What do you think?
Rate this book
I Love You Don't Die
Not yet published
Expected 17 Mar 26Acclaimed author Jade Song (Chlorine) returns with her latest literary exploration: a lyrical, poignant, and heartfelt novel about the meaning of love, friendship, debt, depression, and death in New York City—a coming-of-age for a new generation, in the vein of Sally Rooney and Ottessa Moshfegh.
For as far back as she can remember, Vicky has been fascinated and obsessed with death as the only inevitable thing in life. From living above a Chinatown funeral parlor to working at a celebrity start-up for bespoke urns, she has surrounded herself with death—in her home, in her work, and in her ever-growing collection of zhizha, paper creations meant to be burned for the dead, adorning the walls of her apartment. Yet, though living in Manhattan and working her dream job is all she ever wanted, she still struggles to have meaningful connections—or find any meaning at all—in her life. Too often she spends the day in bed, only drawn out from time to time by her best (and only) friend, Jen.
That changes when a dating app leads her into a throuple with an artist and a labor organizer, who offer exactly the kind of love she needs. For some time, it’s perfect, but no one understands better than Vicky that all things must end. As doubts grow over the love in her life, her friendship with Jen, and her professional success, the oddly comforting abstraction of death starts becoming something else altogether. With everything beginning to feel hollow and temporary, Vicky must decide how to keep moving forward. To try and hold on to what she has, or to once again do what she does best: destroy.
For as far back as she can remember, Vicky has been fascinated and obsessed with death as the only inevitable thing in life. From living above a Chinatown funeral parlor to working at a celebrity start-up for bespoke urns, she has surrounded herself with death—in her home, in her work, and in her ever-growing collection of zhizha, paper creations meant to be burned for the dead, adorning the walls of her apartment. Yet, though living in Manhattan and working her dream job is all she ever wanted, she still struggles to have meaningful connections—or find any meaning at all—in her life. Too often she spends the day in bed, only drawn out from time to time by her best (and only) friend, Jen.
That changes when a dating app leads her into a throuple with an artist and a labor organizer, who offer exactly the kind of love she needs. For some time, it’s perfect, but no one understands better than Vicky that all things must end. As doubts grow over the love in her life, her friendship with Jen, and her professional success, the oddly comforting abstraction of death starts becoming something else altogether. With everything beginning to feel hollow and temporary, Vicky must decide how to keep moving forward. To try and hold on to what she has, or to once again do what she does best: destroy.
288 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 17, 2026
6267 people want to read
About the author
Jade Song
2 books843 followersJade Song is a writer and artist who enjoys looking at paintings and telling her friends she loves them. Song's second novel, I Love You Don’t Die, will be published on March 17, 2026; their debut short story collection, Ox Ghost Snake Demon, is forthcoming in 2027.
Lauded as "visionary and disturbing," Song's debut novel Chlorine was awarded the ALA Alex Award and the Writer's Center First Novel Prize, selected as a New York Times Editor’s Choice, and has been translated into four languages. Song has received support and fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center and the Black List, which selected her adapted screenplay of Chlorine for its annual Writers Lab. She is based in Brooklyn, where they pole dance and live with too many books. They're on Goodreads to remember the books they read and to give five stars for the favorites :)
Lauded as "visionary and disturbing," Song's debut novel Chlorine was awarded the ALA Alex Award and the Writer's Center First Novel Prize, selected as a New York Times Editor’s Choice, and has been translated into four languages. Song has received support and fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center and the Black List, which selected her adapted screenplay of Chlorine for its annual Writers Lab. She is based in Brooklyn, where they pole dance and live with too many books. They're on Goodreads to remember the books they read and to give five stars for the favorites :)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
Want to read
December 22, 2025the type of vibe i bring to the function
did-not-finish
November 3, 2025I never thought I'd DNF a book by Jade Song, but alas, at 65% I am certain this will be a two-star read, and I don't see the point in investing time into it. As someone who loved Chlorine, I was excited by this release, but it missed the mark for me.
The premise of the book centres around mortality, depression, and the disillusionment that young people experience as a result of capitalism, climate change, burnout, gentrification, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Interesting premise, but the satirical commentary casts aside nuance entirely. We often get tangents and monologues about societal injustices that feel too shoehorned in; for example, the wailing sirens of an ambulance in the background turn into our protagonist reflecting on whether or not the patient has insurance, whether or not they can afford it, and whether or not the insurance system will con them. These monologues are constant and forced into scenes that are otherwise unrelated.
The cast of characters in the novel is limited, yet they aren't given any character development. Vicky comes across as melodramatic, and her mental illness does not feel particularly nuanced or personalized. Her cynicism feels very cheesy (e.g., she hates romantic movies because "like everything good, they always end"), and results in her self-sabotaging actions feeling entirely incongruous with her very self-aware monologues. Her past is seldom explored, and ultimately leaves her a very shallow narrator. Also, minor critique, but despite her mental illness and complete ambivalence towards her job, she is somehow a star performer, even putting in the bare minimum. It all feels a little cliché.
Other characters also feel more like caricatures than people - Vicky's boss is the stereotypical workaholic, bootlicking capitalist. Her best friend is a stand-in for wellness influencers. Her attraction to Angela and Kevin is built solely on projection, and their relationship has no organic development. The reader is just expected to take everything at face value.
Lastly, though likely no fault of Song, the marketing lists this as "in the vein of Sally Rooney and Ottessa Moshfegh" which entirely misrepresents the book. It is darkly comedic, tongue-in-cheek, and other than the genre overlap, I don't see the comparison. Had I known this was more akin to Emily Austin or Halle Butler than the aforementioned authors, I would have adjusted my expectations accordingly.
Overall, a long rant to basically say: this isn't the book I expected, which does not mean it is a bad book or others shouldn't read it, but it's not the type of literary fiction I enjoy. Thank you to William Morrow for the ARC!
The premise of the book centres around mortality, depression, and the disillusionment that young people experience as a result of capitalism, climate change, burnout, gentrification, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Interesting premise, but the satirical commentary casts aside nuance entirely. We often get tangents and monologues about societal injustices that feel too shoehorned in; for example, the wailing sirens of an ambulance in the background turn into our protagonist reflecting on whether or not the patient has insurance, whether or not they can afford it, and whether or not the insurance system will con them. These monologues are constant and forced into scenes that are otherwise unrelated.
The cast of characters in the novel is limited, yet they aren't given any character development. Vicky comes across as melodramatic, and her mental illness does not feel particularly nuanced or personalized. Her cynicism feels very cheesy (e.g., she hates romantic movies because "like everything good, they always end"), and results in her self-sabotaging actions feeling entirely incongruous with her very self-aware monologues. Her past is seldom explored, and ultimately leaves her a very shallow narrator. Also, minor critique, but despite her mental illness and complete ambivalence towards her job, she is somehow a star performer, even putting in the bare minimum. It all feels a little cliché.
Other characters also feel more like caricatures than people - Vicky's boss is the stereotypical workaholic, bootlicking capitalist. Her best friend is a stand-in for wellness influencers. Her attraction to Angela and Kevin is built solely on projection, and their relationship has no organic development. The reader is just expected to take everything at face value.
Lastly, though likely no fault of Song, the marketing lists this as "in the vein of Sally Rooney and Ottessa Moshfegh" which entirely misrepresents the book. It is darkly comedic, tongue-in-cheek, and other than the genre overlap, I don't see the comparison. Had I known this was more akin to Emily Austin or Halle Butler than the aforementioned authors, I would have adjusted my expectations accordingly.
Overall, a long rant to basically say: this isn't the book I expected, which does not mean it is a bad book or others shouldn't read it, but it's not the type of literary fiction I enjoy. Thank you to William Morrow for the ARC!
November 11, 2025
I was immediately pulled in by the cover alone & then I read the synopsis & thought "yay, a new weird girl lit fic to dive into" & well...what I got instead was a sad but tender story about love, friendship, mental health & death.
As a former sad girl I immediately related to Vicky. She's sad, lonely, wants to love & to be loved but doesn't always know the best way how. When things get tough or emotions are too high she's prone to self isolate/self sabotage. There's a lot about Vicky that I think people will relate to, which makes her feel a lot more real as a character.
Jen x Vicky's relationship shows us that even at our darkest, when we feel the most lonely, as long as you have that one person you're never truly alone. The relationship between Vicky, kevin & Angela felt a little...awkward?? I don't know, I just didn't really get the point of making the romantic relationship a throuple if we only focus on Angela & Vicky..what exactly was the point of Kevin if we see him for what felt like a chapter & a half? I get they were bonded over being depressed baddies but Kevin as a character felt unnecessary. For a big chunk of the story I forgot Kevin was even supposed to be part of the throuple because it's so focused on Angela & Vicky.
The writing is poetic, really capturing the longing & the grief throughout the story. There is quite a bit of rambling sentences going on that felt like filler to take up space on pages. Some of the dialogue lacked depth as well. Overall, an enjoyable read just make sure you're in the right headspace before diving in!
3.5 rounded up.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
As a former sad girl I immediately related to Vicky. She's sad, lonely, wants to love & to be loved but doesn't always know the best way how. When things get tough or emotions are too high she's prone to self isolate/self sabotage. There's a lot about Vicky that I think people will relate to, which makes her feel a lot more real as a character.
Jen x Vicky's relationship shows us that even at our darkest, when we feel the most lonely, as long as you have that one person you're never truly alone. The relationship between Vicky, kevin & Angela felt a little...awkward?? I don't know, I just didn't really get the point of making the romantic relationship a throuple if we only focus on Angela & Vicky..what exactly was the point of Kevin if we see him for what felt like a chapter & a half? I get they were bonded over being depressed baddies but Kevin as a character felt unnecessary. For a big chunk of the story I forgot Kevin was even supposed to be part of the throuple because it's so focused on Angela & Vicky.
The writing is poetic, really capturing the longing & the grief throughout the story. There is quite a bit of rambling sentences going on that felt like filler to take up space on pages. Some of the dialogue lacked depth as well. Overall, an enjoyable read just make sure you're in the right headspace before diving in!
3.5 rounded up.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
Want to read
November 6, 20252026 most anticipated list <3
Chlorine ★★★★
Chlorine ★★★★
2026
December 22, 2025ANHPI TBR
Pride TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow
Pride TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow
August 11, 2025
4.5 🫶🏼🫶🏼Whew. This book took me by surprise. I read Chlorine and wasn’t a fan, but I really wanted to give this author another go and I’m so happy I did!
In this book we are following Vicky who works a remote position at home, which is perfect for her because she really doesn’t want to live… or she likes the idea of not living…but she has this best friend Jen who is her lighthouse(codependent at times for sure) who checks in on her and loves her.
Vicky decides she wants to get back into dating..mainly because Jen pushes her to so she meets up with this other couple and they start dating..to an extent.
I loved Vicky so much. Her life has shaped how she views love and the limits she has set around it. While her and Jen don’t have this perfect friendship, I found it refreshing.
The ending of this book had me 🥹🥹
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!
In this book we are following Vicky who works a remote position at home, which is perfect for her because she really doesn’t want to live… or she likes the idea of not living…but she has this best friend Jen who is her lighthouse(codependent at times for sure) who checks in on her and loves her.
Vicky decides she wants to get back into dating..mainly because Jen pushes her to so she meets up with this other couple and they start dating..to an extent.
I loved Vicky so much. Her life has shaped how she views love and the limits she has set around it. While her and Jen don’t have this perfect friendship, I found it refreshing.
The ending of this book had me 🥹🥹
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!
August 15, 2025
For all my Sylvia Plath and Ottessa Moshfegh girlies: this one’s for you.
This speculative fiction novel is steeped in death, grief, suicidal ideation, and the raw, complicated beauty of friendship. It follows Vicky, an Asian American woman whose life revolves around death literally and emotionally. She works at a company that specializes in helping people pre-plan their funerals. She struggles to form close connections, haunted by intrusive thoughts and vivid dreams of losing those she loves. Her mind is a battleground of suicidal ideation and deep, aching loneliness.
This is Vicky's story as she attempts to navigate young adulthood while living with major depressive disorder. Though there is a romantic subplot, the emotional core of the book is her relationship with her best friend, Jen. Their bond is messy, real, and heartbreakingly intimate. It's rare and refreshing to read a story where the protagonist isn’t "saved" by romantic love, but by a soulmate of a different kind: a best friend who sees her, understands her, and holds space for her pain when she can’t hold it herself.
The book is dark, lyrical, and unflinching. It doesn’t tidy up grief or glamorize mental illness, it sits in the discomfort and longing. The prose is beautiful, melancholic, and precise.
If you liked Chlorine, you’ll find familiar threads here: an Asian protagonist, themes of mental illness, and the search for identity. But this novel carves a different, more intimate path. It’s haunting, human, and unforgettable.
This speculative fiction novel is steeped in death, grief, suicidal ideation, and the raw, complicated beauty of friendship. It follows Vicky, an Asian American woman whose life revolves around death literally and emotionally. She works at a company that specializes in helping people pre-plan their funerals. She struggles to form close connections, haunted by intrusive thoughts and vivid dreams of losing those she loves. Her mind is a battleground of suicidal ideation and deep, aching loneliness.
This is Vicky's story as she attempts to navigate young adulthood while living with major depressive disorder. Though there is a romantic subplot, the emotional core of the book is her relationship with her best friend, Jen. Their bond is messy, real, and heartbreakingly intimate. It's rare and refreshing to read a story where the protagonist isn’t "saved" by romantic love, but by a soulmate of a different kind: a best friend who sees her, understands her, and holds space for her pain when she can’t hold it herself.
The book is dark, lyrical, and unflinching. It doesn’t tidy up grief or glamorize mental illness, it sits in the discomfort and longing. The prose is beautiful, melancholic, and precise.
If you liked Chlorine, you’ll find familiar threads here: an Asian protagonist, themes of mental illness, and the search for identity. But this novel carves a different, more intimate path. It’s haunting, human, and unforgettable.
August 23, 2025
Many Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an advanced
copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I was a big fan of Chlorine, and was very exited to get to preview her next release: I Love You Don't Die. In this novel, Song steps away from the more horror aspects of Chlorine as she touches on so many topics: Late Stage Capitalism, Labor Rights, Climate Change, Sexuality, Privilege, 3rd generation immigrant identity, Polyamory and non-monogamy. But most of all its about depression. Depression and the way it affects how we handle the tough things in life. The way this book is almost trying to do it all without taking away from the main story is insane.
Our main character, Vicky, struggles with depression as she works for a trendy tech-bro funerary company. Her avoidant attachment style basically runs her life and dictates how she handles all of her relationships, even in her choices to seek out couples rather than one-on-one
connection. As someone who has struggled with depression, I really resonated with each of the characters. We get insights into our side characters as well, who are each handling their own grief and mental issues in different ways. I wouldn't say any of the characters are exactly likeable, but this book sure was. Highly recommend, but be sure to take a peek at the TW list if you are sensitive to things
copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I was a big fan of Chlorine, and was very exited to get to preview her next release: I Love You Don't Die. In this novel, Song steps away from the more horror aspects of Chlorine as she touches on so many topics: Late Stage Capitalism, Labor Rights, Climate Change, Sexuality, Privilege, 3rd generation immigrant identity, Polyamory and non-monogamy. But most of all its about depression. Depression and the way it affects how we handle the tough things in life. The way this book is almost trying to do it all without taking away from the main story is insane.
Our main character, Vicky, struggles with depression as she works for a trendy tech-bro funerary company. Her avoidant attachment style basically runs her life and dictates how she handles all of her relationships, even in her choices to seek out couples rather than one-on-one
connection. As someone who has struggled with depression, I really resonated with each of the characters. We get insights into our side characters as well, who are each handling their own grief and mental issues in different ways. I wouldn't say any of the characters are exactly likeable, but this book sure was. Highly recommend, but be sure to take a peek at the TW list if you are sensitive to things
November 20, 2025
I’m genuinely so upset I didn’t love this 😫
I ADORED Chlorine by Jade Song and was so excited for this new read. I was bored. I honestly forgot at several points I was reading this.
I didn’t get the overall message and connection of the themes of death, it all just felt kind of hodge podged in.
Also, the arson at the end!! Hello???
I ADORED Chlorine by Jade Song and was so excited for this new read. I was bored. I honestly forgot at several points I was reading this.
I didn’t get the overall message and connection of the themes of death, it all just felt kind of hodge podged in.
Also, the arson at the end!! Hello???
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Books for this arc in exchange for my honest review!
This story follows Vicky, a woman in her twenties living alone in NYC and working as a writer. While she is living in her dream city working as a creative, she finds herself severely depressed and cannot stop obsessing over the concept of death. To make things worse, she works for a company that sells urns, profiting off of death. Vicky has a hard time maintaining romantic relationships, and prefers to date for fun/sex before moving on. The only consistent figure in her life is her best friend Jen, who also lives in NYC. Then Vicky becomes romantically intwined with a couple that she may care more for than she wants to admit.
This book centers death, friendship, love, and trying to survive in one of the most cut-throat and expensive cities in the world. I think any woman navigating her twenties would relate to Vicky or Jen in some capacity. Song’s writing style is beautiful and I think she really encapsulated the uncertainty/anxieties that go along with being a young person trying to get by so well. I think it’s easy for writers to make young people sound a bit cringey or unrealistic in their dialogue, but this was not the case at all for this story. The dialogue felt natural and the friendship between Vicky and Jen felt very real and relatable.
Please check trigger warnings before you go into this book, it can get pretty dark. I definitely cried at the end.
I think if you like Halle Butler or Emily Austin, you would probably like this one too! Definitely recommend!
This story follows Vicky, a woman in her twenties living alone in NYC and working as a writer. While she is living in her dream city working as a creative, she finds herself severely depressed and cannot stop obsessing over the concept of death. To make things worse, she works for a company that sells urns, profiting off of death. Vicky has a hard time maintaining romantic relationships, and prefers to date for fun/sex before moving on. The only consistent figure in her life is her best friend Jen, who also lives in NYC. Then Vicky becomes romantically intwined with a couple that she may care more for than she wants to admit.
This book centers death, friendship, love, and trying to survive in one of the most cut-throat and expensive cities in the world. I think any woman navigating her twenties would relate to Vicky or Jen in some capacity. Song’s writing style is beautiful and I think she really encapsulated the uncertainty/anxieties that go along with being a young person trying to get by so well. I think it’s easy for writers to make young people sound a bit cringey or unrealistic in their dialogue, but this was not the case at all for this story. The dialogue felt natural and the friendship between Vicky and Jen felt very real and relatable.
Please check trigger warnings before you go into this book, it can get pretty dark. I definitely cried at the end.
I think if you like Halle Butler or Emily Austin, you would probably like this one too! Definitely recommend!
August 11, 2025
This has been compared to Rooney and Moshfegh, to me this felt like a slightly darker Emily Austin with a deeply interior and depressed protagonist.
There’s a real heaviness to this especially when it comes to suicide and suicidal ideation so be wary if this is a triggering topic for you. Additionally, these characters are complex and very unlikeable which may be offputting to some.
It’s rare to see ace and poly representation in litfic and even bi rep is pretty limited so I enjoyed seeing this here. While there is romance here, friendship is at the front and center, explored at its best and worst.
I also liked the exploration of Vicky’s identity as a 3rd generation immigrant who is both othered by white America and disconnected from her Chinese heritage.
There was something almost dystopian about this book despite it being set in the present day. It feels satirical in how it digs into the despair of late stage capitalism and trying to survive as a creative. It offers a sharp critique on identity as a commodity or a market waiting to be unlocked.
I did enjoy this, and I’m glad I picked it up despite not really vibing with Chlorine.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
There’s a real heaviness to this especially when it comes to suicide and suicidal ideation so be wary if this is a triggering topic for you. Additionally, these characters are complex and very unlikeable which may be offputting to some.
It’s rare to see ace and poly representation in litfic and even bi rep is pretty limited so I enjoyed seeing this here. While there is romance here, friendship is at the front and center, explored at its best and worst.
I also liked the exploration of Vicky’s identity as a 3rd generation immigrant who is both othered by white America and disconnected from her Chinese heritage.
There was something almost dystopian about this book despite it being set in the present day. It feels satirical in how it digs into the despair of late stage capitalism and trying to survive as a creative. It offers a sharp critique on identity as a commodity or a market waiting to be unlocked.
I did enjoy this, and I’m glad I picked it up despite not really vibing with Chlorine.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
October 11, 2025
I Love You Don’t Die is a searing perspective into debilitating depression and Vicky’s relentless pursuit to keep her head above water, even if she doesn’t know what for. She wants to die so she can stop fearing the deaths of those she loves. She wants to say goodbye first so no one else can beat her to it. It is the temptation that plagues her nearly every second of every day. Jade Song portrays mental illness and those it impacts so well. I found the writing to be repetitive at times, and felt we could have used more plot, but I also think Song disappeared time perfectly as so often happens when we’re lost to our own episodes. This is a hard, complicated read worth your time.
August 20, 2025
We follow Vicky, who is a young woman just basically struggling through life. She has an existential crisis constantly and has struggles with mental health. She is working a job she's constantly terrified of underperforming at because she knows her boss has high expectations and will fire her if she doesn't meet his standards. She has a weird obsession with death and a fear of the people she loves dying. She meets a couple that she starts dating, a cynical and severely depressed woman named Angela and an artist who doesn't understand mental health struggles in the way they do named Kevin.
I relate to Vicky's character so much, which is why it surprises me to admit this book fell a little flat for me. I loved the deep understanding of mental health struggles and how accurate it is to the way I think sometimes and my personal anxieties. It just didn't give me enough. It was missing a lot of character growth to get me really attached to anyone. I feel like with more development of the characters and more stuff happening than just short-term dating and one bad event, I could have been a lot more invested in them.
I definitely am one of the people that can strongly relate to the characters thoughts and struggles so I feel like I was the target audience for this book but I could sum up everything that happened in this book to someone in a paragraph and they really wouldn't be missing any important details. The ending was also bizarre and not how any person would react, mental health issues, or not.
Ultimately, this book needed to be longer to portray the message it was going for.
Thank you Jade Song, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
I relate to Vicky's character so much, which is why it surprises me to admit this book fell a little flat for me. I loved the deep understanding of mental health struggles and how accurate it is to the way I think sometimes and my personal anxieties. It just didn't give me enough. It was missing a lot of character growth to get me really attached to anyone. I feel like with more development of the characters and more stuff happening than just short-term dating and one bad event, I could have been a lot more invested in them.
I definitely am one of the people that can strongly relate to the characters thoughts and struggles so I feel like I was the target audience for this book but I could sum up everything that happened in this book to someone in a paragraph and they really wouldn't be missing any important details. The ending was also bizarre and not how any person would react, mental health issues, or not.
Ultimately, this book needed to be longer to portray the message it was going for.
Thank you Jade Song, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
August 3, 2025
4.5
This story follows Vicky, a young depressed woman living in New York. She has quite the obsession with death. She works for a famous urn company, lives above a funeral parlor, and collects zhizha. This is an amazing deep dive into depression, grief, death, life, love, and so much more. An insanely human story. We meet a few people close to Vicky and see how all the things mentioned before play a role in their lives and how differently people handle the “heavy” things. What it’s like living with, loving, and interacting with someone who struggles with depression or suicidal ideation etc. This was an extremely real, painful, and beautiful read.
Jade Song can actually do no wrong.
This story follows Vicky, a young depressed woman living in New York. She has quite the obsession with death. She works for a famous urn company, lives above a funeral parlor, and collects zhizha. This is an amazing deep dive into depression, grief, death, life, love, and so much more. An insanely human story. We meet a few people close to Vicky and see how all the things mentioned before play a role in their lives and how differently people handle the “heavy” things. What it’s like living with, loving, and interacting with someone who struggles with depression or suicidal ideation etc. This was an extremely real, painful, and beautiful read.
Jade Song can actually do no wrong.
September 26, 2025
Damn these girls are sad.
What do you get when you have depressed girls in a new but intense relationship and one of them is extremely codependent and never wants to be alone and the other one self isolates when feeling are too high and disappears for weeks at a time? A hot mess. Oh and Kevin is there too, sometimes.
What do you get when you have depressed girls in a new but intense relationship and one of them is extremely codependent and never wants to be alone and the other one self isolates when feeling are too high and disappears for weeks at a time? A hot mess. Oh and Kevin is there too, sometimes.
August 16, 2025
This book is a mixed bag. Elements of the story were interesting but I found myself waiting for more. I wanted to explore her and Jen’s relationship deeper. I wanted to see more of her relationship with Angela and Kevin. It felt like in baking where instead of using they put and “extract” of it. Enough to hint at its taste but not enough where you can really taste it. This book gave the reader the extract of the character without ever feeling like they were really there. I think perhaps telling the story in first person instead of third person would have been better. Much of the story I felt very detached from the characters. Which is a shame because all of them were interesting and compelling in different ways and for different reasons. Its too bad we weren't able to explore them in more depth.
