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Burnside
Not yet published
Expected 4 Aug 26A Lynchian, absurdist debut novel for fans of Alexandra Tanner and Emma Cline about two disaffected young women and the local homeless man they become obsessed with.
The Bowl is a strange place: surrounded by abandoned almond orchards filled with feral children and neighboring towns that keep burning down, the polluted, riverside city has a decades-old web of serial killers and missing people.
Our unnamed narrator, a bookseller at a used bookstore, and her roommate September, a waitress at a cowgirl-themed breasturant, spend their days avoiding their deadbeat boyfriends, commuting to class on the raccoon-infested ‘rat bus,’ and hanging out at wine bars with their friend Claudia Thursday. But after September has an encounter with a local homeless man named Burnside, she becomes terrified that he’s stalking her. Soon, the entire town has turned on Burnside, convinced that he is responsible for the violence, precarity, and wildfires that surround them.
Burnside builds a dreamlike yet utterly propulsive tapestry of brilliant, flawed, and dangerous characters. A commentary on victimhood and safety, both real and imagined, the precarity of late-stage capitalism and climate disaster, and a portrait of a community in a world seemingly right next to our own, Burnside is a singular, epic, and wonderfully strange debut.
The Bowl is a strange place: surrounded by abandoned almond orchards filled with feral children and neighboring towns that keep burning down, the polluted, riverside city has a decades-old web of serial killers and missing people.
Our unnamed narrator, a bookseller at a used bookstore, and her roommate September, a waitress at a cowgirl-themed breasturant, spend their days avoiding their deadbeat boyfriends, commuting to class on the raccoon-infested ‘rat bus,’ and hanging out at wine bars with their friend Claudia Thursday. But after September has an encounter with a local homeless man named Burnside, she becomes terrified that he’s stalking her. Soon, the entire town has turned on Burnside, convinced that he is responsible for the violence, precarity, and wildfires that surround them.
Burnside builds a dreamlike yet utterly propulsive tapestry of brilliant, flawed, and dangerous characters. A commentary on victimhood and safety, both real and imagined, the precarity of late-stage capitalism and climate disaster, and a portrait of a community in a world seemingly right next to our own, Burnside is a singular, epic, and wonderfully strange debut.
- GenresLiterary FictionFiction
272 pages, Paperback
Expected publication August 4, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 11, 2026
I loved every bit of this, the surreal yet very grounded writing, setting, and characters. I can’t believe this is a debut novel!!!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me an eARC via Edelweiss+
Thank you to the publisher for providing me an eARC via Edelweiss+
May 15, 2026
Superb
Want to Read
February 25, 2026Omg. I need my hands on this STAT
April 8, 2026
Thank you Astra house for the early copy!
“We were all moving much too fast; there were leaves over our eyes blocking out the sun, and too many people were dying by the river”.
September is left with a scar from an encounter with a homeless man and the fear that he is stalking her. Our unnamed narrator, September’s roomate, describes the Bowl as a violent, dangerous place with many murders, as well as bizarre events involving the locals.
I was never bored while reading this book because it kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s like a fever dream or a car crash that you can’t take your eyes off of. It’s incredibly campy and wild. I believe it stalled at times, but that does not detract from the story. One thing that had me confused at first were the nicknames for everyone; almost every character is nameless, and it took time to get used to. Overall, this was an excellent debut; I devoured it in three sittings!
Burnside will be out August, 4! 🪩
“We were all moving much too fast; there were leaves over our eyes blocking out the sun, and too many people were dying by the river”.
September is left with a scar from an encounter with a homeless man and the fear that he is stalking her. Our unnamed narrator, September’s roomate, describes the Bowl as a violent, dangerous place with many murders, as well as bizarre events involving the locals.
I was never bored while reading this book because it kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s like a fever dream or a car crash that you can’t take your eyes off of. It’s incredibly campy and wild. I believe it stalled at times, but that does not detract from the story. One thing that had me confused at first were the nicknames for everyone; almost every character is nameless, and it took time to get used to. Overall, this was an excellent debut; I devoured it in three sittings!
Burnside will be out August, 4! 🪩
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March 16, 2026a fever dream with some of the best writing I’ve ever encountered - RTC!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Burnside completely pulled me into its strange, polluted, feverish world from the very first pages. This book feels grimy, surreal, funny, terrifying, and painfully human all at once. The atmosphere is unbelievable — abandoned almond orchards, feral children, wildfire smoke, dead-end jobs, serial killer lore, raccoon-infested buses — every detail adds to this overwhelming sense of societal decay and emotional instability.
What impressed me most was how layered the novel feels beneath all of its weirdness. Devyn Defoe captures the exhaustion and humiliation of modern girlhood so well, especially the constant low-level fear women are expected to live with. The book explores victimhood, paranoia, misogyny, economic precarity, and climate collapse in a way that feels sharp without ever becoming preachy.
I also loved how dreamlike and disorienting the story becomes. The entire novel feels haunted — not just by violence, but by loneliness, instability, and the feeling that the world itself is quietly unraveling around these characters.
This is such a confident, singular debut. Beautifully strange, unsettling, and emotionally resonant. I’ll absolutely be reading future releases from Devyn Defoe.
What impressed me most was how layered the novel feels beneath all of its weirdness. Devyn Defoe captures the exhaustion and humiliation of modern girlhood so well, especially the constant low-level fear women are expected to live with. The book explores victimhood, paranoia, misogyny, economic precarity, and climate collapse in a way that feels sharp without ever becoming preachy.
I also loved how dreamlike and disorienting the story becomes. The entire novel feels haunted — not just by violence, but by loneliness, instability, and the feeling that the world itself is quietly unraveling around these characters.
This is such a confident, singular debut. Beautifully strange, unsettling, and emotionally resonant. I’ll absolutely be reading future releases from Devyn Defoe.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Astra Publishing House, Devyn Defoe and NetGalley for this Advanced Copy!!
This is a dreamy, strange debut novel.
Beautifully written, it balances realism with an almost surreal, dreamlike quality that makes the story feel immersive, intimate and slightly untethered.
An unnamed narrator guides us through her life and through her lens it becomes clear the way we perceive others, and the way we are perceived rarely reflects the truth. The characters felt human and real and the observations are mostly subtle, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions much like the narrator.
Burnside feels less plot driven and instead provided an interesting exploration into the banality of life with a feminist undertone (at least that was my take away) Whilst the pacing on the slower side, it was atmospheric and very well written. I’d definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy literary fiction that prioritises atmosphere, introspection, and social commentary.
This is a dreamy, strange debut novel.
Beautifully written, it balances realism with an almost surreal, dreamlike quality that makes the story feel immersive, intimate and slightly untethered.
An unnamed narrator guides us through her life and through her lens it becomes clear the way we perceive others, and the way we are perceived rarely reflects the truth. The characters felt human and real and the observations are mostly subtle, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions much like the narrator.
Burnside feels less plot driven and instead provided an interesting exploration into the banality of life with a feminist undertone (at least that was my take away) Whilst the pacing on the slower side, it was atmospheric and very well written. I’d definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy literary fiction that prioritises atmosphere, introspection, and social commentary.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was immediately drawn to the cover art on this one, and hooked pretty quickly once I started reading. that said, I did end up getting a little bored around the 40% mark - definitely wasn't as plot driven as I was expecting, but I did love all the random side stories about the quirky characters in our narrators world. I loved all the nicknames, the way it kept me feeling slightly outsider, but also like I was in on the joke. it was funny and unique, just maybe not what I was looking for when I read it!
3.5 stars rounded down to 3. thanks for the e-arc!
3.5 stars rounded down to 3. thanks for the e-arc!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
You mention alexandra tanner and i am expecting wit and humor, which I could barely find in this. It leans more towards the emma cline comparison. Not a serious criticism but I hated the name September. I also kept thinking “why do we care about September?” It’s a well-written novel that just wasn’t for me.
April 16, 2026
I was very excited about this book -- especially with the comparisons to emma cline and alexandra tanner (Worry is one of my five star books). However, the comparison may have ruined some of my experience of reading this book, because I wanted so much more from it. Fever dream is a good way to describe this book, which I have seen many reviews mention.
The description is enticing and promises something funny, spunky, and absurd. I will admit the prose of this book is extraordinary and nothing like I have read before, but the actual elements of the story leave me wanting more. I did not really care for any of the main characters or really understand what their purpose was.
Most of the characters are nameless, and referred to by descriptors, which made it really difficult to follow.
I am not sure how I feel about this book after reading it, but maybe that is part of the point.
Thank you AstraHouse and Edelweiss for allowing me to read and review this ARC!
The description is enticing and promises something funny, spunky, and absurd. I will admit the prose of this book is extraordinary and nothing like I have read before, but the actual elements of the story leave me wanting more. I did not really care for any of the main characters or really understand what their purpose was.
Most of the characters are nameless, and referred to by descriptors, which made it really difficult to follow.
I am not sure how I feel about this book after reading it, but maybe that is part of the point.
Thank you AstraHouse and Edelweiss for allowing me to read and review this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley! I’ve been following this since I heard it described as “Lynchian” I enjoyed this surreal California. Took turns I didn’t expect throughout! I would recommend to fans of surrealist fiction.
May 20, 2026
I loved this story: The dreamlike style of writing, the twists and turns you’re taken through in a remarkably detailed world, and the sometimes unnamed but descriptive characters who feel like people you might actually know.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Now THIS is a debut. Surreal and literary. Left me stained with a substance I don’t recognize in a town I don’t recall. Bravo..
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews