***Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and the author, Ivy Pochoda, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.***

I’m really torn on this one. Ecstasy had some intriguing ideas, especially around feminine rage and liberation, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The pacing was pretty slow, and most of the book felt like it was building toward something that didn’t fully deliver. We finally get some drama toward the end, but it’s brief and left me wanting more depth or follow-through. It’s also labeled as horror, which I don’t think fits at all. There’s no real suspense or sense of dread, it’s more of a psychological or literary novel with mythological inspiration. The modern Greek tragedy angle was interesting, but I kind of wish the story had done its own thing instead of leaning so heavily on the retelling aspect. The characters were all pretty unlikeable. Maybe that was intentional, but it made it tough to connect or care about what happened to them. Overall, I wouldn’t say it’s a bad book, but it didn’t quite work for me either. It had potential and some strong themes, but the execution felt a bit uneven.

Ecstasy by Ivy Pochoda is a wild, dark, and fiercely liberating ride. This book dives headfirst into the complexities of female autonomy, desire, and identity—with zero apologies.
Loosely inspired by the Greek myth of the Bacchae, it spins a modern, feminist take through multiple perspectives that are sharp, bold, and brilliantly developed. The pacing? Smooth and steady. The characters? Complex, layered, and unforgettable.
It’s a short read, but it hits hard—equal parts fun, feral, and thought-provoking. If you’re into stories that unravel the chaos and beauty of womanhood while flipping the patriarchy the bird, this one’s for you.

I found this book to be both dark and liberating. I loved that it was a fresh take on a Greek classic of the Bacchae, but also with a more feminist twist to the story. In the classic, the tragedy is more blamed on the FMC whereas with Pochoda's approach, there is more of a feminine freedom. Even through fury and madness, the women found liberation from the shackles of their lives.

I inhaled this book in a day. The pacing was great and consistent. The scenery was beautifully written and like the story, made you question reality (in a good way). I really enjoyed this read.

Thank you for the ARC.
Many symbolisms, especially related to life as a woman. The internal struggles these women go through are relatable. Drew has to be one of the most unlikable characters I’ve ever read. There were times though that the flow of the story lost me. Other than that it was a good quick read if you enjoy the genre.

I love the idea of this book, following women and tragedy based around the mythos of Dionysus but honestly it was hard to get into.

Although the blurb makes this sounds like a bad reality-TV show, it's actually a great retelling of The Bacchae. An unpleasant spoiled son, now a real estate developer, takes his mother and one of her oldest friends on vacation to his newest project. But the land there isn't his, and local forces make that very clear while drawing in the older women to celebrate their own power There is tragedy, yes, but also great liberation, and the novel provokes excellent questions about gender and age and what it means to defy patriarchy and oligarchy. A must-read.

I have loved all of this author's books. This one less so. It starts well, although I don't like such vagueness in the first 20 pages or so and it moves at a good clip, but in the middle it stalls and gets repetitive, a little too heavy on the themes. Having said that the author's writing is always top notch, this one lacked story somewhat. I would, however, recommend it because it's intriguing and the setting is compelling and different.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

Lena’s controlling husband passed and now she has to deal with her son Drew, who acts much like her late spouse. Living a lavish lifestyle hasn’t always been a benefit for Lena. She feels empty and wants to know what her life would be like without a spouse. Her son Drew wants her to fall in love and he’s putting much pressure on Lena. Drew has his own controlling expectations of Lena.

I don’t know the story of The Bacchae, so I think some of the book was lost on me. The characters were flat, and the plot was hard to follow at times. It brought up a lot of conversations of women’s roles and feminism. The writing is hard to follow, and the flow is weird, but I think the entire book was meant to be a bit weird. For a short boo,k it felt a bit longer. I think this book surely had its audience, but I’m not sure if it was for me.

Rooted in the Greek myth of the Bacchae, Ecstasy is a feminist, psychological exploration of motherhood, autonomy, female empowerment, and the debilitating consequences of catering to male expectations. I had slightly mixed feelings about this book. The message was great, but the characters didn't really stand out. The premise was cool, but it didn't quite live up to its potential. It was still a pretty interesting read!

Thank you to Netgalley, Ivy Pochoda, & publishing for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think the story could've been good I just don't feel this was for me. Its hard for me to want to finish as I'm struggling to get through a chapter.

Can we just collectively agree that Drew is the most insufferable character known to man? The depths of hatred that arises from the pit of my soul when he speaks is a testament to how much Ivy Pochoda made me feel in 220 short pages.

Let's back up a bit. The story follows Lena, a wealthy, middle-aged, former ballerina/party girl after the death of her narcissistic and mentally abusive husband of 30ish years. Lena, her deteriorating best friend Hady, her son Drew, and Drew's wife Jordan are vacationing in Greece to inspect the family's latest luxury hotel and potentially open it's doors to the pubic. Drew, having watched his father marginalize and degrade his mother for his entire life, takes it upon himself to fill that role in his father's absence. Lena hopes to have a nice trip, but Drew doesn't care what she thinks. In fact, he's unconcerned about anyone's fun or happiness except his own. The deplorable man-baby, bulldozer, and gas lighter spends his time bossing people around and making every woman around him feel worthless. Lena indulges him with only a minimal amount of backtalk, which in and of itself is infuriating. The toxic boy mom vibes almost made me wanna quit. But as the book progresses, you start to see Lena blossom. She's making decisions. She's defying the "rules." She's seeing herself return from who she was before marriage and children.
In this process, she becomes infatuated with what is seemingly a harmless group of gypsy-like women who dance on the beach every night, but it's soon revealed that something much darker is at play

If you know the story of The Bacchae, you know you're going into a pretty messy and tragic retell. If you don't know the story, I suggest you do a quick wiki to get the gist, it will make this make more sense. The story is nothing short of a fever dream of revenge and violence combined with the most extravagant episode of "Snapped" you've ever seen. The god's are cruel. The women are wild and nothing about this is warm and fuzzy. If you love a pitch black ending. If you love a story about brutal revenge. If you love greek mythology, I think you'll love Ecstasy.

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This modern-day retelling of Dionysus was overall a pretty fun read. I'm obsessed with the rise in feminism in literature. I did feel like the plot was a little all over the place at times and the characters were pretty one-dimensional. I felt like I still had so many questions in the end.

Ecstasy is a dark, feminist fever-dream that is based loosely around the Greek myth of the Bacchae. It explores themes motherhood and autonomy, female empowerment, and the damaging effects of catering to the male figures in ones life over the self.

This was a fairly fast read, and super fun.

I am not a partier. Never been to a rave, never actually even been to a house party. But Pochoda does an incredible, visceral job setting the dance/rave scene. The writing is poetical and unsettling and perfect for this style of story.

The book shifts perspectives amongst several different characters: Lena, a former dancer who's controlling husband has just died, being the central narrative; her son Drew, as equally cruel and domineering as his father; his wife, the calculating and serious Jordan; Lena's besfriend Hedy who faces macular degeneration; and the mysterious figure Luz who sets the plot underway.

Important note: Fuck Drew. That guy sucks. I rolled my eyes and gritted my teeth every time we got a chapter from his POV. But I guess that is the entire point of him.

I enjoyed this sort of modern reimagining of maenads, drunk on freedom and rage. And the ending is so damn cathartic. I wanted just a little more substance.

Luz was still a bit of a mystery, I wish we got more of her background and motivations. Also, it felt like Hedy was completely forgotten about until the very end.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam, NetGalley, and the author forbthis arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 - Ecstasy was a good, quick read that pulled me in right away with its eerie, atmospheric tone. It felt like a perfect blend of White Lotus and American Horror Story—equal parts vacation luxury (gone wrong) and unsettling, slow-burning tension. The characters were intriguing, and you either love them or hate them (or are totally confused by them). It’s the kind of book that’s hard to describe without giving too much away, but if you're into dark secrets, morally murky characters, and stories that unravel in unexpected ways, this one’s worth picking up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy in exchange for a review! All thoughts are my own.

Ecstasy is a fast paced Dionysus retelling. I had to brush up on my Greek history a bit to see the parallels. This book was really wild and I think the reason it was so wild was because it’s a modern day spin on the story. The bright colors and modern references made the horror elements more unsettling. This book was really interesting, however the characters were a little flat for me. I could’ve used a little more depth. But overall I sat and read this in one sitting. I’d recommend to someone who really enjoys Greek mythology!

This is a dark, intense, gory read but still not one that really grabbed me by the throat. Very interesting premise but the characters themselves fell a bit flat. Even with multiple perspectives, I don't feel like we really dug deep into anyone and that doesn't lend well to such a character-driven book. Plenty of visceral, brutal, bloody descriptions of body horror but not as much personality as I would have liked. Still, an interesting read overall.

“Ecstasy” is a wild reimagining of a Dionysian bacchanal, complete with a golden god, rage fueled maenads, hedonism, and debauchery galore.

Pochoda has a distinctive way of writing that despite its descriptiveness, doesn’t come across as obnoxious purple prose, but rather prose that has been elevated. Where it sometimes felt out of place in her novel “These Women”, it works exceptionally well here.

There are quite a few repetitious words/phrases that could have been revamped a bit, but nothing major to pull you out of the story. The only thing that really bothered me was Lena asking, “can you still get on pointe?” Any former professional dancer knows it’s en pointe, not on.

On a personal note, as a former professional dancer myself who had to stop due to my body betraying me, this story resonated deeply with me. Aside from decades of traditional dance, I also danced professionally at raves and festivals working alongside some well known DJs and performance artists, so both worlds are extremely familiar to me.

Pochoda did a wonderful job writing about rave culture, especially the underbelly of the rave scene where it’s not always about PLUR: peace, love, unity, respect.

Having a character with macular degeneration also hit home for me as it runs in my family. I could completely empathize with Hedy and I wished there was a little more from her POV, especially near the end of the book as it seemed like everyone forgot about her.

I really, REALLY wanted to punch Drew. He is absolutely atrocious and incredibly ableist to boot. I know he’s supposed to be unlikable, but Pochoda did such a good job that it made reading difficult for me at times because he bothered me so much.

There are some sections that might rub people the wrong way; in particular, the comments made by privileged characters about others they feel are beneath them, (ie: stay at home moms, professional dancers, anyone who “marries up”). These aren’t throwaway comments though and are necessary to the character development, but I can just imagine some people complaining about them anyway.

Ecstasy is a wonderful fever dream of feminism, rage, angst, hubris, and shadow work. It makes you think and question your own life choices well after you’ve finished reading. 4.5 stars rounded up

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons, however this review is completely my own unbiased personal opinion, left of my own volition.

novel that reads incredibly "wild" for lack of a better word. this oftentimes works, but sometimes this really weakens it, and in this case it sorta does. 3.5 stars. tysm for the arc.

"Ecstasy" by Ivy Pochoda hits you like those summer nights where the air is heavy with possibility and danger. It's intoxicating and unsettling in equal measure (which makes the perfect combo, if you ask me).

In this deliciously dark reimagining of Euripides' The Bacchae, we meet Lena, who thought her wealthy husband's death would finally free her from her sterile, curated existence. Instead, her controlling son Drew has simply stepped into the role of dictator of her life. When they travel to Naxos, Greece for the unveiling of Drew's luxury resort project, Lena becomes entranced by a group of wild women camping on the beach, hosting bonfires and dancing under the stars.

What follows is a visceral exploration of female autonomy, the expectations of motherhood, and what happens when women reject the suffocating roles society assigns them. When Lena begins spending time with these women, she reconnects with parts of herself she thought were long buried - the dancer, the party girl, the woman with desires of her own.

The narrative alternates perspectives, showing us Drew's insufferable entitlement (these chapters had me gripping my highlighter like a weapon), his pregnant wife Jordan's growing doubts about her choices, longtime BFF Hedy's helplessness in her physical decline, and the mysterious leader of the beach women whose own story reveals darker undercurrents beneath the surface freedom Lena is experiencing.

When women decide to center themselves instead of the men around them, they're labeled "unstable" or "wild", which is a frustration that resonates deeply with me. Thankfully, the women in this story set that frustrating reality ablaze. Pochoda's writing is evocative and raw, building tension toward an explosive ending that might not be for everyone, but is definitely FOR ME. It’s truly cathartic in its boldness; a feast of female empowerment that I ate to my heart's content. Like the glutton I am, I do wish certain elements had been given more room to breathe - particularly Luz's character and motivations.

Tropes!

🎭 Greek mythology retelling
🧠 Psychological horror
😡 Feminine rage/revenge
👭 Found Sisterhood
💪🏽 Self discovery/empowerment
🏖️ Idyllic vacation goes wrong
🤯 Blurring of reality

If you're expecting traditional horror elements, adjust your expectations. This is psychological horror that infects your mind and festers under your skin rather than jumps out at you. A captivating one-sitting read that will leave you thinking for days. If you enjoy dark feminist tales with mythological roots, read on, ghouls.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read an early e-copy of this book.

#Ecstasy #NetGalley #IvyPochoda #PsychologicalHorror

This book is a strange beautifully written novel based loosely on a Greek myth set in the present. It challenges the predetermined role women often have forced upon them and does so in a brutal trippy fashion.

Lena and Hedy are two middle aged women who were once ballet dancers. Lena gave up her dream to marry a wealthy man while Hedy is going blind but wishes to remain free and wild.

Drew is Lena's son and heir of his father's real estate empire. A luxury hotel on a Greek island is his way of cementing his legacy. He, Lena, Hedy, and his wife Jordan will stay there for a week before opening, having every conceivable luxury at their beck and call.

But there's a group of squatters on the beach. A group of seemingly wild women who soon entice Lena, Hedy, and Jordan. And as their backstory is revealed, we'll find out that there's something much more to this group.

This shorter novel is told from a few perspectives and it's great to see the arrogance and misogyny of Drew being challenged by Lena as he tries to control her every move. This relationship is the catalyst for the horrific events to happen later.

But this is clearly about female empowerment and breaking the chains of sex and gender roles especially for women of a certain age. Drew's insistence that his mother has no right to be a bonfire party on the beach because of her age is a stark reminder of how women are viewed especially as they age, and the terrifying consequences of breaking out of those boxes.

This book is effectively a dark tale with a fairy tale like quality and some truly horrifying scenes. I highly recommend it.