Immersions

by Kyle McCarthy

Taut and spellbinding, Immersions follows the aftermath of a celebrated dancer’s abrupt decision to quit her company and join an enclosed convent in France, and her younger sister’s obsessive conviction that her sister’s ex-husband is responsible.

Frances’s older sister Charley was a star of the modern dance world. But just as she was ascending, she fell in love with Johnny, an enigmatic trust fund artist, and married him. A few years into their turbulent marriage, Charley mysteriously leaves her dance company and joins an enclosed convent in Provence. Much to the shock of her family, she changes her name to Sister Anne and cuts off contact with the outside world.

Frances, a dancer herself, grew up in the shadow of her brilliant sister and is suddenly unmoored without her. From their first uneasy meeting, Frances has distrusted Johnny. Now, she is certain he had something to do with her sister’s abrupt abandonment of her art and family. When Frances discovers that Johnny has returned to New York, she reaches out to him, looking for answers and seeking confrontation. The two plunge into an ambiguous intimacy—diving ever deeper, as each tries to unlock the other's secrets. A slender and twisted tale of sexual coming-of-age and of the deep bonds of lust and loyalty, Immersions asks how we are made—and unmade—by desire.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Art, Literature, Adult

256 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2026

About the author

Kyle McCarthy is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her fiction has appeared in The Best American Short Stories, American Short Fiction, and the Harvard Review, and she has received support and grants from the Edward F. Albee Foundation, the Lighthouse Works, and the Elizabeth George Foundation. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Lina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 / 5 Stars
The prose in this book was spectacular but I just felt uncomfortable reading parts of this book. I think that was, in fact, the point but I have to be in a particular mood to be open to feeling uncomfortable while reading and I guess I just wasn’t in that mood. In “Immersion,” Frances’ older sister, Charley, was a big star in modern dance until an injury sidelined her. After some time away from dance, she, seemingly out of nowhere, decides to join a nunnery and cuts off contact with everyone. Frances is determined to figure out what led to Charley’s sudden life change, which means getting in contact with Charley’s ex-husband, Johnny. As the two of them reconnect, they form a tenuous relationship, tiptoeing around the subject of Charley and connecting in more ways than they anticipated.

You will probably like this book if you like:
🖤 Beautiful prose
🖤 A messy main character figuring herself out
🖤 Dance as a metaphor for life
🖤 Complicated family and sister relationships
🖤 Exploration of predatory male behavior

I truly cannot underscore enough how exceptional the actual writing was. It was written in one of my favorite styles where Frances addressed the reader as if they were Charley (we are the “you” she was talking to). I loved how much intimacy that created. I was a little sad that we lost this style when we got to “Part 2” and the perspective shifted to third person. I also loved that none of the dialogue was written in a formal way – no quotation marks in sight – because it felt novel and fun. The word choices were exacting and precise. Frances had moments that were casually cruel and moments that were tender, all of which were portrayed so well through the writing.

I just did not love reading about an icky, predatory man no matter what lessons Frances learned through him. Originally, Frances and Johnny had a complicated connection – they felt almost competitive with each other about who knew Charley better but needed each other as a way to hold onto Charley. But then things shifted and I just felt uncomfortable (even though, again, that was probably the point). I wish there had been another twist to Charley’s story or something else behind Johnny’s actions but maybe this is a commentary on how things are as shitty as they seem sometimes? I think this book could also potentially benefit from a content warning (which I think can be done without spoiling anything).

Thank you Zando | Tin House and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: May 5, 2026
____________________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: I need a romance book break and this sounds so intriguing. It is giving that show "Sirens" on Netflix and I am ready for whatever "ambiguous intimacy" means.

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frances has always felt herself to be in her sister's shadow—both dancers, but Charley is older and more celebrated. Until recently, Charley was racking up accolades as a modern dancer. But then came the marriage, and the career-changing injury, and Charley's retreat to a convent in France. Frances is sure that Charley's ex-husband Johnny knows more than he's saying...and she's determined to find out what that means.

