"A Touch of Jen" follows the lives of Remy and Alicia, a couple of insecure service workers who are bound by their shared obsession with Jen, an old coworker of Remy's. The story explores how their fixation on Jen, who is now a glamorous jewelry designer and Instagram influencer, consumes their lives. When Jen invites them on a surfing trip, their obsession spirals out of control, leading to increasingly surreal and unsettling events.

The novel delves into themes such as the impact of social media on relationships, the nature of obsession, and the quest for self-improvement. It critically examines how digital personas can distort reality and influence personal connections.

Overall, "A Touch of Jen" is a compelling read for those interested in a modern, darkly humorous take on social media's influence on our lives. Morgan's debut novel is a bold exploration of obsession and the digital age, making it a thought-provoking addition to contemporary literature.

Alicia and Remy are like aliens who only know how to act like humans based on the knowledge they’ve gleaned from an Instagram feed. They are terrifying from the outset, in an “uncanny valley” sort of way, blurring the lines between the familiar and the alien. As the story unfolds, the exploration of their otherworldly existence delves deeper, offering a compelling examination of identity, perception, and the complexities of human interaction.

The atmosphere evoked by Alicia and Remy’s unsettling presence draws parallels to the body horror aesthetics often associated with David Cronenberg’s films. Like Cronenberg’s protagonists, who grapple with their own transformations and the uncanny, Alicia and Remy embody a disturbing fusion of the familiar and the grotesque. Their eerie interactions with the other characters evoke a palpable sense of dread, reminiscent of Cronenberg’s exploration of the psychological and physical horrors lurking beneath the surface of everyday life.

The horror elements in “A Touch of Jen” are masterfully crafted, weaving a narrative of creeping unease punctuated by moments of visceral terror. As Alicia and Remy’s facade begins to unravel, the novel plunges into a realm of existential dread and primal fear. The juxtaposition of mundane human settings with the otherworldly presence of the protagonists heightens the sense of horror, blurring the boundaries between reality and nightmare.

In essence, “A Touch of Jen” channels the spirit of Cronenberg’s body horror classics while carving out its own distinct identity within the genre. With its chilling portrayal of alienation and its exploration of the darker corners of the human psyche, this novel is sure to leave readers enthralled and unsettled long after the final page is turned.

An absolutely unhinged and wild ride that I wish I could read again for the first time. Deeply rooted in the wild ways we attribute culture and fame today, this one is a chaotic good time.

This book is....wild. Completely unpredictable. It's an interesting look at parasocial relationships on social media, but it goes WAY beyond that. It's somehow humor AND horror? That's not an easy thing to do, and while part of me enjoyed this book, it became too convoluted towards the end.

Whoa, what did I just read? I read some other reviews before writing mine because I had no idea how to start this, and I saw someone else describe this book as "trippy" and that's the best word I have for it, too. The premise was interesting, but I got lost about halfway through and never found my way back.

I’m not quite sure how to write this review because I’m not quite sure what I read. The best way to describe this book is trippy. It’s like you’re reading something akin to YOU, only the protagonists are much less creepy than Joe, but still quite stalker-ish in a sad and pathetic way.

Not one of the characters in this book we’re likable or even sympathetic. I absolutely disliked every single one of them, though I did enjoy watching Remy and Alicia try so hard to get Jen to notice them. Their sadness and desperation was rather grossly enjoyable, and I did find myself almost rooting for them. Almost.

The first 2/3 of the book is like a story of two people desperately wanting to become someone else, the same someone else, but then the last 1/3 comes in with the weird little bits of horror that make you feel like you dropped acid somewhere during the first two thirds and it just took that long to take affect. I’m still not sure what I read, though I am certain I’ll tell others to read it so we can scratch our heads together. 3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this book, although I found the latter half unnecessarily unhinged and difficult to follow.

This was such a wild hoot of a novel!

Ingenious plot, so much humor, briskly paced -- more writers could take a page from Morgan's book.

Thanks so much to the publisher for the e-galley.

This was truly such a wild ride, one that captivated me from the jump and carried me along through its kooky twists and turns. I can't think of another book I've read that's quite as thrilling and strange as this one.

4.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This had a lot of potential but after the middle until the end, the author lost me. Very cosmic horror by the end of the book. It left me with more questions than answers. Not satisfied at all.

Big thanks to Netgalley for the review copy. I regret waiting to read this!

Maybe my new favorite book of the year?

This is everything I wanted <i>Bunny</i> to be. I liked <i>Bunny</i>, but <i>A Touch of Jen</i> hit me more. The parasitic presence of social media in modern life. Obsession over an influencer. Obsession over “what could’ve been”. A couple bored with their lives and only happy with their confused, obsessive feelings for Jen.

So many of my favorite books this year have been about toxic modern relationships, in various forms—what does that say about me? Ha. But maybe this is the best of them all, and to think this is Beth Morgan’s debut!

What I didn’t go into this expecting was such an expert examination of loss and grief. I’ve experienced terrible death in my life, and Morgan’s portrayal of it here is spot-on. Yeah, shit’s weird and ugly and bizarre. That’s the grieving process. And herein is some of the most effective horror I’ve read this year. Just fucking WEIRD. I have no words! Love love love.

This book fell flat for me. I just couldn't get into it. The story didn't hold my attention. I wanted to like it and really tried but it just wasn't for me.

I wish someone had pulled me aside and said, "Hey, this is some weird trippy quirky book that is surreal and odd and maybe not for you." Because if they had, I wouldn't have read this and I would have been okay with that.

This book will absolutely thrill some people who aren't me. It's quirky. I don't do quirky. And the reason behind everything is - heck I don't even know how to write this without spoilers so I'll just say that it probably would all make sense if I were under the influence of some good (or bad) psychedelics.

The thing is that the book isn't poorly written (hence the 3 stars), but it's an acquired taste that I did not acquire.

ARC via Publisher

Satire meets sci-fi meets millennial horror meets some sort of strange contemporary commentary on modern love, friendship, and life on social media. A Touch of Jen had me hooked for 3/4 of the way as we meet Remy and Alicia and they navigate their relationship while obsessing over an old friend's social media presence. But somewhere we lost the plot...we lost our way and it devolves into a sci-fi horror story that I could've never expected.

Unexpected and confusing yes, but A Touch of Jen also offers up profound commentary on the difference between the lives we're living and the perfectly curated lives we offer up on our social media profiles.

TW: Toxic relationships, stalking behavior, obsessive behavior

"It's amazing how people live day to day without hurting each other."

This book is wild, honestly. It's like a fever dream, stream of consciousness social commentary with completely unlikeable characters that segues into a bizarre horror story in the latter two-thirds of the book.

Let me say that ordinarily, not liking any of the characters is a pretty big flaw for a book, and can be super irritating, but it's obvious here that we're not supposed to like any of them.

Remy and Alicia are partners and living together with a roommate named Jake. Jake is probably the only likeable character in this book as he seems like genuinely nice guy, but we also barely know anything about him and that's absolutely intentional. We're dropped into the story that's told from Remy and Alicia's perspectives and because they don't try to get to know Jake, we the reader don't know him either. Example: Jake goes somewhere every Thursday night and it's noted early on that Remy and Alicia don't know where he goes and they don't ask. By the end of the book we discover that they absolutely should know because Jake has told them multiple times. They're just not good people and they're obsessed with Jen, who also turns out to be pretty terrible. There's not really anyone to root for in the story, in my opinion, more just tagging along for the ride and waiting to see what happens. And that's the best advice I can give for anyone going into this book: you think you know what it'll be like based on the synopsis, but you're probably wrong. You may read the first few pages or the first chapter and think "the heck am I reading" but just settle in, don't judge, and see where it takes you. It's a weird book, but honestly it seems like it would make an interesting indie horror movie, too.

Despicable people, social media, obsession, a literal monster, what more could you want? I had a blast reading this, it's the definition of a romp! There are some pacing issues and it feels a little long for what it's doing, but still absolutely worth the read.

OK, I requested this book because it has my name in it... I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It was very weird and seemed to touch on a lot of different genres - romance, fantasy, horror, dark comedy. The characters and plot seemed very unrealistic and non-sensical. Or maybe I'm just not smart enough to understand the symbolism, if there was any. Whatever the point was, it went over my head. And the ending was crazy. If you want to read something super strange, David Lynch-like, then pick this one up.

One of the few books I was torked off that I actually read the whole thing (ha ha). I didn't love the characters, they seemed rather self-centered and needy, but was curious to see where the story was going. Then.... total 90 degree turn and somehow we're in the paranormal? What the heck did I just read??

Recommended for lovers of social satire with a small dose of horror.

A big thank you to Beth Morgan, Little, Brown and Company, and NetGalley for providing a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.

To grab a copy of A Touch of Jen for yourself, head on over to www.BookShop.org – the online bookstore that gives 75% of each book’s profit margin back to independent bookshops. Find yours at https://bookshop.org/a/13638/9780316704267.

A very hilarious debut by Beth Morgan. Instagram stalking can lead to life envy. This book was so funny and engaging. I highly recommend this fun read.

One of the wildest rides of a book I’ve read all year. Alicia and Remy are miserable people in a miserable relationship founded on a shared obsession: cyberstalking a beautiful girl on Instagram. As we follow the fruits of their obsession, we learn more about how abusive Remy is, how deranged Alicia is, and how their shared desire for Jen leads them both to disturbing ends. This book had me throughly hooked. Beautifully written, effectively bizarre, and littered with a cast of memorable, but equally insufferable characters. I think a lot of books try and fail to feel thoroughly Millennial, but Touch of Jen does this in spades.

I loved Morgan’s decision to pull the curtain back on Jen and reveal to us what her characters refuse to acknowledge: that far from being the effortlessly perfectly Glossier Girl of Alicia and Remy’s wildest fantasies, Jen is vapid, flawed, cruel in her insecurity, and obsessed with feeding her own ego. Despite her perfectly unwashed hair and “deconstructed” luxury sweaters, Jen is nothing like the persona she broadcasts on social media. Her friends, who litter her IG posts and affirm her apparent popularity, are vultures, mindlessly regurgitating self help affirmations and pantomiming wokeness for the sake of putting on airs- all the while literally trying to destroy her and her enviable romantic relationship. Remy and Alicia may be absolutely pathetic, but the people who surround them aren’t any different - they just hide it better, largely because they’re living lavish off their parents’ money.

The majority of this novel feels like a fine-tuned inspection of obsession, consumerism, social media and parasocial relationships… the last quarter of the book turns “A Touch of Jen” into something else entirely. You won't see the last quarter of this novel coming.