What's Not Mine

A Novel

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Apr 02 2024 | Archive Date Jan 31 2024

Talking about this book? Use #WhatsNotMine #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

“Nora Decter has written a wrenching, knowing, and wry novel about coming of age into a rough world.” — Meg Wolitzer, author of The Female Persuasion

For fans of Miriam Toews, an absorbing, darkly funny story of family, addiction, and survival

The summer Bria Powers turns 16 is sinister. Waves of insects plague her hometown of Beauchamp, where fentanyl has recently infiltrated the drug stream. Forest fires muddy the normally wide-open skies, and everything smells like a barbecue all the time. It’s also the summer Bria goes from having saved a life to ruining her own.

Since her drug-dealing father disappeared and his girlfriend overdosed, Bria has lived with her aunt Tash and best friend/cousin Ains. By day, Bria and Ains babysit Ains’s younger siblings and sling fast food at Burger Shack. But at night, Bria has her own secret world, sneaking out to see Someboy, an older guy who captivates her sometimes. Other times, he angers-insults-upends her, and that has a certain charm too.

But trouble comes for Beauchamp and for Bria in the form of bears that wander into town, dick pics texted from a mystery number, and a creeping dependence on what Bria should hate most of all.

Steeped in tragicomedy and written in starkly observed prose, What’s Not Mine explores inheritance, addiction, and survival when the odds are against you.
“Nora Decter has written a wrenching, knowing, and wry novel about coming of age into a rough world.” — Meg Wolitzer, author of The Female Persuasion

For fans of Miriam Toews, an absorbing, darkly...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781770417649
PRICE $18.95 (USD)
PAGES 256

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)
Send to Kindle (PDF)
Download (PDF)

Average rating from 35 members


Featured Reviews

I really enjoyed "What's Not Mine" by Nora Decter. There were moments in the book when I had difficulty putting it down! I like how she wrote as if it was a memoir. It was a bit hard to read on my Kindle because it hasn't been formatted yet, but once it's fully published I believe it will be a page-turner for people!

Was this review helpful?

'What's Not Mine' is a masterfully crafted exploration of the intricacies of life, deftly navigating themes of inheritance, addiction, and survival. The narrative unfolds against the sinister backdrop of Beauchamp, a town marred by waves of insects, a drug epidemic, and the suffocating haze of forest fires. The protagonist, Bria Powers, faces the tumultuous summer of her sixteenth year, marked by personal tragedy and a journey of self-destruction.

The novel excels in its poignant exploration of identity amidst the chaos of life's challenges. Bria's story is a compelling odyssey through the shadows of her drug-dealing father's disappearance and the overdose of his girlfriend, forcing her into the care of her aunt Tash and cousin Ains. By day, she grapples with mundane responsibilities, but by night, she slips into a clandestine world with Someboy, an enigmatic figure who both captivates and unsettles her.

The author's prose is a striking blend of tragicomedy and keen observations. The narrative's dark humor is expertly woven into the fabric of the story, offering moments of levity amid the weighty themes. The author's ability to balance these elements contributes to the riveting nature of the read, capturing the complexity of human experience with nuance.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: