What do you think?
Rate this book
Fruit Fly: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 4 Aug 26A BBC must-read book of 2026 – “Sharp, dark and humorous, it’s a real nailbiter.”
Go gay. Go sad. Go dark.
A washed-up author will stop at nothing to claw her way back to relevancy—even if it means appropriating a young gay man’s tragic story.
Mallory Maddox is buried under seven years of writer’s block. With her status as a literary sensation fizzling, she’ll do anything she can to resurrect her career. Inspiration needs to strike—and fast.
Enter Leo. He’s a struggling addict sleeping under bridges and trading sex for survival. He’s vulnerable. He’s enigmatic. He’s exactly what Mallory has been looking for.
Mallory needs Leo if she wants another bestseller. The world needs Leo’s story right now, and Mallory believes she deserves to tell it. Really, it’s her story—she’s the one who wrote it, after all.
But as secrets threaten to unravel more than just her career, Mallory must decide how far she will go to pen the perfect story.
A razor-sharp satirical thriller, Fruit Fly will appeal to fans of R. F. Kuang’s Yellowface and Yomi Adegoke’s The List.
Go gay. Go sad. Go dark.
A washed-up author will stop at nothing to claw her way back to relevancy—even if it means appropriating a young gay man’s tragic story.
Mallory Maddox is buried under seven years of writer’s block. With her status as a literary sensation fizzling, she’ll do anything she can to resurrect her career. Inspiration needs to strike—and fast.
Enter Leo. He’s a struggling addict sleeping under bridges and trading sex for survival. He’s vulnerable. He’s enigmatic. He’s exactly what Mallory has been looking for.
Mallory needs Leo if she wants another bestseller. The world needs Leo’s story right now, and Mallory believes she deserves to tell it. Really, it’s her story—she’s the one who wrote it, after all.
But as secrets threaten to unravel more than just her career, Mallory must decide how far she will go to pen the perfect story.
A razor-sharp satirical thriller, Fruit Fly will appeal to fans of R. F. Kuang’s Yellowface and Yomi Adegoke’s The List.
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 23, 2026
18352 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
April 25, 2026
”Virginia Woolf would have loved Grindr.”
What a sharp, witty, and scathing commentary on the commodification of ‘sad gay’ stories, & who gets to write and profit from them most of the time.
By far one of the more unique books I’ve read in a while, I could barely put it down & was completely engrossed from start to finish. Also, loved the ending, didn’t expect that last few pages!! Truly recommend picking this one up. I’m excited to see what Silver comes up with next.
What a sharp, witty, and scathing commentary on the commodification of ‘sad gay’ stories, & who gets to write and profit from them most of the time.
By far one of the more unique books I’ve read in a while, I could barely put it down & was completely engrossed from start to finish. Also, loved the ending, didn’t expect that last few pages!! Truly recommend picking this one up. I’m excited to see what Silver comes up with next.
January 25, 2026
This has completely and utterly blown me away. I’ve been a fan of Josh since his debut, HappyHead was released a few years ago and have read everything he’s written with fevered excitement. Ever since Fruit Fly was announced I’ve been dying to read it so much so that the moment I was approved for an earc I started reading it straight away.
Quite frankly, it’s a stunning book. It flips between comical, to creepy, to sad, to hopeful, to totally bonkers and back again. The plot is handled with such care and skill, I could not stop reading, desperate to find out what would happen next.
I really enjoyed Mal and the unravelling of her life. I loved Leo and his struggle to try and sort his life out.
Honestly this book has to be read and appreciated. My words just do not cut it but Josh Silver’s most certainly do. I wish I could scoop this book out of my brain so that I could read it again for the first time!
Thank you to NetGalley and Magpie for my earc!
Quite frankly, it’s a stunning book. It flips between comical, to creepy, to sad, to hopeful, to totally bonkers and back again. The plot is handled with such care and skill, I could not stop reading, desperate to find out what would happen next.
I really enjoyed Mal and the unravelling of her life. I loved Leo and his struggle to try and sort his life out.
Honestly this book has to be read and appreciated. My words just do not cut it but Josh Silver’s most certainly do. I wish I could scoop this book out of my brain so that I could read it again for the first time!
Thank you to NetGalley and Magpie for my earc!
April 26, 2026
woweeeee what a banger
March 24, 2026
#bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookreviews #ilovebooks #lovebooks #bookworm #bookaholic
Damn.. this is one of those books that you know that nothing you can write in a review will give this book the praise or recognition it deserves and I will attempt it:
Fruit Fly is the debut adult novel by Josh Silver. It’s described as a sharp, unsettling and darkly funny novel that delves into the ethics of storytelling and the hunger for relevance, but what they don’t tell you is how brutally raw, uncomfortable and tough this book is.
Mallory Maddox is the main character and narrator. She wrote a best-selling book seven years ago and has since been struggling with writer’s block. She’s desperate and determined to review her career at any cost and decides she needs a new angle. According to Mallory’s mind writing a best seller about a being a young gay man is what she needs to do. She just needs to experience it to be able to write authentically. The fact she’s a married heterosexual women doesn’t seem to faze her and so the story begins.
Leo is a young homeless addict who trades sex for drugs and when he inadvertently crosses paths with Mallory, both their lives are turned upside down for completely different reasons.
