SASQUATCH, BABY!

Browning presents a novella about a former party girl whose unlikely connection with a gentle beast jolts her out of a self-destructive spiral.

Tabitha Eggs is an alcoholic, Napa Valley, California-based trust-funder who’s been exiled from her privileged world because of her immaturity, compared to others in her friend group. She goes on a retreat into the redwood forests of Del Norte County, where she plans to drink and smoke herself into oblivion. However, her path of self-destruction meets an obstacle when she discovers two dead bodies, whom she suspects are the previous owners of her new property. In the wake of this discovery comes a series of Bigfoot hunters, searching for the alleged beastly killer in the woods around her new home; they’re accompanied by protesters who want the Bigfoot hunting to stop. Tabitha confronts her real estate agent, Annie, who seems to know more than she’s letting on about the situation. Her suspicions are confirmed when she comes face-to-face with a kind sasquatch who saves her from a wildfire. Thus begins a strange love story that revels in its offbeat tone, playing familiar romance tropes completely straight while cutting through exposition like an impatient reader skipping to the good parts. The prose moves briskly, with snappy characters and a refusal to dwell on the granular logistics of the novel’s premise. Indeed, it’s less about worldbuilding and more about the emotional transformation, although Tabitha’s change of heart feels too fast to land with full impact, jumping from nihilism to purpose without much introspection. Likewise, the romance with her sasquatch savior exists more as a concept than as a developed relationship; readers will wish for more from their connection—more buildup, more tension, more resonance, more space to see it grow. That said, the novel delivers the quirky, unhinged entertainment it promises, and the protagonist’s voice is distinct and memorable. Overall, it’s a wild ride that’s as compelling as it is unorthodox.

A sharp-edged novella that delivers its story at the pace of a highlight reel.