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Miller Rose Roberts
116 pages, Paperback
Published November 7, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 15, 2026
I am not positive but I think this novella is about a women who is possibly suffering from schizophrenia. Her life story moves in seven year intervals. Unfortunately she is plagued with memory lapses. It has to be a horrible way to live without the proper counseling and medication. The story was a bit odd but at the same time it held my interest. I appreciated there was a positive outcome for this poor women.
August 23, 2026
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’m giving this 3 stars because there were definitely things I appreciated here, but unfortunately, I had more issues with the novella than things that fully worked for me.
The first chapter was probably my favorite. It did a great job of establishing the world and creating a mysterious, almost dreamlike atmosphere. Everything felt slightly off, but in an intriguing way, and I found myself wondering whether the young protagonist might be experiencing some kind of psychosis. It hooked me very quickly, and I was genuinely curious to see where the story would go.
The structure is interesting, with seven years passing between each chapter (by the end of the read you hopefully understand why the 7-year gaps). Each chapter presents another stage of the protagonist’s life, and there is always some kind of rupture that sends her running off somewhere. In the second chapter, she discovers that the teacher she has a crush on doesn't actually exist and never has. A ringing in her ears starts, and she leaves, much like she did in the first chapter.
Then we get a rock concert, a relationship with someone, an unexpected pregnancy, and once again the ringing starts and she runs away. A police officer finds her and lets her go, and she heads to New York - only for the pregnancy test to turn out negative.
By the fourth chapter, she's being proposed to by someone else, but the ringing returns and she runs away again. She meets someone who claims to be the Minotaur, which I found intriguing but also confusing because I don't think this was ever really explained, at least not in a way that made sense to me. Then she returns home alone, only to discover that her apartment isn't the same anymore. There are children's drawings on the fridge, and she apparently has a seven-year-old son (so the pregnancy did happen after all).
At this point, I was very much on board with the mystery.
The problem for me was that tho, as the novella progressed, I increasingly felt like I was missing some essential context. I’m generally very much in favor of "show, don't tell," but here I found myself wishing for a little more telling... Not necessarily an explanation of everything, but enough grounding to understand what I was actually supposed to take from some of these events.
The fifth chapter, for example, reveals more about her son and his father's identity, while also revealing that the protagonist has an unusual form of amnesia in which entire years of her life disappear. Then we suddenly end up at Disneyland. (?)
And honestly... Disneyland almost completely lost me.
This is probably partly a *me* problem because I am incredibly nitpicky about established theme parks appearing in books, and I also just don't particularly understand the whole Disney adult phenomenon... But beyond that personal bias, I really struggled to see how Disneyland fit into the atmosphere the novella had established up to that point. The earlier chapters had this strange, unsettling, almost mystical quality, and the Disneyland section felt like such a sharp tonal departure that it really pulled me out of the story.
I understand that this chapter is supposed to be about bonding with her son, but for me it ended up feeling more like the story was buying time than actually moving forward. This was where I started losing interest, and unfortunately, I never quite got it fully back.
The sixth chapter then confirmed something I had already suspected from the very beginning: the protagonist is on the schizophrenia spectrum. So while I wouldn't say the reveal itself was bad, it wasn't much of a twist for me. I had already been thinking along those lines since chapter one, so when it was finally confirmed, I mostly thought, "Yep, there it is."
This chapter was also where I struggled the most with the pacing and ended up skimming quite a bit.
By the seventh chapter, the protagonist had become increasingly aggressive, and personally, that made it even harder for me to stay emotionally invested. I ended up barely reading this chapter.
I think my biggest issue overall is that I wasn't entirely sure what the novella ultimately wanted to say.
I can see the themes: mental health, grief, trauma, memory, and the ways a person's perception of reality can become fractured. I really appreciated that there are certainly some interesting ideas here, and the novella had me hooked very early on. I just never quite understood what the central point was. What was it ultimately trying to show me? What was I supposed to take away from the protagonist's journey?
That lack of context made some of the stranger elements feel less like deliberate mystery and more like things I simply didn't understand. The "Minotaur" encounter is one example, but there were several moments where I found myself wondering whether I had missed something important.
