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Sublimity Canyon: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 20 Apr 27A luminous, beautifully observed novel about the damage we do to the people and places we love, and what it means to begin again in a world forever changed by our actions
"A searing, surprising coming-of-age novel unlike any I've read…This is a moving, unforgettable story about hometowns, queer friendship, destruction, and renewal—and what it takes to rebuild a self, a friendship, a family, and ultimately, a world."
—Eliana Ramage, author of To the Moon and Back
The great miracle of my life was that no one died.
The Montana canyon where Howell spent their childhood was once a place of refuge, beauty, and possibility. Then, in a single reckless moment, Howell set off a wildfire that consumed millions of acres, changing the landscape forever—and the course of their own life. In the years that followed, Howell became a symbol of environmental destruction, bound by a decade of probation and fifty million dollars in restitution for a mistake that never stopped making headlines.
Now, as that sentence nears its end, Howell stands at the threshold of an adulthood they have spent years yearning for. But time is not the same as absolution. As the past begins to surface in unexpected ways, Howell, like the canyon itself, must reckon with what has been lost, what cannot be restored, and what might yet take root.
Lyrical and unsparing, Sublimity Canyon explores the complicated work of forgiveness, the enduring bonds of family and friendship, and the possibility of renewal in a world that bears the marks of our worst mistakes.
"A searing, surprising coming-of-age novel unlike any I've read…This is a moving, unforgettable story about hometowns, queer friendship, destruction, and renewal—and what it takes to rebuild a self, a friendship, a family, and ultimately, a world."
—Eliana Ramage, author of To the Moon and Back
The great miracle of my life was that no one died.
The Montana canyon where Howell spent their childhood was once a place of refuge, beauty, and possibility. Then, in a single reckless moment, Howell set off a wildfire that consumed millions of acres, changing the landscape forever—and the course of their own life. In the years that followed, Howell became a symbol of environmental destruction, bound by a decade of probation and fifty million dollars in restitution for a mistake that never stopped making headlines.
Now, as that sentence nears its end, Howell stands at the threshold of an adulthood they have spent years yearning for. But time is not the same as absolution. As the past begins to surface in unexpected ways, Howell, like the canyon itself, must reckon with what has been lost, what cannot be restored, and what might yet take root.
Lyrical and unsparing, Sublimity Canyon explores the complicated work of forgiveness, the enduring bonds of family and friendship, and the possibility of renewal in a world that bears the marks of our worst mistakes.
- GenresFiction
272 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 20, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 27, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was really interesting and times but overall a little all over the place. The plotline was very loose and it mostly came across as a character driven story which would’ve been fine if the main characters were more interesting. I thought it would focus more on the fire and that aspect but it was kind of a side plot. I would recommend if it sounds interesting to you but it wasn’t anything super special.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I wrote it and I also recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
While I definitely feel that this one left a lot unaddressed, it gets four stars simply because it made me think. I grew up in an area with "fire seasons", so I was all too familiar with the complicated emotions associated with them. And this did a fantastic job of getting at the emotional struggles through its cast of characters. I do wish we'd gotten to know them all a bit better, but this was a satisfying read.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you for the ARC! I was so excited, as this was the first one. The publishers took a chance on me, just as I took a chance on Sublimity Canyon.
Unfortunately, I had to DNF it at about 25%. I really wanted to enjoy it but it was simply not working for me. I do my very best not to DNF books, but this one caught me at a time in my life where I’m lacking patience and grit.
However, I want to give you exact reasons WHY it didn’t work for me, as you might really enjoy it for those same reasons, or might feel that your time is better spent elsewhere.
The plot:
I had no problems with the plot as I found it interesting. I think that it has the chance to say something truly meaningful and there are moments where the author is clearly digging at something beyond what the surface text is telling us. But it also didn’t grab me and pull me in.
The writing:
The writing is serviceable. It isn’t boring and blunt but it also doesn’t waste your time with purpley prose (not that I don’t love myself some purple prose). However, I felt that it was very grounded and serious which is just not what I was expecting from the title or the blurb. The idea of our MC starting the most horrific wildfire was something I thought would have us leaning more towards the comical or absurd, but the writing treats itself with complete seriousness. Totally fine, just not what I expected or preferred.
The characters:
And here’s where I lost interest. The MC is just obnoxiously horny. Hear me out, alright. I'm no prude. But when you tell me “I have this ex that we’ve SWORN OFF hooking up” and then the very next page, that ex is now present and they’re having sex?? For why?? What purpose?? I don’t even know this ex whatsoever and I only know her in the two sentences of personality you've given her. There’s not enough reason, in my mind, to put brakes on the plot for the sake of literal foreplay. Especially not in a crucial part of the story where readers are searching for reasons to care and trying to get hooked. I had noticed beforehand that the MC was already talking about sex a lot. And then when another character is introduced down the line and the first thing we hear about them is how/when/if they’ve hooked up… it reads as lazy writing. The story is taking place in a town of “one thousand people” and it feels as if there isn’t much else going on outside of the main conflict + sex.
If this were a romantasy, or labelled a romance, it’d get a pass but I expect little from both of those genres at this point anyway.
In summary, it didn’t hook me as out MC is a little too focused on hook ups. But maybe it will be different for you. There is charm and there is something of substance here, but I do not have the time or patience at this point in my life to dig it out.
Unfortunately, I had to DNF it at about 25%. I really wanted to enjoy it but it was simply not working for me. I do my very best not to DNF books, but this one caught me at a time in my life where I’m lacking patience and grit.
However, I want to give you exact reasons WHY it didn’t work for me, as you might really enjoy it for those same reasons, or might feel that your time is better spent elsewhere.
The plot:
I had no problems with the plot as I found it interesting. I think that it has the chance to say something truly meaningful and there are moments where the author is clearly digging at something beyond what the surface text is telling us. But it also didn’t grab me and pull me in.
The writing:
The writing is serviceable. It isn’t boring and blunt but it also doesn’t waste your time with purpley prose (not that I don’t love myself some purple prose). However, I felt that it was very grounded and serious which is just not what I was expecting from the title or the blurb. The idea of our MC starting the most horrific wildfire was something I thought would have us leaning more towards the comical or absurd, but the writing treats itself with complete seriousness. Totally fine, just not what I expected or preferred.
The characters:
And here’s where I lost interest. The MC is just obnoxiously horny. Hear me out, alright. I'm no prude. But when you tell me “I have this ex that we’ve SWORN OFF hooking up” and then the very next page, that ex is now present and they’re having sex?? For why?? What purpose?? I don’t even know this ex whatsoever and I only know her in the two sentences of personality you've given her. There’s not enough reason, in my mind, to put brakes on the plot for the sake of literal foreplay. Especially not in a crucial part of the story where readers are searching for reasons to care and trying to get hooked. I had noticed beforehand that the MC was already talking about sex a lot. And then when another character is introduced down the line and the first thing we hear about them is how/when/if they’ve hooked up… it reads as lazy writing. The story is taking place in a town of “one thousand people” and it feels as if there isn’t much else going on outside of the main conflict + sex.
If this were a romantasy, or labelled a romance, it’d get a pass but I expect little from both of those genres at this point anyway.
In summary, it didn’t hook me as out MC is a little too focused on hook ups. But maybe it will be different for you. There is charm and there is something of substance here, but I do not have the time or patience at this point in my life to dig it out.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Random House and NetGalley for this ARC. As soon as I saw Jules Ohman was available I requested it immediately !I previously read Body Grammar in 2024 and loved the lens of queer models as main characters. Since that debut, I Ohman's talent has only sharpened and dived further in their second novel as no one can hide behind societal beauty or being seen as an intentional sex symbol.
While there was a lot of layers and complications, the tension was built and remained and never felt uncomfortable. Sometimes as a reader you are so aware of this thing thats going to snap but it never got to that point for me. I also appreciated the environmental lens and the research done to out what is happening in forestry and our planet; I never would have know this much before and its a change for good to understand it better now.
Ohman's voice spoke to me especially at these moments:
"That's all I was doing. Trying to be a full person again."
"But I had been conditioned to apologize, by having lived through girlhood, and then by having it state-mandated."
"For so many years, I'd reckoned with containment. To contain a fire meant stopping it. To contain a person meant limiting them. A container was a vessel that could hold almost everything. But my body was a container too.... Containment could mean isolation. It could also mean the act of holding."
I hope they continue to write for as long as the planet will contain us.
While there was a lot of layers and complications, the tension was built and remained and never felt uncomfortable. Sometimes as a reader you are so aware of this thing thats going to snap but it never got to that point for me. I also appreciated the environmental lens and the research done to out what is happening in forestry and our planet; I never would have know this much before and its a change for good to understand it better now.
Ohman's voice spoke to me especially at these moments:
"That's all I was doing. Trying to be a full person again."
"But I had been conditioned to apologize, by having lived through girlhood, and then by having it state-mandated."
"For so many years, I'd reckoned with containment. To contain a fire meant stopping it. To contain a person meant limiting them. A container was a vessel that could hold almost everything. But my body was a container too.... Containment could mean isolation. It could also mean the act of holding."
I hope they continue to write for as long as the planet will contain us.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received an arc of this book from Netgalley.
Sublimity Canyon is either literary fiction with a style that does not match the genre or a YA novel with a shaky plot. Either way, it was unfortunately not for me.
Ohman's writing style is perfect for YA writers and readers, and, in the first 100 pages, the book definitely feels like it was YA, so much that I doublechecked to make sure it was not YA. No offense to YA readers, but it's not my thing. About midway through the book, a time jump brings the characters into adulthood, but the writing style and the characterization is still firmly YA. This would be okay if the plot had more substance. Unfortunately, the plot belongs in a more elevated book, something with musings about the nature of cleansing nature of fire and poetic depictions of the bodies of the protagonist's girlfriends. Unfortunately the figurative language is a bit sparse, and the vocabulary is pedestrian.
I also felt the protagonist was not characterized particularly well. High school Howell is the monarch of overreaction, and then ten years later they are still that same person. There is a hint that we are supposed to recognize that the protagonist is in a state of arrested development, but that is not explored, either in the text nor the subtext, enough for that to feel intentional.
I am giving this a generous three stars because I recognize that this book is for people. It is not a bad book, persay, and I think it would do very well with the population of young queer women* who enjoy reading fanfiction and love YA books. I am unfortunately only two of those things.
Sublimity Canyon is either literary fiction with a style that does not match the genre or a YA novel with a shaky plot. Either way, it was unfortunately not for me.
Ohman's writing style is perfect for YA writers and readers, and, in the first 100 pages, the book definitely feels like it was YA, so much that I doublechecked to make sure it was not YA. No offense to YA readers, but it's not my thing. About midway through the book, a time jump brings the characters into adulthood, but the writing style and the characterization is still firmly YA. This would be okay if the plot had more substance. Unfortunately, the plot belongs in a more elevated book, something with musings about the nature of cleansing nature of fire and poetic depictions of the bodies of the protagonist's girlfriends. Unfortunately the figurative language is a bit sparse, and the vocabulary is pedestrian.
I also felt the protagonist was not characterized particularly well. High school Howell is the monarch of overreaction, and then ten years later they are still that same person. There is a hint that we are supposed to recognize that the protagonist is in a state of arrested development, but that is not explored, either in the text nor the subtext, enough for that to feel intentional.
I am giving this a generous three stars because I recognize that this book is for people. It is not a bad book, persay, and I think it would do very well with the population of young queer women* who enjoy reading fanfiction and love YA books. I am unfortunately only two of those things.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sublimity Canyon is a thoughtful story about regret, growth, grief, and second chances. I was curious about this book based on the description, especially as a PNW resident. The threat of wildfires looms large here, and we’ve had our share of fires—some caused by nature and others through reckless human actions. That made this story feel especially relevant to me.
What I appreciated most was how much context the book provides. It isn’t just a story about a wildfire or about assigning blame. It explores the land and its management, the complex nature of fire, the circumstances surrounding a person’s actions, and the relationships affected by them. It gives you a lot to ponder about responsibility and consequences.
The characters are morally gray, and I found myself pulled in different directions as I read. It’s easy to judge the consequences of someone’s actions from an adult perspective, but the story also encourages you to consider what it means to be a teenager acting impulsively out of fear and anger without fully knowing what might happen next. There’s also an interesting reminder that luck—or bad luck—can play a significant role in what happens afterward and, ultimately, in who is held responsible.
Overall, this was a good, thought-provoking read. It made me reflect on how one moment can shape a person’s life, but also on the possibilities for growth, healing, and second chances. Thank you to Random House | Dial Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 Stars
What I appreciated most was how much context the book provides. It isn’t just a story about a wildfire or about assigning blame. It explores the land and its management, the complex nature of fire, the circumstances surrounding a person’s actions, and the relationships affected by them. It gives you a lot to ponder about responsibility and consequences.
The characters are morally gray, and I found myself pulled in different directions as I read. It’s easy to judge the consequences of someone’s actions from an adult perspective, but the story also encourages you to consider what it means to be a teenager acting impulsively out of fear and anger without fully knowing what might happen next. There’s also an interesting reminder that luck—or bad luck—can play a significant role in what happens afterward and, ultimately, in who is held responsible.
Overall, this was a good, thought-provoking read. It made me reflect on how one moment can shape a person’s life, but also on the possibilities for growth, healing, and second chances. Thank you to Random House | Dial Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 Stars
October 18, 2026
Review of advanced copy received from NetGalley
Sublimity Canyon is a beautifully written and introspective exploration of guilt, accountability, and atonement. Jules Ohman examines how a single devastating mistake can shape the course of a life and whether true redemption is ever possible.
I particularly enjoyed Ohman’s lyrical, contemplative prose and the way she approaches guilt and atonement with such nuance. Rather than offering easy answers, the novel thoughtfully examines what it means to live with the consequences of one’s actions and whether forgiveness, both from others and oneself, can ever truly be earned.
The natural landscape plays an integral role in the narrative, with themes of destruction, resilience, and renewal mirroring the characters’ emotional journeys. I appreciated how seamlessly Ohman weaves the natural world into the novel’s larger philosophical questions.
The ending felt satisfying and earned, providing a sense of resolution without undermining the complexity of the themes explored throughout. Overall, Sublimity Canyon is a moving and thought-provoking novel that balances beautiful prose with an insightful examination of the human capacity for change.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Sublimity Canyon is a beautifully written and introspective exploration of guilt, accountability, and atonement. Jules Ohman examines how a single devastating mistake can shape the course of a life and whether true redemption is ever possible.
I particularly enjoyed Ohman’s lyrical, contemplative prose and the way she approaches guilt and atonement with such nuance. Rather than offering easy answers, the novel thoughtfully examines what it means to live with the consequences of one’s actions and whether forgiveness, both from others and oneself, can ever truly be earned.
The natural landscape plays an integral role in the narrative, with themes of destruction, resilience, and renewal mirroring the characters’ emotional journeys. I appreciated how seamlessly Ohman weaves the natural world into the novel’s larger philosophical questions.
The ending felt satisfying and earned, providing a sense of resolution without undermining the complexity of the themes explored throughout. Overall, Sublimity Canyon is a moving and thought-provoking novel that balances beautiful prose with an insightful examination of the human capacity for change.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A great one for right now. Timely but not in a way that will bum you out too much. A book for anyone who has thought about how great it would feel to make 100 free throws in a row; anyone who ever watched a documentary about free climbers and wanted to throw up; anyone who made a dumb mistake as a teenager. Beautiful sentences, funny moments, characters you like and want to root for, trying their best.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I liked this a lot. I thought it was interesting psychologically to see Howell and Matsu's reactions to the fire and to Howell's punishment. I found it a little disconcerting that nobody (except the judge) seemed to blame Howell for starting the fire, but I felt sympathetic to her living with years of probation and the ways it had affected her sense of self. The book presents issues of both forest management and criminal justice while also providing a readable story.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for an eARC of Sublimity Canyon by Jules Ohman. I loved the world created by Ohman and how the characters were rendered each with their own problems. I love how at the heart of the novel is the question of how we forgive ourselves and others for our previous actions. With that line of thinking about atonement, I was kept fully engaged as I read the novel fairly quickly, hoping to find out how Howell's story would be resolved.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Both a coming-of-age and a freezing-in-time, a story that wends riverlike through time and space - an examination of guilt, legacy, anger, queerness. And there is something about the way Ohman writes that renders this whole thing so gripping and evocative - the prose feels nothing less than spellbinding to me. Straightforward and honest, without clipping the edges of everything restless and blistering underneath.
Review of advance copy
SUBLIMITY CANYON is a breathtaking novel about climate change, guilt, containment, and queerness in rural America. It’s a wild ride from start to finish and wrestles complicated questions with so much heart and honesty. If you loved BODY GRAMMAR, you’ll absolutely love this one. Wish I could give more than 5 stars!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Loving, exciting, thrilling novel that exposes the connection between doing the right thing while facing life’s harsh realities when having done the wrong thing. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews