Stun: A Novel in Pieces

by Becky Wills

In the fictional Chicago suburb of New Lawn, a young woman grows up with a workaholic father and a dysfunctional mother who has a predilection for Stun—a prescription drug prone to abuse. Between Dad’s business trips and Mom’s affairs and overdoses, she grows self-reliant and introverted, possessed of an interior life possibly more interesting (and seemingly more safe) than the real one. Navigating the challenges of work, school, sexuality—and above all, her own feelings—she searches for her own place in the world. Until at last she finds that she, too, has a taste for Stun.






Stun is a masterpiece that lightly dances along the tightrope between prose and poetry, while also looking at the addictions society condemns, and the ones it condones. With echoes of Anne Carson’s Autobiography of Red, and a novel-in-fragments approach reminiscent of Ocean Vuong, it’s a sparkling debut from a fantastic new talent—Becky Wills.

160 pages, Paperback

Published March 31, 2026

About the author

Becky Wills received a BA from DePaul University, an MFA from The New School, and a PhD from University of Surrey, where she teaches creative writing. She is the founder of Own Your Life Writing, a not-for-profit organization offering educational tools and resources to give people the confidence, skills, and support to write their own life experiences. Originally from Chicagoland, she is based in the UK.

Reviews

[Julia Bingel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very unique book about prescription drug use that depicts the impacts of generational trauma and the susceptibility of those with family history to addiction, as well as the different ways in which substance use impacts yourself and the people around you. I really enjoyed the vignette-style poetic writing in (A)Ember’s story. I would’ve loved to read more, but I appreciate how the length of the book had me thinking after each sentence. I also appreciated the little easter egg in the acknowledgements that she got the name of the drug from a Skins episode! I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for more from Wills. Thank you to Edelweiss & the publisher for the review copy!

[Hannah_likes_to_read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished in one sitting! This was a break of fresh air. Really enjoyed the vignette-like writing style and the poetic language. The short chapters and double spacing made this so easy to fly through and the author managed to say so much about generational trauma in so few pages. Pleasantly surprised by this one! Read if you like reading stories with lots of emotional depth.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cutting snapshot into the cyclical nature of addiction and trauma: loved Wills’ writing and the unique short vignette style of this book.

[Emily Wills · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will stay with me for a long time. The poem style structure creates a raw, intimate feeling. Each fragment is deliberate and vivid and you really feel like you are inside the protagonist head. While the story explores addiction, I found the coming of age thread most moving. The story is tender, vulnerable and pulls you in immediately. It is a quick read and holds your attention from beginning to end.