Despite all that, I don't regret reading it. The first few chapters genuinely intrigued me, and I thought the concept was unusual and atmospheric. The mystery kept me going for quite a while, and I was interested enough to continue even after I started having doubts.
Unfortunately, for me, the story was at its most intriguing before the Disneyland chapter. From there, the pacing, tone, and increasingly explicit direction of the story made it harder for me to connect with what I was reading.
I think there is a really interesting story here about mental health, grief, trauma, and fractured memory. I just wish I had understood more clearly what the author wanted to do with those ideas.
I’m giving this 3 stars because there were definitely things I appreciated here, but unfortunately, I had more issues with the novella than things that fully worked for me.
The first chapter was probably my favorite. It did a great job of establishing the world and creating a mysterious, almost dreamlike atmosphere. Everything felt slightly off, but in an intriguing way, and I found myself wondering whether the young protagonist might be experiencing some kind of psychosis. It hooked me very quickly, and I was genuinely curious to see where the story would go.
The structure is interesting, with seven years passing between each chapter (by the end of the read you hopefully understand why the 7-year gaps). Each chapter presents another stage of the protagonist’s life, and there is always some kind of rupture that sends her running off somewhere. In the second chapter, she discovers that the teacher she has a crush on doesn't actually exist and never has. A ringing in her ears starts, and she leaves, much like she did in the first chapter.
Then we get a rock concert, a relationship with someone, an unexpected pregnancy, and once again the ringing starts and she runs away. A police officer finds her and lets her go, and she heads to New York - only for the pregnancy test to turn out negative.
By the fourth chapter, she's being proposed to by someone else, but the ringing returns and she runs away again. She meets someone who claims to be the Minotaur, which I found intriguing but also confusing because I don't think this was ever really explained, at least not in a way that made sense to me. Then she returns home alone, only to discover that her apartment isn't the same anymore. There are children's drawings on the fridge, and she apparently has a seven-year-old son (so the pregnancy did happen after all).
At this point, I was very much on board with the mystery.
The problem for me was that tho, as the novella progressed, I increasingly felt like I was missing some essential context. I’m generally very much in favor of "show, don't tell," but here I found myself wishing for a little more telling... Not necessarily an explanation of everything, but enough grounding to understand what I was actually supposed to take from some of these events.
The fifth chapter, for example, reveals more about her son and his father's identity, while also revealing that the protagonist has an unusual form of amnesia in which entire years of her life disappear. Then we suddenly end up at Disneyland. (?)
And honestly... Disneyland almost completely lost me.
This is probably partly a *me* problem because I am incredibly nitpicky about established theme parks appearing in books, and I also just don't particularly understand the whole Disney adult phenomenon... But beyond that personal bias, I really struggled to see how Disneyland fit into the atmosphere the novella had established up to that point. The earlier chapters had this strange, unsettling, almost mystical quality, and the Disneyland section felt like such a sharp tonal departure that it really pulled me out of the story.
I understand that this chapter is supposed to be about bonding with her son, but for me it ended up feeling more like the story was buying time than actually moving forward. This was where I started losing interest, and unfortunately, I never quite got it fully back.
The sixth chapter then confirmed something I had already suspected from the very beginning: the protagonist is on the schizophrenia spectrum. So while I wouldn't say the reveal itself was bad, it wasn't much of a twist for me. I had already been thinking along those lines since chapter one, so when it was finally confirmed, I mostly thought, "Yep, there it is."
This chapter was also where I struggled the most with the pacing and ended up skimming quite a bit.
By the seventh chapter, the protagonist had become increasingly aggressive, and personally, that made it even harder for me to stay emotionally invested. I ended up barely reading this chapter.
I think my biggest issue overall is that I wasn't entirely sure what the novella ultimately wanted to say.
I can see the themes: mental health, grief, trauma, memory, and the ways a person's perception of reality can become fractured. I really appreciated that there are certainly some interesting ideas here, and the novella had me hooked very early on. I just never quite understood what the central point was. What was it ultimately trying to show me? What was I supposed to take away from the protagonist's journey?
