made me spiral like 50 times
______________

cassie has lived her entire life alongside a miniature black hole, a constant threat and companion that feeds on her depression and anxiety. we follow her as she moves for a new job to a dystopian-like city where men set themselves on fire, people defecate on the streets, and a virus gradually creeps across the globe. 'ripe' is a surrealist, candid look into mental illness, toxic workplaces and families, corporate culture, and the glaring wealth disparity due to late-stage capitalism

the world that etter has created here is a mirror of our own. an unsettling reminder that as we move towards late-stage capitalism, we move towards dystopia. written with brutal candour, etter outlines how our society is in a state of cataclysmic decline. through the use of a sad millennial protagonist that many of us will identify with, the reality of our future becomes horrifyingly inescapable for the reader

the novel unfolds slowly, the gutting intensity of etter’s writing produces a horror that lingers long after the story has ended. the black hole was the only speculative aspect of this novel. i thought it was handled really well, though i can see the lack of subtlety in the imagery being off-putting for some readers. for me, the heavy-handedness of the black hole symbolism complements the drab, monotonous tone of the story perfectly (and even opens the novel up for a more satirical interpretation). this book was dreary, exhausting, and sent me into an existential spiral more than once. for that reason, i would only recommend this if you’re in a healthy headspace

all in all, ‘ripe’ is a memorable 2023 release that urges us to acknowledge the severity of the capitalist hellscape we’re currently living within, calling on us to question the role we're playing in our society's current descent into a real-life dystopia — i'd definitely recommend!!