I’ve mentioned car-crash literature before, but this really takes it up to a new level. Mallory’s behaviour and actions border on insanity. She’s obsessed and unable to differentiate between reality and danger. She’s not a character you can easily warm to and hopefully not one you can relate to either, but she’s absolutely fascinating. At times I wanted to stop reading as her behaviour spiralled and I just couldn’t stomach what she was about to do next.
Leo’s character made me want to cry and grab him tight. His addictions and self-destructive behaviour was heart-breaking. As a mother I just wanted to reach into the pages and tell him he was worth so much more and he was loved.
Just to wrap this up: It’s BOLD, it’s DARK, it’s ORIGINAL, it’s HEART-BREAKING, it’s BRUTALLY RAW and absolutely unputdownable.,
Blimey, for someone who said she didn’t have much to say, I obviously did.
Damn.. this is one of those books that you know that nothing you can write in a review will give this book the praise or recognition it deserves and I will attempt it:
Fruit Fly is the debut adult novel by Josh Silver. It’s described as a sharp, unsettling and darkly funny novel that delves into the ethics of storytelling and the hunger for relevance, but what they don’t tell you is how brutally raw, uncomfortable and tough this book is.
Mallory Maddox is the main character and narrator. She wrote a best-selling book seven years ago and has since been struggling with writer’s block. She’s desperate and determined to review her career at any cost and decides she needs a new angle. According to Mallory’s mind writing a best seller about a being a young gay man is what she needs to do. She just needs to experience it to be able to write authentically. The fact she’s a married heterosexual women doesn’t seem to faze her and so the story begins.
Leo is a young homeless addict who trades sex for drugs and when he inadvertently crosses paths with Mallory, both their lives are turned upside down for completely different reasons.
I’ve mentioned car-crash literature before, but this really takes it up to a new level. Mallory’s behaviour and actions border on insanity. She’s obsessed and unable to differentiate between reality and danger. She’s not a character you can easily warm to and hopefully not one you can relate to either, but she’s absolutely fascinating. At times I wanted to stop reading as her behaviour spiralled and I just couldn’t stomach what she was about to do next.
Leo’s character made me want to cry and grab him tight. His addictions and self-destructive behaviour was heart-breaking. As a mother I just wanted to reach into the pages and tell him he was worth so much more and he was loved.
Just to wrap this up: It’s BOLD, it’s DARK, it’s ORIGINAL, it’s HEART-BREAKING, it’s BRUTALLY RAW and absolutely unputdownable.,
Blimey, for someone who said she didn’t have much to say, I obviously did.
April 27, 2026
4.5⭐️ - An absolute banger. It leans hard into grief, queerness and dark themes, so obviously I was sold straight away!
We follow Mallory, who used to be a bestselling author, but now she’s stuck, completely drained of ideas and feeling the pressure to deliver something new. When she’s basically told to "go gay, go sad, go dark" to stay relevant, she runs with it, deciding to follow Leo, a gay, drug-addicted sex worker living on the streets, and use his life as the foundation for her next book.
The dual POV works so well because you’re getting both sides of this in real time. Mallory, spiralling and justifying her choices, and Leo, dealing with very real, very heavy circumstances.
The book digs into exploitation, identity, addiction, and that whole "people will consume anything if it’s tragic enough" mindset. I love how it calls out the industry’s obsession with turning real suffering into something marketable, and the imbalance between the people telling those stories and the ones living them. It sounds heavy (and it is), but it’s also weirdly funny in places. The humour is a bit unhinged, a bit cringe, but very self-aware.
Also… Ronan (Mallory's husband). Absolutely not. I don’t think I’ve disliked a character that quickly in a while, and somehow he just kept getting worse. Every scene with him had me wanting to give him a knuckle sandwich.
This isn’t a light read at all. It’s pretty unhinged and deals with some dark topics, so definitely check content warnings if you need to. But if you like books that really commit to their themes and aren’t afraid to go there, this one is worth it. It’s also one of the more unique things I’ve read in a while.
A huge thank you to Bolinda Audio and Libro.fm for the ALC!
We follow Mallory, who used to be a bestselling author, but now she’s stuck, completely drained of ideas and feeling the pressure to deliver something new. When she’s basically told to "go gay, go sad, go dark" to stay relevant, she runs with it, deciding to follow Leo, a gay, drug-addicted sex worker living on the streets, and use his life as the foundation for her next book.
The dual POV works so well because you’re getting both sides of this in real time. Mallory, spiralling and justifying her choices, and Leo, dealing with very real, very heavy circumstances.
The book digs into exploitation, identity, addiction, and that whole "people will consume anything if it’s tragic enough" mindset. I love how it calls out the industry’s obsession with turning real suffering into something marketable, and the imbalance between the people telling those stories and the ones living them. It sounds heavy (and it is), but it’s also weirdly funny in places. The humour is a bit unhinged, a bit cringe, but very self-aware.
Also… Ronan (Mallory's husband). Absolutely not. I don’t think I’ve disliked a character that quickly in a while, and somehow he just kept getting worse. Every scene with him had me wanting to give him a knuckle sandwich.
This isn’t a light read at all. It’s pretty unhinged and deals with some dark topics, so definitely check content warnings if you need to. But if you like books that really commit to their themes and aren’t afraid to go there, this one is worth it. It’s also one of the more unique things I’ve read in a while.
A huge thank you to Bolinda Audio and Libro.fm for the ALC!
April 22, 2026
*A Little Life has left the chat*
December 10, 2025
I loved this book, I am so grateful that I had a chance to read it before it is officially released! Definitely one to grab when it is published!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What a fantastic read. I've read all of Josh Silver's other books and loved them all; I wasn't sure how i was going to enjoy this one given that it's his first adult book and the subject matter isn't something I would normally be drawn to. But it's Josh Silver so I had to.
I loved this book; the obsession, the sickness, the gaslighting. And honestly, Mal blasting through her novel made me want to start writing again.
Spoilers Below
What a fantastic read. I've read all of Josh Silver's other books and loved them all; I wasn't sure how i was going to enjoy this one given that it's his first adult book and the subject matter isn't something I would normally be drawn to. But it's Josh Silver so I had to.
I loved this book; the obsession, the sickness, the gaslighting. And honestly, Mal blasting through her novel made me want to start writing again.
Spoilers Below
February 22, 2026
I’ve loved every YA book Josh has written and his adult novel was just as incredible as his other books ❤️
Josh is still the king of writing the best endings to any book
I absolutely loved Fruit Fly
The characters were so interesting that I couldn’t put the book down because I needed to know what they were going to do next
This is the best book I’ve read all year and everyone should go read it when it’s out 23rd April
Josh is still the king of writing the best endings to any book
I absolutely loved Fruit Fly
The characters were so interesting that I couldn’t put the book down because I needed to know what they were going to do next
This is the best book I’ve read all year and everyone should go read it when it’s out 23rd April
May 1, 2026
I finished reading this last night, so my thoughts are still very fresh but I will start off by saying that I absolutely fucking loved this book.
The story follows Mallory, an author stuck in a slump, she has writers block, whilst her husband is excelling in his exec job at Netflix. She gets an idea... GO GAY. So that's what she does. She downloads Grindr and meets Leo, and that's just the beginning.
I will say from the very beginning, I absolutely loved both Mallory and Leo. They were both such layered characters, both with flaws, both needing something from each other. They were real, damaged, and I loved them. I feel v maternal towards Leo 🥹
Josh's writing is heavenlyyyy!!! I've heard great things from my friend Liam about Josh's YA novels, but YA just isn't my thing. So when I heard that Josh was coming out with his first adult fiction novel, I couldn't WAIT! And boy, it exceeded all my expectations.
The story was hard, because it was so relatable in parts, so sad, but the ending was 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻
Easy easy easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!!!
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy x
The story follows Mallory, an author stuck in a slump, she has writers block, whilst her husband is excelling in his exec job at Netflix. She gets an idea... GO GAY. So that's what she does. She downloads Grindr and meets Leo, and that's just the beginning.
I will say from the very beginning, I absolutely loved both Mallory and Leo. They were both such layered characters, both with flaws, both needing something from each other. They were real, damaged, and I loved them. I feel v maternal towards Leo 🥹
Josh's writing is heavenlyyyy!!! I've heard great things from my friend Liam about Josh's YA novels, but YA just isn't my thing. So when I heard that Josh was coming out with his first adult fiction novel, I couldn't WAIT! And boy, it exceeded all my expectations.
The story was hard, because it was so relatable in parts, so sad, but the ending was 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻
Easy easy easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!!!
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy x
April 26, 2026
this was sooo fun and deranged
March 27, 2026
Yellowface but make it for the gays!
My first Josh Silver book but not my last because I was blown away. Fruit Fly treads so many juxtaposing fine lines and never falters. Comical, unhinged, sad, hyper aware and that’s just scratching the surface. The ending is pitch perfect in my opinion, and I would love a sequel, because that’s how attached I got to the characters. The wonderful thing about Fruit Fly is just how sympathetic you feel to both Mal and Leo (or Mandy and Liam!!), especially Mal by the end. And wonderfully satirical about how the publishing industry uses and discards those under it and how that seeps into the characters dynamics. An easy 5 stars!!!!
My first Josh Silver book but not my last because I was blown away. Fruit Fly treads so many juxtaposing fine lines and never falters. Comical, unhinged, sad, hyper aware and that’s just scratching the surface. The ending is pitch perfect in my opinion, and I would love a sequel, because that’s how attached I got to the characters. The wonderful thing about Fruit Fly is just how sympathetic you feel to both Mal and Leo (or Mandy and Liam!!), especially Mal by the end. And wonderfully satirical about how the publishing industry uses and discards those under it and how that seeps into the characters dynamics. An easy 5 stars!!!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I don't know if this one hit too close to home for me or what, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I absolutely adored Josh's previous works. The subject matter is obviously very different and the setting is supposed to be much more realistic, but I didn't find myself really believing either of these characters.
I found the way he peeled off the layers of Mal being emotionally abused by her husband (the bit that triggered me the most, next to Leo's rape scene) very very clever, but I didn't really find myself ever rooting for her simply because she reads as quite unlikable as a person through and through, to the very end of the novel. It isn't even about the fact that she's a woman written by a man, she's just not the kind of person I would ever look at twice after exchanging a couple of words with her.
As for Leo, he didn't feel like he could or wanted to be helped. In so many ways, he made himself look irredeemable, with only a few glimpses of hope here and there — but not enough to make me actively believe he could be a decent person underneath all the trauma. I know that Josh has experience as a mental health specialist and I don't, but as a simple reader with only superficial knowledge of psychology and the cycles of addiction this didn't feel ~right, somehow.
Still very happy I've read this, though, and thank you so much to Oneworld Publications for the ARC via NetGalley ❤️
I found the way he peeled off the layers of Mal being emotionally abused by her husband (the bit that triggered me the most, next to Leo's rape scene) very very clever, but I didn't really find myself ever rooting for her simply because she reads as quite unlikable as a person through and through, to the very end of the novel. It isn't even about the fact that she's a woman written by a man, she's just not the kind of person I would ever look at twice after exchanging a couple of words with her.
As for Leo, he didn't feel like he could or wanted to be helped. In so many ways, he made himself look irredeemable, with only a few glimpses of hope here and there — but not enough to make me actively believe he could be a decent person underneath all the trauma. I know that Josh has experience as a mental health specialist and I don't, but as a simple reader with only superficial knowledge of psychology and the cycles of addiction this didn't feel ~right, somehow.
Still very happy I've read this, though, and thank you so much to Oneworld Publications for the ARC via NetGalley ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2026
4.5 🌟 Fruit Fly was a book I simply couldn’t put down. From the start, I was very curious about Leo and Mal and eager to learn more about them and their stories.
The characters are incredibly complex, layered, and rich in personality. They felt very real to me, which made the story even more emotional. Despite the heavy themes, the book is still full of humour, creating a great balance.
Early on, I already disliked the relationship between Mal and Ronan, but this added tension and unease and made me root for Mal even more.
The ending was absolutely perfect, I don’t think it could have ended better. This was such a great story and an entertaining read. I loved it.
I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The characters are incredibly complex, layered, and rich in personality. They felt very real to me, which made the story even more emotional. Despite the heavy themes, the book is still full of humour, creating a great balance.
Early on, I already disliked the relationship between Mal and Ronan, but this added tension and unease and made me root for Mal even more.
The ending was absolutely perfect, I don’t think it could have ended better. This was such a great story and an entertaining read. I loved it.
I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The first thing I will say about this novel is that it was totally addictive. At one point while listening I went to the supermarket, and spent maybe half an hour longer than I usually would in there, all because I was lingering in the aisles distracted by the book. The pace was fast and the atmosphere tense, making it something of a thriller, though not like any other I’ve read. Other reviewers compare it to Yellowface, which I’ve not read myself but I definitely want to now. Some parts, especially the title of Mallory’s book, made me think of the movie American Fiction (based on the novel Erasure), so I would recommend to anyone interested in fiction about authors testing the boundaries of what is acceptable and ethical in their art.
I suppose I was hesitant going in, considering that this is a novel written by a man with a female lead character. As the plot revolves around Mallory using Leo’s trauma to the point of exploitation, I did worry she might be more of a two-dimensional antagonist. However, that wasn’t the case at all. Mallory was complex, I both liked her and didn’t, but I understood her motivations even when I wholly disagreed with them. The novel’s satirical aspect is biting, yet without being at Mallory’s expense necessarily—she is let down by the system of literary capitalism just as much as she uses it for her own gain. Mallory is not cunning, nor aiming towards exploitation necessarily: we are encouraged not to hate or laugh at her, but to sympathise, to understand what drives her even when she is very, very wrong. I really appreciated this nuance.
The audio aspects were excellent: as this is a first-person narrative, having the two different narrators worked very well to distinguish Mallory and Leo’s voices. Additionally, I liked their emotiveness, which made it feel like the characters were really speaking, as opposed to a monotonous voice reading their words. It’s this that can make or break an audiobook for me. The voice of Leo was maybe the best audiobook narration I’ve ever heard, really capturing moments of stress and emotion, while also having a cheeky tone which made him feel rounded and real. One detail I especially liked was the voice he did when reading Mallory’s dialogue from his perspective. The judgy-ness fitted with his personality, while at the same time drawing attention to the subjectivity of his first-person narration, something the author did well to balance in the prose, and it was good to see it brought into the audio.
The hiccups I encountered were that I found it a bit overly referential in places: even if it suited the characters to constantly be mentioning movies or books they compared themselves to, it got a bit overwhelming at times. I also found there was a massive leap in time between the penultimate and final parts of the novel—while it worked to keep the reader guessing about what had happened in the gap, I wanted to know more about the results of that confrontation—did Ronan see any consequences for assaulting Leo? Or did Leo see any consequences for trespassing in their home? And what actually happened to Moe??? Another thing I wondered about was the characters’ strange obliviousness to certain things: I’m surprised that Mallory didn’t suspect Ronan of cheating as soon as she saw the message on his phone, considering how insecure she was about everything else. Similarly, I’m not sure how Leo didn’t put two and two together about Mallory’s book. He is clever enough to find out that she is an author, but doesn’t even consider that she might be using him for content? Interesting.
Regardless, though, none of this was enough to prohibit my thorough enjoyment of this book. I hope Josh Silver continues writing in the adult category, as I’d love to see more like this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for a review.
