Incarnate

by Alma Katsu

From beloved horror maven Alma Katsu comes a terrifying reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray for the internet age.

Beauty doesn’t fade. It feeds.

Dorothy Wagner has spent her whole life wanting nothing more than to be seen. But after failing to make her mark (any mark, really) as an influencer, she takes a job at a company focused on cutting-edge deepfake technology. And there, in secret, is where she creates her salvation.

Isabella. An impossibly gorgeous girl who takes social media by storm. Dorothy's code is brilliant, and Isabella seems real. So real that she garners millions of followers. Brands beg to partner with her. Everyone wants to meet her IRL. The adoration—and the cash—flows in. Dorothy is finally happy. She's getting all the attention she ever wanted—isn't she?

Then the cracks begin to show. Dorothy can barely stay ahead of the partnership requests, and love letters and the rabid fans filling her DMs trying to track Isabella down. All this time working in secret with all this pressure is getting to Dorothy—she can’t tell where she ends, and her creation begins. And when someone gets a little too close to her secret, a violent confrontation sends Dorothy on the run, forcing her to confront what she’s willing to sacrifice to keep her secrets.

A modern reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Alma Katsu’s Incarnate is an illuminating, haunting tale of algorithmic worship and beauty that can kill.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Retellings, Adult, Thriller, Social Media, Horror Thriller

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication September 22, 2026

About the author

"Hard to put down. Not recommended reading after dark." -- Stephen King

"Makes the supernatural seem possible" -- Publishers Weekly

Award-winning author of eight novels, including historical horror (The Hunger, The Deep, The Fervor) and spy novels (Red Widow, Red London). Coming September 2025: FIEND (Putnam)

Reviews

[Dutchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you ever were curious about social influencing, deepfakes, and body horror then this right here is the book for you.

Dorothy has always been more of an introvert with an amazing sense of eye for creating deepfake images. Outside of her normal workload, she has been putting extra hours into creating something more personal, a perfect woman whom she names, Isabella. With minimal effort, Isabella’s profile begins trending faster than normal, and Dorothy finds herself in a bit of a predicament as no one knows Isabella is not real. Or is she? Things begin to happen to Dorothy that she just can’t quite explain.

I have to admit I picked this one up solely based on the cover, so I was unaware of what it was really about besides the genre. This was one of those that hooked me from the first few pages. It was definitely interesting to say the least. I appreciated the level of detail that was put into the technological aspect of Dorothy’s job as well as the behind-the-scenes look at what goes into social influencing (besides the obvious). The horror elements were interspersed throughout to give it a bit of a different flair without it being over the top. I wasn’t trying to figure out what was going on or question anything; I was just along for the journey.

This is my first novel by this author, and I will definitely be looking into their backlist.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

**4.5-stars**

I was sold on Incarnate after seeing it described as a reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray, one of my favorite Gothic novels of all time, but for the internet age?

How was Katsu going to spin this? I had to find out.



In this story, we're following Dorothy Wagner, a VFX designer, who has always wanted to standout and be noticed. Dorothy was bullied terribly when she was younger, but she's come a long way since then. Old insecurities are hard to totally shake though, and she constantly feels like she needs to prove herself.

After she gets a job with a small upstart company that's focused on cutting-edge deep fake technology, her abilities to standout start to grow. The owner of the company, Tomas, who has a lot of nervous energy, but boundless knowledge, becomes a bit of mentor for Dorothy.

She learns so much from him that she's able to master the tech, and in her free time, she creates Isabella. The perfect girl, who takes social media by storm.



Everyone wants to be Isabella, and Dorothy finally feels like she's reaching her own potential, but as the partnership requests roll in, and the money starts to flow, the inevitable cracks start to show.

I know that rhymes. How perfect. Just like Isabella.



I thought this was incredibly-creative and it's actually my favorite Alma Katsu to date. They say to write what you know, and she definitely took that advice here. In the mid-2000s, Katsu was one of the US Intelligence community's 1st Social Media Researchers.

This book is a fantastic exploration of social media's influence in our lives, and some potential unintended consequences of disruptive technologies.

Framing the story as a The Picture of Dorian Gray retelling was a brilliant choice, IMO. It did drag just a touch for me at the end, but overall, it was a fantastic reading experience.



I loved the body horror bits Katsu included and definitely was impressed with how dark she actually ended up taking this story. Once Dorothy starts spiraling, she really starts spiraling. It was hard to predict how it could possibly end.

I would recommend this to any dark fiction Reader. It's a great melding of Techno-Thriller and Social Horror, with a dash of fantastical. I really appreciated all the pertinent issues that Katsu explored here. I think this would be a stellar book club pick, as there's so much to discuss.



Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to get a hard copy of this one for my collection!

[Becky Spratford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in the July 2026 issue of Booklist and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2026/07... (link live on 7/8/26 at 7am central)

4.5 stars

Three Words That Describe This Book: retelling, squirm inducing, deal with the devil

There is body horror here as well-- VERY EFFECTIVELY USED body horror. Think the movie The Substance. But full disclosure, unlike the movie, this book has a satisfying ending that closes the loop of the story here and leave the horror itself open ended. And in fact, the last lines of this book are chilling and a little too real. So well done there.

The marketing on this one is correct. This is a retelling of the Picture of Dorian Gray by Wilde but for this exact moment. This was VERY well done. I can imagine how this book will make you feel (really uncomfortable because you see yourself in it and also terrified) is how Wilde's book made people feel at its time.

This book is so uncomfortable to read for so many reasons. Dorothy (our MC and narrator) is clearly making the wrong choices. We know from the prologue that she has some evil tendencies, but OH MY GOD does she make bad choices. And then we watch her continue to make bad choices, they are spiraling, and yet, as readers, we cannot look away. We fell her joy as she gets more and more followers. We know that there is a supernatural force behind it all though. This is revealed at the beginning of her journey to create the perfect influencer-- Isabella. She has to agree to some force that clearly has access to everything she is doing, even her thoughts-- she has to agree that she will pay a further price to have all the glory.

As Dorothy goes deeper and deeper into her deep fake of Isabella, things get bad. Yes she makes bad choices and chooses to lie cheat and steal to get the technology she needs. Yes she throws away an amazing opportunity to be not he ground floor of a VR company. Yes she compromises all of her relationships-- work, friends, family. YEs she makes a faustian deal with an unknown but powerful demon. All of these choices make the reader squirm with discomfort. But then, about halfway through-- after you are invested in Dorothy (you know she is not someone you should trust and like, but also you can't stop watching her, which is discomfiting on its own) Katsu take everything up an other notch. I will not give it away because WOW it is gross and fascinating, but it is also what takes the story from a scary cautionary retelling to a wholly original and stand alone horror novel for our times. And written by someone who was a national security analyst looking at the horror and harm social media could cause back in the days before anyone else was looking at it.

This book move quickly and yet it does not feel rushed. I kept turning the pages and was hooked. Then I looked up and I was like, wait...75 pages just went by when I blinked.

For readers who like faustian bargains, in the vein of All's Well by Awad, We Sold Our Souls by Hendrix, and especially The Substance (movie). People who enjoyed Bury Your Gays by Tingle will also like this one-- the way it seriously tackles the horror of AI while still being a satisfying horror novel. Youth Juice by Sathue

But really this book is singular and not exactly like any of these. It really is an effective and terrifying retelling of the Wilde.

[Olive Fellows (abookolive)]

The Picture of Dorian Gray for the digital era?!?! Oscar Wilde fans ASSEMBLE!!!!

Click here to hear more about this book and my other anticipated releases of the upcoming quarter over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!

[Mai H.]

ANHPI TBR

Halloween TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons

[Nikki Lee (Nikkileethrillseeker) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy shit, this was some straight influencer hell. When I started this, I had absolutely no idea where this was going. All I knew was that it was about the tech industry. That’s it. I finished it in 24 hours, so that should tell you my level of excitement to finish it!

Dorothy flies across the country to accept an intern position for a small company that creates cutting edge AI. She has excellent coding skills but wants to learn more.

One night, she creates her own AI Avatar, who’s incredibly beautiful, with her boss’s files. Meet Isabella. She decides to put her on Instagram and see what happens. Little does she know how powerful Isabella is about to become. Be careful for what you wish for.

Let’s just say things escalate from there. 😳😳😳 WOW! This was such an original story featuring AI technology. Incarnate is like nothing you’ve read before! Believe that. Dorothy continues to make the most hideous decisions but you can’t look away from the terrible trainwreck coming.

There’s lots of focus on influencer life, however, it’s highly fascinating! Themes here are power, beauty, the longing to be seen, and the addiction to social media and its users. There’s so much truth about the story in today’s culture and that’s downright sad. Scary even.

The substance meets The Picture of Dorian Gray. I freaking loved this book and I think horror fans will too. This is one you’ll definitely want to pre-order! Add it to your TBR NOW!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BTW, after reading her Afterward, I went down a huge rabbit hole. 😆😆
— Fun fact— Alma Katsu was a senior intelligence analyst for the federal government. NO SHIT.

Out 9/22/26

Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam Books for the arc.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

*spoilers*
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of Incarnate by Alma Katsu. The book starts out with the FMC having a rough time when she was a teenager, always being bullied and never fitting in. Fast forward to being fresh out of college and working with social media and AI. She vies for respect, admiration and relevancy in her job and in her personal life. She lands a perfect job, however, cannot get the feeling like she still needs more and so she creates her perfect avatar created using AI and plasters it on social media... it falls flat to her dismay. She receives a message from an unknown sender asking if she would like help getting her notoriety BUT for a price. She agrees and the attention, likes and comments start rolling in and she starts to feel powerful. But there comes a problem... and she playing with fire. Soon, she begins to notice her physical appearance is changing; morphing to look like her AI created avatar and things start to get very weird. The MC is having trouble keeping her secrets from everyone and things start to get deadly.
I think the premise of the story was well intended. Especially nowadays when social media and AI are so often seen and used on all platforms and influencers trying to stay relevant and get paid. I just didn't like the FMC or any other character. I did in the beginning feel sorry for the FMC but then when she started getting noticed and the notoriety for the avatar, she just had this ugly soul and I couldn't like her for anything. Another thing I didn't care for much was the plot holes with appearance and when she started morphing into her avatar.. I felt there could have been more creative ways to fix that but it was more like an easy-out for the way she handled it in the book. This book also reminded me of the Picture of Dorian Gray alot and I'm thinking maybe Alma Katsu was basing off her book loosely with that one? I'm not sure. This is my second book from the author. I absolutely, hands-down loved The Hunger and was hoping for a similar feeling with Incarnate but it fell flat to me.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dorothy is looking for relevance, respect, and perhaps a touch of notoriety. She manipulates reality using methods that may not be wholly honest nor of-this-world, and Katsu takes us into a mind-bending tour of this pseudo-make-believe world.

