After reading the first few chapters, I couldn't put the book down. The corporate setting in the book was so dystopian, and even more depressing when you realize that it's not far off from reality in some ways. The overuse of battle-jargons at a desk job, the life-or-death nature of mistakes on spreadsheets, and the absolute conformity of the employees who want to rise on the corporate ladder was so compelling.

DNF @ 55% . This book didn’t have any substance to keep me intrigued to want to keep reading. The book lacked detail on almost everything going on in the book: the black hole (depression? Don’t know), The Believers (the people that walked beside her into work everyday, never explained why they are called that), the main character thinks she’s pregnant from almost the start of the book and halfway through she still hasn’t taken a pregnancy test. Her bosses are passive aggressive with her. She refers to her mom as a wasp who keeps stinging her throughout life. And the random use of Cocaine in this book to confuse the reader even more?
It’s a no for me.

I dnfed this book at 20%. I just couldn't understand what was happening and the writing was not my style.

Lily Samson's "The Switch" presents a compelling premise set against the high-stakes backdrop of a Silicon Valley startup, but ultimately fell short for me due to underdeveloped characters and plot.

Cassie's constant companion is a miniature black hole, a metaphor for her depression and anxiety, which grows in relation to her distress. This unique element provides a vivid depiction of her mental health struggles as she contends with the pressures of her job and an unexpected pregnancy. The black hole's relentless pull mirrors the increasing tension in her life, culminating in a decision about her future in Silicon Valley.

While the concept is intriguing and the social commentary sharp, the novel suffers from underdeveloped characters and a plot that lacks depth. Cassie's internal and external conflicts feel rushed, and the supporting characters fail to leave a lasting impact. Despite these shortcomings, "The Switch" offers a provocative exploration of the absurdities and challenges of modern life, making it a thought-provoking read for those interested in the dark side of startup culture.

Haunting, raw, unfiltered, timely and acutely aware of the current human condition. RIPE is outside of my typical reading genre, however I appreciated and valued the perspective Sara Rose Etter shared in RIPE and look forward to reading to her other works. TW: Depression. I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Definitely took me on a surprising and dark ride. Loved how unique this one was and am looking forward to more work from Etter!

Really wanted to love this one but it was slow moving.

The intentions were present, but I couldn’t find myself diving into the story wholeheartedly.

THIS BOOK!!!! I loved this so much. It perfectly captures millennial corporate depression. I annotated the poop out of this. I felt so seen reading this. I need more from this author.

This is the most relatable book which instantly became a new favorite for me. I can see how it's not for a lot of people who don't understand the feeling of crushing under the weight of capitalism, but it's 100% a hit for me. The writing is also beautiful and metaphorical, and the relationships that the MC has are written so much subtlety. Would recommend to anyone who's been feeling burned out.

Whew, this is a stressful read. I would warn against reading this if you're feeling ~emotionally fragile~ because it sort of sent me into an existential crisis. But, weirdly, I enjoyed it? This one's hard to review because I'm basically just feeling like the head exploding emoji.

I tried reading my NetGalley copy and was struggling to get into it, so I ended up listening to a library copy of the audiobook after it was published and loved it!

I thought Cassie's loneliness and depression being cast as a black hole swirling around her could have come off as a little too on-the-nose or cheesy, but it ended up being a perfect symbol of her all-consuming, inescapable existential malaise. This poor girl - she has an absolutely terrible mom, a boyfriend who is someone else's boyfriend, and a soul-sucking job writing marketing materials for a tech company. Her job consumes nearly every waking moment of her life (when they took away her Saturday and Sunday for more work nonsense, I could feel myself getting sweaty and upset -aaagh), but she is still living paycheck-to-paycheck and can see the brutal consequences of losing her job every single day in the ever-growing population of people living on the streets around her. This was not a fun book to listen to - it really was depressing AF - but there were enough funny, snarky moments to keep it from being a crying book (for me, anyway).

Highly recommended for fans of Emily R. Austin's books (especially Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead) and anyone who has ever felt broken down and trapped in their life.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedbackThank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback

Mental breakdowns, SF, the tech industry - this novel was right up my alley!

There were so many themes that this novel touched on upon as well, depression, ambition, privilege. I love novels that are just a touch too real, especially as someone who lives in the Bay Area and know how real these situations are.

Wonderful book!

This was a good read & such a unique book! I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

I love Etter's writing, and Ripe did not disappoint. It was thrilling and I couldn't put it down. I liked the insight into Silicon Valley.

Atmospheric, unsettling, so-very-true to tech-infected San Francisco. A woman with a black hole following her around sounds apt! I recommend this book.

Ripe makes you uneasy in the best way.
It is a gritty, complex ride with a protagonist who is unlikeable, full of rawness that grips you and doesn't let go and haunts you after finishing.
Her journey to depression is a slow but sure one and as the reader you can only read every haunting word and make the story fully grip you.

This book was surprising and moving. It wasn't necessarily a feel good read but a good read nonetheless!

I enjoyed the work aspect of the book and many of the elements, but it didn't move in the way I wanted to and I found that some of the side characters were too insufferable lol

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a tricky book to rate because I appreciate the author's approach and the commentary surrounding both capitalism and the toxic work culture (specifically in corporate environments) that directly stems from it. However, there were many moments where the writing felt a bit drawn out (which is saying something, given the book isn't an exceptionally long one).

The story follows Cassie, a heavily depressed young woman working her dream job at a Silicon Valley startup. She discovers that the metaphoric black hole (symbolic of her depression) that follows her doesn't lessen in this environment. If anything, it's quite the opposite. This move to San Francisco, away from her family, is meant to signify her success. And instead, she feels herself fumbling at every turn, both personally and professionally.

In order for her to "get ahead" and receive praise at her job, she has to - essentially - sell out, thus resulting in this dichotomy between her "true self" and her "fake self." She has to play the game and become a "believer" alongside the rest of them, compartmentalizing the very human feelings and experiences she's having in the background.

While I didn't love every part of this book, I respect the work the author put into it and the unique way depression was represented. I think anyone can relate to the way in which capitalism oftentimes strips us of our humanity. And while it wasn't my favorite thing I've read this year, I did deeply empathize with Cassie's experience.