*2.5 rounded up for Goodreads scoring*

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for my arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am so on the fence about this one. I finished a while ago and am still unsure about how I feel about this one. We learn about one extraordinary woman's changes through the perspectives of three people who watch her and are bordering on obsessed with her. We follow her before, during, and after her transformative moments. I had a lot of difficulty with this book keeping my attention. I struggled with the fact that we're supposed to have three different perspectives, one from a man and two from women, but you'd never know they were different perspectives without the novel letting you know. The perspectives had just enough similarities between them in terms of character's voice, that the perspectives were almost indistinguishable. That probably contributed to the sluggish feeling I had while reading.

I was really excited for this one because the premise sounds interesting especially within the context of social media and influencers, but it all just fell so flat for me. I didn't care for our nameless extraordinary woman and I couldn't care less for the perspectives of these strangers. I don't even think I finished this book. I think I DNF'd at like 60-70%.

Chrysalis is about an unnamed, enigmatic woman who experiences a transformation in body and mind. Told from three perspectives that circle this woman, all of whom are enamored with her in different ways, Anna Metcalfe posits questions about agency and loneliness. I enjoyed Metcalfe's prose and exploration of what triggers a transformation in the first place. Elliot, Bella, and Susie, the three narrators from which we build our image of the woman, seek specific relationships with this woman who only seeks to be fully her own. The presence of social media/influencer culture subverts the question of who is to blame for any individual's decisions and actions in life.

Ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Chrysalis and want to read more of Anna Metcalfe's work. For fans of The Vegetarian by Han Kang and Supper Club by Lara Williams, I think Metcalfe joins an ongoing and necessary conversation about the surprisingly subversive act of women taking up space - and what drives them to reach a point of indifference towards the world which wants them to only be small.

Chrysalis is one of those books when you finish it all you want to do is go the bookstore and buy whatever else the author has written. Sadly this is the author's debut (amazing!) novel so we are going to have to wait. This is a book you will devour in one sitting. Think Zoe Heller meets Otessa Moshfegh. It's a book that is about a woman that we never actually get to hear from in the book. It's told three different characters broken up in three parts. There is a lover, the mother and a friend of the woman. The woman is a very complex an as th novel progresses it keeps you atthe edge of your seat to find out what is going to happen to her. I don't really want to give much more away. 'I'll just say it involves issues of body and mind control, motherhood, addiction, insecurity, and cults. It's grips you from page one and will definitely get picked up to be a tv series and possibly a major book club pick. I also expcet it to be a big beach reach because it's so readable and one that you want to pass off to your friends. Thanks to #randomhouse and #netgalley for the read. So excited to share with my followers this exciting new author. .

One woman changes who she is and this is the story of the people it affects.

Anna Metcalfe has written a beautiful story about change, progress and transformation. It's heartbreaking, it's tender, it's beautiful.

While we never learn the woman's name, it almost feels unimportant. It's the way she has affected the others that matters.

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

Absolutely loved this book. I loved how the story overlapped a little between the three point of views but just enough to give a good context. The idea of metamorphosis was very interesting. It was also quite different to see three perspectives but not the person going through the change. I story was super fast paced and the author did a good job of keeping the chapters concise and to the point. I will definitely recommend this book when it comes out!

Unfortunately, I contemplated DNFing multiple times. I was bored and frustrated. All of the characters were unlikable, but not in the interesting way that "good" unlikable characters usually are. I didn't understand why I was supposed to care about any of these people or their stories. The writing was fine but the plot/story did nothing for me sadly.

Chrysalis follows an unnamed woman before, during, and after her transcendent metamorphosis, as told by three of the people closest to her. The first is Elliot, who meets our unnamed character at the gym and becomes enamored with her. The second is her mother, Bella. And the third is Susie, an ex coworker and friend.

I enjoyed the idea of the separate POVs that is not interchanging. The first third of the book is solely Elliot's POV before moving on to Bella's and then Susie's. As each POV ends, we do not return to their POV. However, I think their individual voices needed to stand out more. They felt different and not, at the same time. And unfortunately, not a single one of them was likable or even unlikable in an enjoyable way. And that includes our unnamed leading lady. I had a hard time connecting with anyone. I struggled to get through this book and it broke my heart. However, I did choose to finish it and not DNF. Sadly, It just wasn't for me. 1.5/5 rounded to 2.

Unfortunately I DNF’d this book at 10%. I just wasn’t interested in the woman, who is nameless, nor the guy following her around the gym.

I’d be willing to give this author another try though as the writing style was quite good. I appreciated the details of the scenery and what the narrator felt about everything.

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. The writing was beautiful and descriptive, the story was unique, but I sometimes found myself spacing out while reading because I felt like not much was happening or the author was describing something in too much detail. I had a hard time finishing it because of this.

(3.5 rounded up) This was very original and I didn’t have a lot of expectations going in. I found the first part a bit slow and harder to get into, as I didn’t really resonate with Elliot’s perspective. I appreciated that the writing felt distinct for each character whose point of view we see. Elliot’s part seemed very surface-level to me, whereas the perspectives of the women came across as more developed and well-rounded. I do think I liked this though, as it shows the differences in the way men and women came to understand her. Perhaps I would have liked a bit more on the cultish aspect, where others follow in the woman's footsteps and abandon their lives, though this would have likely broken the clean three-POV narration that worked quite well here. I also will say that, with what little expectations I had, I did expect this book to be much weirder and lean more into body horror than it did. Chrysalis gave an interesting take on transforming oneself, the impact of this on others, selfhood and selfishness, and solitude. Overall, this was a strong debut and I look forward to reading more from Anna Metcalfe.
Thank you so much for the advance copy!

What a strange but beautifully written novel. Normally I don't enjoy novels with multiple points of view, but this one was the exception. It's funny that we never learn the object of the affection's name. I liked it because it gave the character a mysterious feel. I think I liked reading from Eliott's (the admirer) point of view the best. He was so unlikeable which made him relatable somehow. Bella's chapters were the longest (the mother) and she was the most well-rounded character. Susie (the friend/co-worker) is the character I rooted for the most. She seemed like such a push-over, but I wanted her character to find happiness within herself which I think she did in the end. The writing was breathtaking. Even though the plot is very simple, it's the prose that truly brought these characters to life. I truly enjoyed "Chrysalis". It's weird, heartbreaking, and deeply profound.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House for the digital ARC.

Interesting book.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

OMG, one of my most-anticipated books for 2023 was delivered to me via an acceptance email from NetGalley, and I'm ecstatic about it. Thank you so much to Anna Metcalfe, Random House, and NetGalley for granting me advanced access to this slow-burn horror (of sorts) before it's set to publish on April 11, 2023.

Chrysalis tells the tale of a young woman who grows, or instead transforms, into a being that conveys strength, resilience, and emotionless appeal to those in her presence. Split into three different perspectives, we hear from Elliot, a reclusive hard worker who meets our main subject at the gym and is captivated by her body and way of thinking. In the middle, Bella, the girl's mother, recounts how difficult it was to raise her daughter, as she would scream and punch and yell and tremble daily, likely on the premise of receiving attention and angering her tired mother. Then lastly, we get a glimpse into Susie's perspective as she meets this woman at work and falls in love with her, building her up and homing her/caring for her after an awful breakup and falling victim to her departure as she progresses onto the next phase of her transformation.

This was a weird read, but I so enjoyed it for its symbolic likeness to how society's toxic masculinity shows its true colors when a woman in its midst is successful. Everyone wanted to hold and love this woman, even her abusive ex-boyfriend Paul who locked her away in a room, so nobody else could lay their eyes on her. When she got the strength to move on and better herself, people still lusted after her but hated her because they couldn't possess her... Look around; our world isn't much different in that way.

I'm grateful to Netgalley and Random House for an ARC! Chrysalis, by Anna Metcalfe, follows three people - a former lover, a mother, and a friend - whose lives are influenced by an unnamed woman that transforms herself through spiritual and physical wellness. The three sections of the novel follow each person in their history with the woman. While this novel starts off strong and subtly addresses the entitlement of the male gaze, the novel loses some steam in the second part of this book. The novel finishes stronger in the third half, where it contemplates influence and women's friendships. Overall, this read a strong debut and is fascinating to see unfold.

Grazie a NetGalley e Random House per l'anteprima.
Tra punti di vista differenti ci aiutano a ricostruire l'immagine della "protagonista", guru della solitudine e della meditazione, che vediamo diventare punto di riferimento per una community online.
E' la storia di una donna senza nome - ma proprio per questo quasi una divinità - che vediamo (agli occhi di chi la osserva) superare le proprie limitazioni fisiche e mentali.
Se le abbia superate davvero, evolvendo in una metamorfosi personale, come evoca il titolo, non ci è dato di saperlo; i suoi osservatori vedono la trasformazione compiuta e processano la lontananza dallla donna "persona" e l'avvento della donna "divinità".
Scorrevole, ma ho trovato difficile immedesimarmi sia negli occhi degli osservatori che nella vita della donna osservata.

This is a four and a half star read for me. I always round half stars down.

This book is an interesting exploration of autonomy in modern society. I'd like to preface this review by saying I don't usually read literary fiction. I think this book ended up in the sci-fi/fantasy category on NetGalley by mistake. Even though I went into this book expecting SF, I wasn't disappointed by this book, though I can't say with certainty this review isn't colored by some subconscious expectation of mine.
I'm not opposed to slower, more introspective books. In fact, I enjoy them quite a lot. However, I found this book to be a little too slow for me at times, particularly in Bella's section. This book isn't meant to have high octane action, which is fine. I just wish there was more conflict, whether internal or interpersonal, at times.
According to the blurb, this book is an examination of whether a woman can truly have autonomy while remaining part of modern society. The book certainly has a thesis and isn't shy about examining it. I like it when books do this, but I can see how someone else with different tastes might find it didactic.
Where the book truly excels is its use of POV to examine how people feel entitled to the central character's identity. I would also like to mention that I appreciate this book took the discussion of autonomy further than simply bodily autonomy and explored how people tried to deprive her of her right to even think of herself how she wanted. We never get the girl's perspective or even learn her name. Everything we learn about her is filtered through the three POV characters. In this way, we are made to construct an identity for her ourselves, filling in any gaps in information with what we think she ought to be. In this way, we, too, are made to feel like we own her.
This book contains a lot of food for thought, and I like a book that makes me think. The subject matter is pretty relevant to me because I've thought a lot about the ways I take up space in society (though through fashion and makeup instead of working out to build muscle). I think this could be a good book for a feminist book club, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thinking about the ways they are influenced to look, think, or act a certain way by the world around them.

The deal: A mysterious woman undergoes a transformation of body, mind, and spirit, morphing into a guru of sorts. It’s told through three acts/POVs — a friend from her gym, her mother, and her ex-coworker. I got an ARC from NetGalley.

Is it worth it?: I was pleasantly surprised that what sounds like a “book about influencer culture/the internet” is not really about those things at all, or at least not in the way that any individual social network is explicitly referenced or made its own character. This fully held my attention and curiosity, but I’m not sure if it’ll be something I remember in six months. That said, the structure feels fresh, the writing is solid, and I’m excited to see where Anna Metcalfe goes post-debut!

Pairs well with: The Deep End on Hulu (but only just barely), unfollowing a different influencer every day — or at least critically thinking about the degree to which you’re only seeing a performative slice of their lives

B-

this book completely took over my night shift reading - i devoured in it two nights and while my sleep schedule is not thanking me for this, my brain is better for it. i saw Chrysalis as a portrait of a woman’s shifting identity from all angles - how is she described and defined by the man who watched her at the gym for weeks before meeting? who is she according to her mother, who has all of the context of her childhood but none of the details of her adult life? does her best friend at work truly know her at all? Metcalfe’s ability to shift between distinct characters’ perspectives in their idolization and confusion of our unnamed protagonist is expert - the whole time i was reading, i was attempting to fashion this uncanny portrait of a woman who seemingly cannot be defined by any one person. thematically, Metcalfe gives us glaring philosophical commentary on identity & community that had my brain reeling all through the night - is our identity shaped by how other people percieve us? how can those many perspectives make peace with one another? can we truly reinvent outselves? how much of ourselves do we owe those who know and love us? what is the cost of agency over our own bodies?

reminiscent of Han Kang’s The Vegetarian, i found this exploration of female agency & tranformation to be irresistible and gorgeously crafted. an impressive debut for Metcalfe - i cannot wait to see more from her!

This review will run on my Instagram @hotandsemiliterate (https://instagram.com/hotandsemiliterate?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) and my Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/137401263-megan-becker) following the release of this title on April 10, 2023.

This novel was very different than what I had expected. Told from different perspectives, we get a glimpse into a woman's life trying to become physically stronger in the wake of a trauma. We never fully understand who she is and how she’s mentally healing, but with the descriptions of her physical form from each person in her life, we can only guess that she’s growing mentally stronger as well.

What a ride, though! I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, but it resonates with me and my struggles as a woman trying to become comfortable in my skin as well.

Overall this is a definite must-read. It could have been longer, but I’ve discovered lately that shorter books sometimes pack the most punch. Excellent job.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

thank u netgalley and random house for the advanced copy !

what a weird lil book. i actually found it really intriguing and loved the way it was written - in 3 separate parts/perspectives surrounding the same character. i rly loved the themes of identity, trauma, observation and infatuation. i started out really hooked (the gym setting to start was rly intriguing to me bc i don't see that as a setting very often!) and then it sorta lost me around the middle-mark but eventually picked back up and - i really liked the ending. it was frustrating, unsettling and strange which are all things i love in my reads. it won't be for everyone probably but it packs a punch. 4 stars i reckon !!