December 8, 2025
“It’s a privilege to love. To love is to build a life.”
Jade Song’s sophomore effort I Love You, Don’t Die follows the clinically depressed Vicky on her quest to love despite the inevitability that the people she love will one day die.
While I can see this book being a real hit for many people, it wasn’t for me, which is disappointing after I liked Song’s debut so much. There are a lot of beautiful sentences here, and Vicky’s particular fixation on death as a driving mechanism for her anxiety is thoughtfully done. I also think this is one of the better renderings of New York life that I’ve read in a while, and I suspect it’s also a pretty true to life depiction of what its like to be a young advertising employee.
Unfortunately though, I find it really hard to read about characters who are so clearly unwell, but who have no intention or interest in being anything else. Please don't get me wrong, I have read and really loved so many books about characters in difficult emotional situations, working through or against their own depression. But it’s one thing when a character is in a depressive pit, but you know they would rather not be – it’s another when they are intent to dwell in that pit because they have romanticized their own sadness. Here, depression is such a part of who Vicky is that she has not entertained the possibility of changing anything about herself, nor do she or her equally depressed friends do or say anything to help each other, since this is their norm and their baseline. That makes the characters really tough to root for, because none of them are even particularly intent upon rooting for themselves. I want Vicky to be well, but Vicky doesn’t particularly want Vicky to be well.
I also thought the ending was choppy and disconnected from the whole of the story. Maybe this was a meta-craft thing – Vicky, as our narrator, has a narrow world view mired in her own emotional state, so she misses context clues for the plot, and therefore fails to pass them along to us as the reader – but I don’t quite think it accomplishes that because the things Vicky has missed are so narrowly tied to this one event, and we don’t see those clues until a random POV switch in the chapter where the event is unfolding. So, this felt like a lot more jarring and a lot less intentionally well crafted. In addition, even when I had the full context, the dramatic emotional climax seemed...sudden? Surprising? I did not feel that a short stint of dating should have realistically brought about these particular emotional responses.
This one is out March 17, 2026. I DO think it’ll be a hit for a lot of people, and I want to talk about it more, so even though it wasn’t my favorite, I want people to pick this up and then DM me about it, lmao (I love discourse books!). Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for the honest review!
Jade Song’s sophomore effort I Love You, Don’t Die follows the clinically depressed Vicky on her quest to love despite the inevitability that the people she love will one day die.
While I can see this book being a real hit for many people, it wasn’t for me, which is disappointing after I liked Song’s debut so much. There are a lot of beautiful sentences here, and Vicky’s particular fixation on death as a driving mechanism for her anxiety is thoughtfully done. I also think this is one of the better renderings of New York life that I’ve read in a while, and I suspect it’s also a pretty true to life depiction of what its like to be a young advertising employee.
Unfortunately though, I find it really hard to read about characters who are so clearly unwell, but who have no intention or interest in being anything else. Please don't get me wrong, I have read and really loved so many books about characters in difficult emotional situations, working through or against their own depression. But it’s one thing when a character is in a depressive pit, but you know they would rather not be – it’s another when they are intent to dwell in that pit because they have romanticized their own sadness. Here, depression is such a part of who Vicky is that she has not entertained the possibility of changing anything about herself, nor do she or her equally depressed friends do or say anything to help each other, since this is their norm and their baseline. That makes the characters really tough to root for, because none of them are even particularly intent upon rooting for themselves. I want Vicky to be well, but Vicky doesn’t particularly want Vicky to be well.
I also thought the ending was choppy and disconnected from the whole of the story. Maybe this was a meta-craft thing – Vicky, as our narrator, has a narrow world view mired in her own emotional state, so she misses context clues for the plot, and therefore fails to pass them along to us as the reader – but I don’t quite think it accomplishes that because the things Vicky has missed are so narrowly tied to this one event, and we don’t see those clues until a random POV switch in the chapter where the event is unfolding. So, this felt like a lot more jarring and a lot less intentionally well crafted. In addition, even when I had the full context, the dramatic emotional climax seemed...sudden? Surprising? I did not feel that a short stint of dating should have realistically brought about these particular emotional responses.
This one is out March 17, 2026. I DO think it’ll be a hit for a lot of people, and I want to talk about it more, so even though it wasn’t my favorite, I want people to pick this up and then DM me about it, lmao (I love discourse books!). Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for the honest review!
November 26, 2025
"Chlorine" is one of my favorite books so I was thrilled to find out that Jade Song had a new book coming out in 2026. I was expecting something a little different as some of the genre tags for this title are similar to "Chlorine." Once I realized this story was completely different from "Chlorine", I began to love it. Jade Song includes some similar aspects: the desire to be the best version of yourself, fear of failure, depressive thoughts, beautiful descriptions of experiences with a sense of foggy unreal disconnection.
Vicky and Jen feel, at times like the best version of friendship, while also feeling like a tragic example of friendship. Seeing the world through Jen's eyes was illuminating as it doesn't occur until we have been existing in Vicky's version of life for 1/3 of the story. Once this happened, several aspects of the narrative shifted. Following this friendship through the haze of depression and anxiety which surrounded them was beautiful and devastating. The romantic relationships and peripheral relationships really emphasized the highs and lows of Vicky and Jen's friendship.
Vicky felt too cool to ever be my friend, while Jen made me feel too seen.
I hear Emily Austin (forever on my tbr, but yet to read) is a good comparison for this style of writing. I would also say Sylvia Plath, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Susanna Kaysen are of a similar dreamy and hazy, but with a gritty and dark edge, style comparison. Jade Song was on my list of favorite authors after one title, but is going to remain a permanent fixture from now on.
I'll be buying this title when it's released (currently slated to be March 17, 2026) as well as requiring my library add it to their catalog!
I want to thank William Morrow and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
Vicky and Jen feel, at times like the best version of friendship, while also feeling like a tragic example of friendship. Seeing the world through Jen's eyes was illuminating as it doesn't occur until we have been existing in Vicky's version of life for 1/3 of the story. Once this happened, several aspects of the narrative shifted. Following this friendship through the haze of depression and anxiety which surrounded them was beautiful and devastating. The romantic relationships and peripheral relationships really emphasized the highs and lows of Vicky and Jen's friendship.
Vicky felt too cool to ever be my friend, while Jen made me feel too seen.
I hear Emily Austin (forever on my tbr, but yet to read) is a good comparison for this style of writing. I would also say Sylvia Plath, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Susanna Kaysen are of a similar dreamy and hazy, but with a gritty and dark edge, style comparison. Jade Song was on my list of favorite authors after one title, but is going to remain a permanent fixture from now on.
I'll be buying this title when it's released (currently slated to be March 17, 2026) as well as requiring my library add it to their catalog!
I want to thank William Morrow and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
August 21, 2025
Thank you NetGallery for the eARC! 4.5 ⭐️
Spoilers ahead:
“Live with me so we can live happier, together. Live with me so our lives can intertwine like tree roots, so we can burst free from this grounding despair and blossom upward toward the sun.”
There is something about the way Song writes her characters and their mental illness. It is a tough read, strongly because of the mix of relatability and empathy I found myself experiencing. Vicky is a deeply sad person who is drawn to another deeply sad person. A very magnetic and real experience I’ve had with some other people.
As a tragic story, I also found myself inspired by various things the characters said/experienced. The range of depressive episodes and struggles with self-worth were raw. Yet there were also times the characters (especially Vicky) found themselves seeing the possibilities of more. Love is a central theme of this story. Vicky’s dream is to live happily with Kevin, Angela, and Jen in their morphed love. And as Jen tells Vicky at the end, love is what gives life purpose. Love for each other, love of art, love of existence. Angela was not able to change in the ways Vicky was, yet there is an understanding to both of these characters ends. Although they will not intertwine with one another, Vicky has the chance to grow and develop new roots.
I didn’t love this one as much as Chlorine, but I appreciated the change in direction. I would absolutely recommend, just be ready to have your heart a little broken.
Spoilers ahead:
“Live with me so we can live happier, together. Live with me so our lives can intertwine like tree roots, so we can burst free from this grounding despair and blossom upward toward the sun.”
There is something about the way Song writes her characters and their mental illness. It is a tough read, strongly because of the mix of relatability and empathy I found myself experiencing. Vicky is a deeply sad person who is drawn to another deeply sad person. A very magnetic and real experience I’ve had with some other people.
As a tragic story, I also found myself inspired by various things the characters said/experienced. The range of depressive episodes and struggles with self-worth were raw. Yet there were also times the characters (especially Vicky) found themselves seeing the possibilities of more. Love is a central theme of this story. Vicky’s dream is to live happily with Kevin, Angela, and Jen in their morphed love. And as Jen tells Vicky at the end, love is what gives life purpose. Love for each other, love of art, love of existence. Angela was not able to change in the ways Vicky was, yet there is an understanding to both of these characters ends. Although they will not intertwine with one another, Vicky has the chance to grow and develop new roots.
I didn’t love this one as much as Chlorine, but I appreciated the change in direction. I would absolutely recommend, just be ready to have your heart a little broken.
July 28, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up
It should come as literally no surprise to anyone that I was an extremely willing participant in the journey I Love You Don’t Die took me along for! Chlorine was my favorite read of 2023 by miiiiiiilllllleeeeeees and this story, to me, still very much lives up to the highs of its predecessor.
I should say that while spiritually in a similar, dark mental “horror” space, this story definitely carves out its own niche. This is, first and foremost, a story about death, anxiety and the nasty little thoughts that pop into your head that you just don’t know what to do with.
Personally, I think the way Vicky is written is a genuine master class in making the audience really get to know a character while reading. The character study there is worth the read alone. The way she is presented as just being, with minimal judgement or commentary is sort of fantastic. We aren’t told to love or hate or sympathize with her. We just experience her and the life going on around her in real time, along for the ride. Her thoughts and action constantly teeter from morbid to pragmatic to borderline existential crisis without ever feeling inorganic or contrite.
This is such a special, peculiar little tale that I really think every should take a swing at enjoying. If you’re willing to come along for the ride, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
HUGE thanks to William Morrow and Jade Song for the ARC!! I Love You Don’t Die will be published March 17, 2026!
It should come as literally no surprise to anyone that I was an extremely willing participant in the journey I Love You Don’t Die took me along for! Chlorine was my favorite read of 2023 by miiiiiiilllllleeeeeees and this story, to me, still very much lives up to the highs of its predecessor.
I should say that while spiritually in a similar, dark mental “horror” space, this story definitely carves out its own niche. This is, first and foremost, a story about death, anxiety and the nasty little thoughts that pop into your head that you just don’t know what to do with.
Personally, I think the way Vicky is written is a genuine master class in making the audience really get to know a character while reading. The character study there is worth the read alone. The way she is presented as just being, with minimal judgement or commentary is sort of fantastic. We aren’t told to love or hate or sympathize with her. We just experience her and the life going on around her in real time, along for the ride. Her thoughts and action constantly teeter from morbid to pragmatic to borderline existential crisis without ever feeling inorganic or contrite.
This is such a special, peculiar little tale that I really think every should take a swing at enjoying. If you’re willing to come along for the ride, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
HUGE thanks to William Morrow and Jade Song for the ARC!! I Love You Don’t Die will be published March 17, 2026!
July 25, 2025
Death is where life begins and this immaculate stream of consciousness reforms how we talk about grief. There is something in the air that keeps leading the protagonist down a rabbit hole defined by death. What does death look like for all of us? The third person perspective is usually my least favorite, but it truly captures how numb we are to the death around us all. Engage with this sapphic queer tale for more than just ramblings about death!
Think of Jade Song’s I Love You Don’t Die as a flirtation with the concept of death of gender constructs. We let these gender norms define us and kill us on the inside. Now we can deconstruct that. This narrative really employs the discussion of what it means to kill the concept of gender. If you liked Chlorine you will love this narrative – but beware this is more speculative fiction than horror.
This is the third person perspective of the voice of anxiety in our heads. Death triggers those anxieties and the way we interact with our world. Anxiety is another persistent theme throughout this narrative. What is an obsession but an attempt to take control of our anxieties? Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for this advanced digital arc.
For more recommendations and and reviews check out my blog, https://brujerialibrary.wordpress.com
Think of Jade Song’s I Love You Don’t Die as a flirtation with the concept of death of gender constructs. We let these gender norms define us and kill us on the inside. Now we can deconstruct that. This narrative really employs the discussion of what it means to kill the concept of gender. If you liked Chlorine you will love this narrative – but beware this is more speculative fiction than horror.
This is the third person perspective of the voice of anxiety in our heads. Death triggers those anxieties and the way we interact with our world. Anxiety is another persistent theme throughout this narrative. What is an obsession but an attempt to take control of our anxieties? Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for this advanced digital arc.
For more recommendations and and reviews check out my blog, https://brujerialibrary.wordpress.com
October 22, 2025
“I will try to be there for you when you need me, and I will fail, because I always fail, but I am trying.”
3.5⭐️Dark, messy, and painfully real. Another “depressed NYC woman” story, but this one includes Asian rep, queerness, polyamory, performative wokeness, tokenism, & the commercialization of grief and death. A lot more serious & mature than Song’s debut novel. The writing is sharp, cynical, and a little too relatable if you’ve ever spiraled with high functioning depression. It’s heavy though(suicide is discussed) and genuinely exhausting to read. Long paragraphs and repetition mimic obsessive thought loops and depressive spirals in a way that feels uncomfortable but authentic. I related to Vicky, but she’s unbearable to follow for most of it. Oof self sabotaging & isolating queen. By the midpoint, it felt like we were oscillating the same ideas with no real direction nor plot movement. However, it does eventually gain momentum with an unexpected POV & then tips fully into the unhinged. I just wish the side characters had more depth and the prose leaned less on metaphor and repetition. I liked the messaging, but it gets preachy fast. Still, it captures that feeling of dissociating & living through pain just to get to the next part. I just wanted better pacing and a stronger narrative.
3.5⭐️Dark, messy, and painfully real. Another “depressed NYC woman” story, but this one includes Asian rep, queerness, polyamory, performative wokeness, tokenism, & the commercialization of grief and death. A lot more serious & mature than Song’s debut novel. The writing is sharp, cynical, and a little too relatable if you’ve ever spiraled with high functioning depression. It’s heavy though(suicide is discussed) and genuinely exhausting to read. Long paragraphs and repetition mimic obsessive thought loops and depressive spirals in a way that feels uncomfortable but authentic. I related to Vicky, but she’s unbearable to follow for most of it. Oof self sabotaging & isolating queen. By the midpoint, it felt like we were oscillating the same ideas with no real direction nor plot movement. However, it does eventually gain momentum with an unexpected POV & then tips fully into the unhinged. I just wish the side characters had more depth and the prose leaned less on metaphor and repetition. I liked the messaging, but it gets preachy fast. Still, it captures that feeling of dissociating & living through pain just to get to the next part. I just wanted better pacing and a stronger narrative.
August 5, 2025
3.25 stars rounded down.
I can see that some people will read this book and it will speak to them on a deep emotional level and they will feel seen and heard and absolutely adore this book. I am not one of those people.
The book is mostly told from Vicky's perspective, with her friends Jen, Kevin, and Angela each getting one chapter for themselves. I really struggled to relate to Vicky, her thoughts were heavy and difficult for me to wade through. It was about half the book before I was able to be invested in the story. I found the other characters' chapters to be a bit of a breath of fresh air. The book is written almost as poetry instead of as prose, which will again work for some readers but I found it slowed down the story for me. The book is so full of long rambling sentences written in passive voice that by the time I reached a verb I wouldn't remember what the noun was anymore. This meant I was constantly rereading blocks of text. Finally, look, I know I have a hyper-literal brain and this is meant to be an allegory and not taken at face value, but here it is. Is committing a felony and going to jail really going to help with your depression?
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I can see that some people will read this book and it will speak to them on a deep emotional level and they will feel seen and heard and absolutely adore this book. I am not one of those people.
The book is mostly told from Vicky's perspective, with her friends Jen, Kevin, and Angela each getting one chapter for themselves. I really struggled to relate to Vicky, her thoughts were heavy and difficult for me to wade through. It was about half the book before I was able to be invested in the story. I found the other characters' chapters to be a bit of a breath of fresh air. The book is written almost as poetry instead of as prose, which will again work for some readers but I found it slowed down the story for me. The book is so full of long rambling sentences written in passive voice that by the time I reached a verb I wouldn't remember what the noun was anymore. This meant I was constantly rereading blocks of text. Finally, look, I know I have a hyper-literal brain and this is meant to be an allegory and not taken at face value, but here it is. Is committing a felony and going to jail really going to help with your depression?
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 18, 2025
A very cool-girl take on a coming of story in NYC, we follow Vicky, a depressive twenty-something who finds fascination in death. Her hobbies include cemeteries, death rituals, and stressing about her job at a hip funeral-centered start-up. While Vicky would be totally fine bed-rotting her life away, her best friend Jen encourages her to put herself out there and start dating a couple. Watching Vicky navigate life and relationships was interesting, but there were moments that I found myself quite frustrated with her, which I think speaks to the skill of Song's writing complex characters. The POV changes had some of the strongest changes in voice that I've seen, and I never found myself blurring together perspectives which was quite impressive.
With that said, I don't think this read was for me. The subject matter was quite heavy, but focus would randomly be spent on areas that I didn't feel should take importance, leaving deep relationships and intense conversations to feel haphazard and lacking. Maybe I wasn't in the right space when I read this, but while the story progressed, I knew I wasn't feeling what I was supposed to be feeling for these characters.
A big thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for giving me early access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Be sure to check look out I Love You Don't Die on March 17th, 2026!
With that said, I don't think this read was for me. The subject matter was quite heavy, but focus would randomly be spent on areas that I didn't feel should take importance, leaving deep relationships and intense conversations to feel haphazard and lacking. Maybe I wasn't in the right space when I read this, but while the story progressed, I knew I wasn't feeling what I was supposed to be feeling for these characters.
A big thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for giving me early access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Be sure to check look out I Love You Don't Die on March 17th, 2026!
October 14, 2025
I Love You Don’t Die by Jade Song is a work of art that reminded me to tell my loved ones that I love them. Jade Song does an excellent job writing the deep, extreme, and dark emotions we all feel but can’t often articulate. Her characters are strange and messy in a way that makes them more human than most. I admire how she is able to bring each fleshed out character together in each intimate scene. She also writes suspense and longing within relationships in a near perfect way. Her portrayal of queer and sapphic characters is lovely because she does not make their identity the point of the book or a trope but rather for us to witness their real humanness and experiences. The friendships in this book challenge social expectations that tell us to prioritize romantic love over other relationships. She also allows the main character to experience romantic love in non traditional ways. She writes this with love and care and without judgment. I expected nothing less than this insane ending after having read Chlorine but I was still shocked and giddy about ir. I think this book is a vessel for those who need to feel their feelings deeply. This book made me feel like myself again.
August 18, 2025
3.5🌟 I Love You Don't Die by @jadessong review:
This was my first ARC I was approved for by #netgalley and @williammorrowbooks, and it was a good choice for my first book.
The cover caught my eye right away, and the books description is what made me want to read this one. For me, the idea of the book was new and different, and as someone who thinks about death often, it seemed to be right up my alley. It's fast-paced and thought-provoking. Im not big on annotating, but I did highlight several pieces of this book. I also appreciate the representation throughout of mental health and the inclusiveness of all peoples.
However, I didn't really like the writing style and some chapters I thought could have been left out. There wasn't much balance between speaking on serious topics and humor, something just felt off. I also lost interest at certain points and had to reread the pages 🫣
My favorite line: “If I had known of death, I would not have chosen busy. If I had known of death, I would have respected time.”
This was my first ARC I was approved for by #netgalley and @williammorrowbooks, and it was a good choice for my first book.
The cover caught my eye right away, and the books description is what made me want to read this one. For me, the idea of the book was new and different, and as someone who thinks about death often, it seemed to be right up my alley. It's fast-paced and thought-provoking. Im not big on annotating, but I did highlight several pieces of this book. I also appreciate the representation throughout of mental health and the inclusiveness of all peoples.
However, I didn't really like the writing style and some chapters I thought could have been left out. There wasn't much balance between speaking on serious topics and humor, something just felt off. I also lost interest at certain points and had to reread the pages 🫣
My favorite line: “If I had known of death, I would not have chosen busy. If I had known of death, I would have respected time.”
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
There were some really moving passages and gorgeous sentences in here that made me really want to love the book, but overall I didn't connect with the story. The novel follows a copywriter at an urn company that is sort of a big deal because the founder has revitalized the death industry. It contrasts her journey with her friend who works at a wellness company and uses this to explore the meaning of life and death. This sometimes felt creative and sometimes like the metaphor was a little on the nose. There's also a subplot of the main character's relationship with a couple and how all of them are grappling with life, death, and mental health. It sets up a lot of interesting conversations, but I didn't find myself truly drawn into the story as I'd hoped, and was reading more for these morsels and insights than the story itself.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.
December 23, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley, Bonnier Books and Jade Song for an advanced readers copy of this book.
I Love You Don’t Die is a coming of age novel about relationships, work and existing as a young person in the modern age. Vicky works for an urn company and lives above a funeral parlor, surrounding herself by death to try and stave off her fear of it.
I can relate to her fear of loss and this was portrayed particularly well through her prickly and at times unlikeable personality. She was constantly both seeking love and trying to keep people at arms length when she started to care about them.
I’d recommend this to people looking for a character study like ‘Cleopatra and Frankenstein’. I do think the writing style might not be for everyone but you’ll know from the first couple of pages either way. It came across as slightly pretentious at times but I think it was an intentional choice to represent Vicky’s point of view.
I Love You Don’t Die is a coming of age novel about relationships, work and existing as a young person in the modern age. Vicky works for an urn company and lives above a funeral parlor, surrounding herself by death to try and stave off her fear of it.
I can relate to her fear of loss and this was portrayed particularly well through her prickly and at times unlikeable personality. She was constantly both seeking love and trying to keep people at arms length when she started to care about them.
I’d recommend this to people looking for a character study like ‘Cleopatra and Frankenstein’. I do think the writing style might not be for everyone but you’ll know from the first couple of pages either way. It came across as slightly pretentious at times but I think it was an intentional choice to represent Vicky’s point of view.
September 8, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
This book was PHENOMENAL. The way each character was written was so good and it felt like I knew these people.
I loved the way they all spoke to each other and the mental health episodes of all the characters were so realistic and relatable that it sometimes made it difficult to read. My favorite parts were where they talked about how, anyone who is paying attention to the hellscape that is the world right now, would also be irrevocably sad but they liked the people who were also somewhat optimistic despite that.
Definitely a heavy book, so check TWs, but this is definitely going to be one of my favorites ever.
Also, this is very character driven, so if you are someone who needs heavy plot, this is probably not your book.
This book was PHENOMENAL. The way each character was written was so good and it felt like I knew these people.
I loved the way they all spoke to each other and the mental health episodes of all the characters were so realistic and relatable that it sometimes made it difficult to read. My favorite parts were where they talked about how, anyone who is paying attention to the hellscape that is the world right now, would also be irrevocably sad but they liked the people who were also somewhat optimistic despite that.
Definitely a heavy book, so check TWs, but this is definitely going to be one of my favorites ever.
Also, this is very character driven, so if you are someone who needs heavy plot, this is probably not your book.
November 20, 2025
I think Vicky is the saddest & most nihilistic girl I’ve read. She lives alone above a Chinese funeral parlor. She works for an urn design company. She collects zhizha, which are paper sculptures that are burned as offerings so the dead can own the depicted thing in the afterlife. The only settling down she wants to do is into bed. And she doesn’t do relationships, except for enlisting couples to have a threesome because it’s no commitment, only pleasure.
I really enjoyed the beginning, but it’s filled with heavy, depressive feelings, arguments, defeatist thoughts, and not much else. I didn’t believe the strong and immediate feelings between Vicky and her throuple. I’m sure it will work for other readers, and I’m really glad I had the opportunity to read it.
Thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow Books, and Harper Collins for the eARC!
Pub date March 17, 2026
I really enjoyed the beginning, but it’s filled with heavy, depressive feelings, arguments, defeatist thoughts, and not much else. I didn’t believe the strong and immediate feelings between Vicky and her throuple. I’m sure it will work for other readers, and I’m really glad I had the opportunity to read it.
Thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow Books, and Harper Collins for the eARC!
Pub date March 17, 2026
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews