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The Hystericals
Not yet published
Expected 29 Sep 26From the bestselling author of I’m Afraid of Men comes a propulsive and chilling novel for the post-#MeToo era, set in an isolationist state where one woman’s death sparks a movement that could liberate women or destroy them all.
When Sarah Munroe is sexually assaulted on her university campus and her attacker walks free, she makes a devastating choice: she publicly takes her own life in a final act of defiance against a regime that has stripped women of their rights.
Her final message ignites a radical movement called #FreeToo. Soon, masses of women are taking up “Sarah’s Call” and “freeing” themselves as extreme acts of protest. As these deaths multiply across the state, the government declares the movement a contagion. Overnight, all women are reclassified as “hystericals.”
Forced into a new reality where her very existence is criminalized, Sarah’s sister, Kennedy, struggles with her own grief, guilt, and anger. And as the regime tightens its grip, she will have to reckon with her sister’s legacy—and decide whether to surrender or survive.
When Sarah Munroe is sexually assaulted on her university campus and her attacker walks free, she makes a devastating choice: she publicly takes her own life in a final act of defiance against a regime that has stripped women of their rights.
Her final message ignites a radical movement called #FreeToo. Soon, masses of women are taking up “Sarah’s Call” and “freeing” themselves as extreme acts of protest. As these deaths multiply across the state, the government declares the movement a contagion. Overnight, all women are reclassified as “hystericals.”
Forced into a new reality where her very existence is criminalized, Sarah’s sister, Kennedy, struggles with her own grief, guilt, and anger. And as the regime tightens its grip, she will have to reckon with her sister’s legacy—and decide whether to surrender or survive.
- GenresAdult FictionQueerAdult
256 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 29, 2026
About the author
Vivek Shraya
15 books1,067 followers
Vivek Shraya
is an artist whose body of work crosses the boundaries of music, literature, visual art, theatre, and film. She is the author of The Subtweet, Death Threat, even this page is white, The Boy & The Bindi, She of the Mountains, and God Loves Hair; and her best-selling I’m Afraid of Men was heralded by Vanity Fair as “cultural rocket fuel”. She is one half of the music duo Too Attached, founder of the publishing imprint VS. Books, and an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Calgary.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 24, 2026
Vivek Shraya's The Hystericals is a tough read. An excellent read that I didn't want to put down, but it's dark.
It's set in the near future in an unnamed state, cut off from the rest of very different America - one broken up due to waves of viruses. The governments use that catastrophe to silence and control women. Assaults and femicide are rampant. "The Future is Male".
When Sarah Kennedy, daughter of a high-profile Manosphere podcaster and a famous wife/mother influencer, is sexually assaulted and her killer goes unpunished, Sarah decides the only real choice she has is to publicly take her own life before a man does. This sets off a wave of suicides that the powers-that-be decide are just another virus and another opportunity to limit women's freedom.
The story is told through Sarah's younger, teenage sister, Kennedy. She's never been political and slowly has her eyes opened in the course of the novel.
If you like feminist dystopia, this is definitely a book for you. I was glad to read it and thank @netgalley and @mcclellandstewart for the ARC. The Hystericals comes out September 29th.
It's set in the near future in an unnamed state, cut off from the rest of very different America - one broken up due to waves of viruses. The governments use that catastrophe to silence and control women. Assaults and femicide are rampant. "The Future is Male".
When Sarah Kennedy, daughter of a high-profile Manosphere podcaster and a famous wife/mother influencer, is sexually assaulted and her killer goes unpunished, Sarah decides the only real choice she has is to publicly take her own life before a man does. This sets off a wave of suicides that the powers-that-be decide are just another virus and another opportunity to limit women's freedom.
The story is told through Sarah's younger, teenage sister, Kennedy. She's never been political and slowly has her eyes opened in the course of the novel.
If you like feminist dystopia, this is definitely a book for you. I was glad to read it and thank @netgalley and @mcclellandstewart for the ARC. The Hystericals comes out September 29th.
August 19, 2026
i thought this was an interesting but also terrifyingly realistic way of exploring the dystopian genre -- i only wish the ending didn't feel as rushed to me because suddenly everything picked up and i didn't have time to take in the main character's choices (but maybe the significance of the abruptness could have been the point the author was trying to make and i misunderstood) overall, i left it feeling like i should've felt more from the ending but was instead desensitized to the reality of the circumstances (but again that could've been the point?? honestly i could see an argument made about that too)
moral of the story is this book made me question everything and i probably need to sit with my thoughts for a bit (so rating may change in the near future)
moral of the story is this book made me question everything and i probably need to sit with my thoughts for a bit (so rating may change in the near future)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Big trigger warning for suicide and violence against women, including SA.
OMG, one of my new favourites. I could not stop: I binged it in one day! It is short but powerful. It is scary to read at this point in history: it feels too close to something that could happen. The writing flow is very nice. The end is a punch in the guts. It's the kind of book where I'm sure I'll read again and find new things to appreciate. A feminist masterpiece truly!
Thank you, Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada (Adult), for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review
OMG, one of my new favourites. I could not stop: I binged it in one day! It is short but powerful. It is scary to read at this point in history: it feels too close to something that could happen. The writing flow is very nice. The end is a punch in the guts. It's the kind of book where I'm sure I'll read again and find new things to appreciate. A feminist masterpiece truly!
Thank you, Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada (Adult), for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
I was insanely lucky to receive an ARC of this incredible book through the indie bookstore I work at. I was left speechless after I finished the book. Every single aspect of this novel was meticulously crafted. I want to return to this review to write more in-depth analysis of it, but I feel a responsibility to tell everyone to pre-order this book immediately!!! I can see this being a future classic.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Fearless, bold, and unwavering. Vivek Shraya is channeling Atwood and going to some truly dark places here. I think this will be a great book club pick if your group is up for some bleak dystopia! So much to discuss!
Want to Read
August 13, 2026This is an automatic read for me. Wow, looks soooo gripping.
Review of advance copy
Thank you Libro.fm for this Arc.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews