I really loved this one and think that the idea itself is 5 stars. What a unique take on mental illness, specifically depression and eating disorders. Although I felt the metaphor obvious, I loved that this took place on a beet farm / sugar beet processing plant…so different. The imagery of the beets and the overall setting of the book added to the sense of inevitable doom making this at times incredibly unnerving. It felt very similar to I’m Thinking of Ending Things though I do think the pacing of this one was slightly off making the ending less effective. Still a great ending- just getting there was a doozy at times. Overall, great debut.

I want to start off by saying, if you're an avid horror reader like me who enjoys a fast-paced plot and lots of creepiness & spookiness in their books, this is NOT the book for you. I'm honestly iffy about even really calling this a horror book, because it leans very heavily into the literary and speculative fiction aspects of its genre. No spoilers here because it's literally in the book's description and first chapter, but the "horror" in this book is that our main character has financial troubles and an eating disorder, and it's making her lose her sense of reality and self. Which, yes, is terrifying in its own way for sure. I just don't expect that to be the sole source of terror in my horror books, you know?

PROS: I thought the premise of this book was really unique. Our main character, Elise, and her boyfriend are spending the next few weeks at a beet farm / processing plant in Minnesota to earn some extra cash. I've definitely never read a book with a plot centered around beets before, that's for sure. I liked the character of Cee and thought she could have been a really promising character to develop further. I also really enjoyed how easy the prose of this book was to read. The author's style is very conversational and flows very easily, which I always appreciate.

CONS: I don't know how to sugar-coat the fact that this main character (Elise) is absolutely insufferable in every sense of the word. At no point in this book was I rooting for her at all. And she has absolutely zero growth throughout this book at all. Even after a series of unfortunate events happen to her throughout the duration of the story, she does not overcome anything or develop as a character at all. I thought the "mystery" in this book was going to go somewhere as well and it never did. Something begins to happen at the beet farm's camp site that started to really intrigue me, and let me tell you right now: it never goes anywhere. We never find out what is going on. Why would you set up a mystery sub-plot in a book that is literally never mentioned again or touched upon? It had so much potential to become a major hook in the book to keep readers interested. I also thought the ending was lack-luster.

Overall, this was not the book for me. I went into this book expecting something way more horror than literary fiction, and I guess that's on me. If you're a fan of in-depth character studies and being in the mind of an unstable and unreliable narrator, you might really love this book, and I hope you do! If you're an avid horror fan like me who was gearing up for a good scare, you're not going to like this.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the ARC of this book. It is very much appreciated!

This novel is a deeply intense character study of Elsie, a young woman struggling with mental illness, her life unravelling in a way that feels raw and suffocating. While there’s no real plot, the story follows Elsie’s spiral, with moments of small joy constantly overshadowed by her insecurities and anxiety, all while navigating a world that feels both tangible and ethereal. Though labeled as horror, it's a haunting, heartbreaking experience that immerses the reader in Elsie’s troubled mind, leaving you feeling transformed, though not necessarily comforted, by the end.

I don't want to deter people from reading this because I definitely think this book is a good book and a particular audience will definitely enjoy it, I'm just not that audience. This is less horror and more surreal, so if you tend to gravitate towards surrealism and complex characters I would recommend this to you.

Wow, we love an unhinged woman! I’ve never thought so much about sugar beets in my entire life (are sugar beets real?) and I ended up really enjoying this wacky and wild descent into madness. This book really demonstrates what it is like living with mental illness, including depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder so effectively it was frightening (check your trigger warnings y’all). Elise was a character that you could really feel everything she was going through and how she continued to spiral into madness. Overall, it was definitely an effectively literary horror that was creepy in a discreet way. The way in which I will never find myself in farming or agriculture ever in my life because of this book. It was that disconcerting.

Thank you to NetGalley and W. W Norton and company for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely LOVED this book. I loved how it was written and you couldn't tell what was and wasn't the FMC having a breakdown. It was so well paced and I couldn't put it down. RETURN TO THE DIRT.

Just finished this book and all I can say is WTF just happened. This is going to feed all the weird girl book girlies I can feel it. We follow a young woman’s spiral into madness while working a temp beet harvest job with her boyfriend. I will say this can definitely be triggering at times so seriously read trigger warnings before diving in. The reason this book isn’t a 5 star read is because the first half of this felt very repetitive. I honestly feel like if this had cut out about a third of the first 50% the pacing would have been so much better in my opinion. Thank you NetGally and the publishers for allowing me to read this early.

R̶e̶t̶u̶r̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶i̶r̶t̶

OH BOY! I hope yall ready for a Wₑᵢᵣd gᵢᵣₗ story because this one is one for the books!

"Sometimes the best thing about someone is who they aren't " And oof... I really felt that.

We follow our girlie Elise, who is in her ✨️broke girl era✨️ and her boyfriend Tom, who are looking for a quick buck, and end up going to a beet farm to be a helping hand. This is where things take a wild turn, people go missing, beets everywhere, random weird calls and text from people, baby girl has a eating disorder, there's a weird rash, and lots and lots of self monologuing as well as hilarious commentary from her and others. It's heavier on the LitFic with subtle horror, but it's still so good! Unhinged, manic, depressive and spiraling out of control good!

I really enjoyed this book, and I do recommend it to you, just beware of some of the topics discussed might be a trigger, there's talks of heavy anxiety, body dismorphia, eating disorders, SA, abuse and self harm.

I will definitely be adding a physical copy to my shelves and look forward to reading more from this author!

I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this manic ebook!

Beta Vulgaris by Margie Sarsfield keeps you hooked till the very end.
A well written suspense filled with twists that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
A quick and fun read that I finished in a few hours.
A well written suspense filled with twists that kept me hooked from the very beginning.

(ARC review)

Such a strange but thrilling little book. Elise as an extremely unwell person against the backdrop of such a sinister harvest was written beautifully. The confusion and cloudiness in her beet-induced trip were reminiscent of some of my favorite cult horror novels but aspects of some of the scenes jumped around a little too much. I would overall recommend this book.

Definitely a surreal book, it is one that stuck with me for a while after reading. Harrowing, weird and with vulnerable elements.

It was unsettling to see such a familiar anxiety filled inner monologue written down in a book. This author was masterful at describing the overwhelming stream of consciousness that comes with extreme anxiety and a hefty dose of depression. While I felt that this may have benefitted from being the length of a novella, I had a hard time putting it down. I was all in on the decent into madness and could hear the beets speaking to me from the page. While I wish it would’ve ended differently, I think the reality is truer for the character. I understand why we had such a large cast of characters, but I do wish they had more distinct personalities. I had trouble keeping track of who was who, however I can see this being part of the disorientation of the main character. Definitely looking forward to seeing what else comes from this author! A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Beta Vulgaris fits pretty neatly into the ever-expanding niche of books about insecure girlfailures with poor financial habits, body image issues, and relationship troubles. the surreal element doesn't even set it apart, as others have already done it much better (A Touch of Jen comes to mind). I went into this with high hopes that it was going to be a surreal horror about beets, and instead got a retread of something I've already experienced many times before.

I'm sure this just comes down to personal preference, but I think you have a few options for this type of book: provide answers for the surreal mystery you've set up, have some kind of growth/unique insights of your protagonist, or be so exquisitely written that the experience of reading is enjoyable enough on its own and the rest doesn't matter. this provided none of that, and as a result I just don't really see the point. maybe if this was the first of its kind that I'd read I would feel differently, but at this point it feels unnecessary and overdone. at this point I'm just begging for some good surreal literary fiction because I cannot take anymore of these.

While the plot summary of Beta Vulgaris was tempting, I was slightly dissapointed with the execution. The first half of the book sets up a great psychological thriller narrative, and you as the reader begin to question what is going on. As the book progresses it doesn't answer any questions and you get somewhat tired of the inner monologue of the main character.

This book is worth all the hype and amazing reviews on Goodreads.
An excellent narrative of a young woman struggling to make life work. Her parents have no concept of current social situation - a college graduate desperate to keep a low paying grocery store job. Spending money on quality food to care for her self yet cannot cover rent. Parents constant attempt at support but so misdirected. Like her mother's dieting plan during adolescent years.
Counting the calories was so confusing at first but did it hit hard.
Ultimately this book told me women are tired of carrying everything. We are tired. We are tired of counting calories. We're tired of buying the laundry detergent. We're tired of men's wealth and sense of entitlement.
We must go back to basics - to the beets, to the earth, to nature.
Such a great book!

First off, this premise is wild—in the best way. Harvesting sugar beets in rural Minnesota while enduring graveyard shifts, strange disappearances, and even creepier threats from the beet pile itself? Yeah, I was in.

Elise’s unsettling descent into anxiety, jealousy, and disordered eating made for a psychological thriller where the real horrors were in her own mind. The palpable suspense in the first half had me on edge—it almost felt like watching Uncut Gems, that same gnawing feeling of dread as I waited for something big to happen.

But that was where it lost me a bit. By the halfway point, the tension started to drag without a clear payoff. The unique setup kept me reading, but the second half didn’t quite land as strongly as I’d hoped. Still, I credit it for an audacious and eerie premise that stands out.

Thanks to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3 stars for an original concept that left me wanting just a little more payoff.

felt that creating a surreal nature of beet farming and industrialization was intriguing to read about at first.… what followed instead (for the most part) was body dysmorphia and crashing out over her abandonment. I also just want to be a lil bean and not be perceived… but I was annoyed with her! the apparitions and stream of consciousness was nice but felt this was a bore until the 75% mark. compelling but not compelling enough!
Thank you W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the arc!

Brutal, visceral, and disturbingly fun, Beta Vulgaris is the kind of horror story that I never get tired of reading. If you liked Bunny by Mona Awad, then put this book up next on your list, because it is equally as weird and wonderful. Margie Sarsfield brings Elise to life in a devastatingly realistic portrayal of mental illness and modern issues, and then she masterfully mixes in some weirdly effective agriculture horror, making Beta Vulgaris one of the most memorable books of the year. This book is truly something you won't want to miss.

So, let's get into it.

Characters- Elise, our main character, is startling in her authenticity. The author manages to capture the way that mental illness leaks into every aspect of life in such a genuine way with Elise, and at times, her inner dialogue was so real and raw that it made me ill. This character is so well done that calling her a character seems disrespectful. Elise feels real in a way that hurts, which makes her the perfect protagonist for an uncomfortable horror story like this one. Everything about Elise feels right, her constant worrying, self-sabotage, her paranoia, her issues with her self-image and her desperate desire to be liked while simultaneously believing that everyone hates her. At times, her inner monologue feels like it was ripped right out of my own head. I understood this character so well, and I truly believed every decision she made as the story progressed, even when I could see, as the reader, that she was headed towards doom. Hats off to Sarsfield, that's some damn good character writing. All of the other characters in this book are well done too, don't let my love for Elise overshadow that. From Tom, the love interest, to the unnamed crust punk kids hanging around the camp sites, everyone in this story felt so tangible. 5/5

Plot- I found the plot of this story to be very refreshing and unique, I knew from reading the blurb that this was going to be different from any other book I'd read (I mean really, how many beat-harvesting horror books can you name?) but the author continued to deliver the more that I read. The way that the story unfolds feels like a nightmare come to life, and I don't even want to describe it with words, I just want everyone to go read this book. This is weird horror at its absolute best! Elise and Tom travel to Minnestoa to work a seasonal job harvesting sugar beets, but things take a turn when people start disappearing from camp. I know nothing about sugar beets or how they are harvested, so I can't say if any of that stuff is accurate, but Margie Sarsfield brought the whole scene to life in a way that had me feeling like I was right out there working the piler with Elise. The mystery here was built up so masterfully and the final decent into madness was fantastic. 4.5 for the plot.

Relationship- Now, this is a sh*tty relationship done right. I fully bought Elise and Tom as a couple, including all of their problems. Elise is a mess, and Tom is a thoughtless rich kid who is trying very hard to not come across like a rich kid. I really appreciated that the author waited so long to reveal that Tom had previously cheated on Elise, because when that little tidbit does finally drop, it ties so many things together in a very satisfying way. Tom is the worst, but I don't doubt for a second that Elise would think the world of him. Their relationship feels so nuanced, and I'm just so happy that Tom is written in so many layers. He easily could have been a stereotypical 'bad boyfriend' character, but instead the author brings him to life just as much as she does for Elise, so that despite his many flaws, I understand and believe their relationship, and how it brought them to the setting of this story. 4.5/5. Also, I have to say it again, Tom is THE WORST.

Horror- Beta Vulgaris brings some scrumptious horror to the table, I must say. It's subtle and weird, and it's the kind of book that leaves you with more questions than answers. It's haunting, upsetting, and also... sexy? If someone were to pitch me this book before I'd gone into it, I might have thought they were insane. A mashup up political fatigue, eating disorders, financial and social anxiety, physical labor, mind-bending visuals, Midwestern Gothicism, bisexual lust and BEETS? Yeah, I don't know about that. But it works! This story is so uncomfortable that it made me want to crawl out of my own skin, and I loved every second of it. Thats some good, weird horror! My only complaint is that I honestly wish the author took it a bit farther in the end. I don't mind a cold cut-off ending like we see here, but I think that the story could have been well served to simmer in its insanity for another 10-20 pages at the end. I'd have loved to see Elise go completely off her rocker just a little bit more. 4/5

Beta Vulgaris is getting a 4/5 from me, as well as a high recommendation to anyone who enjoys weird horror as much as I do. I have a lot of respect for someone who manages to make beets scary. Margie Sarsfield is a name to watch out for, that's for sure. Whatever she does next, I will be excited about. This book has my heart and will be haunting me for a long time to come, I can feel it. Congratulations on a stellar debut Margie!

This was so captivating. I was hooked from the first page. It was suspenseful but beautifully written and I had no idea what was going to happen. The place was described so well. The characters so flushed out. The bleakness, the despair, the cold . . . . all of it invaded my senses to the point where I read this book in one day. I can guarantee you haven't read a book like this one before and for that reason alone, I can't recommend this one enough!

Beta Vulgaris comes out next week on February 11, 2025, and you can purchase HERE! I love this book!! Definitely recommend this for fans of literary fiction, especially if (like me) you love Claire Vaye Watkins.

You are a sugar beet.

You have spent months becoming: pushing yourself free of hard shell, snaking your newborn fibers through the soil, sprouting leaves, amassing, absorbing, aliving yourself into something fat and bulbous and full of candied potential. You are already a survivor. You were not consumed by sugar beet maggots. You did not succumb to root madness. All that good, hard, organic work, just to wind up dead and frosted over on concrete. Not even any dirt beneath you to remind you of home.

Elise and her boyfriend Tom travel to Minnesota from New York for a job harvesting sugar beets. Elise struggles with an eating disorder, her financial well being isn't the best, and her relationship begins to crumble. On top of all that, her coworkers begin to disappear amongst other strange occurrences.

This is a slow burn literary horror. It's heavily character driven and focuses a lot on how Elise's struggles make her mental state spiral. The strange things that happen to her are very surreal and it's hard to discern what's reality and what isn't. It gives fever dream, which I'm not really a fan of. If you like weird literary fiction, you will enjoy this.

Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the e-arc.

Available February 11th, 2025.