I am fond of books in which characters do messy things and make questionable decisions without being either going over the top (slapstick isn't my cup of tea) or just straight up being toxic. Frances is a great fit for this: she's young and impressionable and rash, sometimes, but I found myself biting my fingernails for wanting her to slow down and be more careful, empathizing with her being young and not always making good decisions rather than...well, wanting to stay far out of her orbit.

The ease with which I left my life convinced me it had never been my real life. (loc. 2339*)

And make no mistake: Frances does not always make great decisions here. Nobody here is squeaky-clean, and neither are they particularly trying to be. This ends up being about money and power and family dynamics, and gender and sex and power (yes, power is in here twice)—but also, it's about a young woman coping with the loss of her sister as she knows her.

One for readers who like lit fic and complicated family dynamics and perhaps some ethical grey areas.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

Thanks to the author and publisher for inviting me to read a review copy through NetGalley.

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely incandescent.

[cursedb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is a great example of how effective a strong prose style can be in a novel. The writing feels extremely immersive, sensual, and emotionally raw, which is what kept me engaged throughout the entire story.The plot itself was not particularly surprising, and I could mostly predict how the events would unfold and what the reality behind everything was. However, despite that predictability, I still genuinely enjoyed reading it, which says a lot about the strength of the writing.I would especially recommend this book to readers who normally struggle with prose-heavy novels, because this never feels distant or overly literary. Instead, the writing feels direct, intimate, and deeply personal, almost as if the story is speaking directly to the reader.I also really appreciated the smaller details about dancing and art throughout the novel. Those elements added a beautiful layer to the story and made the atmosphere feel even more vivid and emotional.
Overall, while the novel is quite sad and deals with difficult themes such as abusive relationships, I still found it incredibly compelling and beautifully written.

[sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

thanks to edelweiss for the arc! 3.5 rounded up, compulsively readable and the main character felt very real and complex but the last third of this book simply did not hold up. the bones are there, the first two thirds are great, and this is absolutely an author to keep your eye on, but the story becomes too on-the-nose for my taste and i think cooking in the editing trenches for longer really would have served this book well. alas

[Maddie Marriott · Rating 5 out of 5]

every once in a while you need to read a book about a spiraling woman so you can scream NOOOOOO!!!!!! NOOOOOO!!!! at the pages

this is one of the best of that genre

[charlotterider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Zando | Tin House | NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow… this left me spinning. Read the bulk of it in one day. Stunning prose, an alluring plot, and utterly addictive in the kind of way that made my stomach hurt. There’s so much ache in these pages. Part of me wishes that incredible build-up had led to a different—maybe more unhinged—outcome, but I’m also accepting it for what it was: raw, uncomfortable, and beautifully perplexing. Had it caught me in a less wistful mood, it might have angered or put me off more (bc genuinely this girl made some insane decisions lmao), but I couldn’t help but drink it in. And while I’ve read other works with similar undertones, this one felt particularly mystical.

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a complex plot that is so well developed that it’s easy to follow and absolutely addicting to read. There is so much mystery behind some of the characters at first but then we get to learn more about them and become hooked on them. Frances was a relatable and fascinating character and I very much enjoyed being in her mind as I read and better understood her motives and could understand how it brings her closer to her sister in a way. I was so consumed by this book and the people in it that I find it hard to move on after I finished. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tory Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a compulsive read for me! I truly couldn’t put it down. It offers interesting and thought-provoking commentary on obsession, its motivation and its cost. Smart writing, clever character development, and a well-paced plot made this a solid 4-star read for me!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Kaitie Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ rounded-up.

🩰 Sisterhood
🖤 Gothic Undertones
🩰 Obsession
🖤 Bluebeard Vibes
🩰 Litfic + Suspense

I'm not even sure what I just finished reading—but the prose is sumptuous. It feels like so much happens between these pages and yet at the same time... nothing happens.

Frances has grown up in the shadow of her older sister, talented dancer Charley. When Charley leaves her husband to join a convent and spend her days as a nun, Frances becomes obsessed with the idea that Charley's ex-husband (Johnny) is responsible for her fall from grace and her decision to cut ties with the world. As Frances seeks answers about what drove Charley's decision, she finds herself falling into Johnny's arms.

This is definitely a very character-driven story, and we can tell early on how much Frances feels like a shrub growing beneath a mighty oak. Frances isn't as tall as Charley, she isn't as lithe as Charley, she doesn't dance as well as Charley, and she lives in Charley's shadow, never finding her own ground. There are many references to dance and artistic symbolism that represent finding your place in the world. McCarthy uses stylistic choices that some readers may find jarring, but I actually enjoyed how this was written. It's a deeply uncomfortable read. An overall sense of foreboding is felt throughout the story, and Frances continually makes extremely questionable decisions that add to the overall disconcerting tone.

The main reason I can't rate this story higher is that it felt like I was waiting for the shoe to drop. While there's plenty of suspense and toxicity, the overall execution felt less satisfying than it could have been. After all of the long-winded character evaluations and poor decisions, I expected a more substantial reckoning. I understand that this story is meant to focus on character and relationships; however, I felt that the suspense was built up without reaching a true climax.

This was a good read overall. Outside of my hang-ups with the overarching plot, it was truly beautiful in its delivery. It was a deeply uncomfortable slow-burn. I think with the right audience this will have a significant impact, though I'm not certain if I am the right audience.

Thank you to Zando for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and feedback contained within this review are my own.

[Britt McCubbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

tldr; when obsession eats you alive, can you come back to yourself?
for fans of: Saltburn, Bunny, Sally Rooney, & You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty

Immersions follows the aftermath of prestigious dancer Charley’s abrupt decision to quit dance and join an enclosed convent, sealing her away from her family most of the time. Her younger sister Francis is left with many questions, most of which start and end with a conviction that Charley’s ex-husband Johnny had something to do with her disappearance. Francis gets swept up into her obsession with Johnny, losing sight of anything else in her life.

Immersions asks what desire does to a person – the desire to love and be loved, the desire to be better than those around you – and what the jealousy of others having what you want will drive you to do.

The writing in this book is absolutely stunning. It felt like a fever dream in the most addictive way possible. I could not have predicted any of Francis’ choices and found myself wanting to throttle her for making the most insane choice possible in any given situation. McCarthy does a brilliant job bringing these characters to life, and putting you in the story, figuring out what happened to Charley right as Francis is.

This was a lovely read, and I think anyone who loves stories about unhinged characters will love it.

Thanks to Tin House and Penguin Random House for the Advanced Reader Copy.

[Meg.RecsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

digital / 4.25* / netgalley

“A woman likes to be watched, like a dancer she needs an audience.”

You are who you surround yourself with. This novel was a tale too many have fallen into. Where desire holds you captive and before you know it, there is no way out. A repeat offender, one who doesn’t see any harm in how they behave. A brilliant piece of art.

Thank you to netgalley and zando/tin house for the opportunity to read and review this book in advance of its release. Always an honour.

[Anneka Vander Wel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 // Immersions is a unique and brilliantly written novel. Despite its thematic and psychological depth, it is easy to read, and is very atmospheric and immersive. It follows Frances as she follows in her older sister Charley’s footsteps. At first Frances wants to figure out what happened to Charley, but she slowly starts to take her place instead.

Ballet is just a fantastic literary concept. It is so intense and full of tensions and paradoxes. I experience life this way, so I really enjoy depictions like this. Ballet is an all-consuming, obsessive, intense thing that can be beautiful and graceful on the outside, yet is rotten and decaying on the inside. The discipline, rigidity, and pursuit of perfection hides its often insidious nature, and the decay underneath. It is both freedom and enslavement; violence and grace. It often can cause immaturity and delayed emotional growth, and can foster an environment of infantilization, toxic male behavior, and unwanted sexualization. The structure, authority, and achievement can greatly harm those who are more vulnerable — it provides something to tell you who you are, but can make you unhealthily dependent on this validation. (I can think of many other similar pursuits – R. F. Kuang’s depiction of academia in Katabasis comes to mind.)
To understand great beauty and to feel immense goodness requires knowing great pain.

The author clearly wants you to be uncomfortable at times, and Frances is morally ambiguous. I love the title, as the book really is all about being immersed in ballet, in a toxic relationship, and in the need to find out what happened to someone. McCarthy also touches on how we can doubt our memory, our sense of self, and our perception of our own story when our interpretations of self, others, and events change. She shows ballet as a performance of life that one is fated to perform, and how its very nature necessitates an audience.