I suppose I was hesitant going in, considering that this is a novel written by a man with a female lead character. As the plot revolves around Mallory using Leo’s trauma to the point of exploitation, I did worry she might be more of a two-dimensional antagonist. However, that wasn’t the case at all. Mallory was complex, I both liked her and didn’t, but I understood her motivations even when I wholly disagreed with them. The novel’s satirical aspect is biting, yet without being at Mallory’s expense necessarily—she is let down by the system of literary capitalism just as much as she uses it for her own gain. Mallory is not cunning, nor aiming towards exploitation necessarily: we are encouraged not to hate or laugh at her, but to sympathise, to understand what drives her even when she is very, very wrong. I really appreciated this nuance.
The audio aspects were excellent: as this is a first-person narrative, having the two different narrators worked very well to distinguish Mallory and Leo’s voices. Additionally, I liked their emotiveness, which made it feel like the characters were really speaking, as opposed to a monotonous voice reading their words. It’s this that can make or break an audiobook for me. The voice of Leo was maybe the best audiobook narration I’ve ever heard, really capturing moments of stress and emotion, while also having a cheeky tone which made him feel rounded and real. One detail I especially liked was the voice he did when reading Mallory’s dialogue from his perspective. The judgy-ness fitted with his personality, while at the same time drawing attention to the subjectivity of his first-person narration, something the author did well to balance in the prose, and it was good to see it brought into the audio.
The hiccups I encountered were that I found it a bit overly referential in places: even if it suited the characters to constantly be mentioning movies or books they compared themselves to, it got a bit overwhelming at times. I also found there was a massive leap in time between the penultimate and final parts of the novel—while it worked to keep the reader guessing about what had happened in the gap, I wanted to know more about the results of that confrontation—did Ronan see any consequences for assaulting Leo? Or did Leo see any consequences for trespassing in their home? And what actually happened to Moe??? Another thing I wondered about was the characters’ strange obliviousness to certain things: I’m surprised that Mallory didn’t suspect Ronan of cheating as soon as she saw the message on his phone, considering how insecure she was about everything else. Similarly, I’m not sure how Leo didn’t put two and two together about Mallory’s book. He is clever enough to find out that she is an author, but doesn’t even consider that she might be using him for content? Interesting.
Regardless, though, none of this was enough to prohibit my thorough enjoyment of this book. I hope Josh Silver continues writing in the adult category, as I’d love to see more like this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2026
Wow, this was a really fantastic read and definitely one I would recommend. It was sad, suspenseful, deranged and humorous all in one.
It definitely touches on dark themes that deserve trigger warnings, but is written in such a modern witty way that I think they feel easy to manage and apply to the characters depth.
Both the main characters were portrayed extremely well and I seemed to be rooting for them and hating them at different times. I particularly loved Leo and as a Social Worker, was rolling with joy about how accurately he was portrayed; so selfish and manipulative in the throws of addiction, abuse and being houseless.
When I was reading the last 1/4, I wasn’t sure it was heading towards a resolution I was willing to accept. But the final chapter was bloody satisfying and cleverly pulled together the perfect resolution for such unhinged characters. I couldn’t imagine a better way to end our time following Leo and Mal.
Also add my fave bit from Leo:
I’m very much aware I’m not a special case, but something about the way they look at me does make me feel good. They like having people like me that they can talk about in the office, chatting about all the terrible shit that’s happened, looking through history notes, wanting to be the one who says the thing that changes my life. I can picture it: when they go home to their families. There’s this one patient - god, I hope he makes it. I feel like I made a breakthrough with him today. He’s only twenty-two.
Kinda gross that I like to think they’re doing that. But I think they are.
It definitely touches on dark themes that deserve trigger warnings, but is written in such a modern witty way that I think they feel easy to manage and apply to the characters depth.
Both the main characters were portrayed extremely well and I seemed to be rooting for them and hating them at different times. I particularly loved Leo and as a Social Worker, was rolling with joy about how accurately he was portrayed; so selfish and manipulative in the throws of addiction, abuse and being houseless.
When I was reading the last 1/4, I wasn’t sure it was heading towards a resolution I was willing to accept. But the final chapter was bloody satisfying and cleverly pulled together the perfect resolution for such unhinged characters. I couldn’t imagine a better way to end our time following Leo and Mal.
Also add my fave bit from Leo:
I’m very much aware I’m not a special case, but something about the way they look at me does make me feel good. They like having people like me that they can talk about in the office, chatting about all the terrible shit that’s happened, looking through history notes, wanting to be the one who says the thing that changes my life. I can picture it: when they go home to their families. There’s this one patient - god, I hope he makes it. I feel like I made a breakthrough with him today. He’s only twenty-two.
Kinda gross that I like to think they’re doing that. But I think they are.
May 5, 2026
Fruitfly is such an interesting and complex novel. Mal, a once-successful author, has writer’s block and is rather unhappy in her life. An opportunity presents itself, and an idea for a new book, and she begins to follow Leo who is using drugs and puts himself in dangerous situations to fulfill this need.
The first part felt a little long and slow for me but later made a lot of sense. I found the inner dialogue of the female protagonist a little tiresome but after the 100 or so page mark it starts to make sense and is really very cleverly done! It’s such a fascinating book once you finished it and can start reflect on the different strands of the story. How the two main characters fit together, what the commonality is. It’s quite shocking in parts and definitely not an easy read (especially Leo’s part), and whilst that’s immediately obvious, I found the subtle hopelessness and unravelling of the circumstances particularly poignant.
It really is a masterfully crafted work of literary fiction and I highly recommend it! I think it’s also a good one for a book club discussion as it needs some reflection and time to breathe. Brilliant - I highly recommend!
“This is not problematic. This is unhinged bravery.”
4.5 stars
The first part felt a little long and slow for me but later made a lot of sense. I found the inner dialogue of the female protagonist a little tiresome but after the 100 or so page mark it starts to make sense and is really very cleverly done! It’s such a fascinating book once you finished it and can start reflect on the different strands of the story. How the two main characters fit together, what the commonality is. It’s quite shocking in parts and definitely not an easy read (especially Leo’s part), and whilst that’s immediately obvious, I found the subtle hopelessness and unravelling of the circumstances particularly poignant.
It really is a masterfully crafted work of literary fiction and I highly recommend it! I think it’s also a good one for a book club discussion as it needs some reflection and time to breathe. Brilliant - I highly recommend!
“This is not problematic. This is unhinged bravery.”
4.5 stars
April 27, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely incredible. Definitely one of (if not THE) best reads of 2026 for me so far.
Fruit Fly follows Mallory Maddox as she attempts to write her next best seller, a “sad gay” novel. Mallory joins grindr in an attempt to make her novel more authentic, and becomes increasingly obsessed with Leo - a young homeless man in the depths of addiction.
I felt so many emotions reading this - it was uncomfortable and it was heartbreaking, but at times it was also funny. It touches on the ethical issues within the literary world, but it also talks about addiction within the gay community, as well as abuse (and how abuse can be hiding in plain sight).
As I mentioned, this is a deeply uncomfortable read, and I really do recommend looking at the TWs for it, as I think for some people it would be too much. That being said, in my opinion, Josh’s experiences as a mental health nurse were obvious throughout this - it felt authentic, and the difficult topics felt relevant to the story rather than just being put into the story for shock factor.
The characters were all messy and imperfect. They were going through their own struggles, but again, these felt authentic rather than just something that had been added for dramatic effect and for me, that realness added an important layer to the story.
I really don’t want to spoil this, so I will end this by saying I REALLYYYY recommend reading Fruit Fly, and that the ending was incredible and felt perfect to the story.
April 27, 2026
This is one of the best books I've read in ages. Couldn't put it down, stayed up well past my bedtime reading it. I love the dark humour, very cutting and a great way to explore and open up some challenging themes. Definitely would recommend!
March 26, 2026
Review of an advance copy received from Netgalley
Very intriguing and poignant read that delivered in the most unexpected moments.
Mallory is stuck in her life. Literally. All she wants, is to write another book that would follow her debut of "Shallow embers", which was 7 years ago. But it’s easier said than done. After consulting the Internet for some tips for her "next masterpiece", Mallory finds herself tumbling down the "rabbit hole", disregarding any thought of potential consequences to her actions. Enter Leo, by a completely chaotic and unpredictable sequence of events, and both of their lives are inevitably altered. Question stays- will they get out before they lose it all? How far can your desperation lead you?
I wouldn’t say that the initial story is completely revolutionary( various similarities to “The Housemaid" pop up f.ex. externally flawless and devoted husband, white picket fence house and privileged life of FMC that shouldn’t be taken for granted, or "Yellowface" because Mallory too is struggling and stuck as a writer, grappling with existential crisis) but it drifted into an exciting territory that steadily became impossible to overlook.
The cast of characters is also something to mention- Mallory as the FMC oftentimes fluctuated between unlikable, sheltered and even self-centered, yet there’s undeniable edge of darkness through it all that makes you feel sorry for her and wonder why did it take her so long to realize the truth about her life. Meanwhile MMC Leo is there to help Mallory finally come to terms with all her buried emotions while he himself is still stuck in the constant loop of drug overdose and offering his body in exchange for money.
In spite of the dark themes of this book, there’s also full-bodied wit and humor that actually makes you really feel for both main characters. It constantly left me wanting to know more. The two-faced, sometimes confusing inner monologue of Mallory’s view on her husband Ronan, was disorienting but purposefully suspicious, cautioning the reader to pay attention while giving an early impression of the first warning signs.
There’s actually a lot of relatable content discussed like abusive relationship, dysfunctional family, grieving a family member, addiction, depression and seeking mental help. But tread lightly because it’s not a light read- it’s thought-provoking and razor sharp. However, I definitely recommend the book to those of you who want something edgy, dark, that leaves you questioning the world and opens the space for a debate with your fellow humans.
Very intriguing and poignant read that delivered in the most unexpected moments.
Mallory is stuck in her life. Literally. All she wants, is to write another book that would follow her debut of "Shallow embers", which was 7 years ago. But it’s easier said than done. After consulting the Internet for some tips for her "next masterpiece", Mallory finds herself tumbling down the "rabbit hole", disregarding any thought of potential consequences to her actions. Enter Leo, by a completely chaotic and unpredictable sequence of events, and both of their lives are inevitably altered. Question stays- will they get out before they lose it all? How far can your desperation lead you?
