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Persona
Not yet published
Expected 27 Jan 26A trans woman discovers pornography of herself she has no memory of making, only to find herself led to an unimaginably deeper evil.
A feral shut-in discovers a disturbing internet porn video of what seems to be herself. A seance of coked-up artists summons unearthly forces in a studio apartment. The staircase of an exurban marketing company descends endlessly beneath the earth.
In Aoife Josie Clements’ electric, nightmarish, intricately layered novel, the impossibility of goodness crowds in upon two young trans women barely surviving on sex work and zero-hours contracts. Below the familiar evils of capitalism and the bottomless depths of internet culture, a darker horror awaits. What curse follows these women? What are they escaping? What are they running towards?
A feral shut-in discovers a disturbing internet porn video of what seems to be herself. A seance of coked-up artists summons unearthly forces in a studio apartment. The staircase of an exurban marketing company descends endlessly beneath the earth.
In Aoife Josie Clements’ electric, nightmarish, intricately layered novel, the impossibility of goodness crowds in upon two young trans women barely surviving on sex work and zero-hours contracts. Below the familiar evils of capitalism and the bottomless depths of internet culture, a darker horror awaits. What curse follows these women? What are they escaping? What are they running towards?
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Expected publication January 27, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 21, 2025
Review in the December 2025 issue of Booklist and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2025/12...
Three Words That Describe This Book: disorienting, doppelgänger, nightmarish
More words-- thought provoking, hard truths, immersive terror, SF horror
Impressive Debut-- I am excited to see what else this author can do. The storylines of first Annie and then Amy-- telling the same story in part 1 and 2 but from Annie and then Amy's perspective was an awesome narrative choice. And then part 3, they come together-- it is so disorienting both because their names are similar and they look the same and they are in conversation back and forth..... what a great example of the writing itself adding to the readers disorientation. It ratchets up the unease and makes the entire story better.
And then they go on a road trip together to visit the company they have found out they both work for and.....it goes from disorienting to nightmarish and quite honestly existentially terrifying. This is when the book goes from a good horror story about 2 trans women who find out they look exactly the same and have mirror image apartments to a universally terrifying story.
It stays realistic even as it gets more nightmarish and delves into a bit of SF horror. So many stairs. I don't want to go into a stairwell anytime soon. Seriously.
The entire metaphor the doppelgänger as what it feels like to live as a transperson is not new-- the life before and after- but what Clements does with it is unique and new. Also, being trans in and of itself has nothing to do with the horror. It is just who these two women are. The horror is much much much bigger than them and their lives. I loved that as well.
The book is a horror story that critics late stage capitalism, especially how hard it hits young workers, the horror of lives rules by the internet, and how easy and horrific it is for women on the fringes of society to turn to sex work for money. Loneliness, depression, suicide are all here. Garbage piling up and lots of bugs as well. But the garbage and bugs are there to set the stage. They are not the horror.
This book is a solid 4.5. Like a lot of excellent debuts, it needed a bit more at the end. I loved that the ending was not tidy and that all the problems were not solved. But it needed just a bit stronger of a statement about the SF esque horror parts. Something to bring the terror out of the book. The last pages try to do that but I think it could have been more effective and stronger (I am trying very hard to not give anything away). If that final page was a little more direct and less detached (to mirror the directness and immersive present of the rest of the book) it would have been 5 stars for sure.
Overall-- a strong debut that will linger with readers long after turning the final page, every time they log into an internet chat room or even (as I said before) started walking down a long stairwell. *shivers*
Readalikes: There are many ways this book could lead readers to another title. Blake Crouch is an excellent readalike here. The Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling, Coup de Grace by Sofia Ajram, and Tell Me I'm Worthless by Allison Rumfitt
Three Words That Describe This Book: disorienting, doppelgänger, nightmarish
More words-- thought provoking, hard truths, immersive terror, SF horror
Impressive Debut-- I am excited to see what else this author can do. The storylines of first Annie and then Amy-- telling the same story in part 1 and 2 but from Annie and then Amy's perspective was an awesome narrative choice. And then part 3, they come together-- it is so disorienting both because their names are similar and they look the same and they are in conversation back and forth..... what a great example of the writing itself adding to the readers disorientation. It ratchets up the unease and makes the entire story better.
And then they go on a road trip together to visit the company they have found out they both work for and.....it goes from disorienting to nightmarish and quite honestly existentially terrifying. This is when the book goes from a good horror story about 2 trans women who find out they look exactly the same and have mirror image apartments to a universally terrifying story.
It stays realistic even as it gets more nightmarish and delves into a bit of SF horror. So many stairs. I don't want to go into a stairwell anytime soon. Seriously.
The entire metaphor the doppelgänger as what it feels like to live as a transperson is not new-- the life before and after- but what Clements does with it is unique and new. Also, being trans in and of itself has nothing to do with the horror. It is just who these two women are. The horror is much much much bigger than them and their lives. I loved that as well.
The book is a horror story that critics late stage capitalism, especially how hard it hits young workers, the horror of lives rules by the internet, and how easy and horrific it is for women on the fringes of society to turn to sex work for money. Loneliness, depression, suicide are all here. Garbage piling up and lots of bugs as well. But the garbage and bugs are there to set the stage. They are not the horror.
This book is a solid 4.5. Like a lot of excellent debuts, it needed a bit more at the end. I loved that the ending was not tidy and that all the problems were not solved. But it needed just a bit stronger of a statement about the SF esque horror parts. Something to bring the terror out of the book. The last pages try to do that but I think it could have been more effective and stronger (I am trying very hard to not give anything away). If that final page was a little more direct and less detached (to mirror the directness and immersive present of the rest of the book) it would have been 5 stars for sure.
Overall-- a strong debut that will linger with readers long after turning the final page, every time they log into an internet chat room or even (as I said before) started walking down a long stairwell. *shivers*
Readalikes: There are many ways this book could lead readers to another title. Blake Crouch is an excellent readalike here. The Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling, Coup de Grace by Sofia Ajram, and Tell Me I'm Worthless by Allison Rumfitt
July 28, 2025
A chilling, enthralling novel about two trans women with an uncanny connection. Their shared destiny brings them to the depths of their own hells, and another void beckons, too. Will their rage protect them or lead them blindly into dangers unknown? Clements’ prose is subtle as she crafts an intelligent, ungovernable spiral-down-the-drain story that stuns until its bitter end.
Want to read
July 20, 2025One of the perks of running an indie bookstore is sometimes publishers will just stop in to say hey and drop off some swag. Big thank you to LittlePuss Press for providing me with this ARC.
Honestly this sounds like the most up-my-street kind of book I've encountered in a long time. From the Consortium website:
A trans woman discovers pornography of herself she has no memory of making, only to find herself led to an unimaginably deeper evil.
"The best book I've read in years." —Gretchen Felker-Martin, author of Manhunt
"An old pain made unreal and vivid in the sputtering, intermittent, blue-lit blight of now." —Andrew F. Sullivan, author of The Marigold
A feral shut-in discovers a disturbing internet porn video of what seems to be herself. A seance of coked-up artists summons unearthly forces in a studio apartment. The staircase of an exurban marketing company descends endlessly beneath the earth.
In Aoife Josie Clements’ electric, nightmarish, intricately layered novel, the impossibility of goodness crowds in upon two young trans women barely surviving on sex work and zero-hours contracts. Below the familiar evils of capitalism and the bottomless depths of internet culture, a darker horror awaits. What curse follows these women? What are they escaping? What are they running towards?
Honestly this sounds like the most up-my-street kind of book I've encountered in a long time. From the Consortium website:
A trans woman discovers pornography of herself she has no memory of making, only to find herself led to an unimaginably deeper evil.
"The best book I've read in years." —Gretchen Felker-Martin, author of Manhunt
"An old pain made unreal and vivid in the sputtering, intermittent, blue-lit blight of now." —Andrew F. Sullivan, author of The Marigold
A feral shut-in discovers a disturbing internet porn video of what seems to be herself. A seance of coked-up artists summons unearthly forces in a studio apartment. The staircase of an exurban marketing company descends endlessly beneath the earth.
In Aoife Josie Clements’ electric, nightmarish, intricately layered novel, the impossibility of goodness crowds in upon two young trans women barely surviving on sex work and zero-hours contracts. Below the familiar evils of capitalism and the bottomless depths of internet culture, a darker horror awaits. What curse follows these women? What are they escaping? What are they running towards?
November 9, 2025
Persona has a fascinating and unsettling core idea about identity, specifically, what makes a person themselves in an era where our bodies and images exist online in ways we can’t fully control. the novel begins with amy discovering what seems to be pornographic footage of herself, with no memory of ever filming it. later, we meet annie, who tells the same story of performing in porn online and who happens to look exactly like amy. when they finally meet, the question becomes less who is copying who and more: if we can be replicated, what makes us real?
this is where the book is strongest. the philosophical horror is real, and it spirals into that uncomfortable, almost dissociative territory where the self starts to feel unstable. the horror isn’t just in the events, but also in what it makes you think about afterwards. the existential crisis is the monster.
however, here’s where the book lost me. the writing often leans into a grimy, shabby atmosphere, and while i understand this is part of the horror, i personally found it overwhelming. the air feels heavy. it’s immersive, but in a way that made me want to step back from the page instead of lean in. for me, it sometimes crossed into murkiness, where i felt myself getting lost rather than drawn deeper.
the idea resonated. the experience did not. while i absolutely appreciate what the author is doing: the questions of selfhood, identity, capitalism, and how we are consumed, i didn’t find the actual reading journey satisfying. the horror works, but not in a way that felt enjoyable. it’s a book that will stick in my thoughts, but not one i loved living inside.
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to-read:
certainly a reasonable and realistic fear in our modern world, i'm scared
*thank you to LittlePuss Press for the ARC*
this is where the book is strongest. the philosophical horror is real, and it spirals into that uncomfortable, almost dissociative territory where the self starts to feel unstable. the horror isn’t just in the events, but also in what it makes you think about afterwards. the existential crisis is the monster.
however, here’s where the book lost me. the writing often leans into a grimy, shabby atmosphere, and while i understand this is part of the horror, i personally found it overwhelming. the air feels heavy. it’s immersive, but in a way that made me want to step back from the page instead of lean in. for me, it sometimes crossed into murkiness, where i felt myself getting lost rather than drawn deeper.
the idea resonated. the experience did not. while i absolutely appreciate what the author is doing: the questions of selfhood, identity, capitalism, and how we are consumed, i didn’t find the actual reading journey satisfying. the horror works, but not in a way that felt enjoyable. it’s a book that will stick in my thoughts, but not one i loved living inside.
-------
to-read:
certainly a reasonable and realistic fear in our modern world, i'm scared
*thank you to LittlePuss Press for the ARC*
December 2, 2025
This book is split into 4 parts - part one as Annie’s POV, part two as Amy’s, part 3 together, and part 4… I struggled to get through part 1 as the imagery overwhelmed the plot for me. Part 2 brought some more plot, and I was interested in where their story would take me, but the wrap up was too fast, too confusing, and left too many unanswered questions. I wanted more about Chariot. And I wish the overarching commentary on society wasn’t so vague that I couldn’t follow.
April 28, 2025
Honestly, the setup here is one of those bone deep nightmares - what if one day you were minding your business and trying to survive, and you found porn of yourself online. The post capitalist hellscape here ends up becoming literal in an absolutely eerie escalation as the book goes on, and as Amy and Annie circle and eventually intersect with each other and try to figure out how this happens, there's something else waiting for them both. I actually really like that this doesn't try to say that everything's going to be ok in the end, that sometimes all that's waiting for you is a void you can choose to walk into or not, and the choosing not to might end up breaking you as well. Hell of a debut, and if she choosess to, I can't wait to see what else Ms. Clements has up her sleeve for us.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
What a captivating, terrifying experience that was.
A novel with so many layers, we're first introduced to Annie - surrounded by bags of garbage, having not left her apartment in a year. She's filling out online surveys for a tiny amount of cash when she discovers a pornographic video where the woman looks exactly like her.
Part two we flip to Amy; the girl in the video. She's the mirror image of Annie and the novel weaves their stories together so well. How is this possible? Are they the same person? And if not.. wtf?
There's a sharp genre shift from horror to sci-fi in part three that I've no interest in spoiling for you, but I can only say that I wish I hadn't decided to eat a mince pie whilst reading the tail end of the book.
For a novel with such astute commentary on identity, individual choice, capitalism etc I did feel like the ending could have been stronger. I wasn't expecting all the answers but I had to reread the last couple of pages a few of times wondering what I was missing. All in all it's a propulsive, sickening, brilliant journey. I am so excited to hear everyone's opinions when Persona is published in January!
Overall: excellent. Feels like a cross between Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt and Coup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram.
A novel with so many layers, we're first introduced to Annie - surrounded by bags of garbage, having not left her apartment in a year. She's filling out online surveys for a tiny amount of cash when she discovers a pornographic video where the woman looks exactly like her.
Part two we flip to Amy; the girl in the video. She's the mirror image of Annie and the novel weaves their stories together so well. How is this possible? Are they the same person? And if not.. wtf?
There's a sharp genre shift from horror to sci-fi in part three that I've no interest in spoiling for you, but I can only say that I wish I hadn't decided to eat a mince pie whilst reading the tail end of the book.
