe it’s like analogies and then abandoning you as the reader to fill in the blanks. Like yeah, maybe living with a corpse is like living with an alive woman if you view them as objects. Jesus christe!
How does Liv work with cats? Because cats will eat corpses.
No reaction is a lot like the freeze response he’s struggling with which is very interesting commentary.
Wuthering Heights is so trendy rn, sheesh!
This is so smartly conflated with abortion, but like goddamn that’s bleak!
It’s absolutely wild that this book frames you to be on the side of conservatives.
Jesus, this analysis is so smart on book bans. Because it's like yeah, traumatic content shouldn’t be necessary for graduation, but you keep moving the goalposts on what constitutes trauma-
This is very I’m pro-life, but I don’t think it’s right to picket abortion clinics, and like this commentary and positioning is so wild and empathetic it’s insane.
If someone lives with a corpse is almost giving if someone lives with a body count aka has had an abortion.
And like this is just so wild. I wonder if people are catching this too. (The general populace never fails to disappoint.)
I’m so curious what the author’s personal politics are because even this killing rabbits- which already loaded with the whole rabbit died pregnancy test- is kinda how can you have sex and not get pregnant, so you don’t need to kill babies. Which is just-
It’s so interesting. Very love who you want, but only a man and a woman can have sex. This book is just-
The political commentary in this is so bomb!
Lmao love that it all boils down to fucking communicate if you like someone. Stop playing games.
This is such smart commentary about how dating apps are ruining coupledom.
Poor Tom. This is excellent.
Why do I kinda love them together?
He reminds me a lot of Intermezzo’s Peter. I think about that fuck a chair into his head intrusive thought line way too much.
This book has wicked low reviews. 58% in, and I still think it's brilliant. I'm like when does it get bad? I guess I can see people getting annoyed thinking they're picking up a dystopian action book, but this is like a very quiet character study using a dystopian setting to underline the emotional terrorism of modern dating. It's so good.
Like I love this chapter of them both helping the other heal their traumas.
You have to fucking ask her to be your girlfriend. Holy fuck, I hate men. Why is this a thing nowadays lmao?
I am getting nervous she’s gonna die and he’s gonna keep her corpse lol
It’s giving Taylor Swift’s Met Gala look.
This trade is also losing me because I’m like yeah, there will continue to be dead bodies.
Oh maybe betting that the world will still want to purchase and use dead bodies?
Tom’s really getting a shit hand haha
I feel like the twist is stepdaddy got her pregnant and Auden kept it???? and I caught that at the jump. (You caught shit.)
She’s like I wasn’t raped-but like you were, baby. That fuckhead 50 year old went after a child. You were a child.
Where is this going because Tom was always scared he would sleepwalk into a fire?
This is such an artsy mic drop over and over. Flawless callbacks and imagery.
JUST FUCKING COMMUNICATE. God, this is so good.
I just wanna know who was in the basement. (My one gripe!)
But like it is denial.
Mara annoys me but her character makes sense.
The horrified giggle that left me about the MLB.
One of the sharpest social commentaries I’ve ever read.
Like a Little Wolf of Wall Street about this just with all the finance.
The only thing in this writing irking me-she needs to be banned from writing smashed lips. Where was the editor to catch that?
I love Barbara. This scene is insane. Very. Very Gatsby.
GODDAMN, BARBARA.
WHAT A SCENE. God fucking damn. 5 stars roll credits right here. The callbacks and parallels in this book are world class. I have chills.
77% was unreal. It just kept coming. What a chapter.
THE ONLY FANS COMMENT. MERCY, PIERCE, MERCY.
This book’s insane. The dialogue is unmatched. He reminds me of the Texan investor from Halt and Catch Fire. Actually, a lot of this reminds me of Halt.
What a wild position the book puts you in to defend a rich man accused of sexual misconduct.
Auden’s a charismatic incel and what a character to create.
I feel like people might be reading this like the right to have corpses how absurd! And I’m just like you’re missing the point. It’s the right to have bodies aka commentary on the right to have children. Wake upppp. It’s Handmaid’s Tale.
Detritus sin
See, but that’s the mindset problem. Why do you look at pictures of someone you purport to love and not want to protect them? Why is it immediately sex?
I like how this book also recognizes it’s Gatsby.
I just- haven’t we moved past naked pictures as blackmail? They’re just bodies. Why is it so shameful to take a photo? Like hers is more complicated because she’s a child, but that reflects poorly on the adults around her. She’s still the victim in this scenario, and then she’ll just be the victim twice over.
Loved it. That was phenomenal.
Post-reading:
I don’t know how to explain to you that this book is both subtle and a pickaxe to the face. It has to be one of, if not the smartest political satires I’ve ever read. It’s so cinematic. This would kill as a limited series.
I think the blurb is absolutely nuking its chances of getting into the correct audience’s hands. This is lit fic first, horror second. The heart of this is a character study and a romance. It is commentary on modern dating and absolutely vicious political satire.
It is not about exploring a kooky dystopian world. It’s a brutal miscommunication trope. It reads more like a classic than a dystopian romp. It’s a quiet character study using a dystopian setting to underline the emotional terrorism of modern dating.
If you take this book at face value, it’s finance bros squabbling over a manic pixie dream girl while the world burns around them. Sound familiar? But you have to read into it. This isn’t commentary on corpses, this is commentary on the very real issues of the objectification of women, abortion, and consent that lead to systemic societal issues when it’s propped up by capitalism. This is pushback against the loneliness epidemic.
You need to read what is the “right to a body” and realize that’s ambiguously the right to own a corpse, the right to a peaceful death, the right to sexual consent, and the right to have children.
And it imparts all this with the darkest humor and a genuine romanticism, that never feels preachy or soapboxy. Fuck me, I’m so impressed. I can’t say enough good things about this book.
If you like feminist social commentary, this is your book. I think it’s incredibly hard to pin down and describe because it packs so much in. I think it’s an absolute must read.
Who should read this:
Social commentary fans
Political satire
American Psycho fans
Wolf of Wall Street fans
Ideal reading time:
Anytime
Do I want to reread this:
YES.
Would I buy this:
YES.
Similar books:
* Intermezzo by Sally Rooney-lit fic, social commentary, romance, ensemble cast
* Gifted and Talented by Olivie Blake-urban fantasy, lit fic, social commentary, romance, ensemble cast, family drama, queer
* Local Heavens by K. M. Fajardo-dystopian, classic retelling, lit fic, social commentary, romance, queer
* Open Wide by Jessica Gross-lit fic, psychological horror, romance, family drama, social commentary
* Sike by Fred Lunzer-dystopian, lit fic, social commentary, romance
* The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood-dystopian, lit fic, horror, social commentary
* Vladimir by Julia May Jonas-lit fic, dark academia, social commentary, family drama
* Mood Swings by Frankie Barnet-dystopian, lit fic, social commentary
* Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake-lit fic, magical realism, dark academia, horror, social commentary, queer
* Portalmania by Debbie Urbanski-short story collection, dystopian, litfic, political satire family drama, social commentary, queer, autism
* Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata-lit fic, dystopian, social commentary
* Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter-lit fic, psychological horror, satire, family drama, social commentary
* Annie Bot by Sierra Greer-lit fic, dystopian, social commentary
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Take American Psycho the movie’s biting feminist commentary and political satire and wrap it around a Gatsby romance and you have my best book of 2026 so far. It’s a quiet character study using a dystopian setting to underline the emotional terrorism of modern dating, not your typical horror thriller. An absolute must read.
Pre-reading:
Pink cover superiority. I love dystopian horror. Fuck me upppp, baby!
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
And I’m SAT. Black mirror, this you?
Brother, they are going to fuck these.
This is wild. I feel like Tom screeching. You can’t just order dead bodies to fuck that’s insane.
So help me, god, if this is some help me stepbro, I’M LITERALLY DEAD-
Oh Auden, what the actual fuck?
It’s such an interesting way to tell this story because I feel like the audience is all seated with Tom being like what the fuck, no? And you’re just watching in mixed shock and horror while everyone else in the world intellectualizes it- like why are you so upset on behalf of dead bodies if you think they aren’t there anymore?
The nervous giggles leaving my body. This is 5 star misogyny, desire, capitalism commentary. Roll credits right here.
Oh. My. God. I feel like Janice from Friends the way I’m screeching every few minutes. Again, such excellent commentary, but holy fuck.
24/7 baby machine🎶. You don’t like women, just what they can do for you, holy fuckkkk
Holy fuck. I feel like that’s it. That’s the review.
Hey hey hey I’m sorry. IM SORRY?!?!? You hated that the corpse didn’t fight back against you violating her. Holy shit, this book.
Men are predators, and not in a fun way!!!!
This book’s excellent at color visuals.
I like the jump cutty-ness of the writing too. There’s an American Psycho the movie quality about it.
Oh, if only calling the cops just solved it.
This book’s incredible.
Hold on, if this is my stepdad fucked me and my stepbro is jealous of that-
This book is gonna give me a nervous breakdown.
HE FEELS ILL, I FEEL ILL!
Insomnia isn’t insomnia if you don’t want to be asleep. Rape isn’t rape if-OH LORD, I’M GONNA HURL.
Fuck me, this is so heavy and such angry, important commentary. Being a woman sucks. It sucks so bad.
What part of the story did she share? Was I supposed to pick up on that? Was it the night before the C-section? That would be my guess.
Why isn’t this a limited series????
Weirdly, this is Intermezzo. If you like that book, you’ll like this.
It’s dna of a dead baby proving stepdaddy raped her?? Like god, what else could it be? (You know, I went too dark, and that’s on me.)
The way this book keeps making my jaw drop.
MAKE SURE IT’S THE DEAD BODY YOU ORDERED BC IT MIGHT BE SOMEONE’S KINK LIKE THAT RUG GUY IN NYC. OMFG
Brother, I am gonna hurl.
This book is so brutal with its maybe it’s like analogies and then abandoning you as the reader to fill in the blanks. Like yeah, maybe living with a corpse is like living with an alive woman if you view them as objects. Jesus christe!
How does Liv work with cats? Because cats will eat corpses.
No reaction is a lot like the freeze response he’s struggling with which is very interesting commentary.
Wuthering Heights is so trendy rn, sheesh!
This is so smartly conflated with abortion, but like goddamn that’s bleak!
It’s absolutely wild that this book frames you to be on the side of conservatives.
Jesus, this analysis is so smart on book bans. Because it's like yeah, traumatic content shouldn’t be necessary for graduation, but you keep moving the goalposts on what constitutes trauma-
This is very I’m pro-life, but I don’t think it’s right to picket abortion clinics, and like this commentary and positioning is so wild and empathetic it’s insane.
If someone lives with a corpse is almost giving if someone lives with a body count aka has had an abortion.
And like this is just so wild. I wonder if people are catching this too. (The general populace never fails to disappoint.)
I’m so curious what the author’s personal politics are because even this killing rabbits- which already loaded with the whole rabbit died pregnancy test- is kinda how can you have sex and not get pregnant, so you don’t need to kill babies. Which is just-
It’s so interesting. Very love who you want, but only a man and a woman can have sex. This book is just-
The political commentary in this is so bomb!
Lmao love that it all boils down to fucking communicate if you like someone. Stop playing games.
This is such smart commentary about how dating apps are ruining coupledom.
Poor Tom. This is excellent.
Why do I kinda love them together?
He reminds me a lot of Intermezzo’s Peter. I think about that fuck a chair into his head intrusive thought line way too much.
This book has wicked low reviews. 58% in, and I still think it's brilliant. I'm like when does it get bad? I guess I can see people getting annoyed thinking they're picking up a dystopian action book, but this is like a very quiet character study using a dystopian setting to underline the emotional terrorism of modern dating. It's so good.
Like I love this chapter of them both helping the other heal their traumas.
You have to fucking ask her to be your girlfriend. Holy fuck, I hate men. Why is this a thing nowadays lmao?
I am getting nervous she’s gonna die and he’s gonna keep her corpse lol
It’s giving Taylor Swift’s Met Gala look.
This trade is also losing me because I’m like yeah, there will continue to be dead bodies.
Oh maybe betting that the world will still want to purchase and use dead bodies?
Tom’s really getting a shit hand haha
I feel like the twist is stepdaddy got her pregnant and Auden kept it???? and I caught that at the jump. (You caught shit.)
She’s like I wasn’t raped-but like you were, baby. That fuckhead 50 year old went after a child. You were a child.
Where is this going because Tom was always scared he would sleepwalk into a fire?
This is such an artsy mic drop over and over. Flawless callbacks and imagery.
JUST FUCKING COMMUNICATE. God, this is so good.
I just wanna know who was in the basement. (My one gripe!)
But like it is denial.
Mara annoys me but her character makes sense.
The horrified giggle that left me about the MLB.
One of the sharpest social commentaries I’ve ever read.
Like a Little Wolf of Wall Street about this just with all the finance.
The only thing in this writing irking me-she needs to be banned from writing smashed lips. Where was the editor to catch that?
I love Barbara. This scene is insane. Very. Very Gatsby.
GODDAMN, BARBARA.
WHAT A SCENE. God fucking damn. 5 stars roll credits right here. The callbacks and parallels in this book are world class. I have chills.
77% was unreal. It just kept coming. What a chapter.
THE ONLY FANS COMMENT. MERCY, PIERCE, MERCY.
This book’s insane. The dialogue is unmatched. He reminds me of the Texan investor from Halt and Catch Fire. Actually, a lot of this reminds me of Halt.
What a wild position the book puts you in to defend a rich man accused of sexual misconduct.
Auden’s a charismatic incel and what a character to create.
I feel like people might be reading this like the right to have corpses how absurd! And I’m just like you’re missing the point. It’s the right to have bodies aka commentary on the right to have children. Wake upppp. It’s Handmaid’s Tale.
Detritus sin
See, but that’s the mindset problem. Why do you look at pictures of someone you purport to love and not want to protect them? Why is it immediately sex?
I like how this book also recognizes it’s Gatsby.
I just- haven’t we moved past naked pictures as blackmail? They’re just bodies. Why is it so shameful to take a photo? Like hers is more complicated because she’s a child, but that reflects poorly on the adults around her. She’s still the victim in this scenario, and then she’ll just be the victim twice over.
Loved it. That was phenomenal.
Post-reading:
I don’t know how to explain to you that this book is both subtle and a pickaxe to the face. It has to be one of, if not the smartest political satires I’ve ever read. It’s so cinematic. This would kill as a limited series.
I think the blurb is absolutely nuking its chances of getting into the correct audience’s hands. This is lit fic first, horror second. The heart of this is a character study and a romance. It is commentary on modern dating and absolutely vicious political satire.
It is not about exploring a kooky dystopian world. It’s a brutal miscommunication trope. It reads more like a classic than a dystopian romp. It’s a quiet character study using a dystopian setting to underline the emotional terrorism of modern dating.
If you take this book at face value, it’s finance bros squabbling over a manic pixie dream girl while the world burns around them. Sound familiar? But you have to read into it. This isn’t commentary on corpses, this is commentary on the very real issues of the objectification of women, abortion, and consent that lead to systemic societal issues when it’s propped up by capitalism. This is pushback against the loneliness epidemic.
You need to read what is the “right to a body” and realize that’s ambiguously the right to own a corpse, the right to a peaceful death, the right to sexual consent, and the right to have children.
And it imparts all this with the darkest humor and a genuine romanticism, that never feels preachy or soapboxy. Fuck me, I’m so impressed. I can’t say enough good things about this book.
If you like feminist social commentary, this is your book. I think it’s incredibly hard to pin down and describe because it packs so much in. I think it’s an absolute must read.
Who should read this:
Social commentary fans
Political satire
American Psycho fans
Wolf of Wall Street fans
Ideal reading time:
Anytime
Do I want to reread this:
YES.
Would I buy this:
YES.
Similar books:
* Intermezzo by Sally Rooney-lit fic, social commentary, romance, ensemble cast
* Gifted and Talented by Olivie Blake-urban fantasy, lit fic, social commentary, romance, ensemble cast, family drama, queer
* Local Heavens by K. M. Fajardo-dystopian, classic retelling, lit fic, social commentary, romance, queer
* Open Wide by Jessica Gross-lit fic, psychological horror, romance, family drama, social commentary
* Sike by Fred Lunzer-dystopian, lit fic, social commentary, romance
* The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood-dystopian, lit fic, horror, social commentary
* Vladimir by Julia May Jonas-lit fic, dark academia, social commentary, family drama
* Mood Swings by Frankie Barnet-dystopian, lit fic, social commentary
* Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake-lit fic, magical realism, dark academia, horror, social commentary, queer
* Portalmania by Debbie Urbanski-short story collection, dystopian, litfic, political satire family drama, social commentary, queer, autism
* Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata-lit fic, dystopian, social commentary
* Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter-lit fic, psychological horror, satire, family drama, social commentary
* Annie Bot by Sierra Greer-lit fic, dystopian, social commentary
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 11, 2025
This book was lovely and fresh. A disturbing take on what companionship is and how loneliness can pervade who someone is. A wild ride from start to finish and I enjoyed every second of it. The story comments on our society’s acceptance and at times, resistance of values important to some and reviled by others. I really enjoyed the premise and I also look forward to more from this author!
February 27, 2026
Definitely an interesting read. It was entertaining, and honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was our reality one day 😅 things are crazy.
The ending was anti-climactic for me. And I didn’t love how the chapters ended. It’s like they were unresolved or something.
This isn’t my normal type of read but it was fun to venture out.
The ending was anti-climactic for me. And I didn’t love how the chapters ended. It’s like they were unresolved or something.
This isn’t my normal type of read but it was fun to venture out.
February 19, 2026
there are so many levels of "WTAF just happened" in this book. shocking from beginning to end. I had a great time. not sure what that's says about me 🤷♀️
March 6, 2026
This was better because of the audio, but even with that, I wish I had listened to another audiobook instead of this one… 🫣🤷♀️
February 10, 2026
I knew this one was going to be out there, with the plot revolving around an app for people to match with dead bodies, but that wasn't the most off putting thing about this book. Obviously a satire of shady startups and dating app culture, it tried to say a lot of things about the danger of billionaires with more money than common sense, the commoditization of bodies, social media influencers, and loneliness, but with prose that was somehow both tedious and vague, it fell short of saying anything at all.
Tom was a deeply flawed character, but relatable as the only voice of reason who saw this app being presented to his venture capital firm and thought this is NOT a good idea. I didn't love the storyline of Liv founder Auden and his stepsister/girlfriend, Mara, feeling the love triangle with Tom was forced, and would have rather spent more time hearing about the app and stories about how it was being used.
There was also so much unnecessary financial talk, and if you don't have an understanding of IPOs, shorts, hedge funds, and the futures market, much of this story is going to go over your head. You shouldn't have to have a degree in finance to read a horror novel.
I liked the concept here but didn't like the execution. Even though it dealt with taboos and made me feel uncomfortable, it skewed a little too literary for me and could have leaned more into the gruesome.
💀 Thank you Orbit Books Run For It for the advanced copy
Tom was a deeply flawed character, but relatable as the only voice of reason who saw this app being presented to his venture capital firm and thought this is NOT a good idea. I didn't love the storyline of Liv founder Auden and his stepsister/girlfriend, Mara, feeling the love triangle with Tom was forced, and would have rather spent more time hearing about the app and stories about how it was being used.
There was also so much unnecessary financial talk, and if you don't have an understanding of IPOs, shorts, hedge funds, and the futures market, much of this story is going to go over your head. You shouldn't have to have a degree in finance to read a horror novel.
I liked the concept here but didn't like the execution. Even though it dealt with taboos and made me feel uncomfortable, it skewed a little too literary for me and could have leaned more into the gruesome.
💀 Thank you Orbit Books Run For It for the advanced copy
2026
September 24, 2025📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Run For It
February 10, 2026
The cover of this book drew me in, the premise made me stay. It's difficult to even summarize this book. The fact this is a debut is extremely impressive. I found myself constantly thinking about the questions this book poses both when I was reading and when I was just going about my day to day life. The way in which humans interact with corpses in the book is spookily analogous to humans current relationship with AI. I hope this book will be a breakout when it's published because it deserves it. Singular, engaging, and scary as hell. Thank you to Goodreads for providing me an ARC for my review.
February 5, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️½
WHAT DID I JUST LISTEN TO?
This felt like Succession energy smashed into taboo romance chaos, with a WHACKY tenderness lurking underneath… I know people don’t like comparisons but to best sum it up, think Credence by way of We Are Always Tender with Our Dead. It’s loud, provocative, TABOO, and VERY aware of how far it’s pushing things.
TBH I don’t think I would’ve finished this if I’d been reading it in print because I don’t think it would’ve landed the same. The audiobook was solid, and that lone is what made this work for me.
The narration was golden, and the decision to use separate narrators (one for Mara and another for Tom, Auden, and the surrounding cast) was a smart call. I enjoyed the format of chapters being told by different POVS/characters, and that split gave the story structure and momentum when the plot and character dynamics were threatening to spiral into full absurdity (which it did quite often).
This book is extremely over the top, by design of course, but the dialogue kept pulling me forward. It knows it’s chaotic and leans all the way in, talking about swiping right to match with corpses, humanity normalizing the fact that living with a corpse is “normal”, etc. For me, it was so over-the-top at parts that I didn’t connect emotionally with every choice, but I stayed engaged because I genuinely wanted to see how far it would go.
Without spoilers, this quote perfectly captures the tone and unhinged energy of the story:
“Not knowing if he was the Pomeranian, the mouse, or the glue trap, he decided the toxic ex-boyfriend/manipulative step-sibling/controversial billionaire could no longer be ignored.”
Overall, this was a format-dependent experience for me. It was a fun listen, which sometimes is just what you need. Just be sure to check your trigger warnings because there’s A LOT!
Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio / Run For It, author Sarah G. Pierce, and narrators Marie Hawkins and Eric Burgher for giving me the chance to listen to this ahead of publication. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
WHAT DID I JUST LISTEN TO?
This felt like Succession energy smashed into taboo romance chaos, with a WHACKY tenderness lurking underneath… I know people don’t like comparisons but to best sum it up, think Credence by way of We Are Always Tender with Our Dead. It’s loud, provocative, TABOO, and VERY aware of how far it’s pushing things.
TBH I don’t think I would’ve finished this if I’d been reading it in print because I don’t think it would’ve landed the same. The audiobook was solid, and that lone is what made this work for me.
The narration was golden, and the decision to use separate narrators (one for Mara and another for Tom, Auden, and the surrounding cast) was a smart call. I enjoyed the format of chapters being told by different POVS/characters, and that split gave the story structure and momentum when the plot and character dynamics were threatening to spiral into full absurdity (which it did quite often).
This book is extremely over the top, by design of course, but the dialogue kept pulling me forward. It knows it’s chaotic and leans all the way in, talking about swiping right to match with corpses, humanity normalizing the fact that living with a corpse is “normal”, etc. For me, it was so over-the-top at parts that I didn’t connect emotionally with every choice, but I stayed engaged because I genuinely wanted to see how far it would go.
Without spoilers, this quote perfectly captures the tone and unhinged energy of the story:
“Not knowing if he was the Pomeranian, the mouse, or the glue trap, he decided the toxic ex-boyfriend/manipulative step-sibling/controversial billionaire could no longer be ignored.”
Overall, this was a format-dependent experience for me. It was a fun listen, which sometimes is just what you need. Just be sure to check your trigger warnings because there’s A LOT!
Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio / Run For It, author Sarah G. Pierce, and narrators Marie Hawkins and Eric Burgher for giving me the chance to listen to this ahead of publication. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
February 4, 2026
Imagine one day being able to download an app called Liv, an app similar in a way to dating apps. But instead of matching with other living humans you match with a corpse. Directly shipped to your doorstep. All yours, and you’re free to use it for whatever you like.
That on its own isn’t even the craziest part. What makes it even more unsettling is that the app changes the world forever, because suddenly everyone feels the need to own a corpse.
The premise is so outlandish and absurd that at first it seemed completely unlikely to ever become a reality. Whilst I still think that, I slowly started to imagine how something like this could be appealing to a certain group of people.
For example, sex dolls are (for a particular group) extremely popular. So why not get a corpse instead? You can do whatever you want with it. On top of that, it’s even more real.
This realization made the story feel much more realistic and disgusting.
What I found unfortunate is that the story started to focus too much on the love triangle and the business aspect of it all instead of the moral consequences. I felt like it was trying to incorporate too many different storylines. It definitely could’ve left some out and cut at least a hundred pages, if you ask me.
The book also didn’t feel like a horror book, which it’s marketed as. If anything, it felt dystopian.
Overall, it was interesting to read, simply because I haven’t read anything even remotely similar to this, but beyond that, it didn’t leave a lasting impression.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the arc
That on its own isn’t even the craziest part. What makes it even more unsettling is that the app changes the world forever, because suddenly everyone feels the need to own a corpse.
The premise is so outlandish and absurd that at first it seemed completely unlikely to ever become a reality. Whilst I still think that, I slowly started to imagine how something like this could be appealing to a certain group of people.
For example, sex dolls are (for a particular group) extremely popular. So why not get a corpse instead? You can do whatever you want with it. On top of that, it’s even more real.
This realization made the story feel much more realistic and disgusting.
What I found unfortunate is that the story started to focus too much on the love triangle and the business aspect of it all instead of the moral consequences. I felt like it was trying to incorporate too many different storylines. It definitely could’ve left some out and cut at least a hundred pages, if you ask me.
The book also didn’t feel like a horror book, which it’s marketed as. If anything, it felt dystopian.
Overall, it was interesting to read, simply because I haven’t read anything even remotely similar to this, but beyond that, it didn’t leave a lasting impression.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the arc
February 16, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah G. Pierce, Orbit Books, and Run For It for this ARC copy.
In For Human Use, our protagonist, the venture capitalist Tom is thrown into a surreal new world when his boss decides to invest in Liv, a startup that matches users with dead bodies. (Yup.)
The story would not have worked for me if Tom hadn't been exactly as "WTF?!" as the reader, even as everyone around him seems to think this is all perfectly fine. It's disturbing, absolutely, but the novel manages a satirical tone that keeps things light despite the grim subject matter. It's part sci-fi, part romance, part farce - and I loved it!
There were times when I felt a little overwhelmed by the amount of characters. This is a common complaint I have with debuts; a couple of them could have been combined into one. This is a minor quibble, though. I also found the Liv founder Auden's relationship with his stepsister/girlfriend (Again, Yup. But it's not as bad as it sounds) a bit convoluted, even though it wrapped up in a pretty satisfying way.
Tom as main character was very sympathetic even as an archetype we do not like to sympathize with. I found him, and his connections, believable. The novel was quite grounded for its subject matter, and I was intrigued by the social commentary, even as it occasionally veered heavy-handed (it's hard to avoid).
I never felt like reading this was homework - I was dying (ha) to find out what happened next. Would recommend to anyone who's into "weird" and most who are into thrillers or general fiction.
In For Human Use, our protagonist, the venture capitalist Tom is thrown into a surreal new world when his boss decides to invest in Liv, a startup that matches users with dead bodies. (Yup.)
The story would not have worked for me if Tom hadn't been exactly as "WTF?!" as the reader, even as everyone around him seems to think this is all perfectly fine. It's disturbing, absolutely, but the novel manages a satirical tone that keeps things light despite the grim subject matter. It's part sci-fi, part romance, part farce - and I loved it!
There were times when I felt a little overwhelmed by the amount of characters. This is a common complaint I have with debuts; a couple of them could have been combined into one. This is a minor quibble, though. I also found the Liv founder Auden's relationship with his stepsister/girlfriend (Again, Yup. But it's not as bad as it sounds) a bit convoluted, even though it wrapped up in a pretty satisfying way.
Tom as main character was very sympathetic even as an archetype we do not like to sympathize with. I found him, and his connections, believable. The novel was quite grounded for its subject matter, and I was intrigued by the social commentary, even as it occasionally veered heavy-handed (it's hard to avoid).
I never felt like reading this was homework - I was dying (ha) to find out what happened next. Would recommend to anyone who's into "weird" and most who are into thrillers or general fiction.
February 11, 2026
I was very interested in the premise of this book and was prepared for some weirdness. A dating app that matches you with corpses? I have to see what’s going here! I really appreciated the commentary on influences of social media and how technology is moving quickly without a lot of checks and balances in place to regulate things, in this case - who is using this app, where are the bodies coming from, how are we all OK with this happening??? (Of course capitalism is very much at play here.) Also how influencer culture has such a big part in what we determine to be “good” and becomes a fad before we so quickly move on to the next hot thing.
I will say the corporate lingo brought me out of the story some, I wanted a little more about the app and its users to go along with the discussions of personhood that were explored in the book. It got a bit lost in the love triangle situation that I struggled to care about also.
Overall an interesting read and I will certainly check out what the author has in store for us in the future.
*thank you netgalley for the ARC
I will say the corporate lingo brought me out of the story some, I wanted a little more about the app and its users to go along with the discussions of personhood that were explored in the book. It got a bit lost in the love triangle situation that I struggled to care about also.
Overall an interesting read and I will certainly check out what the author has in store for us in the future.
*thank you netgalley for the ARC
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