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Swallow the Ghost
Win a free print copy of this book!
24 days and 02:24:54
20 copies available
U.S. only
Told in three interlocking sections, Swallow the Ghost interrogates our public identities and private realities through the kaleidoscopic portrait of one woman's life.
Things are going well for Jane Murphy, or so it seems. She’s making it in New York, a sort of wunderkind at the social media marketing startup where she works. She’s put an experimental writer, Jeremy Miller, on the map by helping him concoct a viral internet novel, told in fragments through various fake social media accounts. But privately, Jane feels trapped, ruled by her routines and her compulsions, caught up in an endless cycle of soothing and punishing herself. There is so much that she has to keep hidden, especially from Jeremy as their professional relationship transforms into something more.
But then, tragedy strikes, and the story changes track. As the perspective shifts, so too does our image of Jane and those in her orbit as what we think we know begins to unravel.
Audacious, emotionally precise and head-spinning in its ingenuity, Swallow the Ghost traces the ripple of one event through different lives, each snapshot offering a complex, contradictory truth.
Things are going well for Jane Murphy, or so it seems. She’s making it in New York, a sort of wunderkind at the social media marketing startup where she works. She’s put an experimental writer, Jeremy Miller, on the map by helping him concoct a viral internet novel, told in fragments through various fake social media accounts. But privately, Jane feels trapped, ruled by her routines and her compulsions, caught up in an endless cycle of soothing and punishing herself. There is so much that she has to keep hidden, especially from Jeremy as their professional relationship transforms into something more.
But then, tragedy strikes, and the story changes track. As the perspective shifts, so too does our image of Jane and those in her orbit as what we think we know begins to unravel.
Audacious, emotionally precise and head-spinning in its ingenuity, Swallow the Ghost traces the ripple of one event through different lives, each snapshot offering a complex, contradictory truth.
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 20, 2024
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February 25, 2024
It is important to note that most of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the book's subject matters & those detailed in my review overwhelming. I suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters that contain reflections on violent crime, grief, murder, distorted body image, eating disorders, substance abuse, sexual-based violence, clinical distress, the death of an animal, & others.
Ample are the parameters, definers, symptoms, & faces of grief. The altruistic nature of the sentiment prevents the shadow of emptiness from hovering over a future horizon, perhaps never to be met by the sufferer. The quotidian rhythm of existence promises grief in the rise & fall of all that we do; there is no way to avoid loss. However, grief is not simply a loss. In its own beautiful way, grief speaks to something unknown; a splinter in the beast itself. Culture will define grief & will prevent it from growing tall; nipping it at the heels with the poignant hymn of truth. Yet, one must ask; What is the truth?
When I requested this book I knew not what to expect. This is perhaps a silly statement. Rarely do I endeavour into books that gift me a clear idea of what they wish to present. I have always been a reader who prefers the silent miss-matching of story & mind. The ambiguous clarity provided by a synopsis is one I usually forfeit altogether; I have done this too long not to read the shaded colours & stencilled shapes on the wall. In this particular case, I was glad to hold my ignorance. The format of the story is adopted primarily to sequester a reader in what might be a primal stance; to be victim, victor, or vanquished.
In essence, this story is about Jane. It appears trite to say that the story relies upon Jane’s disorders to reel the reader into submission but, this is the truth. The story opens with Jane’s redundancy. Her mornings see the consequence of dread filling her lungs after a night of being caught in the riptide of her illness (Bulimia Nervosa). She runs the city, scours her room, rides the train to work, eats a salad, occupies every free second with her best friend, hitchhikes her way home through pizza joints & doughnut shops, & repeats her dissociated dance of online activity & purges evidence of nutrition into the bellies of the toilet bowl.
Jane’s story is split into three parts. The first of which explores the first-hand experiences of Jane’s diligent & harmful cycle, as listed in the paragraph above. In between the sections that read like a malevolent tornado, Jane meets men; she sleeps with them, runs the pedestrian’s path with them, & works on literary projects with them. All the while, Jane remains essentially unknown to all the people around her. This first section is meant to act as both a cautionary tale & a reminder that the mundane sickness of life may not end us but, death is certainly around the corner. That is to say, Jane’s life is sad to take in.
Readers unfamiliar with the cycle of distress that accompanies an eating disorder may feel just as suffocated as readers who have felt the weight of horror in their bodies & bones. Montague works diligently to prevent the reader from forgetting who Jane is. Rather than stick to the mounds of dread, scratchy throats, & dirty bile; Montague reminds readers that Jane is a person misunderstood; she has likes & dislikes, passions & terrors. All the things that make the reader the essence of who they are also exist in Jane. This is what made her section both insightful & ruefully grievous. Through the pages of repeated daily activity, Jane becomes a person that the reader wishes to know. Some form of the fingers on the pages longs to intervene before it is too late.
Throughout this section, I found myself actively engaged in the anthropologist’s role. Would Jane be able to find peace? Which of the men in Jane’s life murdered her? Every morning run reminded me of the curious nature of life; our habits shape the day as we move through it, tedious as they sometimes seem. However, in so far as I found Jane’s section engaging, the narrative lost steam because we learned so little about her environment. This was most likely done intentionally.
Jane is the victim of a violent crime, her section could not be the length of a tome, she was nearing her final days & it was soon time that the reader shifted points of view to better understand the narrative at play. Regardless, I felt taxed as a consequence of a morbid existence, otherwise seen as being Jane’s life.
The redundancy of Jane’s life shifts to welcome a new character, Jesse. The second part of the story explores a tertiary point of view of the crime. The players the reader grew accustomed to seeing in the backdrop of Jane’s life become the villains; men with voices too loud to discern clearly.
Jesse’s role is as an investigator for the Defendant, Jeremy. In all sincerity, I preferred this section to the two others because it felt real in a way that is difficult to achieve in writing. Jesse’s life is flawed & hurtful; his days are wrought with anxiety & pain. His family life consists of hours spent guiding his mother through repetitions brought on by her Dementia & attempting to prevent her from losing hope in the darkness brought on by her mind. Jesse’s narrative was raw, earnest, pleading, ambitious, & genuine. His person brought realism to a plot that introduced the reader to people they might never understand & then, here came Jesse, a character who could also be their friend.
Notable in this section is how Montague wrote the turmoil of a terminal diagnosis alongside the finality of death at the hands of another. In both cases, for both women—Jane & Jesse’s mother—the end of their lives became a truth they were not privy to learning. While Jesse attempted to wander in the dark to find the pieces of his mother that might still exist in her mind, he also attempted to find the truth in the void left behind by Jane’s murder. The links between both women are ample & a diligent reader will piece together the ropes that tie them to one existence; that of a woman without agency.
I found Jesse to be amiable & warm. His earnest pursuit of the truth among all the shaded groves of different people & their experiences, helps the plot move forward but it also grants it the girth that it needs. In many ways, both the first & the third sections do nothing to speak to the reader & rather seek to isolate them from the narrative at play.
At times, the secrecy behind an intentional intellect—think a philosopher without any lived experience to rely on—confounds this story into a heaping waste of time. The legal aspects are not explored in the first & third sections; the grainy details of the crime of homicide are not brought forward by any of the characters & rather, these sections poise the characters to make everything about their person, forgetting the societal implications of selfishness.
This is, as I have said many times in my writing, not meant to be cruel. Rather, the author allows the reader to deduce that the real storyteller is Jesse. He is the driver of the story, the hero, & victor throughout all the chaos caused by two people who were egotistically overly involved in themselves.
This truth made Jesse more appealing. The links between the deterioration of the brain & the body as well as the reality that horrors succeed without humanity being capable of concluding rationales is the crux of what is bulbous, overwhelming, & distressing both in life & in fiction. However, upon reflection, I wonder still about the reality of the case.
Jane’s cell phone was found in the dumpster at her office building. Jane was having an affair with her boss, Tom, & she knew that he had the business appraised for an obscene amount of money. By the end of the second section, we learn that Tom was accused of the crime but was acquitted. Why is that?
It will not come as a surprise to anyone who knows their way around the legal system that the processes are not always correct nor are they efficient. If Tom did not murder Jane, who did? How would Tom have known where Jane ran? How would Tom have known that Jane would have heard him calling to her in the alleyway? Had Tom met Aaron? Did Tom know that Aaron usually met Jane down the laneway from where she was murdered? Had he accounted for the fact she might not be alone or that other people were awake during this hour of the morning?
There are so many variables that could & should be analyzed before concluding that the murder was committed by Tom. What is apparent & dull is that the justice system did not ask any of these questions.
In the state of New York, the Double Jeopardy, also known as the Fifth Amendment, prevents a person who has been acquitted of a crime from being tried again for the same crime. Therefore, Tom is a free man. I reflect on this fact because the logistics do not make sense to me. None of the men regarded as possible suspects in Jane’s murder were approached with dedicated caution. Jesse came across the evidence of Jane’s affair with Tom at random. Why was he not being properly investigated from the start?
Certainly, my questions are somewhat annoying because they will bring the reader no clarity. Though multiple characters claim that Jane’s schedule is meticulous, a murder in the morning is too risky to be well-planned. One can easily assume that Jane was not running in the dark of 4:00 AM but rather closer to 6:00 or 7:00 AM given the number of people out & about. This speaks to the personality trait at play as we know for a fact that Jane walked around the city alone at night between restaurants & bars. What I seek to highlight with these questions is not that the irresolution of her murder is flawed but that the story is not about the crime.
The third part of the book drives home my point as Jeremy is introduced via his own experiences as he interviews for a podcast. The desolate & lovely gore of the story is sadly lost entirely in the third part.
Perhaps the author sought to allow the vanquished man to hold his court & share his truth. In some ways, allowing Jeremy the chance to speak to his experiences as the accused feels just; his life will forever be altered by the suspicion that lingered on the cellphone tower. Yet, if one looks back to the perusal through the logistics of the murder, one is left wondering (again) whether the judicial bodies did any work in this case, at all.
Jeremy, like Jane, held a meticulous schedule & visited similar places, over & over again. The suspicion that he might have been responsible for Jane’s murder arises simply because his cellphone pinged off a tower near the scene of the crime. Of course, reading Jeremy’s section does nothing to incite confidence in his character; rather he reads as a very tedious liar but, I digress.
If one were to properly seek to understand the case against Jeremy, one would be left exasperated. Perhaps the author sought to include this final section to encourage the ambiguous ending; maybe, Jeremy did murder Jane. This leaves me asking what the point of the story is, if, in fact, the driving force is the men who do very little of anything worth reading throughout the entire story.
From a neutral point, one can accept that it is kind to allow Jeremy to close off the story. However, this story is not about him so the narrative feels as though has lost its essence. Is this the point of the book? Are readers meant to conclude that a woman’s truth is lost as a consequence of a man’s presence/involvement? I am not convinced that this is the moral of the story. Rather, I feel quite comfortable in concluding that the author was simply writing to write; the final section shows a flexed finger as Montague quotes great writers whose word use reinforces the burden of existence whereas her book simply showcases the lost causes that exist in between rumbling subway stations.
The dialogue between Jeremy & the podcast host did not insight knowledge into the story, nor did it create space for reflecting on what the story was actually about. Perhaps, because I was not a fan of who Jeremy was; after sections of blabbering about being a writer with talent & time; I found myself wishing for the book to end so that I was relieved of the boredom that accumulated around the third section.
Truthfully, had his character been set up as a man of men, a person with flaws but the ability to not be chauvinistic & rather daft, I might not have felt as I did. Unfortunately, looming in the centre of the cream egg was mould & I did not see the purpose in writing pages about a man who made clear who he was in each section of the book.
Ultimately, this is a good book & one I would recommend to other readers. I long to meet Jesse again & I hope that the sorrow of his life is healed. He was not a perfect person but he was a person in all his entirety, making him a man I grew eager to know.
Just as I have chosen a favourite section, other readers will meet the parts of the story they deem valuable & agreeable. One is left wondering if the purpose of transcribing human horror is lost on the three subcategories of readers who will approach this book as I have & then also, in completely different ways.
The burden of grief lays itself raw to the reader in the failed investigations & cruel characters that once appeared as best friends. The essence of a person is never quite lost as we live inside the story & reality that exists in the brains of others. Jane, a woman who was quiet & ill, was also mean & uninterested, while simultaneously being catastrophically numb to life, she sought out its warmth & excitement in any place she could.
In just such a way, may the reader find that each of the characters is more than they appear yet, not a lie of who they hope to be. Much of the burden of loss exists because the imagery we hold is no longer visible to us until we become one with the illusion that shelters our person from days that continue to move forward without the comfort of those who are no more.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books, & Eugenie Montague for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Ample are the parameters, definers, symptoms, & faces of grief. The altruistic nature of the sentiment prevents the shadow of emptiness from hovering over a future horizon, perhaps never to be met by the sufferer. The quotidian rhythm of existence promises grief in the rise & fall of all that we do; there is no way to avoid loss. However, grief is not simply a loss. In its own beautiful way, grief speaks to something unknown; a splinter in the beast itself. Culture will define grief & will prevent it from growing tall; nipping it at the heels with the poignant hymn of truth. Yet, one must ask; What is the truth?
When I requested this book I knew not what to expect. This is perhaps a silly statement. Rarely do I endeavour into books that gift me a clear idea of what they wish to present. I have always been a reader who prefers the silent miss-matching of story & mind. The ambiguous clarity provided by a synopsis is one I usually forfeit altogether; I have done this too long not to read the shaded colours & stencilled shapes on the wall. In this particular case, I was glad to hold my ignorance. The format of the story is adopted primarily to sequester a reader in what might be a primal stance; to be victim, victor, or vanquished.
In essence, this story is about Jane. It appears trite to say that the story relies upon Jane’s disorders to reel the reader into submission but, this is the truth. The story opens with Jane’s redundancy. Her mornings see the consequence of dread filling her lungs after a night of being caught in the riptide of her illness (Bulimia Nervosa). She runs the city, scours her room, rides the train to work, eats a salad, occupies every free second with her best friend, hitchhikes her way home through pizza joints & doughnut shops, & repeats her dissociated dance of online activity & purges evidence of nutrition into the bellies of the toilet bowl.
Jane’s story is split into three parts. The first of which explores the first-hand experiences of Jane’s diligent & harmful cycle, as listed in the paragraph above. In between the sections that read like a malevolent tornado, Jane meets men; she sleeps with them, runs the pedestrian’s path with them, & works on literary projects with them. All the while, Jane remains essentially unknown to all the people around her. This first section is meant to act as both a cautionary tale & a reminder that the mundane sickness of life may not end us but, death is certainly around the corner. That is to say, Jane’s life is sad to take in.
Readers unfamiliar with the cycle of distress that accompanies an eating disorder may feel just as suffocated as readers who have felt the weight of horror in their bodies & bones. Montague works diligently to prevent the reader from forgetting who Jane is. Rather than stick to the mounds of dread, scratchy throats, & dirty bile; Montague reminds readers that Jane is a person misunderstood; she has likes & dislikes, passions & terrors. All the things that make the reader the essence of who they are also exist in Jane. This is what made her section both insightful & ruefully grievous. Through the pages of repeated daily activity, Jane becomes a person that the reader wishes to know. Some form of the fingers on the pages longs to intervene before it is too late.
Throughout this section, I found myself actively engaged in the anthropologist’s role. Would Jane be able to find peace? Which of the men in Jane’s life murdered her? Every morning run reminded me of the curious nature of life; our habits shape the day as we move through it, tedious as they sometimes seem. However, in so far as I found Jane’s section engaging, the narrative lost steam because we learned so little about her environment. This was most likely done intentionally.
Jane is the victim of a violent crime, her section could not be the length of a tome, she was nearing her final days & it was soon time that the reader shifted points of view to better understand the narrative at play. Regardless, I felt taxed as a consequence of a morbid existence, otherwise seen as being Jane’s life.
The redundancy of Jane’s life shifts to welcome a new character, Jesse. The second part of the story explores a tertiary point of view of the crime. The players the reader grew accustomed to seeing in the backdrop of Jane’s life become the villains; men with voices too loud to discern clearly.
Jesse’s role is as an investigator for the Defendant, Jeremy. In all sincerity, I preferred this section to the two others because it felt real in a way that is difficult to achieve in writing. Jesse’s life is flawed & hurtful; his days are wrought with anxiety & pain. His family life consists of hours spent guiding his mother through repetitions brought on by her Dementia & attempting to prevent her from losing hope in the darkness brought on by her mind. Jesse’s narrative was raw, earnest, pleading, ambitious, & genuine. His person brought realism to a plot that introduced the reader to people they might never understand & then, here came Jesse, a character who could also be their friend.
Notable in this section is how Montague wrote the turmoil of a terminal diagnosis alongside the finality of death at the hands of another. In both cases, for both women—Jane & Jesse’s mother—the end of their lives became a truth they were not privy to learning. While Jesse attempted to wander in the dark to find the pieces of his mother that might still exist in her mind, he also attempted to find the truth in the void left behind by Jane’s murder. The links between both women are ample & a diligent reader will piece together the ropes that tie them to one existence; that of a woman without agency.
I found Jesse to be amiable & warm. His earnest pursuit of the truth among all the shaded groves of different people & their experiences, helps the plot move forward but it also grants it the girth that it needs. In many ways, both the first & the third sections do nothing to speak to the reader & rather seek to isolate them from the narrative at play.
At times, the secrecy behind an intentional intellect—think a philosopher without any lived experience to rely on—confounds this story into a heaping waste of time. The legal aspects are not explored in the first & third sections; the grainy details of the crime of homicide are not brought forward by any of the characters & rather, these sections poise the characters to make everything about their person, forgetting the societal implications of selfishness.
This is, as I have said many times in my writing, not meant to be cruel. Rather, the author allows the reader to deduce that the real storyteller is Jesse. He is the driver of the story, the hero, & victor throughout all the chaos caused by two people who were egotistically overly involved in themselves.
This truth made Jesse more appealing. The links between the deterioration of the brain & the body as well as the reality that horrors succeed without humanity being capable of concluding rationales is the crux of what is bulbous, overwhelming, & distressing both in life & in fiction. However, upon reflection, I wonder still about the reality of the case.
Jane’s cell phone was found in the dumpster at her office building. Jane was having an affair with her boss, Tom, & she knew that he had the business appraised for an obscene amount of money. By the end of the second section, we learn that Tom was accused of the crime but was acquitted. Why is that?
It will not come as a surprise to anyone who knows their way around the legal system that the processes are not always correct nor are they efficient. If Tom did not murder Jane, who did? How would Tom have known where Jane ran? How would Tom have known that Jane would have heard him calling to her in the alleyway? Had Tom met Aaron? Did Tom know that Aaron usually met Jane down the laneway from where she was murdered? Had he accounted for the fact she might not be alone or that other people were awake during this hour of the morning?
There are so many variables that could & should be analyzed before concluding that the murder was committed by Tom. What is apparent & dull is that the justice system did not ask any of these questions.
In the state of New York, the Double Jeopardy, also known as the Fifth Amendment, prevents a person who has been acquitted of a crime from being tried again for the same crime. Therefore, Tom is a free man. I reflect on this fact because the logistics do not make sense to me. None of the men regarded as possible suspects in Jane’s murder were approached with dedicated caution. Jesse came across the evidence of Jane’s affair with Tom at random. Why was he not being properly investigated from the start?
Certainly, my questions are somewhat annoying because they will bring the reader no clarity. Though multiple characters claim that Jane’s schedule is meticulous, a murder in the morning is too risky to be well-planned. One can easily assume that Jane was not running in the dark of 4:00 AM but rather closer to 6:00 or 7:00 AM given the number of people out & about. This speaks to the personality trait at play as we know for a fact that Jane walked around the city alone at night between restaurants & bars. What I seek to highlight with these questions is not that the irresolution of her murder is flawed but that the story is not about the crime.
The third part of the book drives home my point as Jeremy is introduced via his own experiences as he interviews for a podcast. The desolate & lovely gore of the story is sadly lost entirely in the third part.
Perhaps the author sought to allow the vanquished man to hold his court & share his truth. In some ways, allowing Jeremy the chance to speak to his experiences as the accused feels just; his life will forever be altered by the suspicion that lingered on the cellphone tower. Yet, if one looks back to the perusal through the logistics of the murder, one is left wondering (again) whether the judicial bodies did any work in this case, at all.
Jeremy, like Jane, held a meticulous schedule & visited similar places, over & over again. The suspicion that he might have been responsible for Jane’s murder arises simply because his cellphone pinged off a tower near the scene of the crime. Of course, reading Jeremy’s section does nothing to incite confidence in his character; rather he reads as a very tedious liar but, I digress.
If one were to properly seek to understand the case against Jeremy, one would be left exasperated. Perhaps the author sought to include this final section to encourage the ambiguous ending; maybe, Jeremy did murder Jane. This leaves me asking what the point of the story is, if, in fact, the driving force is the men who do very little of anything worth reading throughout the entire story.
From a neutral point, one can accept that it is kind to allow Jeremy to close off the story. However, this story is not about him so the narrative feels as though has lost its essence. Is this the point of the book? Are readers meant to conclude that a woman’s truth is lost as a consequence of a man’s presence/involvement? I am not convinced that this is the moral of the story. Rather, I feel quite comfortable in concluding that the author was simply writing to write; the final section shows a flexed finger as Montague quotes great writers whose word use reinforces the burden of existence whereas her book simply showcases the lost causes that exist in between rumbling subway stations.
The dialogue between Jeremy & the podcast host did not insight knowledge into the story, nor did it create space for reflecting on what the story was actually about. Perhaps, because I was not a fan of who Jeremy was; after sections of blabbering about being a writer with talent & time; I found myself wishing for the book to end so that I was relieved of the boredom that accumulated around the third section.
Truthfully, had his character been set up as a man of men, a person with flaws but the ability to not be chauvinistic & rather daft, I might not have felt as I did. Unfortunately, looming in the centre of the cream egg was mould & I did not see the purpose in writing pages about a man who made clear who he was in each section of the book.
Ultimately, this is a good book & one I would recommend to other readers. I long to meet Jesse again & I hope that the sorrow of his life is healed. He was not a perfect person but he was a person in all his entirety, making him a man I grew eager to know.
Just as I have chosen a favourite section, other readers will meet the parts of the story they deem valuable & agreeable. One is left wondering if the purpose of transcribing human horror is lost on the three subcategories of readers who will approach this book as I have & then also, in completely different ways.
The burden of grief lays itself raw to the reader in the failed investigations & cruel characters that once appeared as best friends. The essence of a person is never quite lost as we live inside the story & reality that exists in the brains of others. Jane, a woman who was quiet & ill, was also mean & uninterested, while simultaneously being catastrophically numb to life, she sought out its warmth & excitement in any place she could.
In just such a way, may the reader find that each of the characters is more than they appear yet, not a lie of who they hope to be. Much of the burden of loss exists because the imagery we hold is no longer visible to us until we become one with the illusion that shelters our person from days that continue to move forward without the comfort of those who are no more.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books, & Eugenie Montague for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2024
I was not sure what to expect going into this, but was pleasantly surprised. This book is told in three parts. The first part was my favorite. I loved the detached writing style and the beautiful prose. I loved the main character, Jane, and connected with her quickly. The repetitiveness added to the eerie and unsettling vibe that the detached style was giving off.
The second part started off shocking. The jolt from third person to first person narration was a jarring switch. The new character, Jesse, slowly grew on me, although some of his actions were confusing or frustrating. I loved seeing Jane’s life from another angle, and it was interesting to have different opinions on some characters when seen from Jesse’s lens vs Jane’s lens.
The third part was my least favorite, and the reason I am rating the novel 4 stars instead of 5. I found it to drag a bit, and the writing style didn’t speak to me or draw me in as much as in the first two parts. This section centers around Jeremy, who was my least favorite character. I felt like the reader is left unsatisfied with the tragedy/mystery, which I didn’t like, and slowly realizes that each narrator has been unreliable to a degree, which I did like. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will be thinking about this one for a while!
Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The second part started off shocking. The jolt from third person to first person narration was a jarring switch. The new character, Jesse, slowly grew on me, although some of his actions were confusing or frustrating. I loved seeing Jane’s life from another angle, and it was interesting to have different opinions on some characters when seen from Jesse’s lens vs Jane’s lens.
The third part was my least favorite, and the reason I am rating the novel 4 stars instead of 5. I found it to drag a bit, and the writing style didn’t speak to me or draw me in as much as in the first two parts. This section centers around Jeremy, who was my least favorite character. I felt like the reader is left unsatisfied with the tragedy/mystery, which I didn’t like, and slowly realizes that each narrator has been unreliable to a degree, which I did like. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will be thinking about this one for a while!
Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 13, 2024
Swallow the Ghost is a story told in 3 parts. Part one, the story of Jane. Her life as an almost writer but really a content creator for the author of a murder mystery. It captivated me with rituals, and mental illness, relationships, drama. Without reading the synopsis fully, I didn’t know what to expect.
Part two, the story of an investigator, and his job to find out who did it. Who killed her? Finding secrets, retracing steps, rituals, stories, uncovering who everyone really was.
Part three, years in the future, a podcast with the aforementioned author of a murder mystery who also was accused of murder. he reads the stories he’s been able to write since being accused. he discusses what has become of him.
This book was so well written, so captivating, so good. I agree with other reviews that the third section isn’t exactly my favorite but it is very important, very much the finishing of the book. This is one where the mystery is still a mystery, half way solved, but unraveling all that you know yourself and believe. i’m fully amazed at how the author took apart life as we know it, put life back together, discussed human nature at the core, touched on loneliness, mental illness, the craving of doing something and being someone.
probably would’ve been 4.5 but i still hate seeing the pandemic discussed in books (i’m sorry). the writing is gorgeous. thank you for this ARC via netgalley
Part two, the story of an investigator, and his job to find out who did it. Who killed her? Finding secrets, retracing steps, rituals, stories, uncovering who everyone really was.
Part three, years in the future, a podcast with the aforementioned author of a murder mystery who also was accused of murder. he reads the stories he’s been able to write since being accused. he discusses what has become of him.
This book was so well written, so captivating, so good. I agree with other reviews that the third section isn’t exactly my favorite but it is very important, very much the finishing of the book. This is one where the mystery is still a mystery, half way solved, but unraveling all that you know yourself and believe. i’m fully amazed at how the author took apart life as we know it, put life back together, discussed human nature at the core, touched on loneliness, mental illness, the craving of doing something and being someone.
probably would’ve been 4.5 but i still hate seeing the pandemic discussed in books (i’m sorry). the writing is gorgeous. thank you for this ARC via netgalley
January 5, 2024
When identities can be so easily fabricated through social media, art, and miscommunication where does the genuine self end and the created version begin? I enjoyed the character studies in Swallow the Ghost that follow this question as the lives of Jane, Jeremy, and Jesse intertwine. The narrative was sprawling and gripping to me, as it shifts from the monotonous life of Jane and her poor work-life balance, the meandering investigative work of Jesse, and the final interview with Jeremy that details the effects these two characters have had on his writing life. I'm interested in how this book is able to wield repetition, such as through the repeated details of Jane's routine and the exploration of Jesse's mother's dementia, while still feeling unique and surprising.
I would recommend reading this book without knowing too much about it: it is a rewarding experience to be patient and let it surprise you. It reminded me of I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai, but I liked the stylistic choices and variety in Swallow the Ghost much better. Ultimately, I am rating it 4.5 stars (but I will round up!) as I felt the last third was less revealing than the previous two sections, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless and read it in one sitting. Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the advanced copy.
I would recommend reading this book without knowing too much about it: it is a rewarding experience to be patient and let it surprise you. It reminded me of I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai, but I liked the stylistic choices and variety in Swallow the Ghost much better. Ultimately, I am rating it 4.5 stars (but I will round up!) as I felt the last third was less revealing than the previous two sections, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless and read it in one sitting. Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the advanced copy.
January 14, 2024
This book was not what I was expecting at all, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was unlike anything else I've read. We follow three characters throughout the story, which is split into three parts. Each part has a different cadence/writing style to it, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This novel is dynamic and wonderful - I flew through it. Eugenie's writing is moving - she conveys emotion in such a raw, beautiful way. I will be thinking about these characters for a long time.
Thank you to Mullholland Books & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Mullholland Books & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2024
I love when a book surprises me. But what I love most is reading a book and realizing that I have no idea how it will end.
Most of the time I am reviewing books that I loved but knew what was going to happen pretty early on. Swallow the Ghost is nothing like that!
Suffice to say, the less you know, the more enjoyable it will be. What you can know now is that Jane is a millennial, working at a social media marketing company. Her current client Jeremy has written a novel that she is helping build buzz through online story. Jane is excited by the work but also bored by her life, her daily routines, her compulsions. Enter a potential love interest and a detective of sort.
This is like no book I have ever read and I can't wait to hear what you think!
My one gripe is the end was focused on my least favorite person in the book and I am just not sure why. Read this book!
.#mullhollandbooks #swallowtheghost #eugeniemontague
Most of the time I am reviewing books that I loved but knew what was going to happen pretty early on. Swallow the Ghost is nothing like that!
Suffice to say, the less you know, the more enjoyable it will be. What you can know now is that Jane is a millennial, working at a social media marketing company. Her current client Jeremy has written a novel that she is helping build buzz through online story. Jane is excited by the work but also bored by her life, her daily routines, her compulsions. Enter a potential love interest and a detective of sort.
This is like no book I have ever read and I can't wait to hear what you think!
My one gripe is the end was focused on my least favorite person in the book and I am just not sure why. Read this book!
.#mullhollandbooks #swallowtheghost #eugeniemontague
January 5, 2024
okay so, wowie! I loved this one! idk if I just didn't read the synopsis thoroughly but it went in a completely different direction than I expected after part one, and I looooved that! such a cool story - very meta at times, and I really appreciated the focus on social media as it relates to true crime. I think fans of 'Penance' by Eliza Clark will especially appreciate that element! it was very detective-esque without falling into many cliches or tropes of the genre, and at times I was truly on the edge of my seat !!
I was fully prepared to give this 5 stars (my first (official) 5 star read of the year!) but I didn't love the final section of this book , and I unfortunately have to drop my review to 4.5 (rounded down to 4 for the sake of the review) stars instead. Jeremy is a character I didn't particularly care about, especially by the end, and I wish the book ended on a different note, maybe circling back to Jane or something. I ultimately found myself bored by this section, which was unexpected since I was really invested in the rest of the book!
either way, this one was hard to put down and a real treat. thanks net galley and mulholland books for the arc!
I was fully prepared to give this 5 stars (my first (official) 5 star read of the year!) but I didn't love the final section of this book , and I unfortunately have to drop my review to 4.5 (rounded down to 4 for the sake of the review) stars instead. Jeremy is a character I didn't particularly care about, especially by the end, and I wish the book ended on a different note, maybe circling back to Jane or something. I ultimately found myself bored by this section, which was unexpected since I was really invested in the rest of the book!
either way, this one was hard to put down and a real treat. thanks net galley and mulholland books for the arc!
June 25, 2024
thank you to mulholland books and netgalley for the e-arc!
okay. super intelligent and creative read! as everyone else said, the third section was my least favourite, but it still raised some interesting points and brought a fun new format into the mix, so that was cool.
overall really really impressive for a debut, i enjoyed it :)
okay. super intelligent and creative read! as everyone else said, the third section was my least favourite, but it still raised some interesting points and brought a fun new format into the mix, so that was cool.
overall really really impressive for a debut, i enjoyed it :)
January 12, 2024
I found the whole concept of a story within a story super interesting and the idea of completely telling a story on Twitter by creating individual characters that Tweet @ each other until one disappears and peppering the Tweets with clues as so ingenious, I have to admit that I was waiting for the shoe to drop and to figure out what the heck was going on in the main character's life? She started out seeming so normal and then after a few paragraphs, you can see her as just a typical depressed lonely millennial girl who's working in the big city, living with roommates and being disenchanted with life but the background of starting each of her mornings with the same paragraph made it feel very strange.
I give credit to the author for creating likeable characters that seem relatable and you could imagine them as your actual colleagues and all of them had pretty normal activities and conversations despite the sense of "not everything is as meets the eye" feeling throbbing in the background. Kaya who is Jane's best friend is likeable and believable whilst her boss Tom and the Twitter author Jeremy seem well developed with opinions and authentic interactions with Jane.
Just when you think the book is getting to a happier note, BAM! the main character dies and is discovered having been murdered and the second half of the book starts. The second half is a fast paced murder mystery that has you on the hook to resolve the murder of Jane. The fact that there are 2 clear parts to the story and how the descriptions change in the second half, show a clear pick up in pace and it literally feels like you went up on the roller coaster on the first half and zoomed down in the second half to find out who the killer was.
This is about 74% of the book and then all of a sudden there is a third part of the book which is like a podcast format of the writer Jeremy and the podcast host and it's really an interview as if Jeremy were a real person and writer and is completely unrelated to the actual story although it does mention Jane's death. I thought that the last 25% of the book should have been dropped personally but I can't wait to see what the reactions of others are once the book is published!
I give credit to the author for creating likeable characters that seem relatable and you could imagine them as your actual colleagues and all of them had pretty normal activities and conversations despite the sense of "not everything is as meets the eye" feeling throbbing in the background. Kaya who is Jane's best friend is likeable and believable whilst her boss Tom and the Twitter author Jeremy seem well developed with opinions and authentic interactions with Jane.
Just when you think the book is getting to a happier note, BAM! the main character dies and is discovered having been murdered and the second half of the book starts. The second half is a fast paced murder mystery that has you on the hook to resolve the murder of Jane. The fact that there are 2 clear parts to the story and how the descriptions change in the second half, show a clear pick up in pace and it literally feels like you went up on the roller coaster on the first half and zoomed down in the second half to find out who the killer was.
This is about 74% of the book and then all of a sudden there is a third part of the book which is like a podcast format of the writer Jeremy and the podcast host and it's really an interview as if Jeremy were a real person and writer and is completely unrelated to the actual story although it does mention Jane's death. I thought that the last 25% of the book should have been dropped personally but I can't wait to see what the reactions of others are once the book is published!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2024
After struggling a bit to get into this at the beginning, I ended up really, really loving this uniquely structured book that I think ordinarily I would have not liked. The author accomplishes something difficult here - writing in an extremely disjointed way, without a clear plot line, in a way that somehow feels both purposeful and engaging.
Told in three parts, all in different distinct styles, the book is part murder mystery and part reflection on identity. Like most other reviewers, the first section was my favorite, almost exclusively because of the writing style and how the structure was used to mirror Jane's thoughts and routines and struggles. Even though the first section felt like a standout to me, the book is so strongly written that each section really shines for its own reason (even if that reason is giving us all a collective experience of HATING on Jeremey's unbearable personality for 50+ pages).
This book/story would have typically left me feeling annoyed at several points - the second section, where we spend 100-some pages feeling like we're in a whodunnit, wrapping up in a single matter-of-fact page, the last section being so focused on truly, madly, deeply, one of the most annoying male character I've ever read, the ambiguity of what we're really even supposed to be taking away from the story.
The fact that I was *not*, in fact, annoyed at any of this and could barely put this down after I got over some initial slowness speaks volumes to the quality of writing and storytelling.
Told in three parts, all in different distinct styles, the book is part murder mystery and part reflection on identity. Like most other reviewers, the first section was my favorite, almost exclusively because of the writing style and how the structure was used to mirror Jane's thoughts and routines and struggles. Even though the first section felt like a standout to me, the book is so strongly written that each section really shines for its own reason (even if that reason is giving us all a collective experience of HATING on Jeremey's unbearable personality for 50+ pages).
This book/story would have typically left me feeling annoyed at several points - the second section, where we spend 100-some pages feeling like we're in a whodunnit, wrapping up in a single matter-of-fact page, the last section being so focused on truly, madly, deeply, one of the most annoying male character I've ever read, the ambiguity of what we're really even supposed to be taking away from the story.
The fact that I was *not*, in fact, annoyed at any of this and could barely put this down after I got over some initial slowness speaks volumes to the quality of writing and storytelling.
June 25, 2024
Writing fiction about writing fiction is a tough needle to thread. Do you approach with a wink and a nod? Total earnestness? Something else? Montague makes several interesting choices with the structure of this novel, some of which would have annoyed me under different circumstances. Here, they work as a device to illustrate the writing process and how real life is often so much less satisfying than pat fictional endings. The multiple POV characters present different ways of approaching writing, from an all consuming passion, to a workaday mentality, to limitless pretension. I’m still thinking about this book several days later, which is the highest compliment I can bestow.
NetGalley provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
NetGalley provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 8, 2024
The first two sections of this book were a quick, engrossing read. If the book had ended with the resolution of the "mystery" of whodunit, I would be giving it a 5-star rating.
But the extended "interview" section lost me. Jeremy was never the prime attraction in this book; of all the players in this story, his motivations and actions were of the least interest to me. I was disappointed but tried to stay with it when I realized what we were doing, but ultimately his navel-gazing, self-regard and complete inability to stick with any story he's telling wore me out and I gave up. This section felt tacked-on for length, and if length is what was needed, I would have been much happier to stay with Jesse and Lucy and Jesse's mom.
Read the first two sections and enjoy!
But the extended "interview" section lost me. Jeremy was never the prime attraction in this book; of all the players in this story, his motivations and actions were of the least interest to me. I was disappointed but tried to stay with it when I realized what we were doing, but ultimately his navel-gazing, self-regard and complete inability to stick with any story he's telling wore me out and I gave up. This section felt tacked-on for length, and if length is what was needed, I would have been much happier to stay with Jesse and Lucy and Jesse's mom.
Read the first two sections and enjoy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2024
Beautifully written & deeply felt. This was an inch away from being a total masterpiece about perspective, ritual, loss, and human connection. I loved Jane’s and Jesse’s stories, but Jeremy’s section lost me. I know there’s a deeper meaning to his intellectualization/compartmentalization/avoidance of the plot, but I’m too annoyed by his writer-bro energy to hunt for it. Other than that, it’s absolute perfection and I highly recommend being haunted by this ghost.
Read
May 2, 2024I got this as an advance reader copy, I suppose intrigued by its themes of social media and its effects on narratives. What I imagined was a lot more interesting than the resulting novel, which is like a Rashomon update, three facets on a murder. I didn't find any of the three sections to be satisfying, and I didn't quite expect that the bulk of it would be investigative narrative. There is intent behind the thwarted expectations, but when I got to the last section, which has a meta quality, I had lost interest. The ghost evaporated.
January 15, 2024
thank you netgalley and mulholland books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! this book captured me immediately due to its unique structure; divided into three parts from three different perspectives.
the first two parts had me completely hooked, feeling like two distinct stories: a main plot and a metaphorical exploration. sadly (and this may just be a personal problem), i found myself a bit lost and disengaged in part 3. it felt dense, lacking the closure i typically appreciate in lit-fic. i usually enjoy open-ended narratives, but in this case, it left me wanting more resolution. overall though, the book provides a thought-provoking take on the complexities of our online and offline worlds, how we construct our online personas, and the impacts they have on our lives.
the first two parts had me completely hooked, feeling like two distinct stories: a main plot and a metaphorical exploration. sadly (and this may just be a personal problem), i found myself a bit lost and disengaged in part 3. it felt dense, lacking the closure i typically appreciate in lit-fic. i usually enjoy open-ended narratives, but in this case, it left me wanting more resolution. overall though, the book provides a thought-provoking take on the complexities of our online and offline worlds, how we construct our online personas, and the impacts they have on our lives.
January 20, 2024
First off thank you to the publisher and net galley for the chance to read this advance copy. This book is told in three parts. Each part is a different character and at a different point in the story. This makes it quite unique. But I wasn’t feeling the final part with Jeremy. It was a change in the flow up to that point and I wasn’t as big of a fan. I found myself trying to get through it more than reading it deeply. This was a quick read overall. A good who did it storyline, that kept you thinking it was this person or that person. But overall it left a lot of empty spaces for me. Things that just didn’t get closure in the story and areas that didn’t have as much detail as I would have liked. It wasn’t bad by any means, just not a book that will top my list.
March 14, 2024
4.5
I really enjoyed this book. It's a murder mystery split into three different perspectives/books: the victim, the investigator, and the accused. I thought it was a very clever and fresh spin on this genre. There was more depth to the narrative besides the classic 'whodunnit,' and I think everyone who reads it will come away with a different interpretation. 100% recommend.
The first segment focuses on Jane, a young woman who suffers from control issues manifesting in bulimia. Jane's book was my favorite of the three. The way the author uses repetition to show how monotonous and precise her daily routine is is so creative. It was enjoyable to read because you could tell the author really cared about Jane and her struggles. I'll admit that when I began reading, I had forgotten that this was a murder mystery, and when Jane's chapter ended abruptly, I was shocked.
The other characters/narrators, Jesse and Jeremy, were well thought out and, although I enjoyed Jesse's book more, the medium of Jeremy's chapter was refreshing and very telling of his character. Both of these characters were complex and distinct. Seeing Jane's world through Jesse's eyes and seeing Jesse through Jeremy's eyes was a fascinating mindfuck.
I can't wait for it to come out so I can get a physical copy. Keep your eye out; this is worth the read.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC :)
I really enjoyed this book. It's a murder mystery split into three different perspectives/books: the victim, the investigator, and the accused. I thought it was a very clever and fresh spin on this genre. There was more depth to the narrative besides the classic 'whodunnit,' and I think everyone who reads it will come away with a different interpretation. 100% recommend.
The first segment focuses on Jane, a young woman who suffers from control issues manifesting in bulimia. Jane's book was my favorite of the three. The way the author uses repetition to show how monotonous and precise her daily routine is is so creative. It was enjoyable to read because you could tell the author really cared about Jane and her struggles. I'll admit that when I began reading, I had forgotten that this was a murder mystery, and when Jane's chapter ended abruptly, I was shocked.
The other characters/narrators, Jesse and Jeremy, were well thought out and, although I enjoyed Jesse's book more, the medium of Jeremy's chapter was refreshing and very telling of his character. Both of these characters were complex and distinct. Seeing Jane's world through Jesse's eyes and seeing Jesse through Jeremy's eyes was a fascinating mindfuck.
I can't wait for it to come out so I can get a physical copy. Keep your eye out; this is worth the read.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2024
"Swallow the Ghost" is a uniquely structured novel, weaving together the lives of its characters across three distinct interconnected parts. The journey begins with Jane, an almost-writer turned content creator, whose life is an unsettling tapestry of rituals, mental illness, and intricate relationships. Jane is Extremely Online in a way that millennial and younger readers will relate to. She’s juggling two men, one of whom she works with in a co-creator/content manager capacity
The narrative then shifts to Jesse, an investigator delving into the heart of a murder mystery. Like Jane, Jesse wanted to be a writer and has settled for a more practical career to pay the bills – he’s taking care of his mentally declining mum – while his friends judge him for selling out.
In the final act, the focus turns to Jeremy, a murder mystery author entangled in a real-life accusation of murder. In Q and A transcript format, Jeremy is interviewed about how being accused of murder caused him devastating writer’s block (in case you forgot who the real victim is * eye roll *).
In common with a lot of reviewers, I was immediately hooked on Jane’s section. The Groundhog Day section in which each day begins the same, and only the end begins to slowly change lets the reader know straight away that this novel is going to be playful and disorienting in form. It’s slowly revealed by action that Jane is suffering from an eating disorder, and this is interestingly paralleled by her use of the internet:
I loved this recognition that what drives binge eating and what drives compulsive social media use is often the same impulse. The need to fill a metaphorical hole is so powerfully evoked here.
The abrupt switch to Jesse was shocking, but in a way that was appropriate for the subject matter, and it’s almost as engaging as the first part. Jesse has moments of being a noir-esque sleuth in the Philip Marlowe vein, with the caustic asides to match:
Jeremy’s part isn’t quite as strong, but that feels intentional, as he’s not intended to be a likeable or strong character. He is guilty of the classic solipsism of being the main character in your own life, and assuming you play that role in the lives of others as well. The murder? Only relevant in how it impacted him.
"Swallow the Ghost" skillfully dissects life, identity, and the blurred lines between reality and the personas we craft. The novel's exploration of social media, art, and miscommunication is particularly relevant, posing the question of where the genuine self ends and the fabricated begins. Its character studies are rich and thought-provoking, with each part of the narrative offering a unique perspective on the characters' intertwined lives.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
The narrative then shifts to Jesse, an investigator delving into the heart of a murder mystery. Like Jane, Jesse wanted to be a writer and has settled for a more practical career to pay the bills – he’s taking care of his mentally declining mum – while his friends judge him for selling out.
In the final act, the focus turns to Jeremy, a murder mystery author entangled in a real-life accusation of murder. In Q and A transcript format, Jeremy is interviewed about how being accused of murder caused him devastating writer’s block (in case you forgot who the real victim is * eye roll *).
In common with a lot of reviewers, I was immediately hooked on Jane’s section. The Groundhog Day section in which each day begins the same, and only the end begins to slowly change lets the reader know straight away that this novel is going to be playful and disorienting in form. It’s slowly revealed by action that Jane is suffering from an eating disorder, and this is interestingly paralleled by her use of the internet:
“The impulse to continue down her feed feels yawning, insatiable, like an emptiness but also a pressure. Sometimes Jane thinks this is the only feeling she recognizes. She returns for two more croissants and eats them, breaking off big chunks and stuffing each one in her mouth while she is still chewing the previous bite.”
I loved this recognition that what drives binge eating and what drives compulsive social media use is often the same impulse. The need to fill a metaphorical hole is so powerfully evoked here.
The abrupt switch to Jesse was shocking, but in a way that was appropriate for the subject matter, and it’s almost as engaging as the first part. Jesse has moments of being a noir-esque sleuth in the Philip Marlowe vein, with the caustic asides to match:
“If it was meant to distract me. If I could infer from it a certain coldness, the brutal pragmatism of the policy wonk.”
“Being around Roger was difficult. Like sleeping on top of a cheese grater, every second with him.”
Jeremy’s part isn’t quite as strong, but that feels intentional, as he’s not intended to be a likeable or strong character. He is guilty of the classic solipsism of being the main character in your own life, and assuming you play that role in the lives of others as well. The murder? Only relevant in how it impacted him.
"Swallow the Ghost" skillfully dissects life, identity, and the blurred lines between reality and the personas we craft. The novel's exploration of social media, art, and miscommunication is particularly relevant, posing the question of where the genuine self ends and the fabricated begins. Its character studies are rich and thought-provoking, with each part of the narrative offering a unique perspective on the characters' intertwined lives.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
March 29, 2024
Wowee, did I dislike this book! I loved part one - was fully invested. Excited by the transition to part two, but ultimately hated part two. Found new depths of loathing during part three.
Pt 1: loved the repetition, loved the character of Jane, loved the twitter novel concept, loved the way it was written. I was all in.
Pt 2: Everything everyone did felt fake and unrealistic, and sometimes impossible. Just - nothing felt well-done. And Jesse is an idiot. I was actually initially really into this section because I thought there was a bigger purpose to it: But my prophecy did not come to pass.
Pt 3. I was FLOORED to arrive at part 3 and realize that I was supposed to swallow whole all of part 2. WHAT? The lamest investigation story with the lamest investigator I've ever read? Following a compelling part 1?? What!? Part 3 is also wildly boring and very annoying. Perhaps the author was trying to Say Something, but I refuse to hear it over Jeremy Kendall Roy-ing all over the place.
It's possible this book isn't as bad as I am making it sound but it was clearly not for me and I think the flaws in Part 2 are worth the low rating. Part 3 is heavy and boring, but still, in my opinion, it was more thoughtfully and creatively done than the limp, bizarre characterizations in Part 2, and was made to feel way worse than perhaps it actually is because of the letdown of part 2 (and because of having to return to Jeremy again). I see plenty of positive reviews though, so I encourage you to check those out too!
Oh PS - All during Pt 1 I was thinking of how I'd have to mention in my review that the cover almost put me off of reading the book because of how boring it looked, and how it didn't suit the book. Well. Perhaps the cover was appropriate after all!
Pt 1: loved the repetition, loved the character of Jane, loved the twitter novel concept, loved the way it was written. I was all in.
Pt 2: Everything everyone did felt fake and unrealistic, and sometimes impossible. Just - nothing felt well-done. And Jesse is an idiot. I was actually initially really into this section because I thought there was a bigger purpose to it: But my prophecy did not come to pass.
Pt 3. I was FLOORED to arrive at part 3 and realize that I was supposed to swallow whole all of part 2. WHAT? The lamest investigation story with the lamest investigator I've ever read? Following a compelling part 1?? What!? Part 3 is also wildly boring and very annoying. Perhaps the author was trying to Say Something, but I refuse to hear it over Jeremy Kendall Roy-ing all over the place.
It's possible this book isn't as bad as I am making it sound but it was clearly not for me and I think the flaws in Part 2 are worth the low rating. Part 3 is heavy and boring, but still, in my opinion, it was more thoughtfully and creatively done than the limp, bizarre characterizations in Part 2, and was made to feel way worse than perhaps it actually is because of the letdown of part 2 (and because of having to return to Jeremy again). I see plenty of positive reviews though, so I encourage you to check those out too!
Oh PS - All during Pt 1 I was thinking of how I'd have to mention in my review that the cover almost put me off of reading the book because of how boring it looked, and how it didn't suit the book. Well. Perhaps the cover was appropriate after all!
April 4, 2024
Like many readers, this book was not what I was suspecting. Just when you think you've got a handle on what it is...it changes, (which makes it difficult to do justice in a review.)
The first story is about Jane and it is purposefully repetitive, echoing the rut she's in, her compulsive behaviors, and how her life feels. It also introduces the reader to Jane's work, which provides a through-line for the rest of the book.
Because I work heavily in social media, I found Jane's digital storytelling job (and the firm she works at) fascinating. She's building an imaginary story for an imaginary person online (along with a writer, Jeremy) but Jane herself feels almost as paper thin as the imaginary narrative.
Just when the repetitiveness of Jane's story starts to become tiring, the story changes entirely (a switch that I thought was both shocking and brilliant) and then changes again (a shift I was less into). The third section is through the lens of a character I didn't really like, but I found it full of the most quote-worthy writing.
I can't really go into much more detail than that.
I think this quote from earlier in the book really encapsulates this story: "how many moments do people live through together that are experienced so differently by each of them, it's almost like they didn't experience something together at all?"
This book continues to shift perspectives and add layers of "realness" to the story. Even firsthand accounts seem almost dreamlike with people plugged into the moment as different "characters" (i.e. themselves as they are on the inside, themselves as they are to the outside, their creator/seeker persona, their collaborative self etc.) With so many layers, how can we ever really know who someone actually is? How can we ever know what exactly is true?
Overall, I thought this was a highly compelling, original book (just didn't love that final third quite as much). Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
TRIGGER WARNING: Eating disorder
The first story is about Jane and it is purposefully repetitive, echoing the rut she's in, her compulsive behaviors, and how her life feels. It also introduces the reader to Jane's work, which provides a through-line for the rest of the book.
Because I work heavily in social media, I found Jane's digital storytelling job (and the firm she works at) fascinating. She's building an imaginary story for an imaginary person online (along with a writer, Jeremy) but Jane herself feels almost as paper thin as the imaginary narrative.
Just when the repetitiveness of Jane's story starts to become tiring, the story changes entirely (a switch that I thought was both shocking and brilliant) and then changes again (a shift I was less into). The third section is through the lens of a character I didn't really like, but I found it full of the most quote-worthy writing.
I can't really go into much more detail than that.
I think this quote from earlier in the book really encapsulates this story: "how many moments do people live through together that are experienced so differently by each of them, it's almost like they didn't experience something together at all?"
This book continues to shift perspectives and add layers of "realness" to the story. Even firsthand accounts seem almost dreamlike with people plugged into the moment as different "characters" (i.e. themselves as they are on the inside, themselves as they are to the outside, their creator/seeker persona, their collaborative self etc.) With so many layers, how can we ever really know who someone actually is? How can we ever know what exactly is true?
Overall, I thought this was a highly compelling, original book (just didn't love that final third quite as much). Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
TRIGGER WARNING: Eating disorder
June 25, 2024
Jane Murphy appears to have it all in New York, excelling as a rising star at a social media marketing startup. She's made a name for Jeremy Miller, an experimental writer, by helping him create a viral internet novel using various fake social media accounts. However, beneath this success, Jane feels confined by her routines and compulsions, trapped in a cycle of self-soothing and self-punishment. She hides much of this, especially as her professional relationship with Jeremy evolves into something more intimate.
The perspectives shift when something (it's best to go in blind for the shock factors), occurs. The story is then split into three parts, all following different people with distinct voices and perspectives.
This was an interesting read for me. I went into this book blind since the synopsis doesn't really offer up much, but I was pleasantly surprised. The turn the book takes following part one was shocking and had me hooked, but I must say that like many other reviews, I enjoyed the first part the most out of the three.
The writing style of Part One hooked me immediately, and I was very impressed by the presentation of Jane's cyclic routine in writing. The second part hooked me at the start, but I lost steam near the end of the act, even though it was enjoyable to read. The third part though, is why my rating is at a 3 star. I didn't feel like the third part was very necessary to the progression of the story, and I almost feel like I would have enjoyed the book more if it ended at part 2.
That said, the writing was the stand-out for me and I'm interested in whatever else this author writes!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: August 20th 2024
The perspectives shift when something (it's best to go in blind for the shock factors), occurs. The story is then split into three parts, all following different people with distinct voices and perspectives.
This was an interesting read for me. I went into this book blind since the synopsis doesn't really offer up much, but I was pleasantly surprised. The turn the book takes following part one was shocking and had me hooked, but I must say that like many other reviews, I enjoyed the first part the most out of the three.
The writing style of Part One hooked me immediately, and I was very impressed by the presentation of Jane's cyclic routine in writing. The second part hooked me at the start, but I lost steam near the end of the act, even though it was enjoyable to read. The third part though, is why my rating is at a 3 star. I didn't feel like the third part was very necessary to the progression of the story, and I almost feel like I would have enjoyed the book more if it ended at part 2.
That said, the writing was the stand-out for me and I'm interested in whatever else this author writes!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: August 20th 2024
January 15, 2024
Disclaimer: I received an advance reader's copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I hope that you pick this up blind. I requested an ARC, but had mostly forgotten what I was getting into when it came time to start reading this, and so the twist at about 30% in was WILD, and you deserve to experience too!
Eugenie Montague is smart, but she doesn't bash you in the face with that intelligence (Jeremy does, but he's big on literary theory, so he gets to be a bit pompous). The writing is sharp, and grabs you. I read this in two sittings, and they were both far from tedious.
I think its Jesse (but it could be Aaron or Jeremy - not that the male characters are in any way interchangeable) that discusses how he had read about someone overcoming their fear of death by experiencing it. It is obviously not an option for all of us who fear death, to experience it and come back, but I do wonder if this fear/curiosity was the inspiration for the book. Rita is missing suspected to be dead, , Jesse's mother and Jeremy's sister's mother-in-law are aged and ill, and so it is naturally on the mind of the characters and the author.
Montague uses narrative style and devices with a deft hand, and I really encourage you to pick this up, while I will be watching to see what she puts out next.
I hope that you pick this up blind. I requested an ARC, but had mostly forgotten what I was getting into when it came time to start reading this, and so the twist at about 30% in was WILD, and you deserve to experience too!
Eugenie Montague is smart, but she doesn't bash you in the face with that intelligence (Jeremy does, but he's big on literary theory, so he gets to be a bit pompous). The writing is sharp, and grabs you. I read this in two sittings, and they were both far from tedious.
I think its Jesse (but it could be Aaron or Jeremy - not that the male characters are in any way interchangeable) that discusses how he had read about someone overcoming their fear of death by experiencing it. It is obviously not an option for all of us who fear death, to experience it and come back, but I do wonder if this fear/curiosity was the inspiration for the book. Rita is missing suspected to be dead, , Jesse's mother and Jeremy's sister's mother-in-law are aged and ill, and so it is naturally on the mind of the characters and the author.
Montague uses narrative style and devices with a deft hand, and I really encourage you to pick this up, while I will be watching to see what she puts out next.
January 29, 2024
I think that Eugenie Montague's "Swallow This Ghost" is going to stick with me for awhile. A very smart genre defying novel that almost feels like multiple books with its shifts. A singular event occurs that shapes 3 lives in totally different ways.
For starters, within the story we have what may be one of the most brilliant ideas ever for marketing a new novel. I was intrigued and could absolutely see an author or publisher using social media the way it is done within these pages. Jane, the marketing company she works for, are working with Jeremy, using different characters from his novel to tell parts of the story via their own social media accounts, making it feel real and causing a viral sensation.
Montague is also very clever with showcasing the endless cycle of routine, and all the little secrets we hide in that. A lot of secrets for Jane, and what she hides from Jeremy as the line of professional and personal relationship blurs.
Tragedy strikes and the story takes a totally different turn and new perspective. I think I enjoyed this part of the book the most. I refuse to give anything away. Eventually this takes us to what I'll say is act 3 which, again, brilliant on Montagues part, in giving us yet another perspective on what happened, and the aftermath of it all.
Ultimately for me, a sharply written examination on our public vs private lives and how what we reveal in them changes everyone's perspectives of us.
For starters, within the story we have what may be one of the most brilliant ideas ever for marketing a new novel. I was intrigued and could absolutely see an author or publisher using social media the way it is done within these pages. Jane, the marketing company she works for, are working with Jeremy, using different characters from his novel to tell parts of the story via their own social media accounts, making it feel real and causing a viral sensation.
Montague is also very clever with showcasing the endless cycle of routine, and all the little secrets we hide in that. A lot of secrets for Jane, and what she hides from Jeremy as the line of professional and personal relationship blurs.
Tragedy strikes and the story takes a totally different turn and new perspective. I think I enjoyed this part of the book the most. I refuse to give anything away. Eventually this takes us to what I'll say is act 3 which, again, brilliant on Montagues part, in giving us yet another perspective on what happened, and the aftermath of it all.
Ultimately for me, a sharply written examination on our public vs private lives and how what we reveal in them changes everyone's perspectives of us.
April 9, 2024
This one is a mind-bender for sure, creeping between different writing styles and making the reader question everything they know about the story. I absolutely loved it, but I can see how it would be confusing and/or unappealing to other readers. It reminded me of the Sam Barlow game Immortality. Jane is a PR person working for a client named Jeremy. He's writing an online novel through Twitter and other sources, and people think the main character is a real person. Jane is helping, and she adds new dimensions to the story like an old Tumblr blog for the main character. Jeremy is both resistant to and attracted to her. Yet Jane is also stagnating in her troubled life, looking for excitement and a change from the everyday. She meets another man, Aaron, while running the same path she does every morning. The promise of Aaron is tantalizing, and she starts to feel optimistic. The story then turns on its head, and I don't want to say any more because the surprise is shocking. The final section moves on to an entirely different style and once again revisits the main idea. Ultimately, the entire book is about who Jane is as a person and what to believe about her, exploring this idea in the three wildly different sections. If you're into experimental fiction, this is a great one to pick up.
January 11, 2024
Both a sweeping and a claustrophobic story about who we are in reality, on social media, and in our own memories. This book defies genre and seeks to tell a story meant for more than one type of audience. I enjoyed the different voices from the three narrators and was impressed with the skillful style Montague utilizes. Montague brings each character to life, gives them depth, and makes you feel deeply for them. Reading each chapter felt like its own life and the end left me grieving for the voice/narrator I was so invested in. Even when I was rolling my eyes at Jeremy, I was also moved by his story and was compelled by his analyses. I wanted to dwell in Jane's mind and wished her chapter was longer. I found Jane to be very relatable and insightful and would have read an entire novel just about her day-to-day. Overall, I was left with questions about how we display ourselves, how we are perceived by the world around us, and if our stories are written by us or for us. I would recommend this to those who are interested in how social media and true crime impact the individual and society, and those who enjoyed The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty or Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland for the advanced reader copy!
Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland for the advanced reader copy!
April 22, 2024
What an amazing storytelling!
The book is divided into three parts and the first one is unhinged. A lot of show and a little tell (just the way I like it). The characters move the plot trough their decisions and we get to see the mythologization of a person when what happened to them is more important than what they are.
I don't want to give away details of the plot because I think is better if you experience it without knowing what's the big deal, because it was a big surprised for me and made this novel have one of the best plot points/plot twists that I have read in a long time.
I enjoyed all the symbolism and the parallels between creating fiction within fiction and creating fiction in the real world (what is a real world? It was amazing).
My least favorite part was the third, because although is necesary for the cohesion of the story and to know what happened next, I feel like it was a little slow and dragged down the great pace of the previous parts. Despite this, it's a great work of fiction that doesn't seem like it is (fiction). I'll definetly continue to seek out Eugenie Montague's work in every genre she decides to write about.
The book is divided into three parts and the first one is unhinged. A lot of show and a little tell (just the way I like it). The characters move the plot trough their decisions and we get to see the mythologization of a person when what happened to them is more important than what they are.
I don't want to give away details of the plot because I think is better if you experience it without knowing what's the big deal, because it was a big surprised for me and made this novel have one of the best plot points/plot twists that I have read in a long time.
I enjoyed all the symbolism and the parallels between creating fiction within fiction and creating fiction in the real world (what is a real world? It was amazing).
My least favorite part was the third, because although is necesary for the cohesion of the story and to know what happened next, I feel like it was a little slow and dragged down the great pace of the previous parts. Despite this, it's a great work of fiction that doesn't seem like it is (fiction). I'll definetly continue to seek out Eugenie Montague's work in every genre she decides to write about.
July 20, 2024
Swallow the Ghosts follows the death of a internet/social media novelist and the defence teams researcher who is researching their death in this who done it thriller. This novel touched on very profound themes regarding death and what happens with "us", our memory, who we were, how we get contorted in the minds of those who remain. The story is about connection and how unattainable a true connection with someone is. It is about the ownership others feel they have over someone when they think they know them, And how death is never about the dead, it about those who they left behind.
I thought this novel was well written, although slightly superficial, but given the subject matter it makes sense. This is one of those books where you don't have to like the characters, (actually it maybe better that you don't), to like the book. The ending conversations (you understand if you read it) was very long but very insightfully wrapped the story up nicely because although this person was mentioned and a main focus of the novel they were not heard from until the end. I really enjoyed it. Would recommend to who likes crime/mystery novels. 4.25 stars.
I thought this novel was well written, although slightly superficial, but given the subject matter it makes sense. This is one of those books where you don't have to like the characters, (actually it maybe better that you don't), to like the book. The ending conversations (you understand if you read it) was very long but very insightfully wrapped the story up nicely because although this person was mentioned and a main focus of the novel they were not heard from until the end. I really enjoyed it. Would recommend to who likes crime/mystery novels. 4.25 stars.
January 29, 2024
mixed feelings? i think this book is not particularly innovative, and yet there are aspects of it that I appreciate. The first two parts read like a true crime podcast and the third part (which is actually a podcast) sort of wraps up the loose ends from the first two parts. each part is written in a different character's perspective and the author does a really good job at differentiating between the characters, it's pretty impressive that they were able to write in three distinct narrative voices without conflating them.
there were some lovely lines in there about grief and the ways people come to terms with things that happen to them and around them but it didn't feel like this book had anything to say that hadn't already been said before. I did almost give up because the first part was just not particularly interesting... but it's possible that was because i forgot what the book was about before i started reading since it had been a while since i picked it up. the third part was my favorite so it's worth it to stick around
there were some lovely lines in there about grief and the ways people come to terms with things that happen to them and around them but it didn't feel like this book had anything to say that hadn't already been said before. I did almost give up because the first part was just not particularly interesting... but it's possible that was because i forgot what the book was about before i started reading since it had been a while since i picked it up. the third part was my favorite so it's worth it to stick around
April 28, 2024
4.5* - rounded up.
I really liked this debut book from author Eugenie Montague. It surprised me in a lot of ways.
In the first of three sections, we meet Jane - a young woman working in an up-and-coming PR firm. She's spearheading an internet mystery to raise the visibility of an author looking for representation for his new book. On the outside, Jane is successful and confident using her creativity and knowledge of how people think on the internet to craft this intricate fictional story that has gone viral. Inside, Jane is riddled with insecurities and needs small rituals to help her get through each day.
For fear of giving things away, I won't say much about the second or third section. I found the book fascinating and I'm still thinking about the questions it raises. While Montague takes her time telling the story, I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know where it was going.
Swallow the Ghost is out August 20. Thank you to #netgalley and Mulholland Books for this ARC.
I really liked this debut book from author Eugenie Montague. It surprised me in a lot of ways.
In the first of three sections, we meet Jane - a young woman working in an up-and-coming PR firm. She's spearheading an internet mystery to raise the visibility of an author looking for representation for his new book. On the outside, Jane is successful and confident using her creativity and knowledge of how people think on the internet to craft this intricate fictional story that has gone viral. Inside, Jane is riddled with insecurities and needs small rituals to help her get through each day.
For fear of giving things away, I won't say much about the second or third section. I found the book fascinating and I'm still thinking about the questions it raises. While Montague takes her time telling the story, I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know where it was going.
Swallow the Ghost is out August 20. Thank you to #netgalley and Mulholland Books for this ARC.
January 20, 2024
Swallow the Ghost is a uniquely told murder mystery from the perspective of three central characters in three different sections. The first half had me hooked, particularly the jarring beginning to part 2. The story lulls a bit from there though, and it never quite recovered for me. Each character is dealing with their own personal issues amidst the overarching plot and it felt like both too much and not enough at the same time. I was hoping for a satisfying ending that would make the lulls feel worth it but there was very little closure. I would have loved part 3 to be from either Kaya or Tom’s point of view. But alas we hear from the least interesting character describing in the most pretentious terms how his life was affected by this tragedy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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