fun but not a fav. a really interesting concept but didn't really land for me. it just kind of bored me after a while and the 'quirkiness' (while laid on thick) fell flat.

*Hard Copy*by Fien Veldman offers a strange and fascinating exploration of isolation, burnout, and the line between reality and fantasy. This novel follows a customer service assistant who forms an unlikely bond with her office printer, seeing it as her only true friend. As her connection with the machine deepens, her mental state unravels, drawing concern from her boss and eventually leading to a diagnosis of burnout. The narrative is darkly humorous and unsettling, capturing the protagonist’s fragile psyche in a world that seems indifferent to her struggle. Fans of surreal, character-driven stories will find much to appreciate in this thought-provoking debut. I thought it was the perfect "weird girl" book!

This was a weird yet interesting book. I think it could be making commentary about class and how nowadays a lot of people are stuck to their devices for friendship, socialization, and for work. Interesting and imaginative read. Thank you Fien Veldman, NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA | Apollo for the ARC!

Hard Copy is a very weird unique novel that in all its strangeness drew me in.For anyone who likes a really odd very well written story this is one for you. #netgalley #bloomsbury

Hard Copy by Fien Veldman is an offbeat and existential debut novel that tells the quirky story of a customer service assistant who forms an emotional attachment to her office printer. Set in a Dutch start-up, the protagonist struggles with feelings of alienation and loneliness, confiding in the printer as she opens up about her past and insecurities. The novel is equal parts absurd and poignant, offering an astute commentary on modern life and burnout. At times, it is both darkly humorous and moving, as the protagonist’s emotional unraveling is laid bare. While the story may feel slow or monotonous to some, it effectively captures the protagonist’s isolation in a way that’s oddly relatable and even tragic.

3 stars i liked it

I loved part one and part two. this was weird (not as weird to me at least, as others have made it out to be but weird nonetheless.) This was at times funny, sad, and confusing. Nothing much happens which I think is kind of the point, I really enjoyed the unique concept.

Part 3 started going downhill and part four was a bit of a drag to read because I just expected more.
It felt a little long winded at times, I found myself skimming paragraphs. I am also a little confused about the main characters history, I followed along but it still seemed vague and to be honest I'm not really sure what happened there, I wish that was a little more clear.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA | Apollo for sharing a digital copy, as always, opinions are my own.

Hard Copy introduces us to a quirky world where a lonely customer service assistant befriends her office printer. The whimsical premise promises a delightful exploration of mundane work life.

Pros:
Originality: Veldman’s concept is refreshingly unique, blending realism with fanciful imagination.
Playful Prose: The writing is sharp and playful, capturing the oddity of this unlikely friendship.

Cons:
Repetitiveness: Unfortunately, the printer obsession becomes monotonous, lacking the farcical twist we hoped for.
Missed Potential: While the premise intrigues, the execution falls short. The novel vacillates between gritty realism and whimsy, leaving some loose ends.

I love a weird book but I think this one might have been a little too weird for me. I really enjoyed the sections from the perspective of the characters, but the book lost me in the long passes of thoughts about the world and history. Those conversations felt a bit out of place for me. I would have loved more time spent with the characters rather than losing time on these sections. I also have to admit that, while I enjoyed the sections discussing the protagonist's past, I was a bit confused about what actually occurred. It felt like a lot of build up and then the event itself was so quick. This may be reader error but I wish we could have dug in a bit more there. This book is quite short and I feel like it actually could have been longer since there was more that could have been explored.

Everyone has their coping mechanisms. For our narrator, the lowest paid employee of a startup, it’s talking to her office printer. She feels she has an almost psychic connection to it, and tells it her deepest secrets from childhood. But when her coworkers overhear her seemingly talking to herself, she gets placed on stress leave and is separated from her beloved printer.

