Be Well

by Sarah Flocken

Summer 2009: Brand-new college graduate Ann Ward has sent out nearly three hundred job applications, but nobody will employ her. The last thing she wants to do is leave Los Angeles, return to her desert hometown, and live in the shadow of her fame-hungry televangelist father—and it’s starting to look like that’s her fate. Thankfully, Ann’s luck turns after a humiliating failed job interview, when she meets the magnetic founder of upscale holistic wellness collective Sagebrush. She’s quickly drawn deep into the privileged, demanding world of Sagebrush, inventing Anneliese—a dubious new persona—to fit in. But when her funds run out and her lies blow up, Ann must choose between facing reality or doing whatever she has to do in order to get the future she wants.

Both a “funny ha-ha-” and a “funny oh no” read for anyone who survived the Great Recession, Be Well explores just how easy it is to believe in something unquestioningly—and lie to ourselves and others—when everything feels uncertain and the future isn’t guaranteed.

274 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2026

Reviews

[LKO]

If you, like me, graduated high school, then college, then grad school into the recession, then you will LOVE this book. Some of the details are so deliciously precise, like when the main character daydreams about which ModCloth dresses she'd like to buy with her non-existent money. Funny and SURPRISING! A laugh, cry, cringe-along debut with teeth.

[Beth]

A fantastic debut from Sarah Flocken! Her comedic chops shine through in this fun, fresh romp of a ride through all things millennial coming-of-age, the allure of cult-ish non-conventional answers to our problems, and the boomerang effect of the past we try to run from.

This novel was clearly crafted with so much care, from the pitch perfect early 2000s setting to the intersections of an eclectic cast of characters, and the mounting layers of "what will she do now?" chaos. Readers will simultaneously cheer, cringe, and want to lend a sleeper sofa to our dear hot mess of a protagonist, Ann.

Buckle up, and be well. 🔮

[Gracie Stallbaumer]

It’s hard to like books about millennials unfortunately

[Michael Kramer]

Some characters, some literary figures, demand that a reader like them. All readers might share lists of such friend characters—people one will miss upon the completion of a given novel.

In Ann Ward, more formally Annaliese Ward, Sarah Flocken has created a recent college grad, a millennial, this reader found genuinely likable. Readers sympathies might run high learning Ann graduates college deeply in debt (college loans to go to the right school) and with no overt hope for a job—the 2008 recession has caused retraction throughout the economy.

More, Ann’s family is a train wreck. Her parents divorced, her father continues in his high-profile position as televangelist in a megachurch, one that preaches giving to that ministry to secure benefits from God. Ann’s mother, a former teacher barely holding onto a position at a used car dealership. Her younger brother spends much on marijuana (not legal in the setting of this novel). There’s more than enough here to spur pity and concern from any decent person reading the book.

And Ann (or Annaliese as she more and more comes to identify herself) is a victim of her upbringing. Her mother just doesn’t seem to make ends meet. Her televangelist father pursues contributions from members seeking God’s blessings through leading to God’s bounty.

Well aware of her father’s abuse of religion, she drifts through friends ending up in Sagebrush, a natural care / spiritual wellness / holistic treatment group.

They welcome her. And she needs that.

But the reader recognizes that she has fallen into the same cesspool her father has created.

I desperately wanted Ann to grow from all this turmoil. But…And that’s the story—she doesn’t.

And perhaps Annaliese signals that. Her father prefers that name. Her new friends embrace that name.

Flocken identifies what Ann goes through as a Millennial experience. Perhaps. But many other generations have faced poor economies or other adverse conditions. That part is easy to feel.

Flocken’s writing is crisp and moving. Her humor comes through consistently.

I just wish Ann had grown. That’s what experience is supposed to do for a character.

[Kelly Moriarty]

So relatable it almost hurt!

If you like your protagonists fallible and truth in your comedy, you will love this novel. I cringed and laughed over the bizarre world of bait and switch recruiting, the situational ethics of friendship in times of desperation, the maddening frustration of parents trying to keep financial hold on you…I feel like this book really shows how comedy = horror as far as being on the edge of my seat to see what happens next while internally begging the protagonist not to open that door!! Some great twists at the end, and thank God, because I was really rooting for Ann/Annelise (and probably her whole generation!) I took the physical book on vacation as an airplane read, literally finishing it in the Lyft home from the airport. Perfection! I recommend this story as a fun romp, a thought-provoking reflection on modern urban survival, a little time travel back to 2009 La La Land, or a cultural plunge for international readers!

[Alika]

If you're looking for your next culty adventure, consider Be Well! I was fortunate to meet author and punster extraordinaire, Sarah Flocken, and hear her read an excerpt of her debut novel. It's always nice to put a real voice to the page and get a sense for how the book came into being. While we may not always agree with protagonist Ann's choices, most of us can relate to being young, fresh out of college, and struggling to put our hard-earned degree to use while making ends meet. We all want to stand on high moral ground, buck the system (and our parents), but when it's our turn to pay the bills, often everything we've worked so hard for gets compromised. Be Well navigates these issues with wit and humor, immersed in the year 2009. Note: I had no idea that certain snacks like Nutrigrain and Luna Bars would be nostalgic, but somehow they are!

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews]

What were you doing in 2009? I was working for a bank, and I remember all of the financial hard times people had when it came to homes and so much more. I can't imagine what it would have been like when I graduated from college with no job prospects on the horizon.

I'm just going to say it up front, Ann is a hot mess. She is creating a past to avoid her reality, lying to everyone, and her new friends? I saw the tell-tale signs of a cult from a mile away. But sometimes people will do desperate things for friendship.

While I couldn't relate to Ann, I could empathize with everything she was going through. I didn't agree with her decisions, but who doesn't make unwise choices when they are young? 

I thought the ending was interesting, I won't spoil anything, but Ann made the best of her situation.

We give this book 4 paws up.

[Alex Carroll]

Be Well took me on much more of an emotional rollercoaster than I expected. It’s the kind of book that makes you think about the characters, their choices, and the situations they find themselves in long after you’ve put it down.

What I appreciated most was how morally gray the story felt. The story never feels like it’s trying to force everything into a neat, fairytale version of how things should be. The characters and their choices feel complicated, messy, and very human. It reminded me a little of what I enjoy about Game of Thrones: you don’t always get the outcome you’re hoping for, because that isn’t necessarily how life works.

Very well written, emotionally engaging, and genuinely thought-provoking. Definitely a 5-star read for me.

[Anna Rollins]

Be Well is so clever, relatable, and unhinged. It has big Melissa Broder vibes (who I love!) In Be Well, Flocken explores the idea of someone fleeing from a high-control system, only to find themselves drawn to the supposed-sanctuary of a new one. It rings so true, the idea that what we are running away from is often precisely what we find (except, perhaps, with different dressing or a new flavor). I thought, too, the contrast of the megachurch dad with the daughter who ends up doing some similar, manipulative ploys was brilliant. The entire book is such a great character study. And of course the nostalgia is so wonderful — with some major recession-core.

[Samuel]

What I loved most about this book was its subtle humour. It had me laughing out loud more than once, often when I wasn’t expecting it. Beneath the comedy, though, it has something genuinely insightful to say about vulnerability and the ease with which we can be persuaded by people who sound like they know exactly what they’re talking about, even when what they’re selling is built on shaky foundations.

The plot moves at a great pace, the writing is sharp and engaging, and the characters feel believable in all their messy contradictions. It’s funny, unsettling, and surprisingly relatable. A fantastic debut, and I’ll definitely be looking out for whatever Sarah Flocken writes next

[Mike Naple]

If you’re looking for a book that will make you actually laugh out loud, look no further than Be Well, Sarah Flocken’s debut novel. The humor in this book is smart, sharp, and nostalgic. The book also has a terrific sense of place and time, not just in how it captures the zeitgeist of 2009, but in how it speaks to that universality that many folks experience coming out of college, when you’re attempting to find your way in this world. Ann’s journey is not a straight line. As she makes one interesting/chaotic/self-preserving choice after another, you can’t help but hang on for the ride to see what happens next. Put this on your TBR!

[Cori Mozilo]

Read this during breaks from my own job search, which made Ann's struggle a little too relatable at times. As an elder millennial, this book was littered with enough nostalgic references to websites and experiences of my misspent 20's to make it a fun read. The real magic was the timeless struggle between knowing better and wanting to believe. For those of us older than Google (but apparently the same age as ciabatta?), the dichotomy of being aggressively cynical and unapologetically hopeful is captured in all its cringe-worthy glory. Perfect easy read for anyone who has tried bangs or switching to matcha lattes in the afternoon.

[Jenn]

So funny and wildly relatable! I found myself chuckling out loud, face-palming, and covering my mouth in aghast surprise as I read on chapter to chapter - quickly, as I couldn’t put it down! The adventures of Ann (or Anneliese depending on who’s asking) kept me thoroughly engrossed and looking forward to see how she would handle the awkward situations she inadvertently found herself in, and how she would navigate the crashing economy us millennials were handed, along with our shiny college diplomas. Highly recommend!

[B.L.]

A perfect encapsulation of millennial angst. A story of needing to find something--anything--to believe in in order to believe in yourself, all while trying to stay afloat when you've graduated during the Great Recession. For those of us who did everything "right", worked hard, studied hard, and still graduated into an endless stream of job applications that went into the void, job interviews that turned out to not actually be for paying jobs, and not even being able to treat ourselves to avocado toast: this book is for us.

[John Ryan]

I devoured Be Well over a few days on a recent trip. What a fun read. If Hannah Einbinder's character in Hacks had a father like Danny McBride in The Righteous Gemstones, it would be Ann Ward. And, as a crime fiction guy also critical of American economics, I watched Ann's Great Recession slide into theft and desperation and thought, Oooh, this could certainly go full noir. Glad for her sake it does not and she gets her happy ending on terms she might not have foreseen.

[Sarah]

Flocken writes with wit, satire, and deep intensity of emotion. Her story seems silly on the surface, but underneath it is a story of identity, trauma, and understanding ourselves. Her writing is comedy gold and the commentary on society is wry. Read this book and try not to have strong feelings about it I dare you

[Stephanie Craig]

Such a fun read but also hits home as we all remember those days fresh out of college just trying to find our way especially when it doesn’t follow the manual!!! Great first novel and I can’t wait for her next book.

[Caroline Fowler Davis]

This book made me laugh out loud and then flinch with my own painful memories from that time. Oh, what a fun read!

[Joanna Thurlow]

Equal parts hilarious and cringey, Ann (Anneliese? lol) is an antiheroine for the ages.

[Melanie Jennings]

Total romp through woo-woo, evangelical, 2009 southern California. I laughed, I cried, I cringed.