There were aspects of the novel that I loved. The representation of social media and the influencer label was spot-on, in my opinion. Falsities made to sparkle and shine to bring in fame and power. I could relate to that desire for attention. And the ending, but I'll get to that later.

There were other aspects, however, that fell flat for me. I felt that the author did a lot of telling with too much description and depth at times. Little inconsistencies popped up here and there, one of which I couldn't get past, and it kept bugging me as I read. I can't go into detail because of spoilers, but it had to do with appearance and recognition. Also, everyone around the MC didn't seem realistic to me. They were more like clueless NPCs, and I had a hard time suspending my belief.

Having said all of that, this had one of the most well done endings I've read in a while. Katsu absolutely stuck the landing here. No loose ends, and it wasn't done in a rushed way. So good.

I will always recommend Alma Katsu to readers because I find her stories relatable and easy to read. Although this wasn't my favorite, I will do the same with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

[From The Reader’s Nest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy and way too realistic book on how much we can become identified and addicted to an online persona and habits. Very entertaining!

[Denise Ruttan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Alma Katsu's writing, so even though books about influencer culture are generally flops for me even though I think that's a great vehicle for fiction, I decided to try her take on a Picture of Dorian Gray for the digital age. Fun premise. But this wasn't my favorite book of hers and that surprised me.

Dorothy is a VFX designer who is an extreme introvert. She struggled with childhood bullying from other girls, and female friendships all her life. She has no friends and spends all her time working. She takes a risk and reaches out to her idol, Tomas, who creates convincing deepfakes without AI. He's starting a business and asks her to come work for him, and she moves her life to LA. They create a deepfake of a famous pop singer, and Dorothy, who lives on her phone but is a lurker there too, has always dreamed of becoming an influencer.

She steals from Tomas's work to create her own avatar called Isabella, and becomes obsessed with her side project. A troll reaches out to her and promises her stardom, but there will be a cost. Thinking he's full of shit, she agrees. She becomes an overnight sensation. Then her body starts changing, in a spot of body horror reminiscent of The Substance.

But she struggles being an influencer too because she bungles all her social interactions in the real world. And how long can her new, beautiful life last before the devil comes to collect his due?

I did enjoy the look at Internet culture. The author's background in intelligence related to emerging technologies really shines through here. I found it convincing that the devil was online offering bargains for Internet fame.

But where this fell short for me was for a book by an author advertised as a horror maven, this wasn't really horror to me. The body horror was creepy, but this felt more like a true crime story, women's fiction, or contemporary, with a critical commentary on the dangers of internet culture. It just wasn't creepy enough.

Then I felt the character development fell short. I'm okay with unlikable characters but I found Dorothy incredibly unlikable, when I really wanted to root for her and feel sympathetic to her plight. At first I related to her because I too have struggled with female friendships and bullying from women. But then I found it weird that she didn't have any friends at all, not even an online friend. I have friends, mostly online. Introverts do have friends.

And I struggled with her motivations. I could not understand her motivations for wanting to become an influencer because of her childhood trauma around cyberbullying. She didn't seem like a narcissist or vain. I found her to be a pretty flat, arrogant character. I also struggled with how all the women in this were so mean and toxic. It made Dorothy seem like a pick me girl who had a lot of internalized misogyny, a very annoying character type.

Sadly this one was a miss for me, but I still hope to read more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[She’s Stranger Than Fiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1981, there was a movie called “Looker”. A plastic surgeon realizes his supermodel clients are dying. He eventually learns a company who could create computer generated images of models and use them to replace the models and actors themselves. This book made me think about that movie and realize that we are now realizing the technology that was sci fi in 1981.
Dorothy, the main character in Incarnate, works in AI, fine tuning AI simulacra into flawless deepfakes. She creates a character and launches her into social media. She is soon offered the opportunity to leave her physically and socially unremarkable self behind and become a social media It Girl, but there is always a price.
This book is filled with psychological obsessions, unethical compulsions, and sheer terror as the proverbial chickens come home to roost. This book is well-written and compelling. Dorothy is a multilayered morally grey character with a penchant for self-pity and paranoia. As she changes and grows, the reader can see how this story could go either way based on Dorothy’s choices. As Dorothy’s character arc picks up steam, the book ramps up the tension all the way to the surprising (though not spectacular) end. Recommend everyone give this one a try.

This is an honest review of an ARC from NetGalley and graciously shared by Penguin Random House and Alma Katsu. Thank you for the opportunity to enjoy this book.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was like a mix of The Substance & Julie Chan is Dead

[Brice Montgomery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley & Putnam for the ARC!

Alma Katsu’s Incarnate is a woefully outdated tech fable built around an influencer culture that hasn’t existed in at least a decade.


The premise feels almost like a spoiler because Incarnate never moves beyond it, but it certainly has some Black Mirror appeal: a young woman who was bullied as a child makes a virtual avatar and skyrockets to overnight fame with the help of some mysterious entity. That’s it. Black Mirror works—on occasion, at least—because it understands that technology is a simple tool for reflecting the complexities of the human condition. Incarnate does the opposite at every turn, needlessly convoluting its understanding of tech to reveal a simplistic understanding of what it means to be human.

As a result, the novel’s central theme rings hollow and cliché: Social media isn’t real life, and fame isn’t everything.

To the story’s detriment, Katsu relies on a superficial familiarity with real-world and anachronistic touchpoints in a way that forces readers to take the novel at face value. We read about Mr. Beast because the book doesn’t understand him enough to transpose his equivalent into a heightened world. He has a lot of followers. That must mean something, right? Likewise, there’s handwringing over SonaAI—a thinly veiled reference to the now-defunct Sora—but there’s no real understanding of the ethical or aesthetic concerns surrounding such platforms. In fact, Katsu seems to think the threat is that they democratize excellence, rather than that they cheapen expertise. Most critically, however, the author grossly overestimates the role of influencers in society, and it saps all momentum from the book.

It’s 2026, and we’re already pretty deep into the dead internet. We don’t have the kind of monoculture that would produce prestigious thinkpieces on a single influencer, nor do influencers have the social capital they once did. Incarnate seems to think that Swiftie-level devotion follows virality, and that the possibility of a digital influencer would inspire mystique. But when more than 60% of real-life companies are using virtual influencers and it increasingly seems like Instagram has been cannibalized by AI OnlyFans accounts, these are irrelevant concerns. We now all recognize that we are consumers, and we care less about authenticity than about getting the experience we want.

These might just sound like stylistic nitpicks, but because Incarnate is so self-congratulatory in its moral critique, they make the book feel actively unhelpful. For example, in the novel’s final third, a pervy influencer is exposed as a perv, and the author writes:

“Society has weaponized women’s natural empathy against them. These two girls have been conditioned from birth to take the man’s side, to give men the benefit of the doubt while, at the same time, being suspicious of what a woman says. It’s ingrained by the time they’re this age, not realizing the unconscious bias that kicks in and makes them doubt even video evidence. Pics or it didn’t happen. Yeah, turns out even pics won’t sway some minds.”

Aside from the 2012ness of “pics or it didn’t happen,” the bigger issue is that we have societally decayed far more than Katsu seems to realize. If you’ve paid any attention to cultural discourse in the past five years, we are no longer conditioned to doubt whether men are predators; we are encouraged to believe that it doesn’t matter if they are. Those nuances matter when a book wants to trade in nuance.

In the novel’s afterward, Alma Katsu waxes poetic on her expertise as a technology forecaster in the early 2000s, and while much of what she describes feels resonant, it also strikes me as someone who still views the internet as a place one goes, rather than the primary place people live. The damning problem with Incarnate is that it refuses to acknowledge that we’re still not sure where technology is going, so it can't possibly be interesting or scary. Certainty is the enemy of drama.

Skip this one.

[Kelly Dienes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Dorothy is a young VFX artist working for this guy Tomas who produces advanced deepfake AI technology. She is SUPER talented at the job, and very valued by Tomas, but otherwise she's always been a completely unremarkable person. I guess other than the incident she had with her classmates in middle school that she's been distancing herself from for 10 years. But she knows she's talented and she knows she can create something magnificent.

So she secretly uses Tomas's programs to create Isabella, a hyper-realistic instagram influencer who inexplicably catapults to an insane level of internet fame almost immediately... after Dorothy offhandedly accepts a vague deal for success at an unknown price from a random anonymous message.

Isabella is widely adored, but Dorothy doesn't have enough hours in her day to keep painstakingly creating content for her while also doing her work for Tomas. Until she begins to physically change. In a short amount of time her body morphs into that of Isabella, and voila, she no longer needs the deepfake technology.

But shit goes down and she starts to fear she made a deal with the devil. And worse... maybe she's had these self-serving psychopathic inclinations all along.

Being a big fan of The Picture of Dorian Gray, I enjoyed how that device was used in this story, and I think it was executed well. It's also clear that the author has vast knowledge on this topic, having previously worked as someone who predicts the outcomes of new technology. Oh and I loved the part with the creepypasta, that really hooked me.

That said, there were things that bothered me. I wasn't a huge fan of the prose. And who the HELL is Dorothy's roommate and why are there no scenes with her? A complete non-entity. Also I was confused because I thought at the beginning her name was Marta but then it became Kim? Or maybe Marta was temporary and I just forgot, but like why even have that detail then, if these characters literally don't matter? For the first half or maybe two thirds of the book, every scene is of Dorothy working at the office, and this got so boring for me. A couples scenes of her and her roommate at home spliced in there would have made it more interesting and improved the pacing. Maybe the point is that Dorothy is thoroughly one-track-minded but still. Most characters in this book are completely irrelevant and not developed. Another thing was that Dorothy initially made it seem like Isabella was in the process of learning English, but that fell away super fast; she suddenly just talks like a native speaker and it's never mentioned again. And how the hell does she have enough money to laze around Europe for two years after she flees the country? It's unclear how much money she makes off Isabella, but she implies that it's not THAT much. Idk, I'm confused. The ending also dragged a lot for me. That said, I liked the very end, with her mangled corpse visually displaying all the damage she'd caused others along her way to fame and success. Gonna reread Dorian Gray soon after this!

[Bora Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

—

A Dorian Gray reimagining for the internet age, why wouldn’t this be a fantastic idea? Especially by an author who’s had an extensive career as an intelligence analyst for the NSA and CIA. Alma Katsu’s work as a technology forecaster and social media researcher (actually, one of the firsts) gives her unparalleled knowledge of its effects on our society.

Katsu’s commentary will have you examining your own place within the social media hub, how you contribute to its culture, and hopefully spark ongoing conversations about the very real dangers of technology and the ways we can protect ourselves and those most vulnerable.

Generative AI has disappointingly infected every space imaginable. Social media, while it can be a beacon for positivity, also harbors the worst evils.

Dorothy, our main girl, inevitably falls into the trappings of social media’s perverse culture. Ordinary is what we all are, but on the internet? We can become whoever we want. The possibilities are endless. The enticement of “instant” success is enough to draw anyone in. But Dorothy is just one in a sea of many, all of whom are vying for attention, to be at the top. If you’re successful, it must mean you’re worth loving and respecting. Dorothy and Dorian. Both want nothing but perfection, for people to notice their worth. To what lengths would someone go to secure their chance at fame?

I’ll spoil it for you!!! SHE IS CRAZY—I mean passionate about what she does :) Love her, hate her, twas quite the fun watching her life turn upside down. Vague and suspicious prologue, but by the end, you’ll read it back again and gasp at how much you missed.

Was going to rate this 4 stars, but 5 stars will do because every time I open my phone to check Instagram or Twitter now, all I can think about is if there’s someone on the other end who has sold their soul to stay beautiful, young, and RELEVANT.

I think this novel was brilliant. Fans of Dorian Gray/ the horror genre will undoubtedly devour this novel. If you are someone who loves watching social commentary videos (YouTube essays) about influencers (or on anything really), “a day in my life” types of videos, and perhaps wonder about the psychological state of people in this industry (be it your favorite influencer, celebrity, streamer, artist, etc.), then you must give this book a try. ALSO had a little bit of “The Substance” vibe to it. Take what you will from that.

[Firetruckmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.

“Incarnate” is by Alma Katsu. On one hand, this book was fascinating - what if AI met Portrait of Dorian Gray? I have to admit, I read this book in one night - at times it was really interesting (fine, I find AI from a technical angle fascinating and I’ll admit to liking the comment about the nVidia chips costing more than a house mortgage - yes!) and at other times, a bit sloppy. The book takes place a few years ago - which I think is important to remember while reading this book - the ending takes place two/three years after the main story (could be in the future, could be 2026; I read it as 2026). AI and technology has changed so quickly over the past five years that it’s both amazing and terrifying. Being able to identify AI is becoming a necessary skill (both in writing and in imagery/videos). There are now AI actors/actresses (Tilly Norwood) so the ideas in this book aren’t that far fetched - regarding the technology. Overall, I found this book engaging - even if some of the details were a bit sloppy (did Dot get a new roommate because it went from Marta to Kim over a few chapters; Dot went from poor to off-shore accounts within a few months without it being really explained) and a bit odd (Dot picking over her hero and noting that she’s not as perfect IRL as online felt weirdly out of context as Dot isn’t perfect and knows it - a catty comment once is catty, dwelling felt overstated). Dot came across as, generally, unlikable - smart yes, but unlikeable and while that was obviously intentional, Dot’s whinging about her job, her coworkers, and all that felt … overboard or maybe it was some weird GenZ type of angst thing? I don’t know. The writing I found engaging and the overall storyline I also found interesting, but I think because technology moves so quickly, this book will be regarded as outdated possibly within six months of publishing - which is why I have to restate, if this book ends in 2026, it’s fine and everything works out. Interesting idea, interesting read, and food for thought - in a slightly macabre way. I liked this book because I had to think while reading it, but I didn’t love the book. 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4.

[Cindi]

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing this ARC.

Have you read The Picture of Dorian Grey? You haven't read it like this! I'll admit, Alma Katsu is an auto-read author for me by now. So I was very excited to get to read and review this one. There is some body horror in this one, but the story needs it.
Dorothy is interested in a bit of a different career, one her family doesn't understand. She is interested in Visual Special Effects (VSX), and while attending college, she found and online artist doing the type of work she is most interested in. One night, she decided to take a chance and send the artist a message and they soon start exchanging messages, then he asks if she would like to do a little remote work for him, just cleaning up and archiving files. And, when he starts his own business, he hires her for ground floor work for experience. Dorothy took a huge chance and went out against her parents wishes to accept the job. While doing her usual work in the office, she also works on some of her side projects until one day she created Isabella, a perfect woman, and creates social media profiles for some reactions. Is Isabella a real person? When Isabella's profile started trending faster than expected, strange things started happening ....

As I said, this is an auto read author for me, so I didn't read the summary at all before starting to read. I was quickly and thoroughly pulled into the story and had a hard time putting it down for anything. I know almost nothing about VSX, so I can't comment on how authentic the descriptions are, but I feel like the author did a good job of researching and explaining the different aspects, including the social media influencer details. The horror elements were combined throughout the story; this gave the story a different sort of effect. I didn't try to solve the mystery of it all, I just trusted Katsu and went along for the journey.

I am eagerly anticipating the release of the book on Sept 22 so I can get an audio version and explore this story again. I think classical readers would enjoy this as well as light suspense readers and anyone looking into social media, influencers and those interested in the deepfake topics.

4.5 stars

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Strange times call for strange acts, but apparently all time periods call for Dorian Gray style bargains. What aren't we willing to do or sacrifice to level up? In this newest horror from Katsu, readers explore exactly this question in what feels like a very realistic - and troubling - scenario.

Readers first meet Dorothy in a flashback to her earlier school life. We get enough info to know something has gone terribly wrong but not so much that we understand exactly what or how deep Dorothy's involvement goes. This is an outstanding setup for this novel, which hinges on who Dorothy is and how far she is willing to go. In the background, this initial incident - and the questions surrounding it - LOOM. This all makes for a lot of uncertainty and distrust, which is exactly what I needed from this, uh, quirky character to buy into this plot.

As an adult - a young one at that - Dorothy is quite skilled and well positioned to do some less savory professional things, including creating Isabella, whom(? which?) Dorothy tries to pass off as a human woman. Dorothy is that good. She doesn't do this on just her skills and positionality, though. You certainly saw the Dorian Gray reference. Where does the horror come in aside from the merging of human and AI? Be on the lookout for how Dorothy changes. It's not just her mind that's becoming unrecognizable.

I found so much of this book disturbing and thought provoking, and these are compliments under the circumstances (horror). Folks dialed into pop culture at all will find some intriguing matches to _The Substance_ at times (though there are some marked distinctions, too). I had a great time thinking about how far we're going, how far individual people (women mostly but not exclusively) will go to looks max, and where the ever shifting lines are at this moment. There were definitely some areas I wanted to know more about and some threads I wanted tied up, but overall, this is a disturbing adventure that I enjoyed.

I'll look forward to reading more from this author. This was an impactful first experience to be sure!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Sofie Parker at Penguin Random House for this widget, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Mattie B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I'm thoroughly impressed by so much of this. I'm never disappointed by Alma Katsu's work, and her intelligence and knowledge about technology and its effects on society is woven so intricately in Dorothy's story. This was such an interesting look into the behind the scenes of influencer culture, AI-generated influencers and actors, and the harmful effects of social media and technology addiction. This had so much to say about how social media and AI has changed the way we go about living in a world with so much access to information through the internet and the access we have to others' lives. There's a big conversation to be had about the detrimental effects of social media usage and AI, especially on younger generations, and this is a great way to open up that conversation.

As far as the overall story itself, I really enjoyed the tension that grew throughout the book and how Dorothy combated the challenges she brought upon herself as she navigated her need and want for attention through deep-fake technology. She is a frustrating character because you want to scream at her for making decisions you know will cause more harm to herself and those around her. But this naivety is so relevant to the message that is being sent through this narrative. One of my critiques is that I wish we had a dual-timeline with a look into her past difficulties with her bullies to see how that impacted the decisions she made as an adult. We still got a sense of how it impacted Dorothy, but I wanted a little more from that portion of her life. I also felt that the ending wrapped up a little quickly, but not quickly enough to deter me from liking it. For the length, I felt the way it ended worked out really well.

I really enjoyed my time with this, and like I said, I'm never disappointed with Alma Katsu's work. She's an incredibly intelligent writer and I look forward to picking up more from her in the future.
This title releases September 22, 2026 and I highly recommend you pick it up!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Jazisunray Skillern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alma Katsu’s Incarnate is an electrifying and chilling exploration of identity, technology, and the hunger for validation in the digital age. Dorothy Wagner’s journey, from obscurity to notoriety through her digital creation, Isabella, is both a cautionary and compelling tale that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt invisible in a world obsessed with visibility.

Katsu masterfully weaves suspense and psychological insight, immersing readers in Dorothy’s desperate need to be seen and her ingenious—yet dangerous—solution. The depiction of deepfake technology is as fascinating as it is unsettling, shining a light on the blurred boundaries between reality and illusion in our algorithm-driven lives. Isabella’s rise to fame is rendered with a keen understanding of internet culture, making her almost as real to the reader as she is to Dorothy’s online followers.

The tension escalates as Dorothy’s secret threatens to unravel, building to a pulse-pounding climax that forces her to reckon with the cost of her ambitions. Katsu’s prose is sharp and evocative, and her modern retelling of a classic story feels both timely and timeless.

Incarnate stands out as a compelling meditation on the nature of authenticity, the dangers of digital fame, and the sacrifices we make to be noticed. Haunting, insightful, and impossible to put down—a must-read for fans of contemporary thrillers and speculative fiction.

Thank you, Alma Katsu, Putnam, and NetGalley, for the ARC.
The tension escalates as Dorothy’s secret threatens to unravel, building to a pulse-pounding climax that forces her to reckon with the cost of her ambitions. Katsu’s prose is sharp and evocative, and her modern retelling of a classic story feels both timely and timeless.

Incarnate stands out as a compelling meditation on the nature of authenticity, the dangers of digital fame, and the sacrifices we make to be noticed. Haunting, insightful, and impossible to put down—a must-read for fans of contemporary thrillers and speculative fiction.

[Jensen McCorkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incarnate is an ambitious blend of psychological horror, modern Gothic fiction, and social commentary that reimagines The Picture of Dorian Gray for the age of AI, deepfakes, and influencer culture. Rather than focusing on the technology itself, Alma Katsu explores the timeless human longing to be admired, envied, and truly seen.

The novel's greatest strength is its atmosphere. Instead of relying on relentless scares, Katsu creates a creeping sense of unease that intensifies with every chapter. Much of the horror stems from Dorothy's psychological unraveling, while elements of body horror and the supernatural deepen the growing sense of dread. The parallels to The Picture of Dorian Gray feel purposeful and fresh, successfully translating Wilde's themes into a world where image and perception often carry more weight than reality.

The first half unfolds at a measured pace, devoting considerable attention to Dorothy's isolation and Isabella's meteoric rise to online fame. Although the slow-burn approach ultimately pays off, readers expecting immediate thrills may find the buildup a bit prolonged. Likewise, the novel's commentary on influencer culture and artificial intelligence occasionally feels heavy-handed, but it's grounded by the emotional complexity of Dorothy's journey.

Overall, Incarnate stands out because it raises unsettling questions that linger long after the final page. In an era defined by carefully curated identities and manufactured perfection, Katsu delivers a horror novel that feels both eerily relevant and unsettlingly believable. Creepy, thought-provoking, and haunting, Incarnate is one of her most contemporary works and a strong recommendation for readers who appreciate psychological horror paired with incisive social commentary.

[Suhey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

Be careful what you wish for! While this book was Alma Katsu's version of a 21st century Dorian Gray, it is also very much a call back to real deal fairy tales, which she also touches upon in Incarnate. Long gone though, are the fantastical creatures and instead, what we have is social media and the endless well of desire and insecurity that it has created and left in its wake.

The book follows Dorothy, a VFX artist who is just starting out creating avatars of real life artists with ai, and then proceeds to take us on her journey of becoming her own VFX ai creation: Isabella (with the help of an unseen force). It absolutely blends tech, fantasy and body horror within a social media landscape and it does it perfectly.

I loved that it explores how far someone would go to keep whatever validation they have found online, but also, asks you, what would you do if you were given this chance? Dorothy acts as an intermediary of sorts often acting as a voice of reason -shes smart, capable but also, ruthless. Its a push and pull between who we are on the inside vs what others perceive us to be. And how do our own experiences -from our teenage years onward color our actions. That whole things with the girls from school, what a revelation. The book also explores what role technology can play in exacerbating these issues within us. Sometimes advancements, for the sake of advancement can have brutal consequences to humanity.

Over all, this was a great read, it was a bit slow to start -world building and all, but when it got going, it did not let up and it got to a point where I could not stop. There were points where I felt my heart race and couldn't wait to to see what happened next.

Definitely recommend!

[Kyle Goins · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Dorothy Wagner has spent her whole life wanting nothing more than to be seen. But after failing to make her mark as an influencer, she takes a job working for a brilliant coder whose company is focused on cutting-edge deepfake technology. And there, in secret, is where she creates her salvation.”

Wowee, I absolutely plowed through this book and it kept me enraptured the whole time. I often  have to read in short spurts given the demands of life, but this one kept me reading for extended stretches. But it’s a hard one to classify. It’s not a straightforward horror novel, though it’s definitely supernatural. It operates in a similar place to Preston & Child’s Pendergast series - decidedly globetrotting with a wonderful touch of the intimately creepy.

Incarnate touches on quite a few topics, including media literacy, patriarchy, fame, social media, AI, and bullying, though it’s never heavy-handed in its presentation. 

Our protagonist is both likeable and also completely unhinged at times, which is a very difficult line to toe, though Katsu does it masterfully. This felt a lot like those dark comedies of yore (like Very Bad Things or Head Above Water) where little decisions start to add up and snowball into something else entirely.

This is a nice and tight story with no wasted breath. A fast and gripping read that will keep you engaged from beginning to end. A big thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC and the opportunity to read this one early. This is definitely an immediate pre-order for me. Incarnate is available on Sep 22, 2026 and you should absolutely check this one out!

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

WE HAVE THE BEST ALMA KATSU NOVEL YET, READERS!

I have been dyinngggggg to read Alma Katsu's newest psychological horror, INCARNATE, since I saw the cover and read the synopsis. Thank you @putnambooks for my gifted copy.

Alma Katsu reimagines The Picture of Dorian Gray for the internet age in this tale of beauty, obsession, and social media obsession. After tech wiz Dorothy Wagner secretly creates Isabella, an impossibly gorgeous AI-generated woman who becomes a social media sensation, the fame and fortune Dorothy always craved finally seem within reach. But as Isabella’s millions of fans grow increasingly obsessive and Dorothy loses sight of where she ends and her creation begins, a violent confrontation forces her to decide how far she’ll go to protect her secret.

Go into this book knowing as little as possible. Katsu delivers a techno psychological masterpiece, weaving in a modern-day retelling of Dorian Gray, but also a satirical story of the growth of AI and social media influencer culture. You will root but also love to hate Dorothy (people have flaws!!), which ended up really cultivating my investment into the story. You can tell (and it is confirmed in The Afterword) that Katsu has experience and knowledge about AI technology and has done her research. I read this book in two sittings and although Katsu's last book, Fiend, left me wanting more (my only complaint - we needed more meat to it!), INCARNATE delivers a fully satisfying ending leaving you questioning your own behavior with social media and technology. This book would make an excellent movie and I would be getting tickets on premiere night. STARS: 5, PUB: 9/22

[RavenReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminded me so much of Julie Chan Is Dead in both premise and structure. It's essentially two stories that have been stitched together following a young woman who goes from art/tech student to mysterious social media influencer almost overnight. The first half focuses on her job as a no one where the second half focuses on the strange circumstances of her transformation and explores her life after becoming the influencer.

Interestingly, I didn't particularly enjoy Julie Chan Is Dead, but I really enjoyed this one. I thought Alma Katsu handled the transition between the two halves much more effectively, and the shift felt intentional rather than jarring. The structure worked for me because each part added something to the larger story rather than feeling like two completely unrelated books.

And I have to say, I absolutely reveled in the "pick me" girl energy here. Watching this character navigate her newfound influence, questionable choices, and increasingly bizarre circumstances was endlessly entertaining. There's a delicious sense of inevitability to watching someone make terrible decisions while desperately wanting to be adored.

This is a sharp, entertaining look at identity, influence, ambition, and the very strange ecosystem of internet celebrity. It's not a perfect book, but I thought Katsu's execution of the concept worked exceptionally well, particularly considering how easily this kind of dual structure story could have fallen apart.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Alma Katsu, and Putnam for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Lou Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

INCARNATE by Alma Katsu
Publication: September 2026 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons


Dorothy Wagner fails miserably as a social media influencer. She has an intense desire to be seen and admired. Her prayers are answered when she obtains a job with a high tech company that specializes in producing “deep fake” AI technology. She creates the fake wonder girl Isabella, a beautiful digital persona that takes the online community by storm. Isabella is more than simply an avatar… she takes on all the attributes that Dorothy feels she’s laking. Isabella is received online for her beauty, confidence, and desirability. As Isabella’s fame grows, a substantial divide arises between the creator and creation. Dorothy actual identity slowly crumbles. Her vanity evolves into an obsession.
Katsu spins an amazing cautionary tale in the context of ramifications of evolving technology such as AI with the ease of producing deep fakes. No longer are photographs and videos accepted as objective evidence. Seeing is no longer believing. There is an ever increasing divide between digital life and physical reality. Katsu’s narrative grows in tension and intrigue as the psyche of Dorothy erodes. The credible pacing and prose escalate into an unsettling denouement . This tale is extremely effective because in the rise of this digital age, it is easy to create an identity that can be manufactured and monetized.
Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

[Steve Edholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Alma Katsu has a passion and a knowledge for a topic, you know the story is going to be amazing. That says nothing about some of her other stories, I have enjoyed everything she has written that I have read. You can tell with this story that she has a vast knowledge and expertise in what she is writing.

Incarnate is a story about a VFX artist who starts working for a cutting edge artist as he starts up his studio. She is a quick learner and really starts to take off with what she can do. She gets the idea to try to create the most realistic influencer for the social media world. She gets a text from an unknown number offering her a chance to have her creation blow up and be a viral sensation, but what is the cost? How will this deal with the unknown manifest? I thought I knew where this book was going to ultimately end up, but I was surprised by this one in the end. She does a great job trying to create a new version of Dorian Gray, which ultimately seems like what social media is trying to be.

Alma talks in the afterword about her work with predicting where social media and what not will go with her work for the CIA. You can tell she has really thought through where things are flowing in the story and she really uses her CIA knowledge towards the end of the book. This is a bit of a slower burn book, but it's still a fast read.

Alma is really cooking with this novel, one of her absolute best!

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the advanced copy!

[Kate Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The comparison to "Picture of Dorian Gray" for the social media age is very apt, making me even more fearful of what the next generation faces in the wave of AI and more taking over social media, which already hurt generations of people. I also learned that Alma Katsu was an intelligence worker with the CIA and NSA, which helped lend some knowledge to this story, especially since the last third of her career she was a technology futurist, advising the U.S. government and private industry on emerging technologies. I've always enjoyed her writing and it's fascinating to have this added knowledge of her.

Dorothy Wagner has felt invisible most of her life, especially after some tumultuous events in her childhood. She loves technology, and this love leads her to become a talented VFX worker, and she gets a job working for a coder she idolizes, whose company is focused on cutting-edge deepfake technology. As Dorothy begins messing around with the technology outside of work, she creates Isabella, an impossibly gorgeous woman who Dorothy begins posting as on social media. But when some odd messages and a middle of the night agreement lead to Isabella being more popular than Dorothy could have imagined, there are bound to be negative consequences as well. Dorothy begins to change physically, and has to wonder what is most important, herself or Isabella.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.

[VK Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Review of Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley*

This book is like if A Picture of Dorian Gray and the substance had a messed up, viral baby. And I cannot recommend it enough.

Incarnate follows Dorothy, a recent graduate who moves to LA to work at her idol’s VFX start up. The company focuses on making hyper-realistic videos of celebrities, selling a service like AI but without all the tells.

When the company takes on a pop superstar as a client, Dorothy is given her first opportunity to make a VFX reel. High on the creativity and wanting to make a name for herself in this competitive field, Dorothy also starts up a side project where she uses the pop star’s base motion capture as the model for a new Avatar. Dorothy posts of the avatar online, hoping to trick her way into viral fame.

Fueled by greed and her own insecurities, Dorothy accepts a dm offering to make her viral dreams come true. But she doesn’t realize she’s making a deal with someone akin to the devil.

This novel is so good, in part because of how infuriating the main character is. This is a horror novel, and Dorothy’s narcissism is the scariest part. Every time something tragic occurs, she justifies her own actions, putting her own selfishness above the wellbeing of others. I hated her so much.

That said, I think this is an incredible novel that everyone who spends too much time online should read.

[Jim Holscher · Rating 4 out of 5]

If if you’re looking for a true reimagining of Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray this is the book for you. Here we're following Dorothy, who is an up-and-coming video producer who is looking to get her career going. She is right out of college and has a lot of talent.

The best way to describe this book is a combination of the Picture of Dorian and Gray and The Substance that kind of gives you an idea of what you’re looking at when reading this one

It has a lot of body horror but this body horror is not graphic, and not as disturbing as some of the other body horror books that I’ve read . I think this is a good time for a book like this because when you have as many people involved in social media, trying to get clicks and likes and grow their brand. These are the types of questions that you want to answer. It does seem that it would be easy to lose yourself in the race to become more and more popular and that’s really what our character here does without spoiling anything.

The writing was tight and to the point. The characters were drawn out enough to seem like real people. The situation was disturbing and the actions that were taken were disturbing as well so this is visceral horror. I would give this 4 1/2 stars possibly even a five.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this work in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are soley mine.