This book was so weird and also so, so good. There is a strong sense of interiority from the main character, and yet her coworkers are deliberately opaque. Instead of being named, they’re referred to by their roles (like “Marketing” and “Production”) and we observe only shallow interactions between them, which really puts the reader inside the mind of a narrator who struggles to connect with other people. This book is full of wit as we observe the characters and setting through the narrator’s wry gaze. There are sharp observations about social class and the corporate world, as well as moments that are surprisingly heartbreaking.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book…but only if you’re a fan of stories that are offbeat!

I truly had no idea what to expect with this particular book. The synopsis is intriguing - definitely at home in the ‘weird girl litfic’ category. However, the synopsis hides that there is so much more to this book. There is a lot of internal dialogue and even a building of tension as the mc’s history is revealed. There is even a moment where the reader is transported into the mind of the printer, and the whole thing was written so brilliantly engaging. I only deducted a star because I felt some of the details could have been a little bit more concrete. There is a lot of vague gesturing towards certain themes by way of anecdotes told by the mc, and being more explicit with some of them would be useful to understanding her more.
Overall, worth the read.

I'm not the first to say this, but you're either going to think this is genius and hilarious or think this is the dumbest thing you've read in a while. I fking loved it. This is my new favorite book. (Not sure what that says about me. Also don't care. IT nerds, unite!)

Imagine an ep of My Strange Addiction where you'd find yourself nodding going, <spoiler>"hm, wholesome. I kind of wish this could work out for them".</spoiler>

Just like in The New Me by Halle Butler, I identified with so much of the inner thoughts I was supposed to be laughing at. Maybe that's another reason I loved this so much? Maybe only the clinically anxious will be able to find themselves so caught up in the "struggle" that they forget this entire setting imposes quite possibly THEE lowest stakes of any other book out there right now (excluding kids books).

{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Fien Veldman and publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!}

What an odd book, and I mean that in a good way. I've never read anything quite like Hard Copy before. We will definitely be purchasing and I already have a few patrons in mind that I think will really get a kick out of reading it, too. Thank you!

“Narratives have to be given form, otherwise we’d never be able to understand each other.”

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Hard Copy by Fien Veldman is a hauntingly introspective novel that blends dark comedy with existential dread. The story follows a young woman, working a low-wage office job, who forms an unusual attachment to her office printer. Through her conversations with this inanimate companion, she unravels the trauma of her past while grappling with the grim realities of her present. Veldman’s prose is stark and unembellished, mirroring the narrator’s sense of detachment and alienation, yet it is also deeply evocative, capturing the profound vulnerability that underlies her cynical outlook on life.

The novel is steeped in class consciousness, exploring how the narrator’s precarious financial situation and monotonous job exacerbate her feelings of anxiety and disillusionment. Her observations of the city’s contrasts—between the beauty of wealth and the grunge of poverty—highlight the societal divides that shape her internal world. Diagnosed with an allergy to stress, the narrator must constantly self-soothe, a task made all the more difficult by her bleak surroundings and the dehumanizing nature of her work. Her only solace comes from the printer, a machine she understands better than her colleagues, who pity her but fail to truly see her.

The narrative is interspersed with glimpses into the narrator’s childhood, revealing the profound impact of growing up near a pedophilic neighbor. These memories are not always seamlessly integrated into the present-day storyline, and at times, the transitions between past and present feel abrupt. However, these fragments of the narrator’s past add depth to her character, offering insight into the origins of her anxiety and her mistrust of the world around her.

Veldman’s writing is rhythmic and repetitive, mirroring the cyclical nature of the narrator’s thoughts as she processes the violence and pain she has experienced. The novel critiques the exploitative dynamics of the modern workplace, where the narrator’s job is both a source of sustenance and a contributor to her unraveling. The introduction of the printer’s perspective midway through the novel further underscores the story’s anticapitalist ethos, as the machine sympathizes with the narrator’s plight, recognizing how deeply her job is affecting her.

