Absorbed by Kylie Whitehead

 

Absorbed by Kylie Whitehead.

Published 27th May 2021 by New Ruins.

From the cover of the book:

Allison has been with Owen since university. She's given up on writing her novel and is working a dull office job at the local council - now it feels like the only interesting thing about her is that she's Owens girlfriend. 

But he's slipping away from her, and Allison has no idea who she'll be without him. 

Panicking, she absorbs him...

Soon Allison begins taking on Owens best qualities, becoming the person she always thought she should be. But is Owen all she needs to complete herself? 

Will Allison ever be a whole person?

Absorbed is an original and timely debut novel about female insecurity, body horror and modern relationships. Darkly comic, it is perfect for fans of Halle Butler, Otessa Moshfegh, Sophie Mackintosh and Lara Williams.

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If you have never reached the end of a novel and thought to yourself "Well, that was a bit weird..." then, dear reader, you have really missed out, because sometimes the wackiest of concepts can really get to the heart of what it means to be human. I am here for all the wonderful weirdness that makes you think when it comes to books, and so I bring you the fabulous debut from Kylie Whitehead, Absorbed.

Absorbed is about a young woman called Allison, whose insecurities have led to her a place where she has given up on her hopes and dreams and clings desperately to her identity as Owen's girlfriend -worried that if he leaves her she will be nothing. Terrified that Owen is distancing himself from her after ten years together, as his life seems to be going upward and onward while she stagnates, she panics and... absorbs him.

Once Owen has become part of her, Allison begins a painful transformation that has her taking on his finer qualities in an attempt to become a better person and escape the darkness inside her - but will this assimilation be enough for her to be the person she wants to be?

Okay, so it's an unusual concept, but to be honest it doesn't really matter if you take Allison's absorbing habit literally or metaphorically. What you actually have here is an unusual coming of age story that explores female insecurity; unhealthy relationships; the painful act of self-discovery; and a coming to terms with the legacy of a disturbed childhood - and it imparts its message by pushing the boundaries with style.

There were times when I was reminded of the eerie bleakness of How Pale The Winter Has Made Us by Adam Scovell, the blackest humour and unravelling of the psyche of Boy Parts by Eliza Clark, and Naomi Booth's examination of the frozen human heart in her incredible Exit Management, by way of the insidious menace of Ira Levin's classic Rosemary's Baby, in the slick way it mixes original literary fiction with an underlying feel of delicious surreal horror. It's completely compulsive reading and I absorbed the whole lovely lot in a single sitting in much the same way Allison draws in Owen, unable to look away even for a minute.

As the inaugural publication from New Ruins, a brand new collaboration between two of my absolute favourite indie publishers Influx and Dead Ink, it is something of a gem that promises a treasure trove of delights in the future. Embrace the weird and wonderful and give yourself a treat!

Absorbed is available to pre-order from your favourite book retailer now, and will be published in paperback and e-book formats on 27th May 2021.

Thank you to Jordan Taylor Jones, Kylie Whitehead and New Ruins for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author: 

Kylie Whitehead is originally from rural Mid Wales and currently lives in London. She works in marketing with technology startups. Absorbed is her first novel.