This book wasn't quite what I expected and I was so pleasantly surprised by the concept of this literary mystery. I thought the unique storytelling devices used in each of the three parts were done very well and were very true to the story. I would highly recommend this book!

This was a very unique concept which was what interested me in picking up the book. At first I was confused because I found the writing of Jane's character to not be well developed, but it took me a while to realize that this was intentional. I did not enjoy Jane's POV because of this. Jane was scattered and the story plot seemed to time jump without any transition. Once I muscled through Jane's character to Jesse was when I really started enjoying this book. Jesse seemed like a well rounded character, and I was able to connect with him by getting his background of taking care of his mother and going to college for a career that he didn't end up working in. I found Jeremy's POV to be boring, especially with one lengthy interview about nonsense things he was writing but couldn't finish that may or may not had something to do with Jane. It felt like I didn't get a resolution for any of the characters and that was frustrating. I call this a unique book because by the end it seemed like Jeremy had wrote the character of Jane but did not finish this writing either and that is why Jane's character was the way it was. Once I got that at almost the end of the book, I could enjoy the writing, but I wish I got some tidbits of that throughout the book so I could understand that sooner. I like to read stories that I have never read before, and I will say this is one of them. This author took a risk with this writing style and to wait until the very end to make sense of the whole story, I think this may be a book that people will either get, or they won't, and maybe I just don't get it.

This is a tough one to review for me. The book is clearly divided into three parts, three voices. I absolutely loved the first part: the repetition of the character's days, the lens through which she saw the world, the way her work and life were entangled, her relationships and her struggles. You know when you're reading a book and you just fall into it and are fully absorbed? Part one was like that for me. I couldn't put it down. The second part, I enjoyed but felt a little weighed down by it, maybe because I missed Jane's voice so much. There was nothing wrong with it, and I liked all the unravelling of the mystery, but I didn't connect with the character as much as in the first and it felt like it dragged for that reason. The third threw me off because I strongly disliked the character, kind of like if you're out with a group of friends and you're all having. an interesting conversation and then he comes in and talks over everyone else with a version of the story that feels overly dramatized and egocentric and shuts out everyone listening, like a performance that no one asked for. A little eye-rolly? I'll be honest and say I skimmed a lot of it, and in skimming, probably missed the twist if there was one, and I thought there might be, but I couldn't stay in it. I was so deeply into it and then I wasn't, but it's worth reading if only for the magic of Part One, which is such strong, good writing and such a real character brought to life by the alchemy of good writing, the use of repetition and knowing when to stop and leave the reader wanting more.

I keep going back and forth on this one: it was super compelling, and very uniquely written, and I liked it a lot, except it's annoying to write a murder mystery that's never solved. Like, come on, that is objectively annoying even if the truth is ~not the point~. At the end of the day I respect the experimentation here and I'll keep thinking about this book not only for annoyance reasons - so let's cut it down the middle at three stars.

My thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I think that Eugenie Montague's "Swallow This Ghost" is going to stick with me for awhile. A very smart genre defying novel that almost feels like multiple books with its shifts. A singular event occurs that shapes 3 lives in totally different ways.
For starters, within the story we have what may be one of the most brilliant ideas ever for marketing a new novel. I was intrigued and could absolutely see an author or publisher using social media the way it is done within these pages. Jane, the marketing company she works for, are working with Jeremy, using different characters from his novel to tell parts of the story via their own social media accounts, making it feel real and causing a viral sensation.
Montague is also very clever with showcasing the endless cycle of routine, and all the little secrets we hide in that. A lot of secrets for Jane, and what she hides from Jeremy as the line of professional and personal relationship blurs.
Tragedy strikes and the story takes a totally different turn and new perspective. I think I enjoyed this part of the book the most. I refuse to give anything away. Eventually this takes us to what I'll say is act 3 which, again, brilliant on Montagues part, in giving us yet another perspective on what happened, and the aftermath of it all.
Ultimately for me, a sharply written examination on our public vs private lives and how what we reveal in them changes everyone's perspectives of us.

mixed feelings? i think this book is not particularly innovative, and yet there are aspects of it that I appreciate. The first two parts read like a true crime podcast and the third part (which is actually a podcast) sort of wraps up the loose ends from the first two parts. each part is written in a different character's perspective and the author does a really good job at differentiating between the characters, it's pretty impressive that they were able to write in three distinct narrative voices without conflating them.

there were some lovely lines in there about grief and the ways people come to terms with things that happen to them and around them but it didn't feel like this book had anything to say that hadn't already been said before. I did almost give up because the first part was just not particularly interesting... but it's possible that was because i forgot what the book was about before i started reading since it had been a while since i picked it up. the third part was my favorite so it's worth it to stick around

I was not sure what to expect going into this, but was pleasantly surprised. This book is told in three parts. The first part was my favorite. I loved the detached writing style and the beautiful prose. I loved the main character, Jane, and connected with her quickly. The repetitiveness added to the eerie and unsettling vibe that the detached style was giving off.

The second part started off shocking. The jolt from third person to first person narration was a jarring switch. The new character, Jesse, slowly grew on me, although some of his actions were confusing or frustrating. I loved seeing Jane’s life from another angle, and it was interesting to have different opinions on some characters when seen from Jesse’s lens vs Jane’s lens.

The third part was my least favorite, and the reason I am rating the novel 4 stars instead of 5. I found it to drag a bit, and the writing style didn’t speak to me or draw me in as much as in the first two parts. This section centers around Jeremy, who was my least favorite character. I felt like the reader is left unsatisfied with the tragedy/mystery, which I didn’t like, and slowly realizes that each narrator has been unreliable to a degree, which I did like. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will be thinking about this one for a while!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love when a book surprises me. But what I love most is reading a book and realizing that I have no idea how it will end.

Most of the time I am reviewing books that I loved but knew what was going to happen pretty early on. Swallow the Ghost is nothing like that!

Suffice to say, the less you know, the more enjoyable it will be. What you can know now is that Jane is a millennial, working at a social media marketing company. Her current client Jeremy has written a novel that she is helping build buzz through online story. Jane is excited by the work but also bored by her life, her daily routines, her compulsions. Enter a potential love interest and a detective of sort.
This is like no book I have ever read and I can't wait to hear what you think!

My one gripe is the end was focused on my least favorite person in the book and I am just not sure why. Read this book!
.#mullhollandbooks #swallowtheghost #eugeniemontague

"Swallow the Ghost" by Eugenie Montague is difficult to summarize! In fact, I feel like if I tried to, it would give away too much. One of the most rewarding things about this novel was the shock and surprise. This is one of those books where its best to go into it knowing nothing.

Here's what I can say: The novel’s narrative structure is notably distinct, divided into three parts, each shifting in point of view and storytelling medium. Of these, the middle section, with its detective mystery style, resonated most conventionally with me, offering a more familiar narrative rhythm. There were many insights in this novel that I found super interesting.

The first part, characterized by its repetitive nature ended up being really intriguing to me, and I was excited to see where it would go. I felt excited to learn more about Jane, to be privy to her mystery. For example, I was super interested & intrigued by her sense of wrongness when she wakes up each morning: “But she had woken up with the feeling that something was wrong, that she had done something wrong. She waits for the shame to loose its hold on her, to realize it belonged to some dream, but then she remembers, and the dread she perceived, which felt like a heavy but lifeless presence, transforms into something restless and grasping.” Ultimately, I wanted this to be explored more, or understand how it connected to the rest of the novel but was kind of let down. Or perhaps it was, but was just lost on me.

The novel's overall structure was ambitious. I was hoping for more of a sense of resolution at the end, but we didn't get that. Perhaps this was done on purpose, but given that the novel was already experimental, I think it should have offered a little more resolution at the end for us curious, and maybe less literary readers. Nonetheless, Montague’s evident potential as a writer keeps me hopeful and interested in her future works, as "Swallow the Ghost" feels like a stepping stone in her journey to finding her unique voice.

Here are some of my favorite insights/quotes from the novel (not spoilers):

“There’s something about reading that opens the portal between the worlds — possibly because to write the book in the first place, someone from this world had access to that world.”

“When a writer has blind spots in fiction, it could be a blind spot in real life.”

“How many moments never make a memory? How many moments do people live through together that are experienced so differently by each of them, its almost like they didn’t experience something together at all."

Thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the ARC.

This one wasn't really for me. Not a bad book at all, just not for me. The premise and the way it's set up was interesting to me. The book is broken into three parts, from three different POVs. I didn't feel connected enough to the character in the first part, which made it hard to care for parts two-three.

Part three of the book was also kind of a letdown as I was expecting more of a resolution. It wasn't at all the ending I was expecting. Part three felt like a whining, pretentious diary entry.

Still an interesting book about how we portray ourselves online vs. real life.

Swallow the Ghost is a uniquely told murder mystery from the perspective of three central characters in three different sections. The first half had me hooked, particularly the jarring beginning to part 2. The story lulls a bit from there though, and it never quite recovered for me. Each character is dealing with their own personal issues amidst the overarching plot and it felt like both too much and not enough at the same time. I was hoping for a satisfying ending that would make the lulls feel worth it but there was very little closure. I would have loved part 3 to be from either Kaya or Tom’s point of view. But alas we hear from the least interesting character describing in the most pretentious terms how his life was affected by this tragedy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First off thank you to the publisher and net galley for the chance to read this advance copy. This book is told in three parts. Each part is a different character and at a different point in the story. This makes it quite unique. But I wasn’t feeling the final part with Jeremy. It was a change in the flow up to that point and I wasn’t as big of a fan. I found myself trying to get through it more than reading it deeply. This was a quick read overall. A good who did it storyline, that kept you thinking it was this person or that person. But overall it left a lot of empty spaces for me. Things that just didn’t get closure in the story and areas that didn’t have as much detail as I would have liked. It wasn’t bad by any means, just not a book that will top my list.

I found the premise of this novel very compelling and I enjoyed the concept of writing a fictional story entirely through social media, but I don't think this worked perfectly for me. I enjoyed the writing style of the first section, it is very clever and really makes you feel like you are inside Jane's mind. However, I think it becomes a bit too repetitive, which made it drag for me. The second section was the most interesting and I was kept at the edge wanting to solve this mystery, but the ball didn't drop and I genuinely am not sure if it was solved. I did not connect with the last part and it was hard for me to follow. Overall, the sections felt a little too disconnected for me and I had trouble making sense of the plot.

DNF. Wasn't a good fit for me with the writing style and the neverending chapters. I would recommend however to sad lit fiction enthusiasts.

First and foremost I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this. Unfortunately, this book was a DNF for me. The chapter Groundhog Day 2 was a never ending chapter that read like a police report listing an account of an event. Just short brief mentions of what was done or said and then on to the next. Or like the author listed out the events of the story line but never actually wrote the full story. It was very hard to push through as far as I did but absolutely nothing was happening in the book and I could not force myself to push any further. I am a short chapter girlie and i need books that are a bit faster paced at least with bringing the main part of the story in. I am not sure if the "list" style was intentional but this writing style is just not for me and unfortunately not something I would recommend to anyone. I feel bad that I couldnt make it through this book but it just was dragging and dragging and was often confusing because it was very listy. Again, thank you for the opportunity to read this, so sorry that i just couldnt get through it. This book and writing style was not it for me.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc! I am most certain this will be a hit upon its release. This feels genre bending all the while falling under the unhinged tropes. A trope often done but done effectively here.

4.5 rounded up.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a murder mystery split into three different perspectives/books: the victim, the investigator, and the accused. I thought it was a very clever and fresh spin on this genre. There was more depth to the narrative besides the classic 'whodunnit,' and I think everyone who reads it will come away with a different interpretation. 100% recommend.

The first segment focuses on Jane, a young woman who suffers from control issues manifesting in bulimia. Jane's book was my favorite of the three. The way the author uses repetition to show how monotonous and precise her daily routine is is so creative. It was enjoyable to read because you could tell the author really cared about Jane and her struggles. I'll admit that when I began reading, I had forgotten that this was a murder mystery, and when Jane's chapter ended abruptly, I was shocked.

The other characters/narrators, Jesse and Jeremy, were well thought out and, although I enjoyed Jesse's book more, the medium of Jeremy's chapter was refreshing and very telling of his character. Both of these characters were complex and distinct. Seeing Jane's world through Jesse's eyes and seeing Jesse through Jeremy's eyes was a fascinating mindfuck.

I can't wait for it to come out so I can get a physical copy. Keep your eye out; this is worth the read.

I hope that you pick this up blind. I requested an ARC, but had mostly forgotten what I was getting into when it came time to start reading this, and so the twist at about 30% in was WILD, and you deserve to experience too!

Eugenie Montague is smart, but she doesn't bash you in the face with that intelligence (Jeremy does, but he's big on literary theory, so he gets to be a bit pompous). The writing is sharp, and grabs you. I read this in two sittings, and they were both far from tedious.

I think its Jesse (but it could be Aaron or Jeremy - not that the male characters are in any way interchangeable) that discusses how he had read about someone overcoming their fear of death by experiencing it. It is obviously not an option for all of us who fear death, to experience it and come back, but I do wonder if this fear/curiosity was the inspiration for the book. Rita is missing suspected to be dead, (view spoiler), Jesse's mother and Jeremy's sister's mother-in-law are aged and ill, and so it is naturally on the mind of the characters and the author.

In showing how the disappearance of fictional character Rita affects collective minds, how Jane's interrupted life affects Jesse and Jeremy, I felt like maybe we were being encouraged to consider that death may not be so fearsome?

Montague uses narrative style and devices with a deft hand, and I really encourage you to pick this up, while I will be watching to see what she puts out next.

thank you netgalley and mulholland books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! this book captured me immediately due to its unique structure; divided into three parts from three different perspectives.

the first two parts had me completely hooked, feeling like two distinct stories: a main plot and a metaphorical exploration. sadly (and this may just be a personal problem), i found myself a bit lost and disengaged in part 3. it felt dense, lacking the closure i typically appreciate in lit-fic. i usually enjoy open-ended narratives, but in this case, it left me wanting more resolution. overall though, the book provides a thought-provoking take on the complexities of our online and offline worlds, how we construct our online personas, and the impacts they have on our lives.

Swallow the Ghost is a story told in 3 parts. Part one, the story of Jane. Her life as an almost writer but really a content creator for the author of a murder mystery. It captivated me with rituals, and mental illness, relationships, drama. Without reading the synopsis fully, I didn’t know what to expect.
Part two, the story of an investigator, and his job to find out who did it. Who killed her? Finding secrets, retracing steps, rituals, stories, uncovering who everyone really was.
Part three, years in the future, a podcast with the aforementioned author of a murder mystery who also was accused of murder. he reads the stories he’s been able to write since being accused. he discusses what has become of him.

This book was so well written, so captivating, so good. I agree with other reviews that the third section isn’t exactly my favorite but it is very important, very much the finishing of the book. This is one where the mystery is still a mystery, half way solved, but unraveling all that you know yourself and believe. i’m fully amazed at how the author took apart life as we know it, put life back together, discussed human nature at the core, touched on loneliness, mental illness, the craving of doing something and being someone.

probably would’ve been 4.5 but i still hate seeing the pandemic discussed in books (i’m sorry). the writing is gorgeous. thank you for this ARC via netgalley