That lack of context made some of the stranger elements feel less like deliberate mystery and more like things I simply didn't understand. The "Minotaur" encounter is one example, but there were several moments where I found myself wondering whether I had missed something important.
Despite all that, I don't regret reading it. The first few chapters genuinely intrigued me, and I thought the concept was unusual and atmospheric. The mystery kept me going for quite a while, and I was interested enough to continue even after I started having doubts.
Unfortunately, for me, the story was at its most intriguing before the Disneyland chapter. From there, the pacing, tone, and increasingly explicit direction of the story made it harder for me to connect with what I was reading.
I think there is a really interesting story here about mental health, grief, trauma, and fractured memory. I just wish I had understood more clearly what the author wanted to do with those ideas.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I absolutely loved this one. Miller Rose Roberts is only around 125 pages, and I flew through it, but I was honestly surprised by how much story and emotion was packed into such a short book.
We follow Miller through her life in seven-year jumps, and I loved the way the story was told. Every time the mysterious high-pitched note appears, we move into another part of Miller's life, and I was completely invested in figuring out what was happening and where her story was going.
This is definitely one of those books where I don't want to say too much because I think it's better to experience it without knowing exactly what to expect. There were moments that completely caught me off guard and others that were genuinely heartbreaking. I did not expect to become this emotionally invested in Miller in only 125 pages.
I also loved how different this felt from anything I've read recently. It's psychological, emotional, a little strange, and incredibly engaging. There was never a point where I wanted to put it down. I just kept reading because I needed to know what was going to happen next.
For such a short book, this really packed a punch. I finished it quickly, but Miller's story definitely stayed with me afterward.
Such a great read and an easy 5 stars for me.
Thank you to Joseph Millson, Scorpius Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.
We follow Miller through her life in seven-year jumps, and I loved the way the story was told. Every time the mysterious high-pitched note appears, we move into another part of Miller's life, and I was completely invested in figuring out what was happening and where her story was going.
This is definitely one of those books where I don't want to say too much because I think it's better to experience it without knowing exactly what to expect. There were moments that completely caught me off guard and others that were genuinely heartbreaking. I did not expect to become this emotionally invested in Miller in only 125 pages.
I also loved how different this felt from anything I've read recently. It's psychological, emotional, a little strange, and incredibly engaging. There was never a point where I wanted to put it down. I just kept reading because I needed to know what was going to happen next.
For such a short book, this really packed a punch. I finished it quickly, but Miller's story definitely stayed with me afterward.
Such a great read and an easy 5 stars for me.
Thank you to Joseph Millson, Scorpius Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have to start by saying this is one of the most striking book covers I’ve ever seen. It was what first drew me in. After reading the synopsis on NetGalley, I requested the book immediately and was thrilled to be approved. I ended up diving into it the moment it arrived.
I loved this book. It was an excellent novella I flew through. Roughly 125 pages long and very psychologically thrilling, the story of Miller's life 7 years at a time was brilliantly written.
The storylines are deeply engaging and emotionally resonant. There was one particular section that was genuinely heartbreaking, yet it was written with such poignancy that I truly felt the weight of the moment. It is rare to find such emotional depth in such a concise format, but this book manages it perfectly.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read and highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates tight, psychological storytelling. Thank you to #NetGalley for providing the ARC!
I loved this book. It was an excellent novella I flew through. Roughly 125 pages long and very psychologically thrilling, the story of Miller's life 7 years at a time was brilliantly written.
The storylines are deeply engaging and emotionally resonant. There was one particular section that was genuinely heartbreaking, yet it was written with such poignancy that I truly felt the weight of the moment. It is rare to find such emotional depth in such a concise format, but this book manages it perfectly.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read and highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates tight, psychological storytelling. Thank you to #NetGalley for providing the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Weird in a good way and great writing. I can't find it in me to rate this under 5 star.
This book follows Miller Rose Roberts life. It starts in 1983 when Miller is 7. There are problems at home with her parents rowing. There's a noise in her head and she walks away from home just dressed in her pyjamas.
The book gives glimpses into Miller's life at seven year intervals after that. I guess this is more a short story than a book and I would really prefer not to say any more about the actual story. In less than 100 pages I think, this crams in more story, power and emotion than most books I've read I guess. It surprised me, it puzzled me, it angered me, it made me smile, it made me sad and it gave me hope. That will tell you all you need to know about the way the writing affected me!
I think I'd say if this interests/intrigues you just read it.
My thanks to the author and the publisher for an advance copy of this book
This book follows Miller Rose Roberts life. It starts in 1983 when Miller is 7. There are problems at home with her parents rowing. There's a noise in her head and she walks away from home just dressed in her pyjamas.
The book gives glimpses into Miller's life at seven year intervals after that. I guess this is more a short story than a book and I would really prefer not to say any more about the actual story. In less than 100 pages I think, this crams in more story, power and emotion than most books I've read I guess. It surprised me, it puzzled me, it angered me, it made me smile, it made me sad and it gave me hope. That will tell you all you need to know about the way the writing affected me!
I think I'd say if this interests/intrigues you just read it.
My thanks to the author and the publisher for an advance copy of this book
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A stunning novella which jumps between timelines exploring the fractured life of Miller Rose. Heart breaking and gut wrenching, 125 pages packs such a punch and I know I will be thinking about this for a long time.
Every seven years a high pitched note grabs hold of her and pulls her out of the life she’s grown accustomed to, propelling her into another chapter…seven years older in the blink of an eye. Reading the blurb I initially thought there might be some supernatural force at work, but as I started reading the pattern emerged to me - the high pitched noise drags Miller away from trauma and grief, like an innate protection pulling her away from danger.
I don’t want to give anything away, just take an hour and read this novella. Beautifully written, rich and full of emotion.
Every seven years a high pitched note grabs hold of her and pulls her out of the life she’s grown accustomed to, propelling her into another chapter…seven years older in the blink of an eye. Reading the blurb I initially thought there might be some supernatural force at work, but as I started reading the pattern emerged to me - the high pitched noise drags Miller away from trauma and grief, like an innate protection pulling her away from danger.
I don’t want to give anything away, just take an hour and read this novella. Beautifully written, rich and full of emotion.
August 4, 2026
What a bizarre and beautiful story! This novella sucked me in immediately and did not let me go until the very last word. It's 125 pages of brilliant literary fiction that is certain to appeal to fans of unusual literature. It is a sort of literary version of the 7Up documentary series that checks in on its participants every seven years, and here we see the development of a character from seven years old to 49 years of age. The narrative changes slightly with the protagonist's age, and her worldview does as well. It is fascinating, heart breaking, and truly vast for such a short work. It took me a little over an hour to read, and it will be sticking with me for a long time. I am often wary of men writing women's stories, but the author executed this work with skill and tenderness. A few Britishisms found their way into this American tale, but they did not pull me out of the story. Excellent book, highly recommended!
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 14, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I’m so conflicted about this book.
It definitely had me hooked very early, and I thought it was intriguing and a very different concept. The author unfortunately almost lost me at the Disney part (I’m incredibly nitpicky about established theme parks in books), but that’s definitely a me thing. I’m glad I kept with it though.
This book is emotional, powerful, and so interesting. It’s a very quick read but still holds so much story.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for my ARC of this book!
I’m so conflicted about this book.
It definitely had me hooked very early, and I thought it was intriguing and a very different concept. The author unfortunately almost lost me at the Disney part (I’m incredibly nitpicky about established theme parks in books), but that’s definitely a me thing. I’m glad I kept with it though.
This book is emotional, powerful, and so interesting. It’s a very quick read but still holds so much story.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for my ARC of this book!
August 19, 2026
A story about mental health, grief and trauma.
I didn't fully understand what was going on at some points, but I figured out that we were on a journey through Miller's mental health. The 7-year gaps were really interesting and, when you finish the book, I think you can come to understand why we're doing the 7-year gaps.
I went in completely blind and I really think that's the best way to read this book. Parts were sad and some were really motivating.
I feel like it's a book that makes you realise you have to take control of your life, otherwise you can end up in an unhealthy place.
I didn't fully understand what was going on at some points, but I figured out that we were on a journey through Miller's mental health. The 7-year gaps were really interesting and, when you finish the book, I think you can come to understand why we're doing the 7-year gaps.
I went in completely blind and I really think that's the best way to read this book. Parts were sad and some were really motivating.
I feel like it's a book that makes you realise you have to take control of your life, otherwise you can end up in an unhealthy place.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have a shelf called Weird Little Books, and this book belongs front and center. What a wonderful, weird little book. Miller Rose and reality have only a nodding acquaintence at the best of times. And when reality becomes just a little too much, Miller Rose hears a siren call that demands she walk away. An hour. A day. Seven years. However long she's gone, she never returns to the same reality. Utterly brilliant and highly recommended.
September 1, 2026
Even though this was a short novella, there was plenty of content to keep me interested and reading until the end. There were some sensitive subjects, including mental health and grief but they were handled with care. I found the story interesting, entertaining and beautifully written and I will definitely read more by the author. I highly recommend it.
💜 Thank you to Literally PR, the author Joseph Millson and the publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
💜 Thank you to Literally PR, the author Joseph Millson and the publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Miller Rose Roberts is a thriller novella ,about 125 pages about Millers life over the course of 7 years. I really liked how invested in could get into the story, I found myself shocked with how much emotion was packed into so little pages.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scorpius Books for the ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scorpius Books for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
📚 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲.
I don't usually gravitate towards literary fiction, so discovering a book like this was such a wonderful surprise.
The insights arise so naturally from Miller's lived experience, and the way her voice changes with each seven-year jump made every stage of her life feel completely authentic. It isn't beautiful prose for the sake of it—it uses language to illuminate the character.
The final chapter wasn't quite the payoff I was hoping for, but it wasn't enough to diminish everything that came before. This is one of those rare books that quietly settles into your thoughts and refuses to leave.
Thank you to Joseph Millson, Scorpius Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.
🎉 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻!
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗶𝘂𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲! 𝗜 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲!
I don't usually gravitate towards literary fiction, so discovering a book like this was such a wonderful surprise.
The insights arise so naturally from Miller's lived experience, and the way her voice changes with each seven-year jump made every stage of her life feel completely authentic. It isn't beautiful prose for the sake of it—it uses language to illuminate the character.
The final chapter wasn't quite the payoff I was hoping for, but it wasn't enough to diminish everything that came before. This is one of those rare books that quietly settles into your thoughts and refuses to leave.
Thank you to Joseph Millson, Scorpius Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.
🎉 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻!
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗶𝘂𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲! 𝗜 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was an interesting novella! There is a lot packed into such a fast paced little book. We get glimpses into Miller's life over the years, and it's interesting to see her grow and evolve as she ages. Every time the years jump, you are drawn into what is currently happening in Miller's life, and you sit there wondering what change is awaiting her next. Thank you very much to NetGalley and Scorpius for the ARC and the opportunity to provide my honest review.
August 30, 2026
Review of advance copy received for tour.
When Miller hears an unusual high note during certain times in her life, she knows it is time to start walking and see where she ends up.
This cycle happens every seven years and we follow Miller’s journey at that period of time, which starts in the 80s, includes a child she doesn’t remember, and finishes in 2025.
For a novella, this does pack a lot in. I found this to be an intriguing and novel idea for a story. Although this is a quick read, it is a story that will stay with me for a while, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since.
Miller’s story is one that includes mental health issues, trauma and grief. Her pain comes through in the writing and I found myself feeling very sorry for her.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked his style of writing and have downloaded his memoir to read.
When Miller hears an unusual high note during certain times in her life, she knows it is time to start walking and see where she ends up.
This cycle happens every seven years and we follow Miller’s journey at that period of time, which starts in the 80s, includes a child she doesn’t remember, and finishes in 2025.
For a novella, this does pack a lot in. I found this to be an intriguing and novel idea for a story. Although this is a quick read, it is a story that will stay with me for a while, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since.
Miller’s story is one that includes mental health issues, trauma and grief. Her pain comes through in the writing and I found myself feeling very sorry for her.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked his style of writing and have downloaded his memoir to read.
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