DROP DEAD GORGES

In Rosenstock’s novel, a woman who feels trapped by her chosen life path fakes her own death and embraces a new identity.

After Lana Katz, who works in publishing and lives in Connecticut, unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she finds herself forced into motherhood. She loves her child, Riley (who, as a teen, identifies as nonbinary), but she feels trapped in her role as a wife and mother. In part due to her husband Adam’s frequent cheating, she desperately wants to leave her home situation. Adam refuses to agree to a divorce because of his religious upbringing and, he insists, for Riley’s benefit. With the help of an AI beta prototype named Aggi, Lana develops a plan to fake her own demise and leave her old life behind. Her loved ones are left reeling after her disappearance. Adam is uncertain that she’s really dead, so he hires a private investigator to track her down; Riley struggles with feelings of anger and enters into an ill-fated relationship; and Kim, Lana’s friend, becomes romantically involved with Adam in her absence. Meanwhile, Lana moves to California and begins identifying as Jordan, a nonbinary vegan, and grows closer to Aggi. Although Jordan is enjoying their new life, they soon find it impossible not to reach out to those they left behind. As Jordan’s old and new realities begin to merge, they also begin to unravel in a series of sudden, fast-paced plot twists. In this thoroughly creative novel, Rosenstock explores topics related to family, sexuality, agency, and artificial intelligence from the perspectives of multiple characters. The novel’s frenetic pace is supported by a fun, conversational prose style, which helps the unusual narrative to smoothly come together. (“As we reach the corner coffee shop, I see dozens of bikers huddling outside. It’s so picturesque. I could see myself selling a lot of real estate here! Walkable downtown, check. One hour commute to the city, check.”) Both the novel and its characters are unconventional, and many people will enjoy the reading experience for exactly that reason.

An offbeat and exciting story, supported by skillful writing.