I also really liked the parallels to Swan Lake throughout the story.

The only problem I had was that the shift to third-person perspective in the last 15% of the book didn’t work for me – it took me out of the tension and intensity that had been built up.

Thank you to Zando | Tin House and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review reflects my honest opinion.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is set to give you the uncomfortable feels. The prose is so eloquent and at times the main protagonist feels like she is speaking to you and addressing you. I enjoyed the artistic integration and obsession with both sisters. If you enjoy lyrical, seductive prose I would be sure to pick this up. I was a little unsatisfied with the end that is why it is a 3.75 star rounded up. Thank you Zando | Tin House and NetGalley for providing this EARC.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

At Bluebeard’s invocation, I worried I would be disappointed by the severed heads behind the door. I was and I wasn’t.

Like all good fairy tales, this is a story that imagines the rescue as transformative as the enchantment, but McCarthy’s prose, rich and tender, turns the terrifying Bluebeard into someone oh so pathetic compared to his much more interesting and talented wives.

[Laurlikestoread · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prose was beautiful. Frances was unbearable. Premise was interesting, but the last half of this book was too much for me.

[John Waites · Rating 3 out of 5]

A missing sister, a former dancer turned nun, and a narrator who can’t let it go—that’s the pull here. Frances sets out to understand why Charley disappeared from her old life, but the search ends up saying more about Frances than it does about Charley. Especially once Johnny, the ex-husband, enters the picture and things start to blur in ways that feel… a little too intimate, a little too complicated.

This isn’t a twist-driven story. If you’re here for big reveals, it might feel predictable. The “why” behind Charley’s choices lands in familiar territory. But that’s not really the point.

What does work is the psychological tension. The way obsession creeps in quietly. The way people project, reshape, and lose themselves trying to hold onto connection. It’s messy, uncomfortable, and morally gray in a way that kept me reading.

Still, it never fully clicked for me. I admired the writing more than I felt it. There’s a distance to it that makes the emotional impact feel just out of reach.

Worth picking up for the atmosphere and ideas—but not one I completely fell into.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It held my attention and kept me wanting to keep reading to find out why Charley left. Then, at the end, it just kind of deflated. It's complicated. It had a good ending but yet, it could have been a bit different.

[PaperbackGhosts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this book was written. It’s lyrical and ethereal and builds a sense of foreboding and dread in such a dreamy way. I wasn’t satisfied with the “climax” or the ending though, and if the writing hadn’t really hit a sweet spot for me I don’t know that I would have enjoyed this as much as I did.

[Remi · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’m still not entirely sure how i feel about this book, and i think that ambiguity is partly the point.

the writing is undeniably beautiful. the prose is lyrical, fluid, and quietly seductive, pulling me into the story almost without effort. it’s the kind of novel that spirals inward: restrained on the surface, emotionally charged underneath, and very easy to devour despite its discomfort.

Frances’s choices felt morally derailed in a way that made me repeatedly pause and think, like why would someone deliberately entangle themself with their sister’s ex-husband? her behaviour is unsettling, sometimes frustrating, and often difficult to justify. yet, paradoxically, it’s also what keeps the narrative moving. the tension between desire, loyalty, jealousy, and self-erasure is messy, and McCarthy doesn’t smooth it out for reader's comfort.

plot-wise, i didn’t find the revelations particularly surprising. the larger truth behind Charley’s disappearance follows a familiar trajectory, and the novel doesn’t hinge on a shocking reveal so much as on psychological unravelling. if you’re reading for twists, this may feel predictable.

but Immersions is more about obsession, projection, and the way romance, art, familiarity can quietly dismantle a person. even as i questioned the characters’ choices and the ethical implications of their actions, i couldn’t put it down.

-------
to-read:

an enigmatic trust fund artist...

*thank you to Tin House for the ARC*

[☾intia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book!
I love this so much. It’s been a while since I’ve read literary fiction and this felt like going home after being away for what feels like way too long.
We are following Frances as she navigates life after her sister enters a convent in France. And when she hears that her sister’s ex-husband is back in town she wants to get in contact with him to figure out what happened to her sister.
I felt so close to Frances through the whole story that it was painful at times to read, but in a good way.
I loved the writing style, the characters, the story and specially the ending.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written book telling the story of Frances and her search for answers after her sister, an accomplished ballet-turned-modern dancer, leaves the dance world, her husband, and her family behind to join a convent in France. Her search leads Frances to Charley’s ex-husband Johnny and despite being dazzled at first, Frances quickly learns the truth about him, and begins piecing together the reasons for her sister’s vanishing act from society.

Amongst this, Frances discovers more about herself and what it means to live outside of the shadow of her sister. I loved the writing style of this book, we took the place of Charley (you) throughout the novel, until Part 2 when Charley returns to her family, although only briefly.

I felt like the story was fast paced, brilliantly written and came alive on the page. Frances was a messy main character at parts, although you could feel how easy it was for her to fall under Johnny’s spell, despite her initial indignation towards him. I look forward to reading the next book by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I for e through this novel. The prose is surprising and deftly wielded, and I loved the ways dance threaded throughout and created an unusual sense of body and audience throughout. Loved

[Book Goblin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a deeply insightful and thoughtful read with sentences crafted together like a dance and plot dramatic but beautifully believable. This is a snippet into the life of a younger sibling uncovering the mystery’s hidden behind a satin cloth.

[Jess23Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immersions begins with a ballet dancer that after getting married makes the abrupt decision to end her career and join a convent. Her younger sister firmly believes that it is the fault of her sister's ex husband and wants to know the truth. As Frances begins to invest more and more attention in her attempts to discover the truth she becomes more and more ensnared in Charley's ex, Johnny.

Johnny isn't exactly someone that the women will flock to yet he has a sort of charisma that seems to draw in the women he has had relationships with. As Frances spends more time with him eventually she herself becomes entranced and near bewitched by Johnny and the two become a couple.

Frances struggles deeply with the ugly duckling syndrome when it comes to being kept in the shadow of Charley's success and beauty as a dancer. While Frances herself is a great dancer she can't bring herself to believe it and eventually stops. However, once Johnny whisks her away from the city and the two become deeply immersed in a push and pull play of a relationship that is borderline toxic and deeply framed in desire.

While Frances starts to realize that perhaps Johnny is not the best for her and begins to discover more and more of his secrets, she cannot help but be drawn in by her desire. The abusive and possessive manner of Johnny is unsettling and still Frances does not run away until she finally realizes she deserves more.

Still there is something to be said of desire. Despite Johnny's nature and twisted ways the desire awakened Frances' gift of dance once more. She discovers herself and finds her own freedom and acceptance. So despite not agreeing with the means of how she reclaimed her talent, passion, and gift I can understand how she came to be such a way.

Frances is by no means secure or stable and eagerly seeks attention and acceptance. This is a woman that wants to be found and seen for herself and she believes that Johnny sees her. Despite what she discovers in his room and her horror over it she finds herself aroused and drawn to the twisted carnality of what Johnny hides. Even though the means of self discovery were not as most would want or expect, Frances finds her way to discover herself and her own acceptance.

When she escapes and leaves Johnny she in turn reconnects and finds her sister. The end of Immersions is a deeply enchanting exchange between the sisters that gave me quite the Black Swan cinematic feel and was darkly beautiful and hypnotic.

Immersions fits the title as it claims the reader by the throat and immerses them into the power of desire and obsession and talent. The story is spellbinding and unsettling and strange. It is certainly not easy to stomach in some passages but the tale connects in its own wicked dance. Immersions is art. It is a story of looking in the peephole and feeling unsettled and uncertain but still... accepting of what you see... and what you are.

If you are looking for a book unlike any other that is more artistic then written words I highly suggest Immersions. Until next time, happy reading!

[Constantine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Literary Fiction

Immersions is the story of two sisters, narrated from the younger’s point of view. Frances’s older sister, Charley, was a superstar dancer, while she herself was still a rising dancer. One day, Charley marries Johnny and decides to leave the limelight, joining a convent, which will be a big shock to her fans and family. Now Frances wants to know why all this happened, suspecting Johnny to have a hand in it.

McCarthy’s prose is undeniably striking. It’s lyrical, sure, but there’s a fragility to it, like every sentence was handled with tweezers. When she’s describing the specific, hollow ache of living between two cultures or that weirdly intense intimacy you only find in your twenties, it’s genuinely beautiful. It forces you to slow down. That said, I did find the polish a bit much at times. There are moments where the writing feels a little too aware of its own beauty, which can pull you out of the story.

The core concept carries a lot of weight. Even when the plot feels like it’s standing still, there’s this low-frequency hum of tension between the two women. McCarthy really gets that uncomfortable overlap of admiration and quiet resentment. It feels honest. It’s the kind of psychological friction that anyone who’s had a "best friend" they also kind of hated will recognize.

But I’ll be honest here, the narration was a struggle for me. It’s reflective and fragmented, which makes sense if you're trying to mirror a drifting headspace, but it creates a massive amount of distance. I felt like I was looking at these events through several layers of tinted glass. Everything has already been filtered, processed, and tucked away by the narrator before we even get there. It’s a deliberate choice, I’m sure, but I feel the style of the narration, where the character keeps addressing me as her sister, is what kept throwing me out of the story rather than keeping me inside it. Sorry, Francess, I’m not your sister!

Naturally, this means the pacing isn’t exactly brisk. The novel tends to circle around a mood rather than moving forward. If you’re the type of reader who loves to just inhabit an atmosphere and doesn't care about "what happens next," you’ll probably find this deeply rewarding. For me, I kept waiting for a bit more urgency. There’s only so much atmospheric lingering I can do before I start checking my watch.

Ultimately, Immersions is a thoughtful, layered piece of work. It treats its themes of identity and memory with a lot of respect. But for all its beauty, the book stayed just slightly out of reach for me. It felt a bit like overhearing a fascinating conversation from the next room—you catch the tone and the occasional brilliant phrase, but you never quite feel like you’re part of it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.

https://constantinebooks.blogspot.com/2026/03/immersions.html

[Kristin (Always With a Book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Tin House / Zando, #partner for the advanced e-copy and finished copy of Immersions in exchange for my honest review.

As soon as I heard about this book, I had to read it…and boy was I glad I did. It’s not an easy read by any means, but one that is deeply unsettling yet also thought-provoking. I love books that take the uncomfortableness of decisions and really lean into them. This one does a deep dive into obsessive love and sisterly rivalry – something I always seem to gravitate towards, having two sisters of my own.

I loved this character-driven novel. It’s dark and haunting, and the beautiful prose pulled me in right from the beginning. While at times it feels like nothing is happening, at the same time, there is so much going on…you just have to be paying attention. It’s definitely a book that is worthy of a reread or two because I am sure I missed something this first time through.

Frances has always lived in her older sister’s talented shadow. She isn’t as tall or as lithe as Charlie is and so when Charlie leaves dancing after marrying Johnny and decides to join a convent, Frances becomes obsessed with knowing the reason why. She is certain Johnny knows more than he is letting on and becomes obsessed with getting answers from him but winds out finding more than she was looking for.

There is a sense of foreboding underlying this story and that, along with the uncomfortableness that hangs over the story makes it feel heavy. It’s definitely the type of read that gets under your skin and I felt as if I was in a trance reading this – I was obsessed myself! I could not think of anything else but this book. It’s not often I have hangovers from books, but I definitely did with this one.

For those who like stories that ask how far we would go for those we love and stories that are dark, uncomfortable and filled with slightly unhinged characters, this is for you!


My reviews can also be found on my blog: Always With A Book

[Richard Derus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Taut and spellbinding, Immersions follows the aftermath of a celebrated dancer’s abrupt decision to quit her company and join an enclosed convent in France, and her younger sister’s obsessive conviction that her sister’s ex-husband is responsible.

Frances’s older sister Charley was a star of the modern dance world. But just as she was ascending, she fell in love with Johnny, an enigmatic trust fund artist, and married him. A few years into their turbulent marriage, Charley mysteriously leaves her dance company and joins an enclosed convent in Provence. Much to the shock of her family, she changes her name to Sister Anne and cuts off contact with the outside world.

Frances, a dancer herself, grew up in the shadow of her brilliant sister and is suddenly unmoored without her. From their first uneasy meeting, Frances has distrusted Johnny. Now, she is certain he had something to do with her sister’s abrupt abandonment of her art and family. When Frances discovers that Johnny has returned to New York, she reaches out to him, looking for answers and seeking confrontation. The two plunge into an ambiguous intimacy—diving ever deeper, as each tries to unlock the other's secrets. A slender and twisted tale of sexual coming-of-age and of the deep bonds of lust and loyalty, Immersions asks how we are made—and unmade—by desire.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: Toxic straight people in obsessive tidally-locked orbit around their barycenter, obsessiveness; Charley and Johnny plus Frances among them all are incapable of not acting impulsively, breaking things that can't be repaired, then replacing them with poor copies.

Your pleasure in the read will vary in strength in direct proportion to how much you enjoy the prose style. Satanic-second person is an unfavorite of mine.

Tin House/Zando Projects asks you to pass over $12.99 for an ebook. It's all second person. You decide.

[Emboldened · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Zando | Tin House for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. CHECK YOUR TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING.

"Immersions" by Kyle McCarthy is a taut, psychologically charged novel that stuck with me long after I finished. I read it in a day because the storyline was so compelling, I had to find out if the protagonist was as messy and selfish as she seemed. Spoiler: she absolutely is, and it's fascinating! The writing is genuinely beautiful, fluid and precise, almost dance-like in its rhythm. I loved the lack of quotation marks, which pulls you directly into the first-person chaos of Frances, our deeply flawed protagonist. It strips away barriers, letting her fragmented thoughts and tangled inner monologue spill out unfiltered as she spirals, trying to figure out why her older sister suddenly retreated to a nunnery. Frances is gloriously messy. At first, you pity her desperation to reconnect with Charley, even through shady means like her queasy, creepy entanglement with Charley's ex-husband, Johnny. That whole dynamic reeks of abuse of power and definitely needs trigger warnings. But as her unaddressed mental fragility spirals, fueled by sibling obsession and massive moral blind spots. You end up resenting her self-destructive choices, even while recognizing how heartbreakingly real they are. The psychological depth and moral ambiguity are what make this book so strong. It explores jealousy, projection, and how we twist ourselves into various shapes to fit ourselves into places that provide lost intimacy. The story doesn't tie up neatly, nor should it, given the wreckage on display, but that lingering unease is exactly what makes it stick. Stunning writing meets queasy, uncomfortable soul. A brilliant, bruising read if you can handle the discomfort.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caution, some of the information in this review could be considered spoilers. Don’t read this review before reading the book.

A young woman who has always considered herself to be a side character in her sister’s life gets emotionally and sexually involved with her sister’s ex, who she knows is the villain.

I would have found Frances more interesting if she hadn’t become intimately involved with Johnny, but I guess she had to continue not being the main character in her own life and trying to be her sister. For me anyway, now is perhaps not the time to be reading about an insufferable man – caring and violent, sweet until he is not, applying sexual pressure and acting like he is the one who is wronged. He is vile and she is an idiot. I was expecting a twist; there was no unexpected twist. One novel thing about the book is that the older sister isn’t dead but has joined a nunnery. Usually, in a book with similar themes, the Woman Who Came Before is dead.

The writing can be beautiful but also so so pretentious. Sometimes this book feels like a class writing exercise. “After that the party got strange. I found myself with a beer bottle in my hand. The lip of the neck felt sexual against my tongue. A white dog trotted through the party. Somewhere an owl hooted. The dog snapped at a pizza slice and a girl burst into tears. Someone named Pony introduced me to a circle of boys discussing megafauna.” (ch. 15 of the advance reader copy)

If you enjoy pretentious literary fiction about messy characters, are a big fan of ballet, or were in a relationship with a gaslighter and are looking for excuses why you don’t regret it, you might enjoy Immersions more than I did.

I read an advance reader copy of Immersions. Thank you to Netgalley and book publisher Tin House for the digital ARC.