While Hard Copy excels in its exploration of existential themes and the psychological toll of isolation, the novel’s ending may leave some readers wanting more. Despite some uneven pacing and an ending that may not fully satisfy, Hard Copy is a powerful and thought-provoking read. Veldman’s prose is both sharp and deeply resonant, offering a candid portrayal of a woman struggling to find meaning in a world that feels increasingly alien. For those drawn to introspective, character-driven narratives with a darkly comic edge, Hard Copy is a novel likely to live in your head rent-free for weeks after finishing it.

📖 Recommended For: Readers who enjoy introspective and existential narratives, those drawn to dark comedy with a philosophical edge, anyone interested in stories about the psychological toll of modern life.

🔑 Key Themes: Workplace Alienation, Trauma and Healing, Class Consciousness, Existential Dread, Human Connection vs. Isolation.

Content / Trigger Warnings: Death of parent (minor), Medical content (minor), Divorce (minor), Fire (moderate), Child abuse (minor), Murder (minor), Alcoholism (minor), Animal cruelty (moderate), Adult-minor relationship (minor), pedophilia (minor).

I adored this book. When I first read the synopsis I thought this story would be weird and go in a completely different way than it did - but that’s my own weird mind going there. Hard Copy is definitely a weird little book, but it’s more about the life of our unnamed narrator as she goes through a difficult and lonely time in her life.

When an author can make you emotional about a girl’s relationship with her printer you know they’re doing something right. I was so invested in the narrator’s story and really hoping she would be ok. I loved the change in POV at the end of the novel and wasn’t expecting that at all.

If you want a weird book that will make you feel things check out Hard Copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for a review copy. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

This is such an interesting book! It is a unique concept and well done. It's not something I would typically read but i am glad that I read it.

I’m a girl that loves my printer and I love weird fiction. This one is definitely for the weird girls that love weird books. I was the perfect audience for this one. This book was translated from Dutch and I loved every ,minute of it. I’m never going to look at my printer the same way again. I’ll make sure that I pet it every day, at least.

This story pops in the middle of a girls life when she’s the saddest. The boss at work has shoved her into a room with her beloved printer. I was almost crying by the end of the book. Did anyone think I could get so emotional? I didn’t think so. I’ll be forever thinking of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury USA and the author for an eARC for an honest review of the book.

Hard Copy is a deliciously strange little story about an unnamed protagonist in a menial job. She's developed a life-threatening allergy to stress as an adult and cannot overburden herself at work she runs all over town looking for a misdelivered package, takes on extra work answering customer complaints, or coaxing paper through her only companion--her printer.

Her coworkers hear her talking to the printer, and her boss assumes she's making personal calls. He puts her on leave and she must figure out what she wants to do with her life separated from her from her beloved machine.

Hard Copy is an astute examination of class, work, and the disposability of people as workers (especially women and low wage staff) told through the eyes of an anxious woman and a surprisingly self-aware printer.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of HARD COPY by Fien Veldman in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe and happy summer!

I am a very big fan of absurdist fiction and when I saw this one I knew I had to read it. This one was definitely weird and probably not for everyone but if weird books are your thing I think you'd really like this one. Its a short read and it keeps you wanting to read. I would definitely say read this one.

A somehow comforting read on the monotony of working a 9 to 5 and loneliness!

The story follows our main character through the repetitive days working at a job she doesn’t love, but with a printer she does. She shares all her anxieties and stresses, and reflects on her childhood memories that continue to haunt her. The only person she can trust is her beloved printer who she tells everything to.

Eventually her boss and coworkers notice her talking to herself (because who would talk to a printer) and they send her on leave. Being separated from her printer, one of her only friends, leads her to figure out what matters in life and to confront her anxieties and memories head on.

Yes, this book was weird, but not as out there as I was expecting for a girl who falls in love with a printer. The mundane every day life of our main character was a slow yet comforting ride that I did overall enjoy. If you’re looking for a wild, weird girl book, I would lower your exceptions a little.

I rated this a 3.5 and will recommend to those who like offbeat lit fic!

Thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the ARC. :-)