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, Adult, Literary Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication 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.

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely incandescent.

[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

[Liralen]

4 stars; review to come May 2026

[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

[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.

[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!

[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*

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[Boutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review.

What a spiral in the depths of a young woman's colonized mind by a toxic (and abusive!) relationship! I have been pulled through this novel, eager to understand what happened to Charley as much as Frances wanted to, and was eventually incapable of putting it down.

The writing lurs the reader into a spiral they cannot escape (think Mona Awad and Shirley Jackson). I thought at first it was the writer's unique style until reaching PART II. Part I seemed hazy, like a dream. I wanted to shout at Frances, urge her to get away from every single situation she put herself in, but the pacing was so quick I felt caught into quicksand alongside her. Knowing something was wrong, but unable to leave. That's what this novel does to you.

PART II unsettled me. I felt thrown off, almost underwhelmed. I figured after a few pages that leaving an abusive relationship does that to you. You're thrown off your axes, life seems dull and you want to go back to PART I. It feels slow, practical, matter-of-fact. It made me question what I wanted from this book. Was it some kind of tale on how to move on? Was it a glimpse at what happens when you're caught in that kind of relationship? I eventually realized the novel unsettled the reader for the right reason. We get a quick glimpse at what Frances' future will look like, but just like the character, we're not there yet.

I loved how the novel played with voices to depict the multiple facets of a story that happens to too many women. I loved how through PART I I felt like I knew Charley better than I knew Frances, because it was all about her at first, right? I loved how every assumption was undermined. I loved every piece of it. My stomach is twisted and I feel like I'm running out of breath. Thank god, we made it out!

[Susan Poer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set against the world of modern dance, sisterly rivalry, and religious seclusion, this is an emotionally taut exploration of how desire, loyalty, and memory shape us.

Frances is a young dancer whose life has always existed in the shadow of her older sister Charley, a star in the dance world. When Charley abruptly abandons her career, marriage, and family to join a convent in Provence as Sister Anne, Frances is left devastated and desperate for answers.

Believing Charley’s ex-husband Johnny had something to do with her withdrawal from the world, Frances reconnects with him when he returns to New York, seeking the truth about her sister’s disappearance. What begins as a confrontation gradually morphs into an entangling intimacy as both Frances and Johnny circle deeper into secrets and desires they barely understand.

This is beautifully written, however I didn't buy the attraction between Frances and Johnny. He was just not a likeable guy. The author captures the tension between longing and self-destruction with precision as Frances navigates her way with Johnny and tries to understand why her sister left.

Her obsession with uncovering Charley’s motivations propels the narrative, and McCarthy doesn’t shy away from portraying her as a deeply flawed and compelling narrator whose choices are real and relateable.

This is a slow moving character-driven study, exploring how desire, memory, jealousy, and self-illusion shape a life, so it's not a compelling read. The psychological drama sometimes overshadows plot progression, and the emotional ambiguities at the heart of Frances’s relationship with Johnny may feel frustrating if you prefer more conventional resolutions.

[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.

[Brittany Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

**Thanks to NetGalley, Zander, and Tin House for this ARC! **

I have so many mixed feelings about this book but I’ll start with the prose. I’m a sucker for a poetic prose but the more O read Immersions, the more I felt like the prose was waisted or unnecessary in certain scenes or parts of the story.

I felt like a lot happened and also not enough? If that makes sense.

I decided to pick this book up because I thought the synopsis was unique; I would say that was huge factor for me, along with the cover art.

As far as characters, Frances was so insufferable !!!! I will give credit to the McCarthy, if her intention was to make the reader feel uncomfortable** But there were times where I felt like this book was thriller. You have Frances, who is oddly obsessed with her big sister in a way that is terrifying, which we watch unfold in every weird way you could imagine. And maybe that was the point!

I believe I would’ve gone a higher rating if the novel was a hair longer, with more plot development, less over-prose haha.

I’ll end with something I did love and that was the lack of question marks. It made me feel more engulfed and the story, and made narrative fluid!

[Cool · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an unbiased review.

I'm not sure what to say about this book. It was a lot of things- beautifully written, boring, ponderous, frustrating, evocative, meandering...

I selected this ARC because I spent many years of my life as a dancer, and tend to enjoy books about ballet and dancers. But in this book, "ballet" could have been "oil painting" or "playing the violin"- it just didn't matter much to the plot (if there truly WAS a plot, I'm not certain).

As far as I can tell, this was the "plot": A NY woman's once-famous ballet dancer sister flees her life and marriage to a cloistered convent in France. The sister left behind, a dancer herself, begins to assume her missing sister's persona as a way to deal with her grief, including a relationship with her sister's ex-husband. It all sounds very mysterious, but in truth, it's really not.

If you like lyrically written books that are light on plot and heavy on atmosphere, this book is for you.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will basically read anything that has ballet in the description. This also has Bluebeard vibes which is another favorite. I always want to find out how the author is able to work the Bluebeard "fairy tale" into a modern setting. I thought the author did really well with this aspect of the story.

This is ultimately the story of 2 sisters. One is older and has joined a convent in France after a dance career and a failed marriage. The other sister is still trying to find her way after an injury has ended her classical ballet career. Her biggest mystery, however, is why exactly her sister has shunned the world and gone to live in a convent. She starts with trying to find out what the ex-husband knows and what he might have done to cause this.

This is a fairly short book, but the story is compelling and it keeps you engaged. This is not, ultimately a book about dance, but it is not less compelling due to that. I would definitely recommend this if you find the description compelling.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded.

Charley was a ballet dancer at her peak when she suddenly decided to join a reclusive nunnery. Several years later, her little sister Frances is convinced Charley's husband, Johnny, did something to scare her away. After learning Johnny is back in town, Frances reaches out to him with the hope of reconnecting and learning more about her sisters sudden life change.

This book was very well written with exceptional prose. If you like a complicated, messy main character, this will be a good one for you. Frances is an incredibly messy person who makes some of the worst decisions I've ever seen a book character make. She had me screaming at my book multiple times. I felt uncomfortable through a lot of this book, which I think was the point, but beware this is not an easy read.

While I loved the writing style and the complex characters, I feel like the book fell off the rails a bit toward the end. I found myself thinking "wait, how did we get here?" a lot towards the end. And I still don't fully understand why or how the sister just gave everything up to become a nun. I wish we could have gotten a little bit more from Charley's perspective to get a fuller picture.

10/10 for cover design though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for the ARC.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up solely by the cover, I find the cover to be stunning. When I sat down to read it, it hooked me from the first page and I found myself not able to put it down. Seeing the relationship between Charlie & Frances, two sisters that both love ballet and one another, fall apart due to secrets, omissions & lies was a delicious appetizer to the main course....the relationship between Frances & Johnny. Damn, that relationship was a wild one....full of lies, secrets and them using one another to make justifications about their behavior and their shared love of Charlie. Only complaint I have is I wish I had more from Charlie, but after reading the last page of this book, I know that I wasn't supposed to know more about Charlie, and that added to the gorgeous story in this novel.
I didn't know your game Kyle McCarthy and know I will be looking for more work from you.
Thanks to PRH for the ARC!

[Kim (alwaysadelaidesmom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know very much about Immersions when I requested a copy from Netgalley but I was intrigued by the cover and the summary of dancing sisters involved in a mystery because both of my kids are dancers.
In Immersions, Frances is trying to understand why several years after her older sister Charlie got married she ran away to a nunnery. When Charlie's ex Johnny arrives back to the city, Frances connects with him to try to solve the mystery and soon becomes caught up in his web.
It's hard to explain the feelings I had while reading this book. Johnny is just an icky human being and yet everyone is so drawn to him. I felt uncomfortable and anxious while reading this. The writing was beautiful and I was repeatedly drawn to pick it back up to find out what was going to happen. Definitely worth a read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frances is looking for answers to why her sister has abandoned her life and moved to a convent in France. This story follows Frances discovering what led Charley to this decision, but ultimately was slightly anticlimactic. This was a really captivating read however and I found it fast paced and written well.

The first few chapters I was slightly lost then I got right into it. Character development was strong and as the reader you really were sucked into the story. Johnny’s secret shall we say was the climax of the book and not really Charley at all… overall still a good read though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[afreenreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story had this quiet intensity that just kept building and before I knew it I was completely invested. It’s one of those plots that feels detailed and layered yet everything flows so smoothly that you never feel lost.
What really stood out to me was how the characters evolved. Frances in particular felt incredibly real to me her inner thoughts, her struggles, and the way she processes everything made her someone I could truly understand. Her dynamic with her sister added an emotional depth that stayed with me.
By the time I reached the end I didn’t feel ready to leave this world behind. It’s the kind of book that lingers in your mind making it hard to pick up something new right away.

[☾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.

[James B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Tin House for the ebook. Charlie was a star in the modern dance world of NYC and then fled that world for a convent in France. Her younger sister Frances feels that this has left a huge crater in their tiny family and starts seeing Johnny, his sister’s ex husband. Johnny comes from a rich family, dabbles in the arts, but is most known for contributing money to different art organizations and with having very complicated relationships with the women he dates. How involved will Frances dare to get with Johnny to find out answers about her sister? A fun novel of obsession.

[Pascalle Scheltens · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️

Although this was very flowy and lyrical is was also not a match for me. The style of writing is interesting though because Frances addresses you as if you were her sister, at least in the first parts.

The relationship between Frances and Johnny is a red flag people can see from miles away.

But the reason my rating isn’t that high is because I missed the feeling of being sucked into the story. I think for me it was too lyrical making it a bit vague and thus making it hard for me to follow along.

[DQ.vball · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I was deeply drawn into this story by the writing, particularly the way it captures Frances’s raw confusion and her desperate need for answers. As she struggles to understand why her sister abandoned dance for a secluded religious life, I felt truly compelled by her search for closure. Her journey leads her to her sister’s charismatic ex-husband, a man who is both nurturing and brutally honest, forcing Frances to confront a difficult reality: we can never fully know the hidden depths of the people we love.

[Maggan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely an interesting story. At times, I was lost as to what was real and what wasn't. You are stuck in Frances' head which makes it even more difficult to figure out. I too wanted to know what happened to Charley and was eager for the story to develop. The way of writing was also interesting, because you kind of felt like the person Frances was speaking to.
Johnny was just plain icky and I did not like reading about him at all. He made me extremely uncomfortable, even if you sometimes doubted if that was actually true, which was obviously the point, so that was well done.