This novel offers a compelling and often unsettling character study of Joan, a former punk rocker turned long-time housewife who finds herself at a crossroads once her children leave the home. Joan is not an easy protagonist to warm to, she is self-assured to the point of arrogance, frequently dismissive, and deeply convinced of the correctness of her increasingly conspiratorial beliefs. Despite these qualities, she does prove to be an engaging narrator after the initial third of the book.

What makes Joan particularly interesting are the glimpses we get of her earlier life. When she reflects on her punk rock youth, there’s an energy and authenticity that contrasts sharply with her present-day rigidity. These moments humanize her.

As the story unfolds, the novel cleverly plays with reader perception. Initially, it’s easy to dismiss Joan’s beliefs as nonsense. However, as the narrative progresses, doubt begins to creep in. The possibility that Joan may actually be right about the central conspiracy forces the reader to reevaluate their assumptions.

This tension between skepticism and belief is where the book truly shines. It challenges the reader to sit with discomfort and uncertainty, blurring the line between paranoia and insight. While Joan may remain unlikable in many respects, she is never boring, and her voice carries the story with a sharp, distinctive edge.

3/5

A middle class empty nester goes through an identity crisis that she channels into believing every conspiracy theory under the sun. She used to be a singer in a punk band until she got pregnant and had a shotgun wedding with a man who wanted a traditional stay at home wife. Once the kids have flown the nest she starts spiralling, trying to find who she actually is without the role she was pushed into.

This is a really interesting look into the mind of someone who will believe anything she hears so long as it's not backed with any official source or science. Also a good look into what happens when you sacrifice your personality for other people and find yourself without purpose or identity.

I'm not sure what to think of the ending of the book, but I am glad I picked this one up. The writing is at times pretty poetic and flowery, which is something I think will either work for you or not, but is undeniably skilled on the author's part.

Waiting to see what the author comes out with next.

Joan of the Arcane is a unique and slightly unsettling read that lingers more in the mind than the heart.

It follows a middle class empty nester unraveling into conspiracy thinking as she tries to reclaim an identity she lost years ago. Once a punk singer, now a woman untethered, Joan’s spiral is both frustrating and fascinating to watch. There’s something deeply human in the way she clings to anything that gives her a sense of meaning, even when it drifts further from reality.

The psychological element is where this really shines. It’s an interesting, at times uncomfortable look at belief, identity, and what happens when you spend years living for everyone else. I found myself genuinely invested in Joan and where her journey would take her.

The writing leans poetic, which will not work for everyone, but it’s clearly intentional and well executed.

Not a light read, but a thoughtful and well crafted one

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This one was interesting - I really enjoyed Joan's progression from sad punk star gone "housewife" to the end and loved the look into conspiracy theories.
A decent portrayal of women kicking ass and continuing with their truth, despite looking "crazy" to the normies.
I look forward to seeing what else this author brings out.

Joan Of the Arcane follows Joan, whose world tilts between faith, power, and a slowly unraveling sense of self. The story leans more into atmosphere and internal tension than big plot twists, with a surreal edge that keeps you questioning what’s real and what’s whispered in the shadows. The pacing starts slow, mostly inside Joan’s head, but the tone is so rich and eerie it pulled me in anyway. It’s introspective, a little disorienting, and the kind of story that makes you keep turning pages even when you’re not sure where it’s going.
Perfect for anyone who loves character-focused fantasy with a dark, unusual edge.

Joan is a middle aged, former punk rocker in LA. She doesn’t want to be beige and boring anymore now that she’s done raising her kids with her Golden Retriever hubs.

She’s a total conspiracy theorist, plus witchy and paranoid. I love her secret offerings and incantations to Greek goddesses, (but I draw the line at eschewing scientific evidence and/or facts). Her obsessive nature and denial of space travel is quite entertaining though.

Despite our differences, I was rooting for her wholeheartedly. Quite brave to try to take down the sketchy new neighbor who might not be who he says he is.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mindbuck Media for the eARC! Pub date August 11

I went into Joan of the Arcane expecting an offbeat occult-tinged character study, but I wasn’t expecting how psychologically immersive it would become.

At first, I was struck by the dark humour and escalating absurdity of Joan’s worldview. The book captures the contradictions of modern spirituality, wellness culture, conspiracy thinking, and identity reinvention in a way that feels both specific and deeply human. Joan can reject corrupt diamonds by throwing her jewellery into the toilet while still justifying keeping her sapphire heirloom engagement ring. She can spiral into cosmic paranoia while still worrying about gluten, aesthetics, and emotional comfort. Those contradictions make her feel real.

What impressed me most was how authentic the psychology felt. Joan doesn’t search for information to challenge her beliefs — she searches until she finds the answer that emotionally satisfies her. The book understands how easily online rabbit holes, loneliness, grief, identity shifts, and the desire for belonging can merge into something all-consuming. Her husband’s growing concern, especially his fear that this obsession may be connected to empty nest syndrome and emotional loss, adds a deeply human layer beneath the increasingly ominous atmosphere.

Somewhere along the way, the experience of reading quietly shifted for me. What initially felt eccentric and exaggerated slowly became unsettlingly immersive. I found myself mistrusting characters, scanning for hidden motives, and slipping into Joan’s escalating pattern-recognition mindset even while recognizing how extreme some of her conclusions were. That is incredibly difficult to achieve as a writer.

The prose itself mirrors Joan’s emotional state beautifully. Everyday actions become charged with mythic or symbolic significance, creating this strange blend of humour, paranoia, emotional vulnerability, and psychological tension. The result is a book that feels simultaneously intimate, unsettling, and surprisingly compassionate toward its characters.

This ended up being such an interesting character study — psychologically sharp, immersive, funny in unexpected ways, and increasingly ominous as it unfolds. Alexandra Fleder has a huge amount of talent, and I’ll absolutely be looking for more from her after this.

This book is perfect for fans of Mona Awad's "Bunny," as it has very similar witchy/weird girl vibes. Just as I experienced reading "Bunny," I couldn't say I was super confident in fully understanding parts of this book, but I learned quickly that that's what made it so interesting. "Joan of the Arcane" follows the story of an ex-punk rock band vocalist who abandoned the rush of the hardcore music life for a standard, even conservative one, raising two kids with her husband. But after those kids have grown up, she immediately looks for the rush she received in her more youthful days, and finds it through wild conspiracy videos and developing her own unsavory theories about a new neighbor.

I enjoyed the oddball nature of this book a lot, though sometimes I cringed on Joan's behalf, wondering how she could possibly believe the things she consumed online. But ultimately, these things do drive her to live a life that is far from mundane/boring, and I learned to really like that about her character.

a former punk rocker turned suburban wife falls headfirst into conspiracy theories after becoming convinced her new neighbor is a dead astronaut. weird, funny, and just self-aware enough that halfway through I was like “ok but what if she’s right though.”

This was a very interesting read. Joan was a complex character. She essentially started to believe every single conspiracy theory as absolute truth. She was also trying to live a life where she didn’t exactly fit in. All of this leads to some funny neighborhood antics with her new friend Selena as they try to uncover the truth about Joan’s new neighbor, Glen.

I enjoyed the writing although there were times when Joan’s rambling thoughts went on a bit too long, and I found myself losing focus on the story. Despite that, I still thought this was a really unique story that is worth a read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Mindbuck Media for proving me with an eARC of this book. I’m leaving my review voluntarily.

Joan of the Arcane is an absolutely wonderful debut that I devoured very quickly and enthusiastically. I heartily recommend it to fans of weird women literature specifically, and to readers of literary fiction in general. It's a unique book that has so many great qualities, from the beautiful poetry of the prose to the quirky nature of the protagonist, Joan. I am excited to see how the book performs once it's released in August 2026 and I am looking forward to more from Alexandra Fleder!

Joan was the lead singer of the titular punk band Joan of the Arcane, but decades later she's now a middle-aged empty-nester with too much time on her hands and a pathologically open mind. Her son introduces her to the wild and wacky world of conspiracy theories, and her daughter leaves behind some books on witchcraft and spiritualism that further cement her burgeoning need to break free from what she considers normal. Her husband John, a straight-laced realtor and the epitome of a "normie," is increasingly concerned about what he considers to be her decline. The tension escalates when Joan fixates on the new neighbor John has just sold a house to, creating a little mystery for her to solve. She meets a simpatico new friend, Selena, and the pair works together to bring to light the conspiracy they believe is being perpetuated.

The book is an excellent character study and I found Joan very enjoyable to spend time with. Her takes are often hilarious, but she also has some sound concerns that may be worth considering. The point is not to laugh at Joan, but to sympathize with her and try to understand why she is like the way she is. This book reminds me of Paradise Logic by Sophie Kemp, probably because both have unhinged female main characters who are obsessed with alternate theories of reality. I think fans of that book would really enjoy this one.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you both the publisher, the author and NetGalley for an opportunity to read The Joan of the Arcane and share my thoughts about the book.

I didn’t know what to expect when I saw the book in NetGalley but it gave me that weird woman literature vibe and I always love weird women. I wasn’t disappointed and I think this will work well for other readers who like weird girls and weird girl literature.

In this book we follow Joan, a previous punk rock star and nowadays suburban housewife and mom whose children have left the nest and she’s quickly filling her life with conspiracy theories. She ends up finding herself in a crazy journey with Selena as they try to prove that Joan’s new neighbor is just one big conspiracy theory himself. Their friendship is definitely something but don’t we all need someone who will enable our crazy ideas?

At first, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to feel towards Joan, but I ended up enjoying this story of hers. The book is more like a character study, and I enjoyed following her sometimes a bit wild and flawed mind a lot. I noticed that I wanted to know where the story was heading and how she would turn every possible situation into a proof that she and other people believing in conspiracy theories are right.

The only slight disappointment was the ending which felt a bit flat for me, but I enjoyed the ride. I liked the writing style which felt very fitting with Joan’s character. Overall, I was very happy that I ended up reading this book, and I’m quite excited to see what the author will do after this.

3.5 stars rounded up. There’s nothing I love more than an unhinged MC searching for themselves so hard they slowly descend into madness. The one big complaint I have that it’s a little bit surface level we could go deeper and really explore the point that sometimes motherhood makes you lose so much of yourself you cope in unhealthy ways. That said if you’re a fan of books like Nightbitch, a book I think explores this a bit better, you’ll probably enjoy this one too.

What happens when a former punk-rock singer reaches her forties, her children have left home for college, and suburban life suddenly feels like a cage? That’s where Joan finds herself in this wonderfully original and often hilarious novel about identity, conspiracy theories, and finding your way back to yourself.

Once the lead singer of Joan of the Arcane, Joan is now married to a real estate agent and living in the suburbs of Los Angeles. With an empty nest and a life that no longer feels like her own, she is desperate to break free. Then a new neighbor, Glen, moves in—and Joan becomes convinced there is something seriously wrong with him.

Her suspicions take an increasingly bizarre turn when she becomes convinced that Glen was actually a crew member aboard the space shuttle Odyssey, which supposedly exploded seconds after takeoff in 1984, killing everyone on board. If Glen survived, then what really happened, and what is he and the government hiding?

Joan’s husband isn’t buying any of it, so she turns to Selena, a new friend who is willing to entertain her theories. Together, they devise increasingly outrageous schemes to uncover the truth. Along the way, Joan summons goddesses, ancestors, herbs, and a little “magic” to help with what she sees as her heavenly assignment.

I loved how unpredictable and engaging the story is. Beneath the conspiracy theories and outrageous antics is something surprisingly relatable: a woman questioning the life she has built and trying to find her true self. Also, the reader keeps wondering if she and Selena are correct in their assumptions, or if her husband will listen to his mother and have her temporarily committed to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation. Or maybe something in between?

Funny, unconventional, and engaging, "Joan of the Arcane" is a refreshingly original novel about self-discovery, family dynamics, friendship, and finding the courage to breathe again.
(This review will be posted on UnderratedReads on Aug. 11, 2026)

I was sucked into the story from page one. Joan's voice is distinctive and compelling, and I loved following her on this journey of self-discovery. Joan is a really unique protagonist. She is unapologetically herself, even when that comes across as arrogant, naive, or incredibly stubborn. I'll confess that I didn't always like Joan -- but I rooted for her 100% of the time. And I thoroughly enjoyed seeing where the twists and turns of this story took her.

Fleder's writing is evocative and gorgeous. Her love for her characters and for the LA setting of the book are obvious. She is going to be an auto-buy author for me for sure, and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

"I came from the prefabricated homes deserted in the wrong valley with its hillsides studded with boulders instead of stars, where the residents mastered the art of invisibility and squander. I have stretched my borders and deadheaded my yellowed leaves to the nth degree, but I know it will never be enough. I will always be a beauty to some, a beast to others."


Joan of the Arcane is a kaleidoscopic fever dream of a novel, told in a narrative voice that reads somewhere between slam poetry, feminist manifesto, and the increasingly unhinged internal monologue of a woman who should look into therapy and touch grass. Alexandra Fleder's prose is loquacious and imaginative, frequently hilarious, occasionally exhausting, and almost impossible to categorize - which the plot and prose have in common. I was often bemused and uncertain as to whether I was reading advanced satire, sincere characterization, or some third category this book has invented for itself, and honestly, I don't want to know. Joan is tiring and cool and liberating and deeply frustrating, sometimes within the same paragraph, which feels like a fairly honest rendering of what it means to be a woman attempting to reinvent herself in the throes of empty nesting and marital flatline. This is a coming-of-age story of a midlife post-punk mother in stepford purgatory during an era of conspiracy clickbait, spiritual reinvention, & algorithmic radicalization. And, together, we embark the strange cultural terrain that pipelines from wellness seminar housewife to Q-adjacent suburban mystic.


The novel's feminist allegory occasionally eats itself, with Joan appropriating an almost bewildering array of cultures, histories, and faith traditions in her increasingly eccentric search for meaning. There are moments when the sheer accumulation feels intentionally carnivalesque, and others when it becomes difficult to tell whether the novel is satirizing Joan's worldview or simply letting her run absolutely wild with it. Either way, the resulting narrative is intellectually unruly in a manner both challenging and refreshing, particularly because Fleder refuses to make Joan conveniently likable in order to make her compelling. She can be ridiculous, perceptive, selfish, brave, deluded, insightful, and profoundly human, often simultaneously. It becomes the reader's job to let her remain all of those things, regardless of how many times you pause to groan audibly along the way. Is this a grueling mental pilgrimage contrived by feminism and ketamine? Is this novel what happens when a genuinely talented poet gets into Shane Dawson videos & white-girl-shamanic essential oil blends? Is it the first installment in a series of novels that will eventually try to recruit me to a cult in the desert where Joan shaves our heads and makes us drink coffee from bowls? Honestly idk what's real anymore - it's a strange, audacious, beautifully chaotic book, and I had considerably unsettling fun careening through the maize labyrinth with Joan & Winston & Selena, where in the search for sanity I am grateful not to have come up empty handed.


Thank you NetGalley and Alexandra Fleder for advanced reader access to this delightfully weird book, it's a resoundingly successful novel and I look forward to your next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC of Joan of the Arcane for me to review honestly, I wasn’t paid to read and review this book.

There is nothing that I love more than an unhinged FMC in a feminine rage plot. This book was so well thought out, and definitely for those who enjoy weird girl lit. The plot had me gasping, giggling and just straight up staring at the wall sometimes, the conspiracies in this book were quite entertaining to read about.

I’m rating this book 4 stars.