White on White by Aysegül Savas was a really quick listen. This short novel begins when a student moves to a city to study art history. The student rents an apartment from a painter and her husband, who mostly live elsewhere. The painter, Agnes, comes to stay in the upstairs studio of the apartment.

This book reminded me of the Outline trilogy by Rachel Cusk, because it mostly consists of conversations, though the conversations are just between Agnes and the student. Over time, through their conversations, the student learns more about Agnes, and how she may not be as polished and put together on the inside as she is on the outside. While in the city, Agnes is working on a painting made entirely of white paint on a white background, which I think speaks to her mental state. She’s coming undone a bit. As her stories grow darker, the student feels unsettled by her presence, but continues to listen and observe from a careful distance.

Honestly not a lot happens in this book but that’s kinda my thing so I really liked it. I enjoy stories about artists and I like a menacing tone. The way the student listened without giving advice or offering up their own stories reminded me so much of Cusk (and I love Cusk). If you liked the Outline trilogy, and you like books without a lot of plot that still manage to build some suspense, I’d recommend this one. The narration by Imani Jade Powers was great as well so I can vouch for the audiobook too!