Finally picked up one of the buzziest books of 2023 and it was definitely an engaging read that kept me on my toes. It was entertaining and rage-inducing, June was absolutely loathsome and I found myself both wanting and not wanting to listen to more to see what on earth she’d cook up next. It’s satirical but also not? I feel like I’ve genuinely seen drama/social media posts like the ones included in this book, and the racism of the publishing industry is likely as rampant as it is depicted here. However (and I know epic fantasy and contemporary fiction can’t really be compared), I couldn’t believe this book was written by the same author the Poppy War (I’m aware of the irony lol). The depth of the characters from TPW wasn’t anywhere to be seen here, and the writing, all told from June’s first person POV (truly agonising to read), was just straightforward.

Pacey and engaging, maybe too on the nose at times, June is despicable and we hate her, publishing is a hellfire industry.