Ripe: A Novel
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Named a Best Book of the Year by Time, HuffPost, Kirkus Reviews, and more * A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice * A Roxane Gay Audacious Book Club Selection * A Marie Claire Book Club Pick
A surreal literary fiction novel with “a dark, delicious edge” (Time) about a woman in Silicon Valley who must decide how much she’s willing to give up for success—from an award-winning writer whose work Roxane Gay calls “utterly unique and remarkable.”
A year into her dream job at a cutthroat Silicon Valley start-up, Cassie finds herself trapped in a toxic workplace that turns into a corporate nightmare. Between the long hours, toxic bosses, and unethical projects, she also struggles to reconcile the glittering promise of a city shaped by late-stage capitalism where obscene wealth lives alongside abject poverty and suffering. Ivy League grads complain about the snack selection from a conference room with a view of unhoused people bathing in the bay. Start-up burnouts leap into the paths of commuter trains, and men literally set themselves on fire in the streets.
Though isolated, Cassie is never alone. From her earliest memory, a miniature black hole has been her constant companion. It feeds on her depression and anxiety, growing or shrinking in relation to her distress. The black hole watches, but it also waits. Its relentless pull draws Cassie ever closer as the world around her unravels.
When she ends up unexpectedly pregnant at the same time her CEO’s demands cross into illegal territory, Cassie must decide whether the tempting fruits of Silicon Valley are really worth it. “Lurid, tense, and compelling” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), Ripe portrays one millennial woman’s journey through our late-stage capitalist hellscape and offers a brilliantly incisive look at the absurdities of modern life.
A surreal literary fiction novel with “a dark, delicious edge” (Time) about a woman in Silicon Valley who must decide how much she’s willing to give up for success—from an award-winning writer whose work Roxane Gay calls “utterly unique and remarkable.”
A year into her dream job at a cutthroat Silicon Valley start-up, Cassie finds herself trapped in a toxic workplace that turns into a corporate nightmare. Between the long hours, toxic bosses, and unethical projects, she also struggles to reconcile the glittering promise of a city shaped by late-stage capitalism where obscene wealth lives alongside abject poverty and suffering. Ivy League grads complain about the snack selection from a conference room with a view of unhoused people bathing in the bay. Start-up burnouts leap into the paths of commuter trains, and men literally set themselves on fire in the streets.
Though isolated, Cassie is never alone. From her earliest memory, a miniature black hole has been her constant companion. It feeds on her depression and anxiety, growing or shrinking in relation to her distress. The black hole watches, but it also waits. Its relentless pull draws Cassie ever closer as the world around her unravels.
When she ends up unexpectedly pregnant at the same time her CEO’s demands cross into illegal territory, Cassie must decide whether the tempting fruits of Silicon Valley are really worth it. “Lurid, tense, and compelling” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), Ripe portrays one millennial woman’s journey through our late-stage capitalist hellscape and offers a brilliantly incisive look at the absurdities of modern life.
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Community Reviews
"To survive here, I have split myself in two: my true self and my false self. My fake self rises to take over when the demands are too great. Maybe there must always be two of us-our real selves and the ones we create to survive the world as it is."
This book was such a fast read and I couldn't help but to turn page after page. I was locked in from the very first chapter describing the state of San Fran which isn't much different than the city I live in now. It's all very relatable. One minute I'm walking down the street eating ice cream and giggling with my best friend, the next our faces and ice cream are being spat on by some ripped, shirtless dude yelling "fuck you". Feelings and thoughts of violence rising for the fact that my soft-hearted bestie is about to cry, whilst also feeling sorry for this man whose story I don't know . His brain fried and wilted, muttering to himself and acting out his intrusive thoughts. There's not a day I don't go out into society and experience polarizing emotions like disgust, sympathy, empathy, pity, shame, guilt, love, and joy. It's not just a "city" but a world of extremes.
It was easy to get wrapped up in Cassie's spiraling. At times I became irritated with her inability to take the opportunities or other realties at her ready. Bad decision after bad decision. But I was only judging myself, a past self and at times, current self. This wasn't a happy story and clearly had no intention of ever being so. To me, the black hole symbolized Cassie's everlasting depression that has been with her the majority of her life, maybe even passed down through unhealed generational trauma. Glimpsing her past and dynamic with her parents, its easy to understand. The black hole was with her every second of every day and so it was meant to be with the reader as well.
Thankfully, my mesocarp is still ripe.
This book was such a fast read and I couldn't help but to turn page after page. I was locked in from the very first chapter describing the state of San Fran which isn't much different than the city I live in now. It's all very relatable. One minute I'm walking down the street eating ice cream and giggling with my best friend, the next our faces and ice cream are being spat on by some ripped, shirtless dude yelling "fuck you". Feelings and thoughts of violence rising for the fact that my soft-hearted bestie is about to cry, whilst also feeling sorry for this man whose story I don't know . His brain fried and wilted, muttering to himself and acting out his intrusive thoughts. There's not a day I don't go out into society and experience polarizing emotions like disgust, sympathy, empathy, pity, shame, guilt, love, and joy. It's not just a "city" but a world of extremes.
It was easy to get wrapped up in Cassie's spiraling. At times I became irritated with her inability to take the opportunities or other realties at her ready. Bad decision after bad decision. But I was only judging myself, a past self and at times, current self. This wasn't a happy story and clearly had no intention of ever being so. To me, the black hole symbolized Cassie's everlasting depression that has been with her the majority of her life, maybe even passed down through unhealed generational trauma. Glimpsing her past and dynamic with her parents, its easy to understand. The black hole was with her every second of every day and so it was meant to be with the reader as well.
Thankfully, my mesocarp is still ripe.
Welp. Do not read this when you’re feeling down, a little hopeless, and stuck.
Beautiful prose and visceral descriptions of how it feels to exist in a capitalist society that values productivity over humanity with references to the facade of “wellness” and “diversity” in tech spaces (though the argument could be made that this trend is pervasive across all industries). Certain characters and their flippant ignorance induced so much anger and frustration in me. Unfortunately, they’re very accurate reflections of much of [American] society
Beautiful prose and visceral descriptions of how it feels to exist in a capitalist society that values productivity over humanity with references to the facade of “wellness” and “diversity” in tech spaces (though the argument could be made that this trend is pervasive across all industries). Certain characters and their flippant ignorance induced so much anger and frustration in me. Unfortunately, they’re very accurate reflections of much of [American] society
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