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Peanut: A Novel

Not yet published
Expected 20 Apr 27
From the author of the instant cult classic Catherine House, a story of one woman’s search to find her place in a looming uncanny future.

Crystal Washington—awkward, underpaid, chronically ignored Crystal—has never fit in at Acme, the glossy tech startup where she works as an administrative assistant. Until the day she meets Juliet. Juliet, a magnetic scientist in Acme’s mysterious Social Machines department, is looking for a roommate. And she sees something in Crystal that no one else ever a friend.

As Crystal and Juliet develop a haunted, obsessive intimacy, Crystal realizes she would do anything for Juliet, anything to keep her close. Nothing could possibly get between the two of them—until Juliet is chosen to beta-test Acme’s newest top-secret project, a plush robot “companion toy.” Juliet is instantly enamored. But Crystal senses something sinister about the adorable creature. Is Crystal going crazy? Or is there a menacing gleam in those plastic eyes?

Grounded in a character determined to find some truth in an increasingly artificial world, Peanut is a reckoning with what it means to be human.

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 20, 2027

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About the author

Elisabeth Thomas

2 books1,031 followers
Elisabeth Thomas grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where she still lives and now writes. She graduated from Yale University and currently works as an archivist for a modern art museum. CATHERINE HOUSE is her first novel.

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5 stars
4 (19%)
4 stars
11 (52%)
3 stars
6 (28%)
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Shefali.
57 reviews
September 1, 2026
3.5 ⭐️

This was a weird little book! I thought it would be more of a science fiction story, but it definitely leans more towards lit fic. Crystal works in admin for a tech company. She’s socially awkward (it read like autism to me, but that’s just my opinion!) and becomes infatuated with Juliet, a scientist at the company. Juliet takes an interest in Crystal as well and they become friends, then roommates. Juliet begins beta testing a pet robot companion, and Crystal is convinced the company is planning something sinister. Crystal’s relationships with other characters and her unique view of the world are the focus of the book. I found myself confused at times but the story was compelling enough to keep going. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, and Vintage for allowing me to read this ARC!
Profile Image for Mag Piper.
35 reviews16 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 30, 2026
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy!

What a strange, immersive book this was. I was hooked from the beginning by Crystal's strongly neurodivergent POV and I absolutely love the way she narrated this. I was particularly tickled by her commentary on other people's small talk. Genuinely very relatable and funny and sad all at the same time. Crystal struggles to fit in at her job, and in society in general, and latches onto the dynamic and personable Juliet to the point of unhealthy obsession, but even as Crystal is maddeningly detached from the nonsense of everyday life in the 21st century, there's something so very human about her. There's also a strong backdrop of the ways tech and capitalism influence, exploit, and alter our lives as well, and overall I found it thoughtfully and excellently done with none of the heavy-handedness that's been prevalent in some of my other recent reads (/DNFs).

The pacing did lag a bit in the first half and I wish some of the intensity that comes in later had more grounding earlier on so the ending could have a little more space to resolve, but this was definitely worth the read!
Profile Image for Carolina.
241 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 29, 2026
so here's the thing. i had a great time reading this but i have no idea what this was about. i think maybe AI but idk what it was saying. i presume AI bad?? i hope.
also i keep having the thought that if this main character were a man, this would be a story about inceldom. the main character is standoffish and does not comprehend social norms, she is stunted, she stalks and coerces her ex, she's friendless, she becomes obsessed with the only person who shows interest in her, she has a warped worldview and constantly comes up with conspiracy theories that consume her life. so maybe it was about that? idk
but again, the story was very entertaining and propulsive, albeit vague and weird, the main character's voice was very well developed and i had a great time being in her head. i'm just waiting for this book to come out so someone smarter can tell me what the central point was.
Profile Image for Anne.
173 reviews2 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 9, 2026
Despite the title, this book is ok to read if you are allergic! It's a bit like the Greenland/Iceland naming thing because there's only one peanut product in the whole book. Hope this helps :)

The book follows Crystal, a woman in her late twenties who feels like she's fallen behind in life. She's still living with her uncle, her ex-boyfriend wants nothing to do with her, and even at work, her best effort isn't considered good enough. Everything changes though when she happens to meet Juliet, who seems to see Crystal in a way she's never seen herself. Crystal finds herself growing obsessed with Juliet, and, later, the company they are both working for.

This book is intriguing right from the start, and there are distinct shifts that follow the changes in Crystal's life. The author has a very strong voice, and I thought the pacing was well done. The scenes were reminiscent of vignettes, with a lot of external description to display Crystal's thoughts and actions. What I mean by this is that every detail feels incredibly intentional to the overall story. Crystal is constantly pushing people away, but we never explicitly see her reasoning and or justification why. Her goals and motivations are told through her dreamlike repetition of a possible future that we quickly realize will never turn into reality. Crystal is a flawed character, but the author makes her someone you want to root for anyway.

We also quickly learn that Crystal is an unreliable narrator. As the story goes on, the author creates an unsettling tone as the reader can't be sure whether Crystal's perception is clouded by jealousy or if something is actually disturbing. At many points, I picked up on details in other characters' dialogue or behavior that hinted at a perspective confirming or rejecting Crystal's. The thing that makes this book so hard to put down is that you want to find out what Crystal will do: will she act on these outside comments, or will she continue to push people away?

I interpreted the theme to be touching on GenAI: how do you define what is real, and how do you recognize what isn't? What are you willing to risk your own beliefs for in a world so blinded by innovation?

The only reason this book is 4.5 instead of 5 stars for me is because I would have liked a little more explanation for the halfway point of the book. The exposition was only sufficient for a little while, and I still don't entirely get what the roblox-looking thing on the cover was meant to signify.

I requested to read this book early through NetGalley! Thanks!
Profile Image for gwen.
166 reviews3 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 24, 2026
thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for a review!!

This was so unique and I really loved it. Peanut follows Crystal, a very socially awkward woman, who develops a close friendship with a coworker named Juliet. In the midst of this, the company they both work for is developing some technology that starts to deeply impact the lives of both women.

In a lot of ways this book does not really have a forward moving plot. It’s slow in that way, and much more a character study. I love that and am always into it, but if you’re more into plot-driven books this probably would not be up your alley. That being said, I FLEW through this. I could not put it down. Thomas has a very engaging writing style that sucked me right in and did not let me out until I had finished this story.

I would say this book very much falls into the “weird girl fiction” category. Think authors like Otessa Moshfegh, Eliza Clark, Melissa Broder, etc. Crystal is a weird and often hard character to read about. She is abrasive, awkward, a little delulu. She is smart and talented in her own ways, but those ways don’t really translate to the outside world well. I loved being in her head, truly. She was always a sympathetic character to me and I really wanted her to come out on top.

This book has a fascinating mix of literary fiction and magical realism/paranormal aspects. It never fully decides which one it wants to be. Events occur and you aren’t sure if it’s Crystal going insane or some actual lowkey magic happening. I think this is to the benefit of the story- it’s up to the reader to decide how they want to interpret a lot of things.

I finished this book unsure of how to feel about the technology aspect. As I mentioned, both Crystal and her new friend Juliet work at a technology company called Acme (LOL). Acme develops a kind of… sentient teddy bear companion situation (hard to describe). I feel as if there are some themes here about Generative AI and what it is going to ultimately do to people/the world, and it was interesting, but I was far more interested in the characters and their relationships throughout than the technology.

It’s hard to say much about this aspect without spoiling, but I LOVE PEANUT!!!! Peanut stan #1 here.

I will definitely be going back to read Thomas’ first book and look forward to seeing what else she puts out. Weird girl fiction 4 lyfe 🫶
Profile Image for Red Newsom.
26 reviews4 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
September 17, 2026
What a strange little book. The premise was so appealing that I put my deadline reading aside for a book that isn't published for over six months. Everything about Peanut appealed.


Crystal is on her last warning at work when she moves departments to Social Machines, who are testing prototypes of a plush robot companion. A lifelong outsider, she hovers on the outskirts of the team until the bubbly Juliet brings her into the circle. Soon they are doing everything together.. until Juliet starts testing one of the robots and bonds with it.


I loved Thomas' character work and it felt like I was there in the canteen at times with Crystal and her colleagues. Crystal is an unreliable narrator and you can never quite trust in her interpretation of a moment. She's jarringly weird. I loved the juxtaposition between the sensory, spiritual, personal approach to crafting that Crystal has and the capitalist creation at Acme.


Peanut never quite becomes the book you think it will be. In our current climate, you're expecting an evil corporation and an AI villain. I found myself searching for a mystery and reading into the tone of interactions too much. Whilst there are weird, witchy elements to the plot, the story didn't really come together in the way I expected it to. I don't think that's a bad thing, but I hope the marketing doesn't lean too much on the paranormal elements, it's definitely more of a character-lead lit fic story about obsessive friendship. A big thumbs up from me!
Profile Image for Jamie.
78 reviews5 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
August 23, 2026
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. Crystal is struggling with her job at the ACME company when she meets a new co-worker, Juliet, with whom she quickly bonds and soon invites to move in with her. Crystal is socially awkward, introverted, and spends most of her free time making "creatures" out of whatever bits of material she finds. Juliet, on the other hand, is fiercely ambitious and very dedicated to her job - even volunteering to be a tester of a new product the ACME company is developing - a plush, animatronic "teddy" that learns about and bonds to its owner. Crystal quickly notices that Juliet's teddy doesn't like her, and pushes back against Juliet's devotion to it. This begins to drive a wedge into their relationship, and subsequently Juliet becomes closer to a new co-worker, Toby.

This book is told mainly from Crystal's POV and while she's not necessarily always "likeable" it is not hard to sympathize with her as she struggles with fitting in and trying to hold on to a friend who is obsessed with her (very strange) work. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed reading about their relationships. This book would be great for anyone who likes a nuanced character study with some intriguing weirdness thrown in!
Profile Image for Natalie Couture.
34 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 16, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
At first glance, I thought this book was going to lean into a sci-fi meets AI-toy-takeover situation. Instead, we got a craft project gone wrong? Or I guess a craft project gone right? Honestly, I am not sure. That is up for you to decide.

The entire book had me questioning if our main character was mentally ill, experiencing the supernatural, or was literally God. The beginning had so much tension and build-up that I was constantly coming up with new theories. Is Teddy malicious? Who - or what - is peanut? Why bring up Crystal's mom? Every time I thought I knew where the book was going, a twist quietly pivoted the entire store line and made me go, wait what? But not in a good way. Without spoiling anything, I just wish we got to know more about Peanut and spend more time with them.

It's a weird read that made it impossible for me to stop trying to figure out what was actually happening. I came for the potential evil AI toy and somehow was made to contemplate creation, reality, and whether arts and craft have gone too far.
Profile Image for Rudi McKay.
104 reviews2 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 28, 2026
This book is WEIRD—and I mean that as the highest compliment. 😂 I went into it expecting something strange, but I wasn’t prepared for just how unsettling and quietly disturbing it would become.

Crystal is such a fascinating character. Her loneliness, her obsession with Juliet, and her desperate need to finally feel seen made her easy to get invested in, even as things around her became increasingly bizarre. And then there’s Peanut…the cute little companion robot that I absolutely did NOT trust. 😳

I loved the creeping sense that something was wrong, even when I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. The story plays with friendship, obsession, technology, identity, and what it actually means to be human, but it never feels like it’s simply trying to give you answers.

This was strange, unsettling, smart, and wonderfully uncomfortable. Definitely the kind of book that makes you look at an innocent little robot toy and think, “Yeah…nope.” 😂

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!
Profile Image for Sam Beggins.
138 reviews2 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 30, 2026
I enjoyed this strange little book, but I couldn’t tell you what it was about. I could tell you the plot, but I couldn’t tell you what it was about, really. I was waiting for a payoff that never came. I was taking things at face value, waiting for the “aha” moment to tie everything together and clue the reader into the reality we were stepping into.

There was a line that led me to believe it was a loose criticism on Gen AI/AI chatbots and companions: “The teddy will never be angry, it’ll never be sad… or I mean, even if it seems sad, that’s just because that’s the reaction you want.” But even if that feeling is correct, this being a vague critique on the future of AI companions, the rest of the plot lines and the strange struggles and work Crystal experiences and goes through all lead nowhere.

About 80% in, I thought it was all coming together, Crystal believed something was happening, she honed in on something and realized a “secret” of the Acme labs program, and honestly that (Toby) storyline probably would have made this a 5 star read for me if it had panned out.
Profile Image for Cheyenne.
23 reviews
August 26, 2026
This was a wild, wacky, weird story! Crystal is our main character and while I wanted to root for her, there were just some things that held me back from entirely being on her side! I did feel bad that she had such a hard time making and keeping friends! Her meeting and being roommates with Juliet seemed like fate though cause not matter what Juliet still stayed her friend! She was a real one! It felt like kind of an abrupt ending but with the way the book went it honestly fit! Definitely a fun little read

Thankful to have received an eARC from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own
Profile Image for Kit Frey.
26 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 20, 2026
Peanut is an immersive and delightfully strange reading experience that took me a few days to digest after finishing. There's an underlying tension throughout the whole read that had me gripped. Intentional or not, Crystal is a great representation of the neurodivergent experience of navigating socialization. I think that is one of the greatest driving forces that keeps momentum in this story. You're constantly aware of the fact that people are using her, and waiting for a break that just keeps getting further and further away. If you're in the mood for something that will leave you contemplating details and meaning for days, Peanut is the read for you!
Profile Image for charlie.
69 reviews6 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 12, 2026
Well written and paced. Crystal is an oddball, but it’s hard not to feel for her, despite her unreliable narration. I enjoyed her character so much.
I thought the author did an incredible job building tension throughout the book, however it fizzled out majorly by the end. The climax didn’t really feel like much.
Overall- this was a quick & entertaining read!

Thank you Netgally and Knopf, Pantheon, and Vintage for the ARC.
Profile Image for Buck.
43 reviews4 followers
September 30, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC!
This book was fun! Everytime I put it down, I wanted to pick it right back up and keep going. I wanted to know more about Crystal. Crystal was such a fun character to me, she read as autistic and I really related to her "outsider"-ness and how strange she seemed to others. It was a weird little book and I really enjoyed it. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Profile Image for Michelle.
425 reviews13 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 27, 2026
Oh, this was weird and interesting! And even though I didn't find the main character Crystal that likable, the story kept me involved and engaged. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews