Shelfology Book Pairing

by Beth Morgan

Ottessa Moshfegh meets David Cronenberg in this viciously funny and terrifying debut novel about a love triangle so toxic that it breaks the order of the universe and unleashes a literal monster. Remy and Alicia, a couple of insecure 30-something service workers, are not particularly happy together. But they are bound by a shared obsession with Jen, a beautiful, globe-trotting jewelry designer who seems--on social media, at least--to be following her bliss. In and outside the bedroom, Remy and Alicia's entire relationship revolves around fantasies of Jen, whose every Instagram caption, outfit, and new age mantra they know by heart. Imagine their confused excitement when they run into Jen, in the flesh, and she invites them on a surfing trip to the Hamptons with her wealthy boyfriend and their group. Once there, Remy and Alicia try to fit into Jen's exalted social circle, but violent desires and class resentment bubble beneath the surface of this beachside paradise, and before long disturbing things start to happen. Prepare for sleepwalking attacks, stalking, murder, text messages from the afterlife, a visitor from another dimension, and more. Part millennial social comedy, part psychedelic horror, and all wildly entertaining, A Touch of Jen is a sly, unflinching examination of the hidden drives that lurk just outside the frame of our carefully curated selves.

by Jen Beagin