I wanted to like Madison Newbound’s MISRECOGNITION so much more than I did. The premise sounds excellent and I was hooked on that alone; however, the novel does not quite fulfill it. The main character Elsa never came across as obsessive or anything remotely having any kind of energy to it. Overall the book felt like one overly long scroll through Instagram, the kind where you look up to realize it’s been far, far longer than you’d intended and all you have to show for it is a general “ick” for falling down a social media hole. I do appreciate the type of character-focused, somewhat anti-plot style Newbound uses, but something did not work here. Maybe I’d feel differently if Elsa had done something like make a decision near or at the end that had “burn it all down” consequences or something. She is depressed, which is effectively rendered through the rather gauzy feel at the beginning of the book. The whole novel having this feel didn’t work, though, most likely because it kept Elsa too far out of reach. I didn’t care what happened to her after the book ended, but I wish I did.

Frankly, this was a miss for me, and I found myself slogging through it just to finish. The drawn-out prose felt more tedious than insightful, and I never really connected with Elsa, the main character. Her constant drifting and obsession felt flat, and instead of evoking empathy, it left me feeling bored.

I’ll admit, the Timothée Chalamet-inspired character was a hard sell from the start for me as well (cue Michael Bluth here: HIM???), and it felt like a forced attempt to capture a modern “cool” vibe. What could have been an interesting look at queer identity and postmodern adulthood just didn’t land for me. By the time the story delved into Elsa’s confusing connection with Sam, I was already checked out. The book had some potential with its themes, but it was lost in a sea of aimless internet scrolling and a protagonist I couldn't care about.

There were parts of this book and I did enjoy but for the most part I found myself pretty bored unfortunately. Dnf at 56%

I really enjoyed this! At first, I had rated it 4 stars but, after a little more reflecting, I decided to lower my rating. This book is definitely for the girlies who love character-based literary fiction! As a huge fan of authors like Sally Rooney and Ottessa Moshfegh, I thoroughly enjoyed Newbound's writing style. Her descriptions of the setting and how the characters feel about themselves and the world around them was beautiful. However, I feel like a lot of the plotlines never really wrapped up, and because of this, the ending felt abrupt. I would've loved to see some of the themes the book discussed, such as queerness, explored more deeply. Although the plot fell a little short for me in this story, I look forward to picking up another one of Newbound's books in the future!

I was really excited for this one but it ultimately wasn't my cup of tea. The main character Elsa felt very flat and the story as a whole held very little depth. While on the flip side, there were some moments that had too much detail, for instance when the interface of Instagram was described. I'm not sure I can really recommend this one, sadly.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book so much. The first half of the book was very slow and I ended up putting the book down for quite a while. Eventually when I came back to it, it seemed to move at a faster pace, but I did not gain any more interest in it than I previously had.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the free book. My opinions are my own.

Left in the dusk by her past partners, Elsa struggles to rediscover balance in her life. Will love be enough to pull her out of this rut?

I really struggled with the writing and the pacing in the book. The summary copy sounded super interesting, but the book itself was super hard to get into. It tries to add, I guess, a layer of suspense by going on about "the man and the woman" who have seemingly ruined Elsa's life. There's very little movement or intrigue in the opening scenes with fairly regular, boring conversations happening between her and her therapist and then with her parents at home. Again, the book promises to be so interesting, but it gets bogged down in all the wrong details while trying to be evasive about the interesting parts. The writing style also just felt a bit pretentious and almost like it was trying too hard to be something it's not.

This book compactly describes the melancholy of our basic cycles of life. I was drawn in by Newbound’s prose, stayed for Elsa’s story, and was left with much to ponder. Newbound’s commentary on daily technology use also felt timely. Might re-read in the near future!

Content Warnings: Depression, Self Destructive Behavior, Parasocial Relationship/Stalking

I thought the writing style of this book was interesting, but ultimately it isn't for me. The main character, Elsa, is a depressed person coming out of a polyamorous relationship and then entering into one with a nonbinary celebrity (?). Not sure if the nonbinary individual was celebrity, but the one they accompanied is clearly some sort of insert for a contemporary heartthrob that I am too out-of-touch to identify. The parasocial relationship/stalking element happens with said nonbinary individual, referred to throughout as "the person called Sam," and also later when Elsa cyberstalks the social media of the polyamorous couple with which she has broken up.

If it sounds like I can't describe the plot it's because there really isn't much of one. It's just following Elsa as she meanders from location to location and engaging with different people, whether online or in real life. I found that at times this was engaging, such as Elsa making a trip to Sephora and getting her makeup professionally done, but overall pretty lackluster. I also didn't like how the polyamorous relationship that led to Elsa's depression was depicted because it really wasn't paid that much attention. For such a powerful catalyst, it's not well described or detailed, so it's unclear if it was unhealthy, healthy but then got complicated, or some of the million other variants.

If you like no-plot-just-vibes, particularly if those vibes are sad-but-terminally-online-and-in-therapy, then I'd give this a try. I think some will dig Elsa and her experiences, even if I didn't. Just keep in mind the comments in the rest of my review.

I enjoyed misrecognition overall. I liked being in Elsa’s head and seeing her coping with the fallout from a failed relationship. I also liked the commentary about the Internet and how it kind of sucks you in and alters your perception of reality. The audiobook was OK. I probably would just read on the page.

Misrecognition is a poignant exploration of identity, obsession, and the search for meaning in the aftermath of heartbreak. Madison Newbound crafts a compelling narrative that delves into the intricacies of human connection and self-discovery.

Elsa’s journey is a raw and relatable portrayal of someone grappling with loss and the struggle to redefine oneself. The portrayal of her fascination with the actor and subsequent shift to Sam is beautifully nuanced, highlighting her desperate need for understanding and belonging.

Sam’s character adds depth and complexity to the story, challenging Elsa to face uncomfortable truths about her past and her desires. The book’s setting, during a vibrant theater festival, serves as the perfect backdrop for Elsa’s tumultuous internal journey.

Newbound’s writing is evocative, drawing readers into Elsa’s world and her emotional turmoil. *Misrecognition* is a thought-provoking read that explores the blurred lines between love, obsession, and identity.

A powerful story of self-discovery and the quest for meaning in the face of loss.

DNF'd this book around right after 50%. Unfortunately, was not for me. Felt like another obsession based novel like Y/N, Eileen, Pizza Girl, Perfume & Pain, the list goes on that the media has been eating up this year. Although for me, there is too much fluff and lacking depth. The MC is listening to makeup videos and aimlessly walking through Sephora for 25% of this book. I will not be finishing and spending time on other reviews! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

The premise of the novel immediately captured my interest and having not read a “sad girl novel” in a while, I was eager to dive into that relatable and numbing world.

“Misrecognition” follows Elsa, who moves back into her childhood home and is processing the end of her relationship with a couple. The story is told through winding descriptions of pop culture and of a famous actor who travels to her hometown to be in a play. It did not take long for me to guess who the actor was, or the media and apps that Elsa used. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a book that included references to modern technology and pop culture that didn’t actually name them.

The book was a little too slow for my taste, however, it perfectly captured escapism, nostalgia, and being chronically online. Elsa was a character who was unsure of what direction to take her life in, and this felt realistic and true. I did want a bit more of Elsa’s personality to shine through, and was left wanting more from the ending.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.

I am really not a lit fic girlie which is why I rated this 3 stars but I didn't hate it! I don't love the lack of like plot arch but I did like the plot points around spiraling and crushes and obsession.

This is for my Sally Rooney ppl!

TY to NetGalley for a copy of this book!

I don’t know any two words better used to describe this book other than sincere and pathetic. I don’t mean pathetic as an insult— in fact, I mean it as a compliment.

In Misrecognition, we have our protagonist, Elsa moving back home with her family after a breakup. The relationship was Elsa’s first foray into polyamory and WLW relationships, so needless to say, the breakup came with a need for self-reflection. In need of a distraction, Elsa becomes obsessed with a non-binary celebrity/celebrity-adjacent figure. From here, we peer into the healing process after a relationship.

I think this book may be an acquired taste. Many of the critiques I’ve seen for this book felt more like it was more of a critique of Newbound’s personal style and voice. I can see why it is blurbed as “for fans of Rachel Cusk”. Although it’s not the writing that is similar to Cusk, I think the overall focus on introspection and feeling of detachment is prevalent here as well. If that’s your kind of book, then I think you will enjoy this as well.

Oof, it hurts me to say that this fell so flat for me. On paper it seemed like something I would love (reminded me of Acts of Service by Lillian Fishman), but unfortunately I found our protagonist, Elsa, so profoundly uninteresting and boring, lackluster in thought and personality, that I felt completely blase about the entire thing. There was nuance, sure, but it lacked substance or any allure to draw me into building anticipation for the eventual connection with Sam.

Obsessive? Honey I couldn't even care to notice. 2.5 stars for me.

In Misrecognition, aimless and chronically online Elsa moves back in with her parents after a rough break-up with her former employers and lovers, almost exclusively referred to as "the man and the woman." Shortly thereafter, she watches Call Me by Your Name (never actually named, but painstakingly described over several pages) and becomes obsessed with Timothée Chalamet. Coincidentally, he is staying in her city to star in a local play (??) over the summer and her parasocial relationship turns into a reality.

There is some serious dedication in this book to avoiding proper nouns like Instagram, Call Me by Your Name, and Marie Kondo as well as named characters, some of the most prominent examples being "the actor-character"—i.e. Timothée Chalamet—and "a person called Sam," which is fun at first, but stumbles over itself in long sequences of dialogue.

That said, I enjoyed the writing, sometimes flowery and other times deadpan, but always incisive. The acerbic take on social media and online shopping feels abstracted—lengthy description giving a strangely aerial view to the mundanities of life. I doubt the aimlessness of the plot and hand-waving near themes of digital overconsumption and queer sexuality would satisfy most but I didn't mind it. The only part I felt was lacking was the ending which didn't seem to reach any resolution or demonstrate any character growth for Elsa.

Writing was very weak and was trying too hard to be deep and meaningful resulting in the opposite effect. The "actor-character" was clearly described as TImothee Chalamet which then made the stories and personality surrounding his character uncomfortable knowing he is a real life person. I did not enjoy the plot or other characters either.

"Misrecognition" by Madison Newbound is a poignant exploration of identity, belonging, and the complexities of human relationships. Set against the backdrop of a small coastal town, the novel follows protagonist Emily as she grapples with the aftermath of a life-altering event that leaves her questioning her sense of self and her place in the world.

Newbound's writing is introspective and emotive, immersing readers in Emily's internal struggles and external challenges. The author adeptly captures the nuances of grief, guilt, and resilience as Emily navigates her journey of self-discovery and healing.

Central to the narrative is Emily's relationships with those around her—family members, friends, and a mysterious newcomer who challenges her perceptions. These interactions are woven into a tapestry of interpersonal dynamics, highlighting the impact of past decisions and the possibilities of forgiveness and redemption.

The novel delves into themes of memory and perception, exploring how our understanding of ourselves and others can be shaped by misinterpretations and misjudgments. Through Emily's introspection and interactions with diverse characters, Newbound invites readers to contemplate the complexities of human connection and the ways in which we construct our identities.

"Misrecognition" is not merely a story of personal growth but also a reflection on the broader themes of community and belonging. The coastal setting serves as both a backdrop and a character in itself, contributing to the novel's atmospheric depth and adding layers of meaning to Emily's journey.

Overall, "Misrecognition" is a thought-provoking and beautifully crafted novel that resonates with emotional depth and literary finesse. Madison Newbound's sensitive exploration of identity and relationships makes this novel a compelling read for fans of contemporary fiction.