I wouldn’t say that the initial story is completely revolutionary( various similarities to “The Housemaid" pop up f.ex. externally flawless and devoted husband, white picket fence house and privileged life of FMC that shouldn’t be taken for granted, or "Yellowface" because Mallory too is struggling and stuck as a writer, grappling with existential crisis) but it drifted into an exciting territory that steadily became impossible to overlook.
The cast of characters is also something to mention- Mallory as the FMC oftentimes fluctuated between unlikable, sheltered and even self-centered, yet there’s undeniable edge of darkness through it all that makes you feel sorry for her and wonder why did it take her so long to realize the truth about her life. Meanwhile MMC Leo is there to help Mallory finally come to terms with all her buried emotions while he himself is still stuck in the constant loop of drug overdose and offering his body in exchange for money.
In spite of the dark themes of this book, there’s also full-bodied wit and humor that actually makes you really feel for both main characters. It constantly left me wanting to know more. The two-faced, sometimes confusing inner monologue of Mallory’s view on her husband Ronan, was disorienting but purposefully suspicious, cautioning the reader to pay attention while giving an early impression of the first warning signs.
There’s actually a lot of relatable content discussed like abusive relationship, dysfunctional family, grieving a family member, addiction, depression and seeking mental help. But tread lightly because it’s not a light read- it’s thought-provoking and razor sharp. However, I definitely recommend the book to those of you who want something edgy, dark, that leaves you questioning the world and opens the space for a debate with your fellow humans.
May 1, 2026
"Fruit Fly" by Josh Silver follows Mallory Maddox, a once-successful author stuck in a seven-year stretch of writer’s block. Desperate to reclaim her relevance, she convinces herself that she must fully immerse into a story that isn’t hers to tell. That choice sends her spiraling when she crosses paths with Leo, a young man struggling with addiction and whose life becomes entangled with her own.
What unfolds is sharp, emotional, and, at times, incredibly funny. The humor never softens the pain being felt. Instead, it sits right beside it, where laughter becomes a way for the characters to survive the moments that hurt the most.
Mallory and Leo are messy, complicated, and often difficult to like, but that’s what makes them so compelling. They are deeply flawed, sometimes easy to understand, while other times impossible to defend, yet somehow, always completely relatable.
Mallory, especially, hit close to home for me. I saw many pieces of myself in her: the spiraling thoughts, the loss of trust in her own perception, and the feeling of losing control of her own narrative. It’s an uncomfortable arc, but an incredibly powerful one. She was an unreliable narrator, not just of the story, but of her own life, and that resonated deeply with me.
Leo’s storyline was just as impactful. His struggle with addiction is portrayed with so much nuance and honesty. You can feel that constant internal push and pull that torments him - the tension between wanting to get clean and wanting to stay exactly where he is. It was devastatingly real.
At its core, this is a story about people at their most broken and vulnerable trying to rise back up. It explores mental illness, addiction, and the need to feel seen and understood with a raw and grounded honesty that feels entirely rooted in lived experience.
🪰 Thank you to author Josh Silver, Crooked Lane Books, and Novel Tours for the opportunity to read and share this book. It truly left a lasting impact on me and is easily one of my favorite reads of 2026!
What unfolds is sharp, emotional, and, at times, incredibly funny. The humor never softens the pain being felt. Instead, it sits right beside it, where laughter becomes a way for the characters to survive the moments that hurt the most.
Mallory and Leo are messy, complicated, and often difficult to like, but that’s what makes them so compelling. They are deeply flawed, sometimes easy to understand, while other times impossible to defend, yet somehow, always completely relatable.
Mallory, especially, hit close to home for me. I saw many pieces of myself in her: the spiraling thoughts, the loss of trust in her own perception, and the feeling of losing control of her own narrative. It’s an uncomfortable arc, but an incredibly powerful one. She was an unreliable narrator, not just of the story, but of her own life, and that resonated deeply with me.
Leo’s storyline was just as impactful. His struggle with addiction is portrayed with so much nuance and honesty. You can feel that constant internal push and pull that torments him - the tension between wanting to get clean and wanting to stay exactly where he is. It was devastatingly real.
At its core, this is a story about people at their most broken and vulnerable trying to rise back up. It explores mental illness, addiction, and the need to feel seen and understood with a raw and grounded honesty that feels entirely rooted in lived experience.
🪰 Thank you to author Josh Silver, Crooked Lane Books, and Novel Tours for the opportunity to read and share this book. It truly left a lasting impact on me and is easily one of my favorite reads of 2026!
April 24, 2026
This is a dark,disturbing, raw, unflinching and uncomfortable read. It’s sticky and will leave stains, but my goodness, it’s compelling.
Mallory is a best-selling author with writer’s block, married to Ronan, a high-flying Netflix producer. She’s also a middle-class wife with hyper awareness of her husband’s moods, but overlooks the fact that he’s a controlling, gaslighting a***hole. She’s not particularly likeable at the start of the story, but two-thirds of the way through, we meet her mother. This woman, a pitiful character, is a total piece of work and a catalyst for the reader to warm more towards Mallory.
Leo is a drug-addicted sex worker who lives for the next hit and ultimately wants to lose himself in oblivion. He’s also the perfect protagonist for Mallory’s new novel and the impetus she needs to start writing again. His story is Train Spotting for the 21st century.
This story was so hard to put down.
Camila Rockley and Jack Ayres both put in superb performances.
Best book I’ve read this year and an outstanding five stars for Josh Silver, with thanks to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for the chance to read an ALC. Fruit Fly published on 23 April.
‼️Please make sure you check the trigger warnings.
Mallory is a best-selling author with writer’s block, married to Ronan, a high-flying Netflix producer. She’s also a middle-class wife with hyper awareness of her husband’s moods, but overlooks the fact that he’s a controlling, gaslighting a***hole. She’s not particularly likeable at the start of the story, but two-thirds of the way through, we meet her mother. This woman, a pitiful character, is a total piece of work and a catalyst for the reader to warm more towards Mallory.
Leo is a drug-addicted sex worker who lives for the next hit and ultimately wants to lose himself in oblivion. He’s also the perfect protagonist for Mallory’s new novel and the impetus she needs to start writing again. His story is Train Spotting for the 21st century.
This story was so hard to put down.
Camila Rockley and Jack Ayres both put in superb performances.
Best book I’ve read this year and an outstanding five stars for Josh Silver, with thanks to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for the chance to read an ALC. Fruit Fly published on 23 April.
‼️Please make sure you check the trigger warnings.
April 23, 2026
Seven years ago, Mallory Maddox made literary waves as a bestselling writer. When she is put onto the chopping block, forced to decide what she must follow up with, she is given the idea to "go gay. go sad. go dark." which is essentially the literary equivalent to if it bleeds, it leads. It can be quite easy to spoil this one but I loved the humor, the relevance, the cringe, the reality, and the way overconsumption was presented so charmingly and wittily. This one alternates between Mallory and Leo, and both characters are so wildly different and hard to look away from. This is a quick read I enjoyed. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.
April 26, 2026
This book had a firm grip on my thong from page one, and I could not put it down.
Fruit Fly follows Mallory, a writer who shot to fame with a bestselling novel seven years ago and has been drowning in writer’s block ever since. One night, locked in away in her bathroom, she googles how to write another bestseller, and Reddit delivers the only advice that matters:
go gay, go sad, go dark.
What follows is Mallory meeting Leo, a young addict who quickly becomes her inspiration, her protagonist and in many ways, her obsession.
This book is dark, sharp, and a deeply compulsive read. It gave me notes of Trainspotting, A Little Life, and a domestic thriller all rolled into an unhinged, uncomfortable, and impossible book to look away from.
Fruit Fly follows Mallory, a writer who shot to fame with a bestselling novel seven years ago and has been drowning in writer’s block ever since. One night, locked in away in her bathroom, she googles how to write another bestseller, and Reddit delivers the only advice that matters:
go gay, go sad, go dark.
What follows is Mallory meeting Leo, a young addict who quickly becomes her inspiration, her protagonist and in many ways, her obsession.
This book is dark, sharp, and a deeply compulsive read. It gave me notes of Trainspotting, A Little Life, and a domestic thriller all rolled into an unhinged, uncomfortable, and impossible book to look away from.
April 28, 2026
Fruit fly by Josh Silver is one of those books you cannot put down. When I started it, I was not entirely sure what I was getting myself into, I heard that this was a “Yellowface” by R.F Kuang kind of story but make it gay. Granted I haven’t yet read Yellowface, but holy shit I would say this stands out on its own and just follows kind of the same premise, (if looking at synopses)
Silver does something so well with the characters in this novel, the differing perspectives work very well, and I was hooked every time I got to another continuation of the other perspective. This is one of those books where you just have to go in without knowing anything, truly. I was very surprised and shell-shocked when finishing and found myself wanting more, but knowing that it is tied up into a little bow for the reader.
Silver does something so well with the characters in this novel, the differing perspectives work very well, and I was hooked every time I got to another continuation of the other perspective. This is one of those books where you just have to go in without knowing anything, truly. I was very surprised and shell-shocked when finishing and found myself wanting more, but knowing that it is tied up into a little bow for the reader.
April 23, 2026
Fruit Fly is bloody brilliant — honestly one of the best books I’ve read in ages. It’s properly dark but manages to be really funny in places. Especially when it’s pointing out the irony of characters’ actions (and booktokkers - eek!)
There’s this constant tension running through it that makes it hard to put down.
What really got me was how your sympathies keep shifting as you go. When you think you’ve got a handle on the characters, it pulls you somewhere else. It kept me slightly off balance the whole time.
And the ending… perfectly twisted. Gripping, funny, unsettling, and completely worth it. Please read it.
There’s this constant tension running through it that makes it hard to put down.
What really got me was how your sympathies keep shifting as you go. When you think you’ve got a handle on the characters, it pulls you somewhere else. It kept me slightly off balance the whole time.
And the ending… perfectly twisted. Gripping, funny, unsettling, and completely worth it. Please read it.
April 24, 2026
Loved this so much - I could not put it down. A reread is already necessary to fully take in every sentence!
April 29, 2026
It’s been years since I’ve found a book so hard to put down. Brilliant.
May 3, 2026
oh this was so fking good i basically read it in one sitting. bad time to not live in sydney im actually pissed i want to go hear the author talk about this in person so bad.
May 5, 2026
Review soon. But OMG!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews