Off Season

by Jennifer Weiner

#1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Summer and Mrs. Everything channels Shirley Jackson and Stephen King to bring us a chilling tale of an author willing to do anything to revitalize her career.Sarah Vernon has spent twenty years trying to make it as a novelist…and she’s never even come close. None of her novels has sold more than five thousand copies, and she’s never earned enough money to make fiction her full-time job. After her last disappointing publication, Sarah’s agent dumped her, and it seems like her dream is dead. Sarah vows that she’ll do anything for one last shot at the bestseller list. Enter Will Presser. Nicknamed The Viper, Will is a literary agent whose career-making reputation precedes him. A business dinner ends with a nightcap at Will’s apartment—and a night Sarah can’t remember. When she wakes up the next morning, Will says he’s got a plan to make her new book a hit. He sends Sarah off to Elder Island, a summer playground for the rich and famous that empties out between September and May, for her own personal writer’s retreat. He’s left word that Sarah needs complete privacy in order to write, and Sarah’s too bewildered and flattered by Will’s attention to do anything but pack her bags and board the ferry. Alone in an isolated mansion, Sarah’s writing has never come more easily. She spends hours each day lost in a trance, falling into the world of her story. She tries not to worry about the nightmares that plague her…or the mornings she wakes up with dirt on her feet and blood under her fingernails. ​ Everything Will Presser touches becomes a success, and, now, Will Presser has touched me, Sarah thinks. But Elder Island isn’t the pretty summer playground it seems to be, and Sarah’s going to learn that success comes at a cost, and that, whenever you sign a deal, it’s always wise to read the fine print.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Horror, Audiobook, Novella, Chick Lit, Contemporary

26 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 19, 2021

About the author

Jennifer Weiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of eighteen books, including Good in Bed, In Her Shoes, and, most recently, That Summer. A graduate of Princeton University, she lives with her family in Philadelphia. Visit her online at JenniferWeiner.com.

Reviews

[Regina · Rating 2 out of 5]

The great thing about Jennifer Weiner's 2021 short story, Off Season, is that it's not an Amazon/Kindle exclusive. You can get it through your library!

But don't.

The audiobook is an hour of "horror," which for some mind-boggling reason is narrated by Rachel Dratch (of Saturday Night Live fame). If you want something to be creepy, why hire a comedian to read it?

I don't want to waste any more of your time or mine with this review, but I gotta call out that there's a pretty gruesome dismemberment of a dog. Why you gotta do it like that, Jennifer?!

Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/

[Moha Dem · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
"Success demands sacrifice"
"I can do anything you want"
A wild short story indeed

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short story that I found entertaining. It’s not was good as some of Jennifer’s other works but it was something different.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When making deals with the devil, you had to be careful about the particulars. You had to pay attention to the fine print."

This little short story was released a week and a half before Halloween and the timing was PERFECT! Lovers of the dark and disturbing, don't let Jennifer Weiner's name turn you off. This was quite the pleasant surprise. It goes to some pretty dark places but these scenes are written in a fade-to-black style so more tender readers will still get a good nights sleep. Who knew Jennifer Weiner had it in her?? It took me less than an hour to read this short horror story via ebook and I'm no speed reader. Highly recommend for spooky season!

[Javier · Rating 1 out of 5]

1,5 ⭐️

A story about a novelist, a writer’s retreat, an isolated island? Sign me up!

This short story started really interesting but soon it became quite disjointed, not focusing enough on the main character. Instead of letting the reader experience what was happening, we’re just told about the aftermath, so it felt like the story was lacking something (the interesting part).

The ending was really predictable.

Interesting premise, not so good execution.

[Ginny Muse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know of Jennifer Weiner from her popular chick-lit books, so thought her short story should be a fun little read.
It’s not.
I guess she does short stories for Halloween. I didn’t realize what I was in for. I just saw a newly released short story by an author I had enjoyed and gave it a try. Definitely had a creepy vibe.

An author (Sarah) finds a new agent (Will) to help her sell more books. He puts her up in a rented house where she can have solitude and write. She’s surprisingly inspired to write a lot. But she has weird dreams and awakes covered in dirt. What has her agent done to her? What has she been doing in the night? Terrible things are happening in the community, and the new tenant must be to blame.

Could be an interesting story. But it’s so short and ends abruptly so it’s not fully fleshed out. A decent cautionary tale to be careful what you wish for - and make sure you read the fine print when you make a deal with the devil.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good short story. A quick, kind of creepy read. I wish it had been a little longer because I’d like to know more about the characters and what happened - it left you assuming.

[Karen Ng · Rating 1 out of 5]

The most terrible book by this author, I don't even know what to call it, novella? Scribbling? It started out normally then wrapped up weirdly. It doesn't qualify as a book, considering her humor and wit in Good in Bed. It 's almost like she grabbed someone on a street and ask the person to write a short story, but the story doesn't belong to any genre.

[Katy O. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I saw this short story on Scribd and was like oh, I like Jennifer Weiner. Saw it was horror and was like, well that’ll be interesting from her. It was NOT. It’s super short, NOT good, and has zero answer or resolution. Do not bother.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short creepy story that really set a gruesome scene. I must admit, I did not expect it from my chick lit queen! Definitely worth the read!

[Samantha .•° ✿ °•. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When making deals with the devil, you had to be careful about the particulars. You had to pay attention to the fine print."

I'm surprised I liked this as much as I did despite the reviews! That's why I take them with a grain of salt sometimes. This was a creepy and suspenseful short story about an unsuccessful author, Sarah Vernon, who wants to take one last shot at being a bestseller. She meets a highly reputable agent, Will, and he sends her to Elder Island on a writing retreat. Things get weird.

You can read this in one sitting. It actually had a good plot, smooth writing, and a pretty good description of the characters for 48 pages. I wish it was longer! The island was very intriguing and spooky. I would have liked more but honestly it's a short story so what can you really do!

[Caroline (readtotheend on IG) · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars. Not really even worth the hour (even less for me because I listen at 1.5) it took to listen to it, to be honest. It's super predictable and I guess kinda creepy but nothing that blew me away.

[Lisa Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely do not associate with Jennifer Weiner with horror, so this was a nice surprise! Off Season is a creepy short story about a writer, her new agent, and some strange and disturbing things that start happening when she settles in for a writing retreat. I wish the ending had explained things a little more clearly, but overall, this is a good spooky read.

[Krista · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trigger Warning: Animal Cruelty (results discussed, cruelty acts not described, just the results.)

First let me say that I'm not a horror afficianado, so I might not be the correct reader (listener) for this story. I really didn't like it, and here's why (without giving spoilers). I know this is a short listen, but there just wasn't enough character development for me. It seemed disjointed. There was discussion about some horrific violence that had happened 'off camera'. But still it wasn't my cup of tea.

And the ending was too abrupt for me. But I think that would be expected given the shortness of the story. The ending left me unsatisfied.

[Annissa Joy Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, short story of a struggling writer. She is sent away to a mansion to work on her next book and some very interesting events start happening. Is she having dreams or are these events really happening???

[Gina · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a waste of my time.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ll be nice and say 1.5 stars but that’s even stretching it too far. Clearly this woman was desperate to become an award winning writer but we never learned some of the intricate details of how things were happening. I know the audiobook was only an hour long but it was so rushed. I’ve never read anything from this author before and now I’m hesitant to try any other books of hers…

“You have to be careful when making a deal with the devil.”

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t really like gore, but I love creepy. Fun creepy stuff, especially on the heels of Addie LaRue, but some horrifying gory stuff. Yikes!

[Melanie Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, creepy read from one of my absolute favorite authors. Perfect for Halloween!

[Lisa Terwilliger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick Halloween read from one of my favorites!

[EssentiallyMeagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I didn’t read what this was about when I put it on hold at the library months ago. I thought it was a summery short story. Maybe a little romance. Haha I was very wrong. It was creepy in a good way. It would have been a great book to read in October, before Halloween.

[Angela M. Artis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story had so many twists and turns that I'm lost. They were so quick and didn't fill in the details but left plenty of holes. I have so many questions that are unanswered.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Ok, WAY out of this author's norm, and I really respect her for it.

This one grabbed me from the beginning. It was interesting, and well set up in true, great short story fashion. I really enjoyed it until the end. I just felt it was...too...I don't know...too much? Too easy? The bit with the baby too much? And no answer to why, or what the ultimate goal was for what was happening. If she was the ultimate sacrifice, what was the point of the acts leading up to it? Simply to get the townies to notice someone needed killing?

Nope. Liked the beginning a lot but felt really let down at the end. 3.5 average score.

[Kourtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this short story. Her books are always enjoyable. This story line, though, I would have enjoyed it to be more than a short story. I liked the idea of the plot, would have welcomed it to be more fleshed out. Could have made an even better rainy day listen!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun spooky season short a la King.

[The Story Girl (Serenity) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jennifer Weiner is back with another fun, slightly sinister read perfect for Halloween season.

[Kathi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst book ever

I love Jennifer Winer, but this has got to be the worst book ever! Her books are always a good read, light and funny. But this was just plain weird and depressing.

Would never recommend it to anyone.

[Latiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Off Season is a decent quick read. I didn't love or hate it. It was just an okay short story.

[Jennifer Pearson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was this supposed to be satire? I can’t tell. Weird.

[Dori Gray · Rating 1 out of 5]

No