I just finished a good book. Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky is available now and is one you should put on your list.

A truly messy, wild read. Based on the initial blurbs and buzz around this book, my expectations were more rom-com meets Ruben Östlund-esque social commentary, but this is more my fault than the publisher's. I enjoyed the short chapters that kept the story at a good pace but overall could not connect to the characters or really invest in any of their stories. It does make for a good beach/vacation read, so take it along with you this summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the digital arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

I was initially attracted to this book because of the description, but I stayed for the weirdly delightful characters

Hot Air is about a group of people who meet under weird circumstances after a hot air balloon crash. It follows them over the course of a couple of days as they reflect on their lives and make plans for the future.

This is very much a character driven story. So don’t come into it looking for a quick moving plot. I don’t think this book will be for everyone but it was right up my alley. I look forward to checking out more by this author in the future.

I wanted to love this because the premise was so fun! But I just could not get into it. Too many different narrators with too little plot unfortunately

Marcy Dermansky's books have characters in absurd situations, but these characters are so human and related. Often making bad decisions, always smart and funny and a good time to read.

I got through Hot Air in about a day. It’s not only on the shorter side, but it also reads quickly. It takes place over the course of just a few days, so it helped that the writing pulls you through and didn’t drag. The book is fairly internal, so it speaks to the quality of the writing that it wasn’t a slow read. The writing was my favorite part of the novel. Not all are the characters are likable (honestly if any), but they’re all interesting and are well-developed. I struggled to connect deeply with the characters though, but I think that’s just a matter of my not connecting with their life circumstances or personalities—not that it was inherently difficult to connect with the book.

Good book, but simply not 100% for me!

I suppose the age-old “don’t judge a book by its cover” is the fastest way to summarize my experience of Hot Air: fronted by fun technicolor text in a cheeky ‘balloon’ style, I hoped for a story half as playful. The premise - what ensues after a freak hot air balloon crash - seemed to match the quirky cover, but unfortunately, the characters and story inside didn’t. Following 4 deeply unhappy and unlikable adults with easily confused J names (Joannie, Jonathan, Julia, and Johnny), the short, claustrophobic novel starts off with an absurdist premise, but quickly felt not darkly comedic — just dark. The silliness of the setup faded into unpleasantness living in each character’s mind for each chapter, and even the children in the story didn’t offer reprieve. For a reader looking for a strange and off-kilter comedy, this may be a better fit.

This is a well-written nd quirky book that I enjoyed immensely! It alternates chapters with different points of view which makes it a really interesting read - there is Joannie (a single mother) as well as a rich couple (Julia and Jonathan) who happen to land in her date's pool in a hot air balloon. This is the start of an interesting story about what people want, and what they will do to get it. And sometimes we think we want something and then the reality is not at all what we thought. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil anything. Just read it -- it's a quick read and I had fun reading it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

What did I just read??? So weird but also so good and I didn’t want to put it down. It was also hilarious.

Besides the cover, there wasn’t much of this book I was fond of. I usually love messy characters, but I found them all insufferable (even the kid). There were points in the story where I wasn’t sure if I was confused or if the author mixed up the names. By the end there didn’t feel like enough of a reason as to why. Why the story and why did the character act how they did. They felt either incomplete or with conflicting characteristics.

[4.25 stars]

Hot Air is a tiny book (just over 200 pages) that is NOT going to be for everyone. But, it’s unique and the right reader will love it (i.e. you like something zany, fun, and purely entertaining, but it may not have a deep point to it). This is a fairly outrageous premise and you just have to roll with it throughout the story. What happens after the hot air balloon crash is like watching a slow motion car crash…I knew this wasn’t going to end well, but I couldn’t stop watching to see what more weird stuff was going to happen along the way. The situation Demansky created is incredibly awkward and chock full of eyebrow-raising dynamics. If you have a hard time watching awkwardness that ventures into cringy, this is not the book for you. And, all 4 of the main characters are highly dislikable AND highly dysfunctional. Every one of them makes questionable decisions and does things for selfish reasons. But, I loved the “women in mid-life” element to this story and I highlighted a lot of “yes, that’s exactly how it is” observations. A fun, “out there” break from my usual reading!

If you've ever wanted to freeze a scene and listen to the internal monologue of every person in it, this book is for you.

I definitely thought this story would take place on a hot air balloon and even though it doesn't, that doesn't make it any less fascinating. Both the book and the story are concise: a motley crew of similarly-named acquaintances (Joannie, Johnny, Julia, and Johnathan) spend a weekend together after a freak accident with a hot air balloon turns a bad date into a weekend adventure.

A light plot leaves room for wry observations as the point of view ping-pongs from one character to the next. Julia, wife of billionaire Johnathan, observes that the Rainforest Cafe is an "atrocious restaurant" akin to a "contemporary version of hell" replete with an "artificial waterfall, animatronic animals, ..., plastic plants, and laminated menus." When Julia becomes enamored with Joannie's daughter, Lucy, Johnathan reminds her "they are people, not pets" noting that "they had done this before. Adopted people." When she finds herself in a limo for the first time, Joannie reflects that she "knew how impressed she was by money" almost as if "she had been raised by wolves. Or in a foster home."

If you enjoy sardonic humor and strong characterization and don't mind a relatively plotless book, pick this one up! It's a quick read and worth an afternoon.

Love it! So much fun. All her books are fun and this is no exception. The characters are wacky and believable.

Hot Air is a witty, sharp novel that explores family dynamics, secrets, and the complexities of relationships. Dermansky’s writing feels fluid and engaging, with plenty of candid moments that keep you hooked. While some parts lean a little toward the predictable, the story’s humor and emotional depth balance it out.

Overall, a strong 4-star read. Great for fans of smart, character-driven fiction.

this was a surprising and enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley the publisher for gifting me this arc.

What a wild ride, both literally and figuratively! This was a quick read, but it was fun and unique enough that it definitely kept me entertained. When a billionaire crash-lands his hot air balloon in the middle of someone’s first date, everything goes haywire for four people (fair warning: there's partner swapping). Also, keep in mind this story is satire: its tongue-in-cheek tone is quirky enough you'll be able to see what's really happening here: an engrossing look at the dysfunction of ultra-rich people. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy!

When I read the synopsis for this book I was totally in. Love people randomly being thrown together.
This book had that, but it was also just so very strange.
I honestly don’t know what to think of it. There was quite a bit of sexual partner switching, I wasn’t prepared for that either. The ending was odd.
When a hot air balloon crashes into the pool of a guy on his first date, it feels like the beginning of the most random night ever.
Not sure about this one. But 3 stars for its unique qualities.

What a weird, lovely little book! I both loved and hated the characters at so many various times, but I enjoyed every second of the ride. The one thing that made reading difficult were the character names - Jx4. It was funny, but not worth the amount of confusion. Overall, I really liked this!

Blending humor with sharp critiques of wealth and privilege, this novel featuring a billionaire couple's anniversary gone awry, and a protagonist mixed up in the middle is full of biting wit and plenty of satire. Lots of romantic drama, who will end up with who? But at the end of the day, eat the rich.

HOT AIR
Marcy Dermansky


The cover of HOT AIR is indicative of what you’ll find inside.

HOT AIR stars (don’t make me list all of their names, please) Joannie. Joannie is a date. He’s an auto-generated character, and his name doesn’t matter. Just know he has a pool. And he’s a bad kisser. So they’re on a date, and some other couple lands in a hot air balloon in his pool.

Joannie thinks this other guy who landed in the pool might be a better kisser. Although he is married, and his wife landed in the pool in the hot air balloon with him, everything and everyone is on the table tonight.

This is very confusing to the man we’ll call Man #1. Who cares what Man #2 thinks? The wife is well, that’s the book.

HOT AIR is possibly the worst book I’ve read in 2025. Out of 65 books, this is the worst.

The character names are purposefully confusing. That was just annoying. I did not care about one single character, one single storyline, or one single aspect.

There is nothing in this book.

The cover is magnificent. Just look at it. That’s all. It’s not meant for reading. It’s not meant to give thought, it’s not meant for discussion, it’s not even meant for book reviews.

The book is full of HOT AIR.


Thanks to Netgalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for the advanced copy!

HOT AIR...⭐️⭐️