There was something almost hypnotic about the early parts of the book and the themes present that kept pushing me forward, but as it moved along, the focus shifted enough to where the narrative felt more like a device to drive home the themes than tell a compelling story.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but when we get to the mother in the middle, then the friend in the last third, it’s a lot less engaging of a read.

I think the thematic content present here is super interesting and worth exploring. A woman reclaims herself from a world that wants her to be a number of things and treated, well, like a moldable object. Only her path towards this self-realization intersects with several people along the way, and helps to drag them down, hurt them, and somehow, her path of self-actualization becomes one of destruction for others. It’s sorta bleak.

Still worth a read. Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the review copy.

I loved this book! It is a story about transformation, deciding to design your own life after trauma, and the reinvention of self, in a way. A common theme but written in a very unique format. I loved how it was organized, and I loved the fact that the only information we get about our main character (who remains nameless….unless I missed it) is from other people. So, how biased is this information? We have to form our own opinions about her only using the interpretations of others. The three sources of our information are Elliot, an introverted, socially isolated (by choice) fellow who notices her at the only other place he inhabits besides his home; the gym. Our second source is Bella, her mother, who gives us her daughter's back story, and Susie, our main character's best friend, who offers us information from our main character's life as an adult and her explanation of the catalyst that inspired her transformation.
Personally, I was not too fond of our central figure. Even though I tried to sympathize with our central character's circumstances and admire her determination. Did I feel this way because I was manipulated by the point of view of others? Probably.
I would consider using this text in a high school English class as an example of author craft. The themes presented would also lend themselves to deep and interesting classroom discussions. I will be on the lookout for more of Metcalf's work in the future.

DNF 39%
I felt that at times there were passages where it had the potential to be interesting but then it would always fall stagnant again. The narrator although changes isn’t as eye opening as I thought. The looks into their past isn’t enough to keep my attention. There’s potential in this entire novel but I think the author gets clouded when they discuss so many subjects. I also couldn’t vibe with the dialogue. It was the most boring part. This book felt so stiff. There wasn’t any areas of relief.

This is a bit different, in mostly good ways. Packaging is always important, and the way this story is packaged is interesting. The author obvious put a lot of thought into every aspect of telling this tale. This won't please everyone, but probably more than average. Good stuff.
Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

I would say that the main themes of Chrysalis are art, personhood, and cruelty. The subject is a woman whose name we never learn whose life, in different stages, is observed and reflected upon by a sort-of lover, her mother, and a former co-worker. The woman mystifies most everyone around her, moving from a troubled childhood to a troubled adulthood and finally growing into a controversial position as a new age-y influencer/performance artist.

I was compelled by the continuing revelations about the characters and that kept the pages turning, although I had hoped for more exploration of the Internet-inflected dimension of the story, which is not really present. I think the characters and settings will stay with me for a long time. I am interested to see what Anna Metcalfe writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review a digital ARC.

Chrysalis is an unusual story about observers and the observed, the performance of influencing and the effect on the influenced. It follows three points of view that all relate to a woman evolving into a cult-like influencer – though that description is too simplistic.

When I started this book, I didn’t quite understand what I was reading. The first POV was a lonely man named Elliot that observed the central woman in a gym. I was Incredibly disappointed that it was written from male perspective because I wasn’t expecting it. I tried to picture him as Timothee Chalamet but it’s not helping much. It was still an interesting lens to see the woman through, though he didn’t want to see her as a three dimensional person.

A third of the way in, the POV shifts to the woman’s mother, and this is when the story really picked up for me and started clicking. It was an interesting choice to have the novel be about a woman but completely told through the perspective of people around d her. This choice of the looking outside in at the most interesting character is saying something powerful about external gaze and performance, observation and wanting to be observed in a controlled manner.

The mother’s section is devastating, and the third section, that of her friend Susie, is sad and increasingly infuriating. I relate to Susie the most, and through her, I am able to understand the artifice of the central woman and her ideology.

This book gets progressively more intense and gripping, and I found myself mulling over it whenever I took a pause. It isn’t straightforward, and I have conflicting feelings about the central character – pity, anger, disgust, and sympathy. It makes for a stronger and more impactful story, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

I received a free digital advanced copy via NetGalley for review. These are my unbiased thoughts.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this advanced copy of Chrysalis in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is about a woman who starts going to the gym at a turning point in her life. It's told from three perspectives, a man she meets at the gym, her mother, and her coworker. Through these perspectives we gain knowledge about this mysterious woman from their points of view only.

The themes of working out, the relationships, and the general format of this story make it all very unique. It’s hard to put down as we’re gradually given the details of the main characters background.

Personally, I found the format extremely refreshing and fun to read, I loved the writing style, the imperfect characters, and the vocabulary the author uses. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy the gym (simply, for that subject matter) and/or people who are looking for something different!

I loved the premise of this book, and the writing was engaging and challenging and witty buuuuut i just could not connect with the characters. I didn't care about the heroine, or her journey. I especially don't care about the gym or long descriptions of working out so.

Thank you to the publishers for the arc.

Chrysalis is a fascinating read about an unnamed, enigmatic young woman and the effect she has on three people close to her before her takeoff as a youtube-style cult leader. I thought it would take a more feminist angle (the extent of it is that the woman gets bigger so as to take up more space, and is unapologetic in her behaviors), but this didn't impact my enjoyment of the book.

Chrysalis draws a lot of parallels to Teal Swan and her online alleged cult, cutting a more sympathetic view of the 'Teal' character than other media focused on her antics. I think Teal's promotion of suicide is replaced with isolation in Chrysalis, but the impact on others is similar and quite palpable in the novel.

Note: I received a free ebook copy of The Chrysalis from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank You to Random House and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

I love that in this story of one woman’s complete transformation, the chapters start with people’s names of which she heavily impacted as they are told from their different POVs, yet we never once learn hers. People are drawn to her sense of security, but it wasn’t always that way. As a child, her restlessness made others uncomfortable but after her metamorphosis, her stillness made people uncomfortable. It goes to show, no matter what you decide to do, people will have problems with your decisions, whether it’s leaving your job, leaving your partner, leaving all of humanity behind, so do what gives you peace of mind and let those who don’t like it sit in their discomfort.

I look forward to reading more from Anna Metcalfe!

This was the most unique and frustrating read I’ve had in 10 years. I rated 4 stars because I couldn’t stop reading but I also found myself irritated by These characters!
It’s a read that I will think of often, that will leave me as mesmerized as the characters were on this book. It’s like reading 3 of the best short stories that all have one common thread. It’s enchanting, frustrating, confusing, and you will read it in one sitting.

The book is about a women that is going through a transformation of sorts, both physical and spiritual. Her journey is told by three different people from her life. A man named Elliot, who becomes entranced by her while watching her physical transformation at the gym, Bella her mother, who seems to yearn for love and approval from her daughter, and lastly Susie, a co-worker that takes her in during a difficult time.

I don’t know if I remember her name or if it was even provided. She seems to draw people in and leave devastation in her wake when she walks out of their lives. She consumes people yet does not want to reciprocate, feels the need to withdraw. Which makes the end so strange. She ends up turning into an online wellness (very Teal Swan-ish) influencer. She seems to enjoy performance yet also seems to be void of emotion.

The pace has a staccato like rhythm that I really enjoyed. For example, I was so drawn into the first section that when the POV changed I was mad! I wanted an explanation on what had just happened with Elliot! I kept waiting for this massive explanation to unfold as to why this woman is the way she is. Why she treats people the way she does. There are clues, yet the writer gives is just enough to keep us hooked and allows us to come to our own conclusions. If you like a nice tidy conclusion at the end of your books, this may not be the read for you.

Well that was weird. Act 1, we meet a man at a gym who becomes entranced by a new woman who joins the facility. They begin a relationship and as they do the nameless woman begins a transformation from weight lifting and meditation .we learn about an ex boyfriend who was not on the up and up.
Act 2, her mother describes the woman’s childhood. It’s a lonely one and their relationship is fraught.
Act 3, the woman’s roommate describes daily life with the woman. She showers her with attention and basks in her metamorphosis.

Part one I was really entranced. And then I lost a bit of steam. I am still thinking through this one. Excellent writing and quite unique but certainly not straightforward. Definitely a book for folks who like a little off the beaten path.

Chrysalis is a contemporary fiction of an unnamed wellness influencers rise to fame, as told through those who desired to understand her most. A book told in 3 acts by her lover, mother, and room mate, Chrysalis leaves you feeling hollowed out and wondering how we have arrived to where we are in the wake of the influencer generation.

Thumbs up: All desire to stand in nameless' glow, even when she is at her bleakest. Is she the manic pixie dream girl? The scared little girl? The blossoming lily? Who really knows what is going on in nameless' mind as we view her metamorphic development through a recalled account of those around her. This story will leave you staring at the wall and wondering what harrowed face would stare back at us if we wiped away the sepia lens of our favorite influencers.

Thumbs down: The pacing needed a bit of tweaking in part II, it felt way too heavy compared to the other two.

Was it a nail biter? Consider my thumb nails gone, This had me hooked and devoured in one sitting. I will definitely be buying a hard copy of this one post-publishing and you should too.

I really really really enjoyed the way this story was told. Usually books with differing POVs switch back and forth, but I really enjoyed that this one was told in three separate parts. The first part was so fascinating to me and each part after that wasn't as captivating. But I still enjoyed them alot. I liked how this story was all about this woman, we never really knew her. We didn't know her name, the thoughts going through her head, or who she really was. It was really well written and I like books that leave you with a lot of questions at the end and this one definitely did just that.