To God

by Esther Yi

From the author of the acclaimed debut novel Y/N comes a daring collection of fiction about alienation, sex, and spiritual inquiry.

The cityscape of To God is in decay. One won’t find any fancy flaneurs here. As for happiness? Out of the question. Instead, one encounters drifters with nowhere to go and nothing to do, boxers with dreams of making it big (they won’t), artists who never get a chance to make art, women who frighten the men they love, and children who are more adult than the adults. Nothing goes right for these people—but what does going right mean anyway? After all, in the world of To God, it’s the loser who wins, the faceless who expresses, the atheist who truly believes, and the geriatric who’s reborn . . .

At the heart of To God is a formidable voice, a beam of light that cuts through the entire collection to rearrange and reincarnate the world wherever it falls. Navigating the daily vicissitudes of work, love, and ideology, this voice How do I know myself, and how do I know others? What does it feel like to know at all? What if I believe in nothing? Then what makes me live? Responsive to and born out of absence, this voice experiments with a body, a personality, a set of relationships. Absence fuels the imagination, a kind of unbridled prayer, and this ritual becomes a stairway that the reader is invited to ascend, armed with an ever intensifying question to God, until the entire material world recedes out of view—only to reappear with greater urgency than before, openly necrotic and broken, itself a plane of mystery we can never call home, and its stakes all the more real for it.

At the atomic level of language, the infrastructural level of genre play, and the cosmic level of existential threat, Esther Yi’s vision radiates, illuminating the increasingly confused coordinates of contemporary life, its absurd contradictions, and our growing disconnectedness not only from each other but from our own selves.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction

Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 13, 2026

Reviews

[Marcus (Lit_Laugh_Luv) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very cerebral, abstract collection of stories that helped solidify Yi's authorial voice (from my perspective, anyway). I'd recommend this for fans of K-Ming Chang, with the caveat that this collection doesn't hesitate to leave the reader behind at any opportunity! With a sentence or two, Esther Yi flips these stories on their head and takes you in a multitude of directions at once. The entries feel more like frantic, breathless confessions, rather than narratives with a distinct throughline. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'm certain it will play no small part in the polarizing reception of this book...

The stories all feel cohesive, but I'd struggle to pinpoint a list of themes that help convey exactly what it is about. Many of the entries focus on our built environment, set in a growing city that, from one lens, feels like a utopia and, from another, like a dystopia. It's as expansive and elusive as the narrators in each entry. Their identity is built upon the absence of one, and they all yearn for something -- even if that something appears spontaneously and leaves just as abruptly.

My favourite entry in the collection was Dent, where the narrator works for a company that develops simulations to recreate the memories of its customers. Of all the entries, it feels the most tractable and echoes the themes of artificiality and disconnection that the broader collection hints at. I think the core theme Yi wanted to explore in the collection was our collective hubris and the consequences of 'playing God', and some entries do this better than others.

If you approach this with the right expectations (expect to be confused, and let Yi's prose carry you along), I think there are moments of genius in this collection. At the same time, there are a lot of dense, abstract passages in which I was only able to make meager strides in understanding. I preferred Yi's debut release, as I think her style is best conveyed in long-form narratives, but this was an intriguing read, I think fans of Y/N will enjoy as well.

Thank you to Astra House for the e-ARC!
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I don't care what the haters say: I loved Y/N! And my years of stanning the book paid off... because here I am, the first gay person to read this on Goodreads.

I haven't felt like this since I threw the first brick at Stonewall.

Substack | Bookstagram | BookTok | BookTube | Bookshop.org Store | Libro.fm Bonus Offer

[alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was quite different in terms of writing style than anything I have read before (and it lead me to want even more to pick up Yi’s other novel). As someone who often struggles through short story collections, I found that the interwoven elements, themes, and settings here helped it to feel more cohesive, although each had enough of their own message and unique characters to stand apart as well. There was a lot of exploration of language, labour, love, identity, and of course, religion and belief throughout the stories, and some observations on these that really struck me. These stories may retread topics that have been written about in many ways before but they do so with a unique voice and aren’t striving to reach a particular conclusion, so the impact never feels forced.

[heptagrammaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

. . .This nun—also not dressed for God—seats herself before a board game. It never quite gets going, because she keeps throwing the dice onto the table, waiting for a particular number to appear and cursing under her breath whenever anything else does.
     Ana is miffed: "What's the point of wanting something you know you'll probably get after eight tries?
     "I don't want it once in a while," the nun mutters without looking up. "I want it every time but always by chance."

('No Right Hand')

Enigmatic, ambiguous, alien, deploying stark fantastical imagery in depressive-opressive liminal spaces. where you can't be sure whether the phantasmagorical is innate to the world or the depressive-obsessive narrator, or if the narrator is the world, engaged in writing, that is, in a great long sickness, that is, in birth. This urge [to write] befalls me whenever I feel deeply unwell, but not so unwell that I have no interest in feeling better. ('Ultramontane')

Misanthropic, in a compassionate sort of way. Egomaniacal in a self-eviscerating sort of a way— . . .for I was as arrogant as I was servile, and I expected to be used as beautifully as possible. ('Author Biography (No Picture)')

_____
Note: This review is based off an advanced reader's copy provided by Astra House through NetGalley. This reviewer claims freedom from conscious or unconscious bias. because of a rejection of any partition or innermost truth to the flat anthology of existence..

[ezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Astra House for this ARC!

Rating: 3.5 Stars rounded up.

“To God” is Esther Yi’s second book, following in the steps of the equally enjoyably confusing “Y/N”. Normally I would attempt to give a short overview of the plot of a book in an ARC review, but I genuinely don’t think I could come up with a way of succinctly summarising any of this.

This is a collection of different stories, all featuring unnamed female narrators, who seem to move through the world with a distinct lack of deeply felt emotions, appearing almost wrapped in cotton. On the whole, this book emits an aura of existential dread.

Yi has a very strong authorial voice, and so despite the fact that there doesn’t necessarily seem to be a whole lot of connection between any of the stories, the book as a whole feels cohesive.

Thematically I would interpret a lot of this to be about a certain sense of alienation, a not-quite desire to connect that still ultimately fails.

I don’t think this is the right kind of book for someone who needs to connect with characters to enjoy a book (like really, any characters at all. I can’t say I found any of that here.) but if you want a beautifully written novel that creates some of the most immersive atmospheres I have ever experienced, and you are willing to wade through a lot of philosophising and sit with and accept your confusion, I do think this would be the right book for you. I certainly plan on re-reading it in the future.

[꒰ alcinoë . rewriting reviews ꒱ · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝄢 : To God by Esther Yi . 2.5 stars .
────────
𝄢 : my thoughts .
ㅤ ׅㅤ ׅ Whilst I truly wanted to enjoy this read, I feel it wasn't meant for me. I requested the book from Netgalley because I was deeply intrigued by the cover, and hence wanted to know what words lay beyond the cover. Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving.
ㅤ ׅㅤ ׅ I felt as though each story lacked a certain flow between each individual story, leaving the blood of the entire book congealed and clotted between each one. Whilst each section held the same particular kind of dark atmosphere, I found myself getting lost, and not being able to claw my way back to the purpose of the collection.
ㅤ ׅㅤ ׅ I'm unsure if the reason this read fell flat of my expectations was because it truly wasn't what I expected it to be, or if it was too incoherent, and drifted from its full collection's intended purpose to fully enjoy.
ㅤ ׅㅤ ׅ With that being said, these thoughts are simply that -- my own thoughts. I do believe that this collection has potential for a higher rating with a few tweaks, and Yi's prose is well-written and lush. If you enjoy short-story collections, dark thematics, and beautifully-written prose, then I believe that this book will be enjoyable.
────────
I would like to sincerely express my gratitude to both Netgalley and the author of this collection, Esther Yi, for offering me this opportunity to read To God before its release in September. 𓏲𝄢

[Karla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was... too dark, too sad. It made me feel very hopeless, just like a lot of the characters (often the same character?) in these stories/vignettes. It's hard to even know what this is. Are these short stories? A novel? A long philosophical essay disguised as fiction? It feels like visiting one of those neon dystopian cities that you can find in a lot of sci-fi books, but we are not downtown where all the lights are shining at night and the cars are flying and robots are walking around. Here, everything happens under the sun, maybe at noon, when the dystopia doesn't look like the future is here but only reminds you that the past has failed. Or it happens in a musky room where something is rotting, an abandoned church about to be demolished, the darkest alley in town. Some paragraphs are beautiful, and at the center of this I can see how desperate everyone is to be loved, to be known, to hear God answer at least one question. But all Yi captures is the absence. That promised voice isn't there, it is either missing or I didn't get it. Perhaps Lent wasn't the best time for me to read this, but I guess I don't regret it. It is well written, and the ideas are interesting. I just didn't like it.

[Drea Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

After really enjoying Y/N, I was excited to read To God, and while there are moments of striking prose and compelling thematic ambition, this collection ultimately didn’t resonate with me as strongly.

Esther Yi continues to explore alienation, belief, identity, and emotional disconnection with a distinct and highly intellectual style. The collection creates an atmosphere of urban decay and existential uncertainty that feels intentional and immersive, and there are several passages that are beautifully written and conceptually sharp.

However, I found the stories emotionally difficult to access. The abstraction and philosophical layering occasionally created distance rather than intimacy, leaving me admiring the craft more than feeling fully engaged with the characters or narratives themselves. Compared to the emotional intensity and cohesion I felt while reading Y/N, this collection felt more uneven for me personally.

Still, readers who appreciate experimental literary fiction and heavily voice-driven work will likely find much to admire here.

[Romi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy!

The structure of this book was something I didn’t expect when I first started reading it. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, but that actually made it more interesting. It felt different from most books I’ve picked up recently, and I really liked that surprise element.

I love that it’s all short stories. There’s something about a collection like this that makes it easy to get lost in each story individually. I felt very connected to one of them in particular, though I won’t name which one just in case, but it really stuck with me. The stories are good overall, and I really appreciate the mix of dark and slightly absurd vibes. That kind of storytelling really stands out compared to a lot of what’s currently out there.

Even though it’s a short story collection, it felt cohesive in its own way.

[yan ✦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grateful for NetGalley for letting me read an ARC of this book.

To God is a sweeping collection of short stories that touch on spiritual and cosmic themes within contemporary life. This was as abstract as it gets, perhaps to a fault. There was barely any structure or semblance of solid ground to latch on, which made this book quite difficult for me.

I think I understood what Yi wanted and intended to do, and that is to describe humanity in the midst and against decaying worlds. What becomes of you when you lose everything? How does one move forward with black holes in their reality? A constant battle between absence and presence.

Standouts for me were Mutter and Akey 💔

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting short stories with good premises, though the execution was a mixed bag. This writing can be so absurd and abstract that the stories can feel inaccessible at times. I would imagine it works for other readers, but it often didn't for me. Yi is clearly a talented writer and this collection did make me want to check out her novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review.

[lit._.for_life_ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Astra House for letting me read To God by Esther Yi.

I have no idea what happened.

There were times where I could see where we were going, but often I felt like the meaning got overshadowed by the bloated sentences, and it lost me completely. Every story clearly has something to say, and the characters are interesting and serves the narrative well, but the whole thing loses its meaning in the grandeur of the words.

I was mostly interested because I could see where Yi was going with Y/N and that she clearly had some astute observations about the darker side of people, and while some of those observations carry on in this book, I just got lost in the end.

Not for me, but if you like weird literature this could be worth a shot.

[Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC Review-

Very melancholic and depressing, but not in a sad way but in a way that makes the reader reflective on their own lives. The book at first reads autobiographical, but as you read further you realise that each of the chapters/stories may or may not have different narrators. And isn't that what life is? Multiple perspectives and multiple phases come together to form the life that we live, that we exist in.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

To God was a strong, philosophical collection of short stories examining urban life under late stage capitalism— alienation, connection, love and religion are all facets of its characters’ lives that it explores.

Admittedly, this was a difficult read for me, but I gained a lot from sitting with it and tuning in to the rhythm of each story. The thread of absurdism that runs through the stories really captured my attention, as did the unique characters in the various stories.

[Franny M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories that lean into the absurd. You kind of need to meet the stories where they are at and go on the journey. They were interesting and well-written.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Struggled to get into the stories. They are very abstract and absurd. I think if you loved Yi’s novel, you will like this collection.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[anjali (^_−)☆]

thank you to the lovely people at netgalley and astra publishing house for the arc ₊˚ʚ(๑>؂•̀๑)

[Venneh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short collection of very cerebral stories from Yi, and will likely quickly cement how you feel about her authorial voice, and doesn't hesitate to go weird, even if the reader doesn't follow along. Solid collection, lost me a few times, but if nothing else showcases Yi's authorial voice tidily.

[sums · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. In To God, Esther Yi’s voice is sonorous and cerebral, weaving through a decaying cityscape with an eerie, philosophical haze. I would describe the reading experience as dipping in and out of consciousness, or wading through a fogged mind. It’s disorienting, but thought-provoking and pervasive in a way I haven’t experienced before.

Of all the short stories, I think Centripetal is a clear favourite.

Nonetheless, I struggled to connect with the writing, and I’m not sure its style is quite right for me, but the collection is certainly interesting and unique in a terribly exciting way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.