This was such a unique novel! It felt like such a visceral reading experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration of mental health, toxic work culture, and childhood trauma. Plus I always love a book set in the Bay Area!

I can’t say anything negative about this read. The title and cover are perfect for the story. Ripe had me ripped from the beginning pulling for Cassie.
Cassie lands her dream job in Silicone Valley but at what price? How much does she give of herself before she is swallowed into the black hole that is always with her. The black hole shifts as it feeds off her depression and anxiety. Her job is toxic, Chef, her lover has a girlfriend and her two friends bring negative energy to the circle. I enjoyed the definitions and how the word played into Cassie’s life/situation. I relished her view of everything around her. I gained an insight on her thoughts of the world and felt her anxiety, insecurities, and depression. A dark read that contains depression and drug abuse. Thank you NetGalley and Scribner Pub for sending me a last minute request ARC.

It took me a bit to get into this, but once I did it was easy to read. I think many people working in tech or startups will find this relatable with employees being overworked and expected to constantly work harder and harder. Luckily, I haven't experienced it in the tech/startup world, but I have experienced it outside of that world.

It was very dark, but also funny how accurate and relatable a lot of the workplace scenes were. I can see this being a dark comedy if they decide to adapt it.

This book is being marketed for fans of Ottessa Moshfegh, which I can't confirm if that's accurate since I haven't read any books by that author yet. I suggest picking it up and giving it a try though! Overall, I really liked this one and it's eerie how realistic Cassie's experiences are in today's world.

What a weird little novel. A year into her coveted corporate job in a Silicon Valley start-up, Cassie is struggling to keep up. A black hole that's been a companion to her all her life watches and shifts to her mood, looming larger. Between the rising cost of living, a surprise pregnancy, a highly toxic work environment and the start-up's corporate plans turning illegal, Cassie will try to forge a path forward.

Except maybe she won't. Cassie is the ultimate passive bystander to her life. Crippled by her depression and anxiety, she is on the flip side of the hustle till you make it stories. Many stories outline a really hard-working MC that's strong and overcomes adversities. Instead, Ripe reveals what might happen if you indulge in inaction. This book left me in a strange mindset of refusing to drink the Kool-aid even further but also feeling oddly motivated. I definitely admired the usage of the black hole as a metaphor to Cassie's depression and anxiety. The portrayal of societal burnout manifesting in a disturbing physical way around Cassie was also really well done. I'm definitely adding this to my recommend pile for tech-workers and connoisseurs of weird lit.

Ripe is an absolutely brutal masterpiece. Part nuanced portrayal of depression and part damning cultural criticism, Etter's ability to capture the cognitive dissonance of modern life is both unparalleled and wildly disturbing.

Right from the start, Ripe is a ferocious anti-work satire. In the first few pages, Cassie introduces readers to her fellow tech workers aka "Believers." Believers are an unidentifiable horde of tech worshipers who are so plugged in that they have no other discernible traits. Then, in obvious juxtaposition to the Believers' homogenous version of Silicon Valley, Cassie observes the happenings of a variety of homeless encampments. Later, as employees specific to VOYAGER are introduced, their seniority is described via the type of prestige, company-branded athleisure wear that they each proudly don. (CEOs wear half-zips).

Perhaps it was Cassie's black hole or the unsettling Believers, but I initially thought that Ripe was going to be a dystopian novel. However, it quickly became clear that the events in Ripe are set in early 2020. (Headlines mention a new virus that is quickly spreading globally, San Francisco's skies are red with wildfire). Ripe being chock-full of dystopian-esque descriptions of the recent past made me - like Cassie - disassociate from my own reality. (All of that happened!! It's still happening!!)

Last but not least, I greatly admired Etter's ability to make such a bleak story incredibly riveting. Though I found multiple aspects of Ripe to be too personally relatable & on-the-nose, I highly recommend it to anyone who is in a good mental place to handle intense descriptions of depression.

Happy pub day to Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter! Ripe follows a woman working in the tech industry in the Bay Area as she spirals into a consideration of what lines she’s willing to cross and what success and purpose really mean. Ripe had a strong voice and hints of dark humor, and would be perfect for anyone who prefers character studies and vibes above plot-driven stories. It touches on social criticisms of the city outside of the tech bubble as well, but through the strong perspective of our lead character.

Thank you to @netgalley and @scribnerbooks for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I don’t know what it was about this book. I tired several times and Just could not get into it. It might have been me because the story sounded so good and intriguing but alas I just could not read it

This was such a unique reading experience. I loved the strong use of motifs throughout. I felt this was a deeply relatable tale of the millenial generation.

Sarah Rose Etter at her most poetic — each page calls to your soul in ways that you’ve wanted to do on your own but couldn’t quite find the words or narrative for! Behold, modern life when it’s mirrored right back at you in this book. Recognize all the feelings that comes with making a living & the relief that you’re not alone in trying your best. You just know this book will outlast us all.

I don't think anyone writes about mental illness as skillfully as Sarah Rose Etter does. Much like The Book of X, Ripe walks readers along the downward spiral of the main character's mental health, and each beat feels so visceral and real. It's hard to read at times because it's hard to live this way.

She also has a real knack for writing about extremely mundane events in a way that resonates and makes you feel connected to the characters, rather than bored. There's obviously a touch of surrealism here with the black hole that follows our main character, but that too is woven seamlessly into her everyday life and serves as an apt literary device for exploring Cassie's struggle to find happiness in a position that many people would idealize.

There's a lot here that I'm sure is relatable to pretty much anyone who works an office job, but this book is also so specific to the experience of working for a large tech company in a way that I'm finding hard to put into words. There's such an overwhelming pressure, especially in startups, to project happiness and enthusiasm and to give 100% of your life to a job that's hard to even justify as meaningful, and that shit feels horrible! It's draining and demoralizing, and in a way it was cathartic to see Cassie struggle so much with this culture (because, again, any outward sign that you are struggling is discouraged).

This book also speaks very viscerally to the widening class divide; not only its impact on those who are truly living in poverty but those who, like Cassie, are one rent increase away from losing their homes, and who outwardly perform a lifestyle they can't maintain so they aren't seen as poor.

My only real qualm with this book is kind of a spoiler, so warning for that:

[If you've read The Book of X, it's immediately obvious how this book is going to unfold as well. I do think it's worth talking about depression in this way through multiple lenses, but I do wish Ripe had differentiated itself more. Many of the plot beats felt so similar, the literary devices felt similar, and I would have liked Ripe to have something more unique going for it.

All in all, though, excellent installation in the SRELU (Sarah Rose Etter literary universe).

Thank you to NetGalley, author Sarah Rose Etter, and Scribner for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Wow, this was such a stunning book!! I truly loved every single second of this read, and I cannot wait to explore Etter's previous works. I want to give Cassie the biggest hug because in so many ways, I was able to either relate to her or feel like I know her. This is one of the most accurate representations of anxiety that I have seen represented in a book in a long time, and I love the slow build that hums throughout the whole book. I was hesitant at first about the (personified? real? idk how to describe it) black hole in the book because I wasn't certain whether things would get a bit too experimental for my tastes, but it was the perfect addition to truly understand who Cassie was. The book deals so much with female relationships, parental relationships, and work relationships that I think many young, professional women can relate to. Etter's writing style is absolutely magnetic, and the format of the definitions guiding the storyline was genius. I truly flew through this book because I couldn't wait to see what happened next, but it also felt like I was sitting with and savoring every character. This juxtaposition is so well done, and I'm thrilled that I had a chance to read this before the world becomes abuzz by the story.

I'm a little all over the place with my thoughts on this book. It was not an "enjoyable" read but I think it is an artistic masterpiece. I found it on par with The Goldfinch (another book I am ambivalent about,) The Guest (which I hated,) and Severance (which I loved.) The story is bleak and depressing (gentrification, impossible bosses, and an unplanned pregnancy) but also perfectly encapsulates the burnout of the millennial generation. I felt that the definitions and graphics every few pages were unnecessary, but an interesting stylistic choice to break up the story. Also, the psychological manifestation of a personal black hole as a metaphor for depression was both obvious and uniquely written. Most importantly, I applaud Etter for writing about abortion in a way that is not judgemental while also making a huge statement about a certain demographic of women making this choice. A certain subset of readers (Sally Rooney and Ottessa Moshfegh fans) will likely love this.

All of the stars and all of the accolades.

This is a modern book, with magic realism and a depressing tale, but it's so easy to recognize the story and how it can apply to everyone.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was such a beautifully written, depressing novel.

Ripe follows Cassie, a young woman who has a black hole that follows her around. The hole fluctuates in size as her mental health ebbs and flows. Cassie has uprooted and moved her whole life across the country to work at a tech startup in Silicone Valley. As her parents constantly remind her, there is nothing left for her back home. But one year into startup life and Cassie knows this isn't the life she wants - she can barely afford to live, her boss demands more and more hours from her, and nothing she seems to do is ever enough. Etter truly captured Cassie's sad desperation and my heart ached for her. It seemed like she had nobody in her corner and I can't imagine how she could get out.

I really loved the writing style. The depression and anxiety representation was very accurate and I thought the black hole and pomegranate metaphors were well done. This is a book that I'd definitely like to reread at some point as I've finished it a few days ago and am still thinking about it.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for a review copy. I'd love to read more from this author in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for gifting me a digital ARC of this thought-provoking book by Sarah Rose Etter - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Cassie is trapped. She is working what should have been her dream job at a tech firm in San Francisco, a job that she moved across country for. But the unrealistic, unfair, and unethical expectations of her boss, as well as the unrelenting hours, have soured her but she can barely afford her life as it is. She feels like there are two parts to her - the real and the fake versions. Then the dichotomy in the community between the rich and all those homeless living on the street, eats at her. She's always had what she calls her black hole shadowing her - it absorbs her depression, sadness, loneliness and it is unrelenting in its presence.

This book takes place pre-Covid, which adds just another level of stress and anxiety into Cassie's world. She's trying so hard but everything around her is so hard. It's a stark, honest look at our society and how it affects our personalities. It feels so real - Cassie's fears, anxieties, troubles are all there to touch you emotionally. I had to sit and think on this one a bit after that ending but it was worth it. The writing is perfect - I loved the definitions and reflections.

Cassie is in crisis. Stuck in a cutthroat job that she hates, living in a city that she hates, living a life that she hates. She is followed by her black hole, trying to
Keep it at bay. This one stuck with me. All of Cassie’s actions were relatable. Great illustration of mental health.

I really wanted to like this book, but Ripe wasn’t for me.
Ripe is the story of a young woman working for a tech startup, dating a man who lives with another woman and grappling with the verbal and physical abuse she endured from her mother before leaving home. Cassie has a black hole that has followed her since she was a child. Sometimes the black hole is huge; sometimes it’s as tiny as a freckle, but it’s always with her.

I’m not spoiling it when I say that the black hole is her depression & and anxiety. As someone who has experienced debilitating depression before, Ripe has the most accurate depiction of depression that I’ve ever read. It’s dark and sludgy and difficult to get through. The writing is brilliant, because you feel what Cassie is feeling, but there’s no hope in this book. The ending is vague but devastating. There’s absolutely no one in Cassie’s life who sees her and tries to help her. It made me uncomfortable from the start.

I often read books that make me cry. This is not the same. This just made me feel dark and sad.
Trigger warning for verbal and physical abuse, abortion.

I have read a lot of work by this author, and I think this has been my favorite novel so far. It was very relevant to our current climate, and world. It felt very realistic, and it held my attention through out. I really was invested in the journey, and thought the characters were well developed. I will recommend this book to my book clubs as I think there is a lot of discussion pieces. It was a beautiful book, and the end rocked me.

This is such a haunting and poetic read that is going to stay with me. Anyone who has struggled with anxiety and depression will relate to Cassie.

Sarah Rose Etter is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! I love the way that she writes, its so poetic. Cassie and her black hole will haunt me for a long time. Much like her previous novel The Book of X, this book is surreal and strange. Etter has the uncanny ability to make her characters so human even in the face of bizarre circumstances. Highly recommend this.