For a novel with such astute commentary on identity, individual choice, capitalism etc I did feel like the ending could have been stronger. I wasn't expecting all the answers but I had to reread the last couple of pages a few of times wondering what I was missing. All in all it's a propulsive, sickening, brilliant journey. I am so excited to hear everyone's opinions when Persona is published in January!
Overall: excellent. Feels like a cross between Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt and Coup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram.
January 12, 2026
3⭐️
Persona is a concept-driven exploration of identity, dissociation, and the performance of self in digital and physical spaces. The story itself is refreshing and takes a deep dive into personhood, gender, visibility, and fragmentation. At its best, the book is intellectually engaging and unsettling in deliberate ways.
Where the novel succeeds is in its ideas. I had really high hopes for this and about halfway through the story was meeting those expectations. But towards about 75% in, I felt disappointed.
Where it fell short for me was in execution. The narrative often felt emotionally distant, and the abstraction frequently overpowered the story itself. While I understood what the book was aiming to do, I felt like there was so much build up with not enough payoff at all.
Readers who prefer theory-forward, experimental fiction and are comfortable with discomfort and ambiguity will enjoy this, however, readers looking for emotional intimacy or narrative momentum may struggle.
Overall, Persona was okay- not the best and not the worst.
Disclosure: Thank you to Edelweiss, Little Puss Press, and the author for providing an advance copy of this book ahead of its release. This review is voluntary and reflects my honest opinion.
Persona is a concept-driven exploration of identity, dissociation, and the performance of self in digital and physical spaces. The story itself is refreshing and takes a deep dive into personhood, gender, visibility, and fragmentation. At its best, the book is intellectually engaging and unsettling in deliberate ways.
Where the novel succeeds is in its ideas. I had really high hopes for this and about halfway through the story was meeting those expectations. But towards about 75% in, I felt disappointed.
Where it fell short for me was in execution. The narrative often felt emotionally distant, and the abstraction frequently overpowered the story itself. While I understood what the book was aiming to do, I felt like there was so much build up with not enough payoff at all.
Readers who prefer theory-forward, experimental fiction and are comfortable with discomfort and ambiguity will enjoy this, however, readers looking for emotional intimacy or narrative momentum may struggle.
Overall, Persona was okay- not the best and not the worst.
Disclosure: Thank you to Edelweiss, Little Puss Press, and the author for providing an advance copy of this book ahead of its release. This review is voluntary and reflects my honest opinion.
Read
December 3, 2025(This review is based on an advanced reader’s copy provided by Edelweiss.)
A weird little book; I’m not sure what to make of it. This has a cool concept, but it never fully grabbed me. I don’t need a book to answer all my questions, but the ending just confused me. Definitely a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”: it’s not a bad book, I just wasn’t the right reader for it. I would give the author’s future work a try.
A weird little book; I’m not sure what to make of it. This has a cool concept, but it never fully grabbed me. I don’t need a book to answer all my questions, but the ending just confused me. Definitely a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”: it’s not a bad book, I just wasn’t the right reader for it. I would give the author’s future work a try.
December 20, 2025
rly good + refreshingly focused on its main concept, enabling several different currents and ideas to flow under the text without imposing on the reader. idk if the ending completely works, such a hard left turn and a little obscured to me, but its all aces.
September 6, 2025
THIS BOOK IS ABOUT YOU !!!!
we are all doomed.
also points for multiple instances of the words COCKROACH and CUM in the same paragraph. SAME SENTENCE!
I AM AFFRAID !
of stairs now.
we are all doomed.
also points for multiple instances of the words COCKROACH and CUM in the same paragraph. SAME SENTENCE!
I AM AFFRAID !
of stairs now.
November 24, 2025
Thank you to edelweiss as well as the publisher for reaching out and giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!
This was a trip. It has a little bit of everything. While I wasn’t too sure about a lot of points I liked what I could understand. 2 girls with the same face live different lives. Annie and Amy were interesting in how different they were. Annie was a recluse who lived in a barely livable apartment and only interacted with her boyfriend and people on the internet. Amy had a lot of friends but could never really connect with anyone fully. They had different childhoods and upbringings. They are both trans women. The way this got twisted into a sci-fi cosmic horror I didn’t get as much, but I liked the journey.
This was a trip. It has a little bit of everything. While I wasn’t too sure about a lot of points I liked what I could understand. 2 girls with the same face live different lives. Annie and Amy were interesting in how different they were. Annie was a recluse who lived in a barely livable apartment and only interacted with her boyfriend and people on the internet. Amy had a lot of friends but could never really connect with anyone fully. They had different childhoods and upbringings. They are both trans women. The way this got twisted into a sci-fi cosmic horror I didn’t get as much, but I liked the journey.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews