If you love dystopian vibes with a touch of Old Hollywood glamour, North of Sunset is a must-read!

Set in a futuristic, divided Los Angeles in 2125, this debut sci-fi novel pulls you into a world of wealth, illusion, and tough choices.

Meet the protagonist Oleander Briggs, a factory worker from the gritty South of Sunset, who gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work for the mysterious Fleur family. What begins as an escape from his mundane life quickly turns into a deep dive into the dark side of luxury and the cost of chasing a better life.

From the start the story pulls you right into a world that’s so weird yet totally believable. It’s got that retro-futuristic vibe that feels both nostalgic and just a little bit terrifying.

Ahern’s writing is sharp, witty, and dripping with irony (imagine Vonnegut meets Black Mirror). It’s dystopian, but not in the usual way. The future is filled with plant-free cookies, H2O-powered cars, and a Museum of Decline (creepy, right?). Ahern’s world-building is subtle, revealing itself through clever, almost offhand details.

The themes? Deep and delicious. We’re talking cultural commentary on everything from wellness culture to corporate greed to the way tech is slowly taking over our lives. It's like the author gets the absurdity of modern life, and she’s not afraid to call it out.

But it’s not just about the world; it’s about the protagonist. He’s aging, disillusioned, and honestly, kind of stuck. His reflections on age “A-G-E, age. What a weird concept” hits right in the feels. It’s all about memory, identity, and the disconnect between who we thought we’d be vs. who we are.

I adore how Ahern weaves magical realism into this story, blurring the lines between dream and reality. The metaphor of North vs. South of Sunset? Genius. It’s all about balancing the safety of routine with the fear of unlocking your own potential.

If you love satirical sci-fi with a heart, dystopias, Hollywood glamour, that make you think, and literary fiction that feels both poetic and absurd, North of Sunset is for you.

Although the characters are great in this novel, I did find that the story dragged a little bit, and it made it difficult to make it through to the end

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

DNF @50%

i received this as an e-arc on netgalley. thank you to girl friday productions and haley ahern.

oh boy. i had high hopes for this book that i think it unfortunately failed to reach. the novel was strange, surrealist, and there was more than one point where i questioned if that truly was the case, or if the book was just not very well written. now i’d say it’s more than likely the latter. the plot is rather unbelievable, as it didn’t seem like the author actually knew how to execute the set up of the premise, and just relied on wishy washy dialogue and the hopes that readers wouldn’t think about it too hard.

prose and dialogue wise, it was unimpressive, clunky even. the characters spoke strangely, with forced quirks (hi gloria) or perceived wit. it was like the book was convinced it had something new or interesting to say, but having read it, i don’t believe it did. the unnuanced righteousness didn’t read as enlightened but rather obnoxious. the moral posturing about technology specifically was neither insightful nor enjoyable to read. it seemed very reactionary and condescending.

at 50% in the plot is meandering and seemingly unimportant. i assume this is meant to be a character focused novel. unfortunately, the characters aren’t very good.

the author certainly has a strong command of voice, so i find it unfortunate that voice is so unbearable. oleander is one of the most irritating guys i’ve ever had the displeasure of reading from. misogynistic, paranoid, with a heaping dose of narcissistic insecurity makes a protagonist that is unpleasant to read from certainly, but that is not oleander’s greatest crime. in fact, his greatest evil is that he is completely and utterly boring.

gloria is a manic pixie dream girl, with absolutely no irony. i found her dynamic with oleander to be tiring before it even started. the way men are attracted to women is just truly, so, so, uninteresting.

i won’t lie and say any other character in this book is developed enough to be worthy of a mention. they are not. i wish that this book was a win for me, but sadly it wasn’t.

3.5 stars to North of Sunset. A well-paced, entertaining read. There were some slow sections, but that did not take away from the overall enjoyment of the story.

What I liked:
1. The characters! Well-written and good development for their characters
2. Interesting concepts for creating a realistic future perfect for the story's setting by drawing on popular items from the present and showing how they will potentially be viewed 100 years from now.

What I didn't like:
1. Oleander. No, I won't be explaining. (But like, as a person. Which actually means I appreciated the author's character writing?? Idk, he seems pretty punchable.)

This one didn't quite make it to the favorites list, but that's just me. Overall, this was a fun read for the weekend. Would recommend to readers of science fiction :)

This was a solid read with some enjoyable moments. While the premise was interesting and a few characters stood out, the pacing dragged in places and the plot felt a bit uneven. Not a favorite, but worth checking out if the genre appeals to you.

I was completely captivated by the story telling in this novel. The way the author brought the characters to life and created such a vivid world was truly remarkable. The character development was awesome which is rare to find in a science fiction book. A must read for all ages. Definitely recommending for my next book club.