Synopses & Reviews
A Good Morning America Buzz Pick, and A Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by BuzzFeed, The Millions, Goodreads, Bustle, BookRiot, and The Nerd Daily.
A wry and bold debut novel, which is at once an irresistible catastrophe waiting to happen and an unflinching exploration of how we narrate the stories of our lives, as an aspiring novelist finds herself stalking — and writing about — her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend.
Twenty-four-year-old New York bookseller Naomi Ackerman is desperate to write a novel, but struggles to find a story to tell. When, after countless disastrous dates, she meets Caleb — a perfectly nice guy with a Welsh accent and a unique patience for all her quirks — she thinks she's finally stumbled onto a time-honored subject: love. Then Caleb's ex-girlfriend, Rosemary, enters the scene.
Upon learning that Rosemary is not safely tucked away in Caleb's homeland overseas, but in fact lives in New York and also works in the literary world, Naomi is threatened and intrigued in equal measure. If they both fell for the same man, what else might they have in common? The more Naomi learns about Rosemary, the more her curiosity consumes her. Before she knows it, her casual Instagram stalking morphs into a friendship under false pretenses — and becomes the subject of her nascent novel.
As her lies and half-truths spiral out of control, and fact and fiction become increasingly difficult to untangle, Naomi must decide what--and who — she's willing to sacrifice to write the perfect ending.
Review
"At once a compassionate portrait of someone so desperate for intimacy that she can't help but sabotage it and an incisive study of female friendship at its most toxic and proprietary, this dread-laden psychological thriller is smart, jarring, and funny.... Propulsive storytelling and an irresistible narrator from a sharp new writer." Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Review
"This book is a ride. An unruly study of fixation, performance, and the exquisite agony of anonymity." Raven Leilani, New York Times bestselling author of Luster
Review
"Caitlin Barasch's writing overflows with humor, compassion, intrigue, and the chaos of identity. It overflows with life itself." Jonathan Safran Foer, New York Times bestselling author of Here I Am
Synopsis
A Good Morning America Buzz Pick, and A Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by BuzzFeed, The Millions, Goodreads, Bustle, BookRiot, and The Nerd Daily "If you've ever felt tempted to 'keep tabs on' a partner's ex on Instagram and then found yourself down a rabbit hole of their vacation posts from three years ago, this debut novel--which follows a 24-year-old New Yorker named Naomi who becomes obsessed with her boyfriend's former girlfriend--is for you."--Vogue, "Best New Beach Reads"
Twenty-four-year-old New York bookseller Naomi Ackerman is desperate to write a novel, but struggles to find a story to tell. When, after countless disastrous dates, she meets Caleb--a perfectly nice guy with a Welsh accent and a unique patience for all her quirks--she thinks she's finally stumbled onto a time-honored subject: love. Then Caleb's ex-girlfriend, Rosemary, enters the scene.
Upon learning that Rosemary is not safely tucked away in Caleb's homeland overseas, but in fact lives in New York and also works in the literary world, Naomi is threatened and intrigued in equal measure. If they both fell for the same man, what else might they have in common? The more Naomi learns about Rosemary, the more her curiosity consumes her. Before she knows it, her casual Instagram stalking morphs into a friendship under false pretenses--and becomes the subject of her nascent novel.
As her lies and half-truths spiral out of control, and fact and fiction become increasingly difficult to untangle, Naomi must decide what--and who--she's willing to sacrifice to write the perfect ending.
Synopsis
A Good Morning America Buzz Pick, and a BuzzFeed and New York Post "Best Book of 2022" "If you've ever felt tempted to 'keep tabs on' a partner's ex on Instagram and then found yourself down a rabbit hole of their vacation posts from three years ago, this debut novel--which follows a 24-year-old New Yorker named Naomi who becomes obsessed with her boyfriend's former girlfriend--is for you."--Vogue, "Best New Beach Reads"
Twenty-four-year-old New York bookseller Naomi Ackerman is desperate to write a novel, but struggles to find a story to tell. When, after countless disastrous dates, she meets Caleb--a perfectly nice guy with a Welsh accent and a unique patience for all her quirks--she thinks she's finally stumbled onto a time-honored subject: love. Then Caleb's ex-girlfriend, Rosemary, enters the scene.
Upon learning that Rosemary is not safely tucked away in Caleb's homeland overseas, but in fact lives in New York and also works in the literary world, Naomi is threatened and intrigued in equal measure. If they both fell for the same man, what else might they have in common? The more Naomi learns about Rosemary, the more her curiosity consumes her. Before she knows it, her casual Instagram stalking morphs into a friendship under false pretenses--and becomes the subject of her nascent novel.
As her lies and half-truths spiral out of control, and fact and fiction become increasingly difficult to untangle, Naomi must decide what--and who--she's willing to sacrifice to write the perfect ending.
About the Author
Caitlin Barasch earned her BA from Colorado College and her MFA from New York University. Her work has appeared in more than a dozen publications, including Catapult, Day One, The Forge, and Hobart. A former bookseller, Caitlin currently teaches creative writing at the Writers Circle. She was born and raised in New York and now lives in Brooklyn. A Novel Obsession is her debut novel.