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Heatstroke
A young woman's deliciously unhinged descent into a feral and glamorous hell.
A devoted lover and wannabe screenwriter, January is unable to love or write after finding out her (now ex) girlfriend has cheated. Restless and questioning it all, January and her stoic bestie, Laura, travel to a menacing California in search of recreation and inspiration—anything to alleviate the grief.
There, January submerges herself into a life of indulgence—until she makes eye contact, poolside, with a telepathic bunny. Inhabited by the spirit of Caroline Lamb, the eclipsed muse of Lord Byron and a self-described footnote in the history of English literature, this magical, peevish rabbit coaches January through the messy past and the increasingly sinister present. And she may not be the only lost soul hell-bent on capturing January's attention.
A Faustian bargain for modern times, Heatstroke is a rippling tale of heartbreak, obsession and creativity. With it, Meredyth Cole signals her prodigious talent and offers us a spicy, boundless realm where "going insane is low-key sexy."
A devoted lover and wannabe screenwriter, January is unable to love or write after finding out her (now ex) girlfriend has cheated. Restless and questioning it all, January and her stoic bestie, Laura, travel to a menacing California in search of recreation and inspiration—anything to alleviate the grief.
There, January submerges herself into a life of indulgence—until she makes eye contact, poolside, with a telepathic bunny. Inhabited by the spirit of Caroline Lamb, the eclipsed muse of Lord Byron and a self-described footnote in the history of English literature, this magical, peevish rabbit coaches January through the messy past and the increasingly sinister present. And she may not be the only lost soul hell-bent on capturing January's attention.
A Faustian bargain for modern times, Heatstroke is a rippling tale of heartbreak, obsession and creativity. With it, Meredyth Cole signals her prodigious talent and offers us a spicy, boundless realm where "going insane is low-key sexy."
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
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October 13, 2026This is THE book for heartbroken girls in their 20s. But also for everyone else. Read my thoughts here: https://thewalrus.ca/best-books-2026/
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What a great summer read. This book screams "Weird Girl Lit" and I loved it. January's story, from the seemingly endless Laura's to Caroline and George, this book had lots of twists and turns. My favourite part was the reveal that January did to Laura what Laura did to January while they were in Uni, such a satisfying wrap up to that plot line.
I 100% would reread this book and would recommend it to other fans of the Weird Girl Lit subgenre
I 100% would reread this book and would recommend it to other fans of the Weird Girl Lit subgenre
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2026
I just finished this book and I don’t know if I have the words worthy to express all my thoughts and feelings. I loved it! Creepy in a way that pulled me along, I couldn’t look away; Ms Cole slowly revealed the beast, the pace was very Rosemary’s Baby. I loved the interweaving of history and pop culture, myriad clever references. Throughout I basked in her oftentimes surprising descriptions and phases - so delicious - and use of onomatopoeia. Brilliant how the whole story was presented nonchalantly, as if this could happen to anyone slowly unraveling, like the frog slowly boiling but not jumping out of the pot, more fact than fiction. Her characters really came alive, she even gave us their scents. I need to read it again since I’m sure I missed themes and other literary clues. It’s a wonderfully clever and disturbing tale that I’ll continue thinking about and asking questions about; I’m still just in a mind spin about it. Ms Cole put in just SO MUCH. Her poems throughout were so good! The whole book felt languid, sticky, with a side of ick. Just incredible.
October 7, 2026
Heatstroke is a breakup book that feels like getting sun-sick in a carnival parking lot and somehow enjoying it!?
January can’t stop wanting the girlfriend who cheated on her, so she and her best friend Laura take off for California, which is already too hot and kind of cursed. Exes show up, the rituals get weird, and then there’s a possessed telepathic bunny who starts coaching her through the trauma of it all.
It kept making me think of Gregg Araki’s teenage apocalypse movies. Neon-sick desert light, beautiful people performing their damage, camp tipping into doom but still funny. The voice also reminded me of Ottessa Moshfegh, bodily and peevish and funny because she refuses to be well. What sets it apart is the heat. Cole doesn’t cool any of it off. She stays in the glare of the fever dream and makes going insane feel chic and modern, even a little glamorous. I chuckled about every other page.
Relatable, unhinged, and weirdly tender about how badly we want to be wanted back.
January can’t stop wanting the girlfriend who cheated on her, so she and her best friend Laura take off for California, which is already too hot and kind of cursed. Exes show up, the rituals get weird, and then there’s a possessed telepathic bunny who starts coaching her through the trauma of it all.
It kept making me think of Gregg Araki’s teenage apocalypse movies. Neon-sick desert light, beautiful people performing their damage, camp tipping into doom but still funny. The voice also reminded me of Ottessa Moshfegh, bodily and peevish and funny because she refuses to be well. What sets it apart is the heat. Cole doesn’t cool any of it off. She stays in the glare of the fever dream and makes going insane feel chic and modern, even a little glamorous. I chuckled about every other page.
Relatable, unhinged, and weirdly tender about how badly we want to be wanted back.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)
Heatstroke was one of those books that kept getting weirder the further I got into it, and I genuinely loved that. It leans into its unsettling atmosphere without ever feeling over-the-top, and I never quite knew where the story was going next.
January was such a great main character. I found her easy to connect with, and I was invested in her from the very beginning. The characters overall felt well-developed, and even when the plot took unexpected turns, they kept the story grounded and believable. Meredyth Cole balanced the strange, surreal elements with strong character writing, which made the whole book work for me.
It didn’t quite hit five stars, but I had a really enjoyable time with it. If you like books that are a little weird, atmospheric, and character-driven, I’d definitely recommend giving Heatstroke a try.
Heatstroke was one of those books that kept getting weirder the further I got into it, and I genuinely loved that. It leans into its unsettling atmosphere without ever feeling over-the-top, and I never quite knew where the story was going next.
January was such a great main character. I found her easy to connect with, and I was invested in her from the very beginning. The characters overall felt well-developed, and even when the plot took unexpected turns, they kept the story grounded and believable. Meredyth Cole balanced the strange, surreal elements with strong character writing, which made the whole book work for me.
It didn’t quite hit five stars, but I had a really enjoyable time with it. If you like books that are a little weird, atmospheric, and character-driven, I’d definitely recommend giving Heatstroke a try.
October 3, 2026
This was a hard one to rate fairly, because I sort of hated it. The blurb is misleading; it promises the story of a young woman believing the spirit of Caroline Lamb is in a rabbit and speaking to her telepathically. Instead, that is quickly cast aside so January can obsess over and commit increasingly horrible acts of animal abuse for a mediocre man.
The Good
- January's reflections on who has mistreated her: When January thinks back on the times her parents neglected her, her closest friend casually betrayed her, or her ex-girlfriend belittled her, there is a certain emotional grit and depth in an otherwise hollow narrative.
- Writing: Although not for everyone, Cole’s writing style is clean, intentional, and oddly luxurious, but in bite-sized pieces. It's efficient and effective, great at capturing both physical sensations and January's internal state.
- Caroline: The sections actually focused on Caroline and of January's initial obsession with her were delightful. These segments felt genuinely unhinged in a benign, dismissable way that truly brings the question of reality to the table: did January have a telepathic conversation with a woman in a rabbit, or did she just have a pleasant moment with a wild rabbit while the LA sun baked her mind?
The Bad
- Neither very sexy nor insane: January's preoccupation with appearances wasn't particularly sexy* and her increasing acts of man-pleasing were more stupid than insane. IMHO, a good “going insane” book has a mounting sense of audacity and unreality, not the timeless, bone-deep exhaustion of watching a woman tunnel herself deeper into a relationship with Mr. Red Flags.
(*It goes deeper than this, but as an examination or criticism of youth/beauty standards/expectations/how women are only treated as worthwhile in their 20s it sort of flopped, so I'm not gonna waste more time here.)
- Misleading blurb: I wanted to read a book about a woman hoping to get over a bad relationship (to another woman) who winds up believing she's telepathically communicating with a rabbit. I did not want to read a book about a woman constantly thinking about pleasing men and on being attractive to men, specifically when there was NO MENTION OF IT BEFOREHAND.
- January: The line between “complicated character” and “frustrating dipshit” is RAZOR thin. January is both a young woman who's faced emotional neglect from her parents and deep betrayal from some of the closest people in her life. She also incredibly melodrama and makes a deal with a devil to write a “good” screenplay instead of just fucking joining a scriptwriting critique group. I hated her most of the time.
Etc.
Representation: January is sapphic, unspecified, presumed bisexual.
Heat Rating: 0.75/5🔥 January briefly reflects on a time she pleasured herself, with mild details. Sex is referenced, but only in passing, lacking any detail.
Tl;dr: Sad woman does stupid shit for a man instead of going to therapy or a critique group.
Rating: 1.5 ⭐ A heavily biased eating tbf, but I'm sick of reading “surprise it's actually about attraction to a man” books.
(Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House / DoubleDay Canada for an eARC of Heatstroke!)
The Good
- January's reflections on who has mistreated her: When January thinks back on the times her parents neglected her, her closest friend casually betrayed her, or her ex-girlfriend belittled her, there is a certain emotional grit and depth in an otherwise hollow narrative.
- Writing: Although not for everyone, Cole’s writing style is clean, intentional, and oddly luxurious, but in bite-sized pieces. It's efficient and effective, great at capturing both physical sensations and January's internal state.
- Caroline: The sections actually focused on Caroline and of January's initial obsession with her were delightful. These segments felt genuinely unhinged in a benign, dismissable way that truly brings the question of reality to the table: did January have a telepathic conversation with a woman in a rabbit, or did she just have a pleasant moment with a wild rabbit while the LA sun baked her mind?
The Bad
- Neither very sexy nor insane: January's preoccupation with appearances wasn't particularly sexy* and her increasing acts of man-pleasing were more stupid than insane. IMHO, a good “going insane” book has a mounting sense of audacity and unreality, not the timeless, bone-deep exhaustion of watching a woman tunnel herself deeper into a relationship with Mr. Red Flags.
(*It goes deeper than this, but as an examination or criticism of youth/beauty standards/expectations/how women are only treated as worthwhile in their 20s it sort of flopped, so I'm not gonna waste more time here.)
- Misleading blurb: I wanted to read a book about a woman hoping to get over a bad relationship (to another woman) who winds up believing she's telepathically communicating with a rabbit. I did not want to read a book about a woman constantly thinking about pleasing men and on being attractive to men, specifically when there was NO MENTION OF IT BEFOREHAND.
- January: The line between “complicated character” and “frustrating dipshit” is RAZOR thin. January is both a young woman who's faced emotional neglect from her parents and deep betrayal from some of the closest people in her life. She also incredibly melodrama and makes a deal with a devil to write a “good” screenplay instead of just fucking joining a scriptwriting critique group. I hated her most of the time.
Etc.
Representation: January is sapphic, unspecified, presumed bisexual.
Heat Rating: 0.75/5🔥 January briefly reflects on a time she pleasured herself, with mild details. Sex is referenced, but only in passing, lacking any detail.
Tl;dr: Sad woman does stupid shit for a man instead of going to therapy or a critique group.
Rating: 1.5 ⭐ A heavily biased eating tbf, but I'm sick of reading “surprise it's actually about attraction to a man” books.
(Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House / DoubleDay Canada for an eARC of Heatstroke!)
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I couldn't tell if the writing was pretentious or I was just stupid. I swear there was a simile or metaphor every 2nd line and the writing just didn't flow for me.
I was lured into this one with the promise of a wild queer fever dream, but this was just a bizarre experience for me, honestly. Maybe this was a me problem, but yeah not for me.
CW: killing of animals
*thank you to libro.fm and the publisher for providing me with this ALC
I was lured into this one with the promise of a wild queer fever dream, but this was just a bizarre experience for me, honestly. Maybe this was a me problem, but yeah not for me.
CW: killing of animals
*thank you to libro.fm and the publisher for providing me with this ALC
May 3, 2026
I’m still not sure what to make of this book. It was definitely entertaining but it’s a weird book that I think some people will love and others will not enjoy.
The characters are well written and the story was easy to read but I’m not sure it’s a book I’d reread. Definitely recommend giving it a try.
Thanks NetGallery and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
The characters are well written and the story was easy to read but I’m not sure it’s a book I’d reread. Definitely recommend giving it a try.
Thanks NetGallery and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Where do I even begin with this one? It’s weird, queer and fun. January is a screenwriter who will do anything to get ahead and honestly this story goes the length to show that. I liked her as a character but she’s certainly in weird, messy girl territory. Overall, a fun summer read that had some fun plot points and a decent amount of humour.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Loved the premise of this, it was very unique and dark as well as funny. I did really enjoy it!
What kept it from 5 stars was the last third of the book, it felt like we kept getting revelations or answers revealed without any pomp. I found myself having to go back and re-read and see if that new fact really was revealed
Review in exchange for net galley ARC
What kept it from 5 stars was the last third of the book, it felt like we kept getting revelations or answers revealed without any pomp. I found myself having to go back and re-read and see if that new fact really was revealed
Review in exchange for net galley ARC
October 10, 2026
this is such a page turner, it’s very dreamlike and goes from glamorous to funny to nauseating in an engaging way. It basically asks how far someone should be willing to go for their dreams.
The writing is so satirical, it’s full of hilarious/sharp little asides. Also very vivid fashion and California landscape/city descriptions.
The writing is so satirical, it’s full of hilarious/sharp little asides. Also very vivid fashion and California landscape/city descriptions.
October 11, 2026
Devoured this.
October 19, 2026
This book had me on a chokehold. A mixture of fascination shock and the melancholy that I can only explain as modern womanhood.
August 14, 2026
Loved this demented and delicious debut. Truly a joy to read. A fave of the year so far !
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The writing is easily 5 stars, but the story unravelled about 2/3 of the way and there are a few scenes that I could’ve done without. Definitely an author to watch—she oozes talent.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews