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Miss Archer
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“A Gothic novel with a flourish of the speculative, a tale so gripping it’s hard to believe this is a debut. The story contains many mysteries—the less said about those the better, untangling them is genuinely satisfying—though it’s principally concerned with the great, perhaps unanswerable question of what it is that makes us human."
— Rumaan Alam, New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World Behind
An audaciously original and genre-bending debut novel from the mind of celebrated playwright and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Jordan Harrison, about a young woman and the strange, brilliant boy she’s entrusted to raise.
Growing up in the Squares, Dre Archer was always told human history was over. Until the day a mysterious woman arrives, plucks her from all she knows, and recruits her as governess to an enigmatic five-year-old boy. Albie is rash, emotionally obtuse, and possibly a genius. He also believes the year is 1884—two centuries before Dre was born. Everyone working at his family’s grand Victorian manor strives to maintain the illusion, keeping the modern world safely outside their doors. Dre is expected to follow along and not ask questions.
At first, Dre works hard to embody her role as “Miss Archer,” with comportment lessons and corsets, like an actor in one of her favorite period dramas. But somewhere along the way, the performance begins to feel real—as does her bond with this singular boy. Slowly she is overwhelmed by questions: Why the weird adherence to the 19th century, when it’s the dawn of the 22nd? Who are her shadowy employers? And what is her job, really?
In her mounting determination to unlock these mysteries, Dre finds herself flouting the draconian rules of the house. As a series of Russian doll-like revelations brings her closer to the truth, Dre must go to dangerous lengths to protect her young charge, who she has, without quite meaning to, come to love as her own.
Never Let Me Go meets Rebecca in this emotionally vivid, precisely rendered, and propulsive literary debut. Blending speculative fiction with the Gothic tradition, Miss Archer deftly explores our yearning for the analog world as we tumble into the future, investigating the nature of individual genius—and what it truly means to be human.
“Witty and imaginative, Miss Archer got all of my neurons firing. Harrison conveys complex ideas in fluid prose to tell a story that was effortless to read and yet thought-provoking long after I put it down. A debut novel that is equal parts entertainment and invention.”
— Charles Yu, National Book Award-winning author of Interior Chinatown
272 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 5, 2027
About the author
Jordan Harrison
19 books35 followersJordan Harrison is a playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his play MARJORIE PRIME, which was recently revived on Broadway. His other plays include THE ANTIQUITIES, MAPLE AND VINE, and THE AMATEURS. Harrison is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Horton Foote Prize for Best New American Play. As a screenwriter, his credits include three seasons as writer/producer of the Netflix original series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. Harrison is a graduate of Stanford University and the Brown MFA Creative Writing program. MISS ARCHER is his first novel.
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"I devoured that sort of thing when I was twelve or thirteen. Gothic spires and sexual ghosts. Men who cried principled tears in their highback armchairs. But I didn't want to be the governess. I wanted to be one of their dead wives, mad and ravishing. Maybe I still do."
'Miss Archer' is a dystopian story with a quite surreal premise (revealed in a big early twist that I won't go into here). The author plays with gothic tropes - a young woman hired as a governess, a house harbouring secrets, a Mrs Danvers type figure - and has fun with them.
That slightly flippant, playful narrative approach suited the gothic elements, but I sometimes found it a little jarring when the story touched on real-life horrors - for example, genocide, sterilisation programs and forced labour. To what extent is the reader expected to take the pain of the off-stage characters seriously? Or is the novel more an intellectual puzzle, a house of mirrors, to get the reader thinking, like that ethical conundrum about a runaway tram hurtling towards innocent civilians?
I enjoyed that the story was unpredictable, highly imaginative and took risks. By the end, there was also a surprising - and welcome - touch of warmth and sentiment; a sense that the author loved their characters, especially Albie. I think 'Miss Archer' would appeal to fans of Rory Power's 'Wilder Girls' and Virginia Feito's 'Victorian Psycho'. I was also reminded of 'The Music of Chance' by Paul Auster. Given recent news stories about AI, some doom-laden, this dystopian near-future story captures something of the zeitgeist. 4.5 ⭐ rounded up.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC 💖
'Miss Archer' is a dystopian story with a quite surreal premise (revealed in a big early twist that I won't go into here). The author plays with gothic tropes - a young woman hired as a governess, a house harbouring secrets, a Mrs Danvers type figure - and has fun with them.
That slightly flippant, playful narrative approach suited the gothic elements, but I sometimes found it a little jarring when the story touched on real-life horrors - for example, genocide, sterilisation programs and forced labour. To what extent is the reader expected to take the pain of the off-stage characters seriously? Or is the novel more an intellectual puzzle, a house of mirrors, to get the reader thinking, like that ethical conundrum about a runaway tram hurtling towards innocent civilians?
I enjoyed that the story was unpredictable, highly imaginative and took risks. By the end, there was also a surprising - and welcome - touch of warmth and sentiment; a sense that the author loved their characters, especially Albie. I think 'Miss Archer' would appeal to fans of Rory Power's 'Wilder Girls' and Virginia Feito's 'Victorian Psycho'. I was also reminded of 'The Music of Chance' by Paul Auster. Given recent news stories about AI, some doom-laden, this dystopian near-future story captures something of the zeitgeist. 4.5 ⭐ rounded up.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC 💖
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4-5 stars
Dre Archer grows up in The Squares in the late 22nd century, it’s a harsh existence where all are told that human history is finished. One day she’s plucked from her life to become Miss Archer, governess to clever four year-old Albie, who, like all of his household believes it to be the year 1884, two centuries before Dre’s birth. Everyone in the Victorian Gothic Manor House are expected to work hard to maintain the illusion. Here, the modern world, such as it is, is firmly closed out behind these walls. Why 1884 I wonder?? I’m not saying, but perhaps Albie and Miss Archer can help.
What an absolute pleasure it is to read something so well written, so different, so creatively original and that constantly intrigues me. At first I think this way, then that’s blown out of the water so I reconfigure to that way and then, wait for it, yes, it’s something else entirely. This is a novel that is best going in blind, so that it becomes a constant source of fascination. I find it utterly gripping, surprising and shocking at times.
The novel is a cross-genre gem, it has strong Gothic overtones via the governess angle, think Jane Eyre, it has an historical fiction angle but also sci-fi or speculative fiction. How clever is that? It’s multilayered and feels like the Gothic mansion is being dismantled a few bricks at a time in order to peak at what lies beneath. However, I’m still left with questions after the thick and fast ending but to be honest, I like that as the author gives us plenty of food for thought allowing our own imaginations to make interpretations.
It’s full of atmosphere because of the house, but it’s also provided by members of the strange household. As for the key characters of Albie and Miss Archer, who are the principal storytellers, both are quite unique. Albie is incredibly smart but also very endearing and Miss Archer is resourceful, brave and very caring, especially for her young charge.
Overall, if this isn’t a best seller, I despair!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin General UK for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
Dre Archer grows up in The Squares in the late 22nd century, it’s a harsh existence where all are told that human history is finished. One day she’s plucked from her life to become Miss Archer, governess to clever four year-old Albie, who, like all of his household believes it to be the year 1884, two centuries before Dre’s birth. Everyone in the Victorian Gothic Manor House are expected to work hard to maintain the illusion. Here, the modern world, such as it is, is firmly closed out behind these walls. Why 1884 I wonder?? I’m not saying, but perhaps Albie and Miss Archer can help.
What an absolute pleasure it is to read something so well written, so different, so creatively original and that constantly intrigues me. At first I think this way, then that’s blown out of the water so I reconfigure to that way and then, wait for it, yes, it’s something else entirely. This is a novel that is best going in blind, so that it becomes a constant source of fascination. I find it utterly gripping, surprising and shocking at times.
The novel is a cross-genre gem, it has strong Gothic overtones via the governess angle, think Jane Eyre, it has an historical fiction angle but also sci-fi or speculative fiction. How clever is that? It’s multilayered and feels like the Gothic mansion is being dismantled a few bricks at a time in order to peak at what lies beneath. However, I’m still left with questions after the thick and fast ending but to be honest, I like that as the author gives us plenty of food for thought allowing our own imaginations to make interpretations.
It’s full of atmosphere because of the house, but it’s also provided by members of the strange household. As for the key characters of Albie and Miss Archer, who are the principal storytellers, both are quite unique. Albie is incredibly smart but also very endearing and Miss Archer is resourceful, brave and very caring, especially for her young charge.
Overall, if this isn’t a best seller, I despair!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin General UK for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
Read
September 13, 2026Miss Archer is one of those books where I kept thinking, “Okay, I have absolutely no idea where this is going,” and somehow that became the best part of the experience.
This book completely caught me off guard. I went in expecting a strange gothic mystery with a creepy old house and a suspicious child, and instead I got this wonderfully bizarre blend of speculative fiction, dystopian elements, gothic atmosphere, family secrets, philosophical questions, and twists that kept making me rethink EVERYTHING I thought I understood.
And honestly? I had a fantastic time being confused.
Dre Archer is such an interesting protagonist because she doesn’t begin this story as some perfectly polished heroine who has everything figured out. She is young, inexperienced, and desperate for an opportunity that can give her mother and sister a better future. So when she is offered the position of governess to five year old Albie, she basically has to fake her way into a world she barely understands.
Enter the mansion.
WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS HOUSE?!
Everyone dresses like they stepped directly out of another century. The furniture, the food, the rules, the behavior, EVERYTHING feels deliberately frozen in time. And then there is Albie, a brilliant and deeply unusual little boy who genuinely believes he is living in 1884.
The more Dre learns about Albie and the strange world surrounding him, the more fascinated I became. I especially loved watching their relationship develop because it starts as a job and slowly becomes something much more meaningful. Dre begins to care about this strange child in a way she never expected, and that emotional connection gives the mystery so much more weight.
Albie is also one of those characters who made me constantly wonder what the heck was happening inside his head. He is five years old, but his intelligence, behavior, and understanding of the world are anything but ordinary. Sometimes I wanted to hug him, sometimes I wanted to shake him, and occasionally I just wanted to sit him down and demand that he PLEASE explain what was happening.
The mystery is definitely the star here, though. There are layers upon layers of secrets, and every time I thought I had finally figured something out, another piece fell into place and made me question my previous theory. I loved that the book trusted me to discover the truth rather than explaining everything immediately.
And underneath all the weirdness, there are some genuinely fascinating questions about humanity, technology, progress, identity, creativity, and what we are willing to sacrifice in the name of creating something supposedly better. Those ideas gave the story much more substance than I expected.
I also really enjoyed the atmosphere. There is something wonderfully unsettling about taking a futuristic world and placing a Victorian bubble right in the middle of it. The contrast between the world outside and the carefully constructed reality inside the house creates this constant feeling that something is fundamentally wrong, even when everything looks beautiful on the surface.
My only real issue was the ending. After spending so much time building this elaborate mystery and gradually revealing its secrets, I wanted a little more room to breathe at the end. Some of the final developments felt slightly rushed, and I would honestly have happily read another 50 or 100 pages if it meant getting more explanation and a more developed conclusion.
Still, this is such an original and memorable debut. Strange, intelligent, atmospheric, emotionally surprising, and completely unlike what I expected. I love when a book takes a familiar genre formula, throws it out the window, and creates something that refuses to fit neatly into one category.
Miss Archer definitely put Jordan Harrison on my radar, and I will absolutely be curious to see what comes next.
Four very intrigued stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this original, fascinating reading's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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This book completely caught me off guard. I went in expecting a strange gothic mystery with a creepy old house and a suspicious child, and instead I got this wonderfully bizarre blend of speculative fiction, dystopian elements, gothic atmosphere, family secrets, philosophical questions, and twists that kept making me rethink EVERYTHING I thought I understood.
And honestly? I had a fantastic time being confused.
Dre Archer is such an interesting protagonist because she doesn’t begin this story as some perfectly polished heroine who has everything figured out. She is young, inexperienced, and desperate for an opportunity that can give her mother and sister a better future. So when she is offered the position of governess to five year old Albie, she basically has to fake her way into a world she barely understands.
Enter the mansion.
WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS HOUSE?!
Everyone dresses like they stepped directly out of another century. The furniture, the food, the rules, the behavior, EVERYTHING feels deliberately frozen in time. And then there is Albie, a brilliant and deeply unusual little boy who genuinely believes he is living in 1884.
The more Dre learns about Albie and the strange world surrounding him, the more fascinated I became. I especially loved watching their relationship develop because it starts as a job and slowly becomes something much more meaningful. Dre begins to care about this strange child in a way she never expected, and that emotional connection gives the mystery so much more weight.
Albie is also one of those characters who made me constantly wonder what the heck was happening inside his head. He is five years old, but his intelligence, behavior, and understanding of the world are anything but ordinary. Sometimes I wanted to hug him, sometimes I wanted to shake him, and occasionally I just wanted to sit him down and demand that he PLEASE explain what was happening.
The mystery is definitely the star here, though. There are layers upon layers of secrets, and every time I thought I had finally figured something out, another piece fell into place and made me question my previous theory. I loved that the book trusted me to discover the truth rather than explaining everything immediately.
And underneath all the weirdness, there are some genuinely fascinating questions about humanity, technology, progress, identity, creativity, and what we are willing to sacrifice in the name of creating something supposedly better. Those ideas gave the story much more substance than I expected.
I also really enjoyed the atmosphere. There is something wonderfully unsettling about taking a futuristic world and placing a Victorian bubble right in the middle of it. The contrast between the world outside and the carefully constructed reality inside the house creates this constant feeling that something is fundamentally wrong, even when everything looks beautiful on the surface.
My only real issue was the ending. After spending so much time building this elaborate mystery and gradually revealing its secrets, I wanted a little more room to breathe at the end. Some of the final developments felt slightly rushed, and I would honestly have happily read another 50 or 100 pages if it meant getting more explanation and a more developed conclusion.
Still, this is such an original and memorable debut. Strange, intelligent, atmospheric, emotionally surprising, and completely unlike what I expected. I love when a book takes a familiar genre formula, throws it out the window, and creates something that refuses to fit neatly into one category.
Miss Archer definitely put Jordan Harrison on my radar, and I will absolutely be curious to see what comes next.
Four very intrigued stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this original, fascinating reading's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Miss Archer follows Dre Archer who grew up in the Squares and was always told human history was over. One day, she gets recruited as a governess to a five-year-old boy called Albie. Albie has the potential to be a genius but he acts his age often and struggles to read people’s emotions. Albie believes the year is 1884 which is two centuries before Dre was born. Albie lives in a Victorian mansion and believes he is in Germany. All the staff have to maintain the illusion. Dre works hard to become a proper Victorian lady and she quickly bonds with Albie. Dre starts to believe she is actually living in the Victorian era but it is actually the dawn of the 22nd century. Dre wants to know where Albie’s parents are and what she is actually doing with Albie so she starts to flout the rules. Dre has come to love Albie and wants to protect him but that means discovering what’s really going on and uncovering the truth about the false 19th century.
I really enjoyed this book and I think this will be a huge hit for 2027 book releases. This book is written well and it has a lot of intrigue. I don’t want to say too much about this book because to say too much would spoil it. I would recommend going in blind for this book because the reveals are fantastic and I had no idea what was to come. I would recommend this book for fans of The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey because both of these books have a similar unsettling vibe. I liked the dystopian elements in this book regarding the Squares and how people have to live in certain ways with history being over. I loved following Dre and found her to be a relatable character as she is thrown into this strange world. I also enjoyed reading from Albie and found his voice to be well done considering him being five years old. This is a really compelling read and I urge people to give this a go when it releases. I’m giving this 4 stars and the only reason this isn’t 5 stars for me is because I wanted more of this world particularly the Squares.
Miss Archer follows Dre Archer who grew up in the Squares and was always told human history was over. One day, she gets recruited as a governess to a five-year-old boy called Albie. Albie has the potential to be a genius but he acts his age often and struggles to read people’s emotions. Albie believes the year is 1884 which is two centuries before Dre was born. Albie lives in a Victorian mansion and believes he is in Germany. All the staff have to maintain the illusion. Dre works hard to become a proper Victorian lady and she quickly bonds with Albie. Dre starts to believe she is actually living in the Victorian era but it is actually the dawn of the 22nd century. Dre wants to know where Albie’s parents are and what she is actually doing with Albie so she starts to flout the rules. Dre has come to love Albie and wants to protect him but that means discovering what’s really going on and uncovering the truth about the false 19th century.
I really enjoyed this book and I think this will be a huge hit for 2027 book releases. This book is written well and it has a lot of intrigue. I don’t want to say too much about this book because to say too much would spoil it. I would recommend going in blind for this book because the reveals are fantastic and I had no idea what was to come. I would recommend this book for fans of The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey because both of these books have a similar unsettling vibe. I liked the dystopian elements in this book regarding the Squares and how people have to live in certain ways with history being over. I loved following Dre and found her to be a relatable character as she is thrown into this strange world. I also enjoyed reading from Albie and found his voice to be well done considering him being five years old. This is a really compelling read and I urge people to give this a go when it releases. I’m giving this 4 stars and the only reason this isn’t 5 stars for me is because I wanted more of this world particularly the Squares.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5, rounded up.
Harrison is one of my favorite contemporary playwrights (a finalist for the Pulitzer in Drama for Marjorie Prime, recently revived on Broadway), and he is making an assured and dazzling fiction debut with this unique tome. Like many of his plays, this juxtaposes the past with the future in startling ways, which seems to be his métier. This is some unholy amalgamation of Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Never Let Me Go and The Boys from Brazil - while remaining its own fresh and original creation.
Since a huge part of the enjoyment of the book is the discovery of its surprises, I am not going to venture into a synopsis - the less you know going in, the better. The book alternates chapters narrated by the two central characters: the titular Miss Archer, hired to be a governess at a strange quasi-19th century reenactment- and her charge, five-year-old Albie.
One of my initial qualms is that - much as with the celebrated Room, with its young narrator- Albie uses vocabulary and has thoughts WAYYYYY beyond his tender years; especially as he is rumored to be neurodivergent. Once you get Albie's origin story, SOME of this is ameliorated, however.
Since I have been in the doldrums of this year's largely disappointing Booker longlist the past month, this page-turner was just what I need to invigorate my reading. It would also make a fantastic film, and as Harrison spent three years as writer/producer on the series Orange Is the New Black, I suspect that is in the offing.
Many thanx to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the ARC in exchange for this honest and enthusiastic review.
Harrison is one of my favorite contemporary playwrights (a finalist for the Pulitzer in Drama for Marjorie Prime, recently revived on Broadway), and he is making an assured and dazzling fiction debut with this unique tome. Like many of his plays, this juxtaposes the past with the future in startling ways, which seems to be his métier. This is some unholy amalgamation of Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Never Let Me Go and The Boys from Brazil - while remaining its own fresh and original creation.
Since a huge part of the enjoyment of the book is the discovery of its surprises, I am not going to venture into a synopsis - the less you know going in, the better. The book alternates chapters narrated by the two central characters: the titular Miss Archer, hired to be a governess at a strange quasi-19th century reenactment- and her charge, five-year-old Albie.
One of my initial qualms is that - much as with the celebrated Room, with its young narrator- Albie uses vocabulary and has thoughts WAYYYYY beyond his tender years; especially as he is rumored to be neurodivergent. Once you get Albie's origin story, SOME of this is ameliorated, however.
Since I have been in the doldrums of this year's largely disappointing Booker longlist the past month, this page-turner was just what I need to invigorate my reading. It would also make a fantastic film, and as Harrison spent three years as writer/producer on the series Orange Is the New Black, I suspect that is in the offing.
Many thanx to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the ARC in exchange for this honest and enthusiastic review.
August 30, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Miss Archer is a dystopian speculative fiction novel that feels a bit like The Handmaid’s Tale at the onset, but then evolves into something else completely. Set in the future, the story introduces Dre (short for Andrea) who lives in a walled community called the Squares where the population lives in abject poverty and the people are not free to venture outside of their enclosed perimeters. Dre has an opportunity to leave the Square to work as a governess for a young boy named Albie. However the position comes with strict rules around living each day as though it was the year 1884.
This is the type of book where it’s best to go in blindly. The twists were interesting and ambitious, bordering on absurd. I enjoyed both Dre and Albie and I found myself rooting for them. The only reason this wasn’t a 5 star for me was because after everything was revealed, the whole 1884 play acting no longer made sense to me, and seemed contradictory to its original purpose. Overall this was a great debut novel that kept me engaged and eager to read to the very end.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Miss Archer is a dystopian speculative fiction novel that feels a bit like The Handmaid’s Tale at the onset, but then evolves into something else completely. Set in the future, the story introduces Dre (short for Andrea) who lives in a walled community called the Squares where the population lives in abject poverty and the people are not free to venture outside of their enclosed perimeters. Dre has an opportunity to leave the Square to work as a governess for a young boy named Albie. However the position comes with strict rules around living each day as though it was the year 1884.
This is the type of book where it’s best to go in blindly. The twists were interesting and ambitious, bordering on absurd. I enjoyed both Dre and Albie and I found myself rooting for them. The only reason this wasn’t a 5 star for me was because after everything was revealed, the whole 1884 play acting no longer made sense to me, and seemed contradictory to its original purpose. Overall this was a great debut novel that kept me engaged and eager to read to the very end.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.5 stars. Very creative premise and fabulous implementation of it.
August 18, 2026
I was having a pretty good time with Miss Archer at first. The dystopian/gothic vibes were strange but in a way that had me curious to know more. And then the first big reveal happened. I’m sorry but it completely changed the way I was reading the book. I just couldn’t take it seriously afterwards. Maybe it’s a me problem but after the reveal the whole plot started feeling more ridiculous than intriguing.
It’s a shame. This is a genuinely creative book. It’s doing dystopian fiction, gothic fiction, mystery, social commentary and a few other things I’m probably forgetting about. There’s clearly a lot of thought behind the world and the story but I think it got lost in what it was trying to be.
The characters made the whole book. I really loved Albie and his chapters. Getting inside his head and following his little thought processes was easily the most entertaining part of the book for me. I honestly would’ve read an entire book just following him around.
The ending didn’t save the book for me either. First of all, at that point I was just skipping pages to get to the end, and also… It was just so weirdly tidy. Didn’t make much sense to me.
I appreciate how original and ambitious this book is, and I don’t think it lacks any ideas. If anything, there are probably too many of them. Albie, however, you were doing numbers my guy.
A thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
It’s a shame. This is a genuinely creative book. It’s doing dystopian fiction, gothic fiction, mystery, social commentary and a few other things I’m probably forgetting about. There’s clearly a lot of thought behind the world and the story but I think it got lost in what it was trying to be.
The characters made the whole book. I really loved Albie and his chapters. Getting inside his head and following his little thought processes was easily the most entertaining part of the book for me. I honestly would’ve read an entire book just following him around.
The ending didn’t save the book for me either. First of all, at that point I was just skipping pages to get to the end, and also… It was just so weirdly tidy. Didn’t make much sense to me.
I appreciate how original and ambitious this book is, and I don’t think it lacks any ideas. If anything, there are probably too many of them. Albie, however, you were doing numbers my guy.
A thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Official Blurb I gave for the book: “If you injected the speculative flair of Ishiguro into the gothic hallways of Du Maurier, you still couldn’t pin down the complex, emotional labyrinth that Harrison has shaped. Part mystery and part exploration of how we define family and acts of love on the margins. A remarkable debut that will have you interrogating reality both on and off the page.”
^ But beyond my blurb, I just want to say I would have easily picked this up based on summary (and cover) alone. Read this in a single day and I'm thinking abou teaching this in a class or trying to force this on my book club. Absolutely loved it.
^ But beyond my blurb, I just want to say I would have easily picked this up based on summary (and cover) alone. Read this in a single day and I'm thinking abou teaching this in a class or trying to force this on my book club. Absolutely loved it.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Wow. Fans of Never Let Me Go, I have new favorite for you. The slow unveiling of this novel’s truths had me on the edge of my seat.
July 20, 2026
Thank you for the DRC, Harper Collins. Good god, what a STUNNER of a debut. Rating 4 stars only because I probably won’t reread, but my goodness. I ripped through this book, couldn’t stop thinking about it, wanted to read all day during work, and finally logged off for the day and got stuck into the last half of the book. Magnificent.
Dre Archer lives in The Squares (felt very District 12 to me) in the 22nd century at the end of human history. A newcomer arrives to pluck a girl out of obscurity, and Dre is whisked away to a grand Victorian manor on the outskirts of Munich—or is it? Her charge is 5-year-old Albie, a precocious and mischievous boy who Dre quickly falls in love with. Albie believes it is 1884, and a LOT of work goes into maintaining the illusion. Dre takes comportment and etiquette lessons until she can shed her 22nd self like a snakeskin, molding herself into a proper Victorian lady.
I don’t want to give too much away, but I went into this book basically blind, and the pacing and plot twists and reveals along the way were astonishing. For a second I was surprised at the plot twist that happened 37% of the way through and thought it was too early, but having finished the book, I see that the pacing was CORRECT AF. I found this debut to be an aching, melancholic meditation on the magic of childhood, nature v. nurture, and the best—and worst—of humanity. Absolutely wonderful.
Quotes that resonated with me (I highlighted a bunch and then picked from there!):
✨“Even as this storm is gathering in me, there is another part of me that wants Albie to fulfill his destiny. If Albie can grow up to be [redacted], then aren't we still better than our captors? Do we not still have something they need? Albie would be a green blade of grass shooting up from the burned black forest floor.” (Chapter 26)
✨“(Was there ever a greater conspiracy against women than no pockets on dresses?)” (chapter 42)
✨ “It was a vestigial quirk of Homo sapiens—not being able to access every memory at will, as the inorganics could. The great majority of human memories were buried forever as the days piled up. So much of lived experience was simply ...lost. Save for those few moments that were unearthed without warning years later—a whiff of basil at dinner, sending her back to her mother's garden— in a kind of ambush. Maybe it was a gift, this human talent for forgetting. Some of the pain, embarrassment and regret was sifted away, over time. What was a person, in the end, apart from a curated collection of memories? If there truly was a thing called the soul, it was made of what was kept and what was cast away. Because they couldn't be summoned with a command or keystroke, the surviving moments became precious.” (Chapter 43)
Dre Archer lives in The Squares (felt very District 12 to me) in the 22nd century at the end of human history. A newcomer arrives to pluck a girl out of obscurity, and Dre is whisked away to a grand Victorian manor on the outskirts of Munich—or is it? Her charge is 5-year-old Albie, a precocious and mischievous boy who Dre quickly falls in love with. Albie believes it is 1884, and a LOT of work goes into maintaining the illusion. Dre takes comportment and etiquette lessons until she can shed her 22nd self like a snakeskin, molding herself into a proper Victorian lady.
I don’t want to give too much away, but I went into this book basically blind, and the pacing and plot twists and reveals along the way were astonishing. For a second I was surprised at the plot twist that happened 37% of the way through and thought it was too early, but having finished the book, I see that the pacing was CORRECT AF. I found this debut to be an aching, melancholic meditation on the magic of childhood, nature v. nurture, and the best—and worst—of humanity. Absolutely wonderful.
Quotes that resonated with me (I highlighted a bunch and then picked from there!):
✨“Even as this storm is gathering in me, there is another part of me that wants Albie to fulfill his destiny. If Albie can grow up to be [redacted], then aren't we still better than our captors? Do we not still have something they need? Albie would be a green blade of grass shooting up from the burned black forest floor.” (Chapter 26)
✨“(Was there ever a greater conspiracy against women than no pockets on dresses?)” (chapter 42)
✨ “It was a vestigial quirk of Homo sapiens—not being able to access every memory at will, as the inorganics could. The great majority of human memories were buried forever as the days piled up. So much of lived experience was simply ...lost. Save for those few moments that were unearthed without warning years later—a whiff of basil at dinner, sending her back to her mother's garden— in a kind of ambush. Maybe it was a gift, this human talent for forgetting. Some of the pain, embarrassment and regret was sifted away, over time. What was a person, in the end, apart from a curated collection of memories? If there truly was a thing called the soul, it was made of what was kept and what was cast away. Because they couldn't be summoned with a command or keystroke, the surviving moments became precious.” (Chapter 43)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for sharing this mystery’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
"Miss Archer" draws you in with an intriguing dystopian premise, featuring the wretched remnants of humanity trapped in bleak, confined poverty with no future and no ability to bear children. Alongside the main character, Dre Archer, we journey as if through time, moving beyond her grim dystopian environment and into a grand Gothic Victorian manor that preserves a parallel historical illusion encapsulated hundreds of years in the past.
Here begins the most mystical and mysterious part of the book, where we as readers try to piece together what is happening and why this entire illusion of a past era where everything looks like 1884has been created for just one person: little Albie.
While the driving force of the book is character-based, its true magic lies in its atmosphere: a Gothic dystopia full of secrets, history, questions about human nature, and the impact of the future on the past. Up to the middle of the book, it felt like being immersed in an adventure waiting to be unraveled.
However, it feels as though the debut author tried to pack in a bit too much. The sexual scenes, paired with Albie's mix of childish naivety and genius, felt completely unnecessary, while Mrs. Greenleave's lustful flashes seemed entirely out of place and out of context. The ending felt rushed as well.
Even so, I can clearly understand why people love it. Ultimately, it is a book that does not lack originality, mystery, and big questions about humanity.
LV
‘’Miss Archer’’ ievelk sevī ar intriģējošu distopisku sākumu, kurā ir šī nožēlojamā cilvēce, kas palikusi, drūma- ierobežota, bez nākotnes, bez spējas radīt bērnus, norobežptā nabadzībā.
Līdzās ar galvano varoni- Dre Archer, mēs kā ceļojot laikā nonākam ārpus distopiskās dzīvesvietas un ierodamies gotiskajā milzu Victorijas laika villā, kurā tiek radīta paralēlā vēsturiskā ilūzija, kas iekapsulēta vairākus simtus gadus atpakaļ.
Šeit sākas mistiskā, noslēpumainā grāmatas daļa, kurā mēs kā lasītāji gribam saprast, kas šeit notiek un kāpēc visa šī pagātnes telpas ilūzija, kurā viss izskatās kā 1884.gadā, tiek radīts tikai vienai personai- mazajam puisēnam Albijam.
Grāmata ir varoņos balstīta, tomēr nevar noliegt, ka tās burvība ir tieši atmosfērā- meklējot atildes uz jautājumiempar cilvēces jēgu, nākotnes ietekmi uz pagātni. Līdz grāmatas vidum bija sajūta, ka esmu iekšā kādā piedzīvojumā, kurā ir jāatklāj noslēpums.
Tomēr sajūta, ka šajā debijā bija vēlme iekļaut visu iespējamo, un seksuālās ainas līdz ar Albija bērna naivumu un ģenialitāti, likās pilnīgi nevajadzīgas, kā arī Mrs. Greenleave alkas uzpaliksnījumi vispār likās nevietā un ārpus konteksta. Arī nobeigums likās sasteigts.
Grāmata, kurā netrūkst oriģinalitātes, mistērijas un lielu jautājumu cilvēces vārdā.
3 zvaigznes
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Miss Archer is that honestly too-rare thing: a book that really, truly, and frequently surprised me. I don't go into books blind when I can help it, and I feel like I'm pretty good at figuring a lot out about a book beforehand from cover, title, how it's shelved in bookstores, etc. I thought Miss Archer would be one thing, and go one way - and it took...some turns. In the best possible way, I absolutely loved being confused, surprised, and often unsettled. I'd really, really recommend going in blind as much as possible for future readers.
Although it's a fascinatingly plotty book, Miss Archer is driven by its eponymous protagonist. Dre Archer is a sharp, observant, dryly thoughtful heroine, and she's playing one, too. Offered the chance to step into a new life she only understands from the fiction she's absorbed that's so distant from her own world, she consciously and conscientiously embodies the classic role she's taken on. But that role is real on another level, too; without giving too much away, the brilliance of Miss Archer (the book) is in the ways it follows the literary conventions and conceits it, and Miss Archer (the character), names and scrutinizes at all turns.
And that's all before I even bring in Albie. Our second POV character is a fascinating mind to see through, and he & Dre are both, in wildly different ways, trying to figure out the world around them, searching for answers and questioning everything.
Between them, Dre and Albie and the vast, eerie house (a requirement in any gothic novel, naturally) build a many-layered story of mystery, atmosphere, and compelling questions about knowledge, history, technology, narrative, and ultimately, humanity. It's Jane Eyre by way of Kazuo Ishiguro, in an ambitious and mesmerizing debut novel.
Thank you to William Morrow for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Although it's a fascinatingly plotty book, Miss Archer is driven by its eponymous protagonist. Dre Archer is a sharp, observant, dryly thoughtful heroine, and she's playing one, too. Offered the chance to step into a new life she only understands from the fiction she's absorbed that's so distant from her own world, she consciously and conscientiously embodies the classic role she's taken on. But that role is real on another level, too; without giving too much away, the brilliance of Miss Archer (the book) is in the ways it follows the literary conventions and conceits it, and Miss Archer (the character), names and scrutinizes at all turns.
And that's all before I even bring in Albie. Our second POV character is a fascinating mind to see through, and he & Dre are both, in wildly different ways, trying to figure out the world around them, searching for answers and questioning everything.
Between them, Dre and Albie and the vast, eerie house (a requirement in any gothic novel, naturally) build a many-layered story of mystery, atmosphere, and compelling questions about knowledge, history, technology, narrative, and ultimately, humanity. It's Jane Eyre by way of Kazuo Ishiguro, in an ambitious and mesmerizing debut novel.
Thank you to William Morrow for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Miss Archer by Jordan Harrison is a dystopian gothic that kept me up late turning pages.
Dre Archer has grown up in the Squares, a vast, interconnected city for people of the future, where food is scarce and clothing is passed down through generations with care. When she’s chosen to be the governess for a precocious 5 year-old-boy named Albie, her life takes a drastic turn. The boy is being raised far away in a vast countryside Victorian manor, and Dre must carefully follow all the house rules, the most important of which is that everyone pretends the year is 1884. As Dre, or Miss Archer, learns the flow of the house and the routine of the home, more and more questions begin to arise... until Miss Archer learns the secret that may cause the whole house to crumble.
This book is fascinating and so fun. As Dre carefully dons her Victorian governess garb she's humming pop tunes, drawing her phrases from old period movies she's seen. It really puts the reader in the position of wondering what it would be like to step back into time. But, she's also from an unknown point in the future, so her perspective on our present is really interesting.
I loved this book! It was so fresh and the writing was so vivid, it felt like watching an Apple TV series. Thanks so much to NetGalley and William Morrow for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.
Dre Archer has grown up in the Squares, a vast, interconnected city for people of the future, where food is scarce and clothing is passed down through generations with care. When she’s chosen to be the governess for a precocious 5 year-old-boy named Albie, her life takes a drastic turn. The boy is being raised far away in a vast countryside Victorian manor, and Dre must carefully follow all the house rules, the most important of which is that everyone pretends the year is 1884. As Dre, or Miss Archer, learns the flow of the house and the routine of the home, more and more questions begin to arise... until Miss Archer learns the secret that may cause the whole house to crumble.
This book is fascinating and so fun. As Dre carefully dons her Victorian governess garb she's humming pop tunes, drawing her phrases from old period movies she's seen. It really puts the reader in the position of wondering what it would be like to step back into time. But, she's also from an unknown point in the future, so her perspective on our present is really interesting.
I loved this book! It was so fresh and the writing was so vivid, it felt like watching an Apple TV series. Thanks so much to NetGalley and William Morrow for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.
October 4, 2026
I enjoyed the first bit of this book: a young woman pretending to be 200 years in the past while raising a strange boy in a maze of a house and working as a governess. It was interesting to have her perspective having read the classic novels about governesses going mad in these types of houses and still feeling some of those feelings.
Unfortunately, the rest of the book was not for me.
My main issues were:
- the “real world” was not fleshed out enough, I understand it was dystopic but I really wanted to know how it started, what was outside the squares that was so bad, what are these other, not-quite-human beings that exist
- Albie did not at all act like a 4-5 year old. I know he was supposed to be a genius but some of the shame aspects and his few “inappropriate behaviors” were so odd, this would’ve worked a lot better if he was like 9-12
- the crux though is I didn’t leave the book understanding why this experiment was even happening. And if you decided to change the structure of the experiment why not just scrap it at all and get these geniuses super invested in math and physics and solving problems instead of spending all the effort trying to pretends it’s the 19th century
1.5 stars, I enjoyed the beginning and some of the ideas were interesting but it wasn’t for me
Unfortunately, the rest of the book was not for me.
My main issues were:
- the “real world” was not fleshed out enough, I understand it was dystopic but I really wanted to know how it started, what was outside the squares that was so bad, what are these other, not-quite-human beings that exist
- Albie did not at all act like a 4-5 year old. I know he was supposed to be a genius but some of the shame aspects and his few “inappropriate behaviors” were so odd, this would’ve worked a lot better if he was like 9-12
- the crux though is I didn’t leave the book understanding why this experiment was even happening. And if you decided to change the structure of the experiment why not just scrap it at all and get these geniuses super invested in math and physics and solving problems instead of spending all the effort trying to pretends it’s the 19th century
1.5 stars, I enjoyed the beginning and some of the ideas were interesting but it wasn’t for me
September 20, 2026
I'm in awe of an author with this kind of imagination. Miss Archer is a blend of dystopian, gothic and speculative fiction (some of my favourite genres), with the delightful plotting of a page-turner. The less you know about it going in, the more fun, emotive and thought-provoking the read will be. Our main character Dre (the "Miss Archer" of the title) is plucked from The Squares, the last vestiges of humanity after the collapse of human society as we know it, and transported to a mysterious Victorian house to be a governess for a quirky little five year old boy named Albie. Only Albie thinks it is 1884 and Dre is under strict instructions to keep him there. I could not have seen where this story would have taken me, how much I would come to care for Dre & Albie's relationship or how smart of a read it would end up being. This is one that will stick with me. Thank you for the advance copy, NetGalley and Penguin. Highly recommend to pick this up when it comes out in January 2027. 4.5 stars.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What a beautiful book. Its so difficult to describe without giving spoilers but the story unfolds gradually with layers being pulled back throughout. Just when you think you have a handle on the narrative something comes at you often from left field.
The characters of Albie and Dre are beautifully written and the interplay between them is touching and genuine. My thanks to the author and Netgalley for the copy
The characters of Albie and Dre are beautifully written and the interplay between them is touching and genuine. My thanks to the author and Netgalley for the copy
October 3, 2026
Really interesting premise. Would be an excellent choice for a book discussion/group.
SPOILER BELOW…
Not sure what the point was for the Intelligence to “redo” the past… surely you’d want Einstein’s brain put toward future problems and solutions and not just rehashing his previous work?
SPOILER BELOW…
Not sure what the point was for the Intelligence to “redo” the past… surely you’d want Einstein’s brain put toward future problems and solutions and not just rehashing his previous work?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wow...this enticing debut by Jordan Harrison has a little bit of everything. It's kind of sci-fi, somewhat gothic, very speculative, and definitely dystopian. It's the perfect fusion of so many genres that draws its reader into this wild and crazy world that Harrison creates. It's a little bit Handmaid's Tale, a little bit Hunger Games, and a whole lot of an illusion of 1884 Munich, Germany.
Dre Archer, our protagonist, is a twenty-one-year-old living in the 22nd century in a destitute, impoverished area known as The Squares. Civilization as we know it has ceased to exist; no more children are being born due to mandatory sterilization, and once in a while, the mechanical gulls (old airplanes) might do a fly-over and drop expired treats from yesteryear down to the hopeless residents.
The plot really kicks off one day when Mrs. Greenleaf (from outside of The Squares and our antagonist) visits The Squares to conduct interviews for a governess. This is a prime and very sought-after position as it will not only get the governess out of the indigent and depressing surroundings, but her family may also be promised a real house outside of the desolate concrete-walled community of The Squares.
Dre is chosen as the governess of a surprisingly bright nearly 5-year-old boy named Albie. But alas, things prove to be so strange in this household. Dre soon discovers that it really isn't a household at all, but a "set" where everyone has to dress the part and play a role that places them in 1884 Munich. Perhaps more alarming though is that Dre discovers her student is not the only "Albie." There are multiple "Albies"—all lab-engineered and generated. If that nickname sounds slightly familiar, yes...they are all trying to unlock the secrets of his mind and recreate one of the world's most famous scientists. All Dre wants to do though is let her little student know how to be human though. Her concept of learning and Mrs. Greenleaf's—the one in charge who reports back to "the bosses"—definitely collide.
Jordan Harrison is successful in giving us an interesting portrayal of a futuristic and, of course, all gone-wrong dystopian society where past and future not only merge, they explode. If you have liked dystopian novels in the past where societies have been controlled by powerful entities, look for Harrison's new one—Miss Archer—when it hits shelves in January of 2027. Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for this mind bending and astonishing ARC.
Dre Archer, our protagonist, is a twenty-one-year-old living in the 22nd century in a destitute, impoverished area known as The Squares. Civilization as we know it has ceased to exist; no more children are being born due to mandatory sterilization, and once in a while, the mechanical gulls (old airplanes) might do a fly-over and drop expired treats from yesteryear down to the hopeless residents.
The plot really kicks off one day when Mrs. Greenleaf (from outside of The Squares and our antagonist) visits The Squares to conduct interviews for a governess. This is a prime and very sought-after position as it will not only get the governess out of the indigent and depressing surroundings, but her family may also be promised a real house outside of the desolate concrete-walled community of The Squares.
Dre is chosen as the governess of a surprisingly bright nearly 5-year-old boy named Albie. But alas, things prove to be so strange in this household. Dre soon discovers that it really isn't a household at all, but a "set" where everyone has to dress the part and play a role that places them in 1884 Munich. Perhaps more alarming though is that Dre discovers her student is not the only "Albie." There are multiple "Albies"—all lab-engineered and generated. If that nickname sounds slightly familiar, yes...they are all trying to unlock the secrets of his mind and recreate one of the world's most famous scientists. All Dre wants to do though is let her little student know how to be human though. Her concept of learning and Mrs. Greenleaf's—the one in charge who reports back to "the bosses"—definitely collide.
Jordan Harrison is successful in giving us an interesting portrayal of a futuristic and, of course, all gone-wrong dystopian society where past and future not only merge, they explode. If you have liked dystopian novels in the past where societies have been controlled by powerful entities, look for Harrison's new one—Miss Archer—when it hits shelves in January of 2027. Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for this mind bending and astonishing ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Not sure what to make of this if I’m honest.
Dre is 21. She has only ever known ‘The Squares’ – the bleak tower blocks that she is raised in where everyone relies on handouts and food drops. There are no guards keeping the people in – just the knowledge that there is nothing beyond the fence line. Life is one of monotony and hand-me-downs, broken only by the twice monthly movies that get shown. Nothing ever changes…until one day, Mrs Greenleaf turns up in her town car towing a trailer. Calling to the people she claims she has a job for a smart woman under the age of 21 – the successful applicant will leave the squares and their family will also be given a small holding and some land.
To her surprise, Dre is chosen and is taken to live in a large manor house, where she serves as governess to a 4-year-old boy called Albie. Albie is unusually smart for a 4-year-old but is also distant and doesn’t trust Dre at first. He also thinks it is 1884 – some two centuries earlier than the actual date and that he is living in Munich. The entire house is set up to resemble 1884 and all the staff dress in period appropriate clothing. Dre finds the whole thing too mysterious and before long she has set out to discover just what is going on – and this triggers a chain of events that horrifies Dre and places herself and Albie in great danger.
I am a fan of dystopian fiction and I do love reading about these new worlds or ways of living and this does feel kind of timely as we grapple with our future in the face of the march of AI technology. I did enjoy the multilayered approach to the story and the slow reveal of what is going on – some parts of which are disturbing. However, I was not a fan of the sex scenes created and they felt a little out of place with the rest of the novel. There are holes in the story – in an effort to recreate someone from the past they overlooked that everyone in that persons sphere would also need recreating to impact them in the same way and surely the person would want to investigate the world and son find out it is terribly fake.
Besides that, it is a readable story and I can’t say I hated it, I just didn’t love it much either.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Dre is 21. She has only ever known ‘The Squares’ – the bleak tower blocks that she is raised in where everyone relies on handouts and food drops. There are no guards keeping the people in – just the knowledge that there is nothing beyond the fence line. Life is one of monotony and hand-me-downs, broken only by the twice monthly movies that get shown. Nothing ever changes…until one day, Mrs Greenleaf turns up in her town car towing a trailer. Calling to the people she claims she has a job for a smart woman under the age of 21 – the successful applicant will leave the squares and their family will also be given a small holding and some land.
To her surprise, Dre is chosen and is taken to live in a large manor house, where she serves as governess to a 4-year-old boy called Albie. Albie is unusually smart for a 4-year-old but is also distant and doesn’t trust Dre at first. He also thinks it is 1884 – some two centuries earlier than the actual date and that he is living in Munich. The entire house is set up to resemble 1884 and all the staff dress in period appropriate clothing. Dre finds the whole thing too mysterious and before long she has set out to discover just what is going on – and this triggers a chain of events that horrifies Dre and places herself and Albie in great danger.
I am a fan of dystopian fiction and I do love reading about these new worlds or ways of living and this does feel kind of timely as we grapple with our future in the face of the march of AI technology. I did enjoy the multilayered approach to the story and the slow reveal of what is going on – some parts of which are disturbing. However, I was not a fan of the sex scenes created and they felt a little out of place with the rest of the novel. There are holes in the story – in an effort to recreate someone from the past they overlooked that everyone in that persons sphere would also need recreating to impact them in the same way and surely the person would want to investigate the world and son find out it is terribly fake.
Besides that, it is a readable story and I can’t say I hated it, I just didn’t love it much either.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Miss Archer is a wildly accomplished first novel, literary and intellectual, but full of genuine emotion and suspense. It’s hard to say much about the plot without spoilers, and one of the great joys of this book is following it as it unfolds in increasingly unexpected ways. I’ve read plenty of books where I figured out what was going on pretty early, but I didn’t get ahead of this once. I’d encourage you to go in knowing as little as possible.
That said, the book follows Dre (the Miss Archer of the title), who is plucked from the Squares - a human settlement in the 22nd century, in a world no longer controlled by humans. She is taken to a large Victorian house and charged with being a governess to 5-year-old Albie. The circumstances of Albie’s life, the evolution of their relationship, and her quest to understand their situation are the heart of the story.
This book is an unusual blend of dystopian speculative fiction, gothic adventure, and mystery novel. The world-building happens at a very satisfying pace, and the tension ratchets up incrementally until the dam bursts in spectacular fashion. And even then, there are more surprises. The moral and intellectual questions it asks are compelling and timely, but it’s the humanity at the heart of the book that really pulls you through: the growing bond of affection and responsibility Dre feels for Albie, the erotic charge between her and another staff member at the house, the cold prickle in her neck when confronting an incongruity, the restlessness she feels as her instinct interrogate her situation battles with her desire to leave well enough alone so she can continue to live in relative peace and luxury.
Again, hard to say much about it without giving away the joy of its surprises. But suffice it to say that it’s my favorite kind of read - a smart book that’s also a page-turner. Enjoy!
That said, the book follows Dre (the Miss Archer of the title), who is plucked from the Squares - a human settlement in the 22nd century, in a world no longer controlled by humans. She is taken to a large Victorian house and charged with being a governess to 5-year-old Albie. The circumstances of Albie’s life, the evolution of their relationship, and her quest to understand their situation are the heart of the story.
This book is an unusual blend of dystopian speculative fiction, gothic adventure, and mystery novel. The world-building happens at a very satisfying pace, and the tension ratchets up incrementally until the dam bursts in spectacular fashion. And even then, there are more surprises. The moral and intellectual questions it asks are compelling and timely, but it’s the humanity at the heart of the book that really pulls you through: the growing bond of affection and responsibility Dre feels for Albie, the erotic charge between her and another staff member at the house, the cold prickle in her neck when confronting an incongruity, the restlessness she feels as her instinct interrogate her situation battles with her desire to leave well enough alone so she can continue to live in relative peace and luxury.
Again, hard to say much about it without giving away the joy of its surprises. But suffice it to say that it’s my favorite kind of read - a smart book that’s also a page-turner. Enjoy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Readers looking for a unique and intellectually stimulating, but not intellectually taxing, novel that will stay in their memory long after the final page, should pick up Miss Archer the minute it hits shelves (or e-readers).
Andrea "Dre" Archer is a young woman living with her family in the confines of The Squares, an overcrowded, destitute assemblage of buildings where most remaining humans have been relegated. It's the end of the 22nd century and human history is a thing of the past.
Dre's life is a comforting, if boring, kind of monotony, until a woman named Mrs. Greenleaf arrives and conveys her into a new life where she will serve as governess to a peculiar and precocious four year old boy named Albie.
For reasons Dre has yet to ascertain, Albie believes it's 1884. The staff of the large Victorian mansion, in which he lives, are rigidly determined to uphold this facade, and the same is expected of Dre.
As Dre embodies this 19th century governess version of herself, Miss Archer, she develops affection for Albie and a growing suspicion of Mrs. Greenleaf and her so-called employers.
As her curiosity and disdain intensifies, Miss Archer places herself in a perilous position, drawing unwanted and ruinous attention to herself and Albie. But Miss Archer is not going down without a fight.
Miss Archer is a staggering, virtuosic, genre defying novel, both heartbreaking and bleak, but not without hope and triumph. It asks us to consider what makes our humanity special, if it indeed is special, and begs us to consider which of our experiences and teachings make us who we are. Miss Archer is an enthralling debut(!) novel that is not to be missed.
Andrea "Dre" Archer is a young woman living with her family in the confines of The Squares, an overcrowded, destitute assemblage of buildings where most remaining humans have been relegated. It's the end of the 22nd century and human history is a thing of the past.
Dre's life is a comforting, if boring, kind of monotony, until a woman named Mrs. Greenleaf arrives and conveys her into a new life where she will serve as governess to a peculiar and precocious four year old boy named Albie.
For reasons Dre has yet to ascertain, Albie believes it's 1884. The staff of the large Victorian mansion, in which he lives, are rigidly determined to uphold this facade, and the same is expected of Dre.
As Dre embodies this 19th century governess version of herself, Miss Archer, she develops affection for Albie and a growing suspicion of Mrs. Greenleaf and her so-called employers.
As her curiosity and disdain intensifies, Miss Archer places herself in a perilous position, drawing unwanted and ruinous attention to herself and Albie. But Miss Archer is not going down without a fight.
Miss Archer is a staggering, virtuosic, genre defying novel, both heartbreaking and bleak, but not without hope and triumph. It asks us to consider what makes our humanity special, if it indeed is special, and begs us to consider which of our experiences and teachings make us who we are. Miss Archer is an enthralling debut(!) novel that is not to be missed.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What an interesting concept! The story is like a mashup of time travel, dystopia and The Truman Show. In the future, when humans are routinely sterilized and merely things to be used like lab rats, nevertheless a form of hope lives on through human creativity. And the greatest potential creativity is represented by genetic copies of Albert Einstein.
To try to produce the same results as the original Einstein, The Intelligence creates a world as close to Germany in the 1800s as possible, and uses humans to run it. The story requires quite a bit of generosity to flow with the concept, but along the way some interesting thoughts emerge - questions, really - about what it means to be human.
The ending was a bit of a let down. After a fantastical escape from certain death, the story wraps up with musings.Trying to find hope through creativity in a world with no family, future or real purpose rings hollow. It was sad and not a satisfying conclusion.
And sexual orientation was really shoehorned into the storyline. Explicit sex scenes early in the story felt gratuitous, as well as multiple mentions of female with female partners or male with male partners. The child Albie said he wanted to grow up to be a male at one part of the year and female the other part, like the birch trees. The house mistress gets herself in a pickle twice because of unchecked sexual attraction to two governesses. It was altogether heavy-handed.
The agenda-driven writing and weak ending are why I gave it only three stars despite other parts being VERY interesting.
To try to produce the same results as the original Einstein, The Intelligence creates a world as close to Germany in the 1800s as possible, and uses humans to run it. The story requires quite a bit of generosity to flow with the concept, but along the way some interesting thoughts emerge - questions, really - about what it means to be human.
The ending was a bit of a let down. After a fantastical escape from certain death, the story wraps up with musings.Trying to find hope through creativity in a world with no family, future or real purpose rings hollow. It was sad and not a satisfying conclusion.
And sexual orientation was really shoehorned into the storyline. Explicit sex scenes early in the story felt gratuitous, as well as multiple mentions of female with female partners or male with male partners. The child Albie said he wanted to grow up to be a male at one part of the year and female the other part, like the birch trees. The house mistress gets herself in a pickle twice because of unchecked sexual attraction to two governesses. It was altogether heavy-handed.
The agenda-driven writing and weak ending are why I gave it only three stars despite other parts being VERY interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2026
Received an ARC of Miss Archer from NetGalley!
This is a gothic dystopian mystery that is guaranteed to leave the reader's head spinning.
In a post-human AI-ruled world, Dre Archer accepts a job that will change the course of her life forever. She becomes a governess for a child (the only child she has seen in ages) in an estate far far away from where she has spent her entire life, the Squares.
The child is intimidatingly smart for a five-year-old, and he lives in 1884. In fact, everyone at the estate does. They wear period-appropriate garb, use period-appropriate tools, eat period-appropriate food... you get the picture. Miss Archer must adapt quickly to play this role, and she dedicates herself to learning everything she can about the time period so as not to disturb the careful bubble that has been created for her pupil, Archie.
As strange occurrences begin to pile up and someone disappears, Dre sets out to 'peek behind the curtain' of the estate, questioning who her employers are, what they want with her pupil, and where her coworker disappeared to, all while trying not to lose the improved circumstances this job has bought for herself and her family... eventually, she uncovers the truth of it all, and must confront the consequences directly.
_______________
Personal side note: The way my JAW dropped at the main reveal... and then the next, and then the next... this is my pledge that I will be picking up any and every future work this author produces. I cannot believe this is a debut.
This is a gothic dystopian mystery that is guaranteed to leave the reader's head spinning.
In a post-human AI-ruled world, Dre Archer accepts a job that will change the course of her life forever. She becomes a governess for a child (the only child she has seen in ages) in an estate far far away from where she has spent her entire life, the Squares.
The child is intimidatingly smart for a five-year-old, and he lives in 1884. In fact, everyone at the estate does. They wear period-appropriate garb, use period-appropriate tools, eat period-appropriate food... you get the picture. Miss Archer must adapt quickly to play this role, and she dedicates herself to learning everything she can about the time period so as not to disturb the careful bubble that has been created for her pupil, Archie.
As strange occurrences begin to pile up and someone disappears, Dre sets out to 'peek behind the curtain' of the estate, questioning who her employers are, what they want with her pupil, and where her coworker disappeared to, all while trying not to lose the improved circumstances this job has bought for herself and her family... eventually, she uncovers the truth of it all, and must confront the consequences directly.
_______________
Personal side note: The way my JAW dropped at the main reveal... and then the next, and then the next... this is my pledge that I will be picking up any and every future work this author produces. I cannot believe this is a debut.
July 6, 2026
Miss Archer is one of those rare novels that feels both utterly fresh and timeless. Jordan Harrison folds Gothic atmosphere, speculative strangeness, and emotional clarity into a story that is as gripping as it is unsettling. Dre Archer’s journey—from obedient governess to determined truth‑seeker—unfurls with a quiet, irresistible momentum. I found myself completely absorbed.
The Victorian manor, preserved like a snow globe against the 22nd century, is a brilliant setting: eerie, elegant, and humming with secrets. Harrison uses it not just as backdrop but as a pressure chamber, tightening the tension as Dre’s questions multiply. Her relationship with Albie is beautifully drawn—tender, frustrating, and deeply human—and it gives the novel its beating heart.
What impressed me most is how deftly the book balances mystery with emotion. Each revelation feels earned, each twist sharp but never showy. The Russian‑doll structure of the secrets is especially satisfying, peeling back layers of identity, control, and the stories we tell to survive.
For a debut, this is astonishingly assured. Harrison explores our nostalgia for the analogue world while asking what it means to be real, to be seen, to belong. It’s atmospheric, propulsive, and quietly profound.
I’ll be thinking about Dre and Albie for a long time.
With thanks to Jordan Harrison, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
The Victorian manor, preserved like a snow globe against the 22nd century, is a brilliant setting: eerie, elegant, and humming with secrets. Harrison uses it not just as backdrop but as a pressure chamber, tightening the tension as Dre’s questions multiply. Her relationship with Albie is beautifully drawn—tender, frustrating, and deeply human—and it gives the novel its beating heart.
What impressed me most is how deftly the book balances mystery with emotion. Each revelation feels earned, each twist sharp but never showy. The Russian‑doll structure of the secrets is especially satisfying, peeling back layers of identity, control, and the stories we tell to survive.
For a debut, this is astonishingly assured. Harrison explores our nostalgia for the analogue world while asking what it means to be real, to be seen, to belong. It’s atmospheric, propulsive, and quietly profound.
I’ll be thinking about Dre and Albie for a long time.
With thanks to Jordan Harrison, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This page turning novel is a gothic thrill, leaning into the genre’s best traditions while spinning them into something completely fresh and unexpected. The atmosphere is steeped in the DNA of classics like Jane Eyre and Rebecca, but with a brilliant, dark twist. The story unfolds through three distinct points of view—Albie, Dre, and Mrs. Greenleaf. Dre initially acts like a Jane Eyre, the new governess installed into a mysterious anachronistic house where the secrets of the past and the future collide. Watching Mrs. Greenleaf embody the imposing characteristics of Rebecca’s infamous Mrs. Danvers adds a layer of psychological tension that is absolutely delicious. The central mystery of the house itself, how Albie fits into everything and exactly why Dre has been brought there, kept me turning the pages late into the night. Beneath the gothic beauty of the German mansion lurks a bleak secret that brings to mind the novels Never Let Me Go and The Book of Guilt. As the plot unravels, the narrative explores thematic questions of nature versus nurture, asking whether we are defined by our origins or if we can truly break free from our design. this is a page turning genre-bending read. It balances the eerie, dread of a traditional gothic tale with the high-stakes chill of a dystopian future and is absolutely worth adding to your TBR.
September 20, 2026
A young woman who loves old movies but lives in a dystopian near-future world is selected to be part of an unusual household. Everyone in the house is acting as if it is late 19th-century Germany in both speech and dress. She becomes a governess to a young boy genius named Albie who lives in a sheltered home, never seeing his parents, but always being watched.
The story is told from two POVs. Title character Dre Archer is a strong young woman who figures out the truth of her situation and plans how best to deal with the hand she has drawn. Five-year-old Albie, her charge, may be brilliant, but he finds he has a lot to learn from Miss Archer. There are several characters you can like or love to hate that surround the two MCs. There are mysteries to unravel and twists and turns to navigate.
What an amazing debut novel! It kept me on the edge of my seat each time I was able to pick it back up. More than once I found myself saying “just one more chapter” until it was well past midnight. This is one I will remember for a very long time. The audiobook narration was also excellent! I highly recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook before the publication date of January 2027. All opinions expressed are my own.
Find me on Fable
https://fable.co/bookishgramma-177585...
The story is told from two POVs. Title character Dre Archer is a strong young woman who figures out the truth of her situation and plans how best to deal with the hand she has drawn. Five-year-old Albie, her charge, may be brilliant, but he finds he has a lot to learn from Miss Archer. There are several characters you can like or love to hate that surround the two MCs. There are mysteries to unravel and twists and turns to navigate.
What an amazing debut novel! It kept me on the edge of my seat each time I was able to pick it back up. More than once I found myself saying “just one more chapter” until it was well past midnight. This is one I will remember for a very long time. The audiobook narration was also excellent! I highly recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook before the publication date of January 2027. All opinions expressed are my own.
Find me on Fable
https://fable.co/bookishgramma-177585...
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Firstly, thanks to Netgalley, the author & publisher for the opportunity to read this story.
What a great debut novel. It was almost unlike any other dystopian book I have read, with just a passing nod to a couple.
Andrea 'Dre' Archer lives on The Block with her mother & sisters. She is destined to stay until mysterious woman arrives to interview young women for the role of governess to a young boy who thinks it is 1885.
Albie is nearly 5. He likes building things & until he meets Miss Archer, is very much in his own head. He appears to be Neuro Divergent & has his own unique conversations in his head.
You hear the story from both sides. Both Dre & Albie are adjusting to a new normal. Surrounding them is a small cast of characters who enter their lives & impact how the story unfolds.
I won't go any further as this is a book everyone needs to discover for themselves & ultimately come to their own conclusions. There will be many times when you will go 'Wait. What?' as you dig deeper into the tale. For me it made me question many things, but fundamentally what it is to be human & to love. I am left with a touch of melancholy.
In all, a very good read & an excellent first book. For all the twists & turns though, I did find the first half was a little slow, yet the second half made up for it.
What a great debut novel. It was almost unlike any other dystopian book I have read, with just a passing nod to a couple.
Andrea 'Dre' Archer lives on The Block with her mother & sisters. She is destined to stay until mysterious woman arrives to interview young women for the role of governess to a young boy who thinks it is 1885.
Albie is nearly 5. He likes building things & until he meets Miss Archer, is very much in his own head. He appears to be Neuro Divergent & has his own unique conversations in his head.
You hear the story from both sides. Both Dre & Albie are adjusting to a new normal. Surrounding them is a small cast of characters who enter their lives & impact how the story unfolds.
I won't go any further as this is a book everyone needs to discover for themselves & ultimately come to their own conclusions. There will be many times when you will go 'Wait. What?' as you dig deeper into the tale. For me it made me question many things, but fundamentally what it is to be human & to love. I am left with a touch of melancholy.
In all, a very good read & an excellent first book. For all the twists & turns though, I did find the first half was a little slow, yet the second half made up for it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I very much wanted to enjoy this book as the premise sounded very interesting but I found the writing style and some plot holes spoiled my enjoyment.
This is the story of Dre, who is plucked from the Squares to work as a governess to a four year old boy, Albie. Albie believes the year is 1884 and the house where he lives is run as a strict Victorian household. Initially Dre accepts this because the reward to her family is their own house and a better existence, but gradually she finds the set up confining and begins to push against the boundaries.
The house and the set up are rather gothic and atmospheric and this was probably the part I enjoyed most. The slow reveal of the agenda and the what the set up actually mean was clever, but somehow the whole didn't gel, and I was rooting for Dre to push back much earlier than she did. The final section has a lot of introspective and explanation which didn't really move the story along and fell rather flat.
Overall I found the novel disappointing, so although an interesting concept and some clever writing, it was only three stars from me.
With thanks to Netgalley, the author and Penguin UK and Viking Books for a early copy in return for an honest review.
This is the story of Dre, who is plucked from the Squares to work as a governess to a four year old boy, Albie. Albie believes the year is 1884 and the house where he lives is run as a strict Victorian household. Initially Dre accepts this because the reward to her family is their own house and a better existence, but gradually she finds the set up confining and begins to push against the boundaries.
The house and the set up are rather gothic and atmospheric and this was probably the part I enjoyed most. The slow reveal of the agenda and the what the set up actually mean was clever, but somehow the whole didn't gel, and I was rooting for Dre to push back much earlier than she did. The final section has a lot of introspective and explanation which didn't really move the story along and fell rather flat.
Overall I found the novel disappointing, so although an interesting concept and some clever writing, it was only three stars from me.
With thanks to Netgalley, the author and Penguin UK and Viking Books for a early copy in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really wanted to love Miss Archer, but unfortunately it never quite hit the bullseye.
The beginning was very slow and I didn’t feel like there was enough story-building. I wanted to know more about what was actually going on, where they were living and what had happened to the world. Instead, I spent quite a lot of the book feeling as confused as Miss Archer probably was.
That said, I did appreciate the slower moments for making the characters feel more “real”. They weren’t just there to move the plot along, and I did feel like I got to know them as people.
My biggest issue was the ending. I liked the gothic atmosphere then it surned supernatural for a paragraph..Why did the experiment carry on? And why did she continue working there when she had supposedly realised how wrong it all was? She sees her father and suddenly it’s all fine now? Apparently one family reunion is enough to cure a moral crisis.
There were definitely interesting ideas here, and I kept reading because I wanted answers. I just wish the story had spent less time drawing the bow and more time actually firing the arrow.
Three stars: not a complete miss, but it didn’t quite hit the target.
The beginning was very slow and I didn’t feel like there was enough story-building. I wanted to know more about what was actually going on, where they were living and what had happened to the world. Instead, I spent quite a lot of the book feeling as confused as Miss Archer probably was.
That said, I did appreciate the slower moments for making the characters feel more “real”. They weren’t just there to move the plot along, and I did feel like I got to know them as people.
My biggest issue was the ending. I liked the gothic atmosphere then it surned supernatural for a paragraph..Why did the experiment carry on? And why did she continue working there when she had supposedly realised how wrong it all was? She sees her father and suddenly it’s all fine now? Apparently one family reunion is enough to cure a moral crisis.
There were definitely interesting ideas here, and I kept reading because I wanted answers. I just wish the story had spent less time drawing the bow and more time actually firing the arrow.
Three stars: not a complete miss, but it didn’t quite hit the target.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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