Best book I've read in a while - dark, shocking and compelling! Can't wait to see what Emma van Straaten write next.

I devoured this book. I had the privilege of reading Emma’s early submission when I was involved with the Discoveries Prize in its inaugural year, and even then, I knew she was something truly special.

The story centers around Alice, a young woman who becomes increasingly obsessed with the man whose house she’s been cleaning every Wednesday for a year — a man she’s never actually met in person. As the moment of their first face-to-face meeting approaches, Alice spirals deeper into the delusions she’s created for herself.

What Emma has crafted here is a novel that’s visceral, primal, and utterly raw. Yes, it’s a book about obsession, but it’s also about loneliness, the heavy expectations we place on romantic love, and a woman’s struggle with her self-esteem. It’s honestly such an impressive debut!

Alice has been cleaning Tom’s flat for some time and develops an unhealthy obsession with him, despite never having met him. Her obsession builds and her behaviour and stream of thoughts become more alarming as the novel goes on.
Unreliable and unhinged narrator - check. Unsettling and engrossing - check.
I couldn't put this down for the first half but I felt it lost abit of steam after that. It wasn’t a read I enjoyed, in fact, I found it downright uncomfortable, but that was probably the point!

I am not sure where to start with this one. For the first thirty per cent, I was nearly-constantly on the verge of DNF’ing – I ploughed on because it was short, and relatively easy to read. But something about Alice’s story kept drawing me in and I am really glad that I finished the book, despite the less than stellar beginning.
Alice cleans Tom’s flat; she is also fully, delusionally convinced that herself and Tom are destined to end up together. They have literally never met but she feels that she knows him thanks to her job. This unhinged premise reminded me a bit of Maud Ventura’s “My Husband” from last year; like the narrator of that novel, Alice’s obsession stems from cripplingly low self-esteem. She has a fraught relationship with her body and her family – but above all she is desperately lonely, which fuels her obsession with Tom.
As you may have gathered, this was a novel of two halves for me. I found the writing style hard to get used to; over-written is putting it mildly. he prose was too purple, the language over-the-top but not vivid. Alice’s narrative voice is strong but she doesn’t speak like a real person, which is rapidly becoming a major gripe for me, especially when it comes to character-driven novels like this one.
Alice is obviously an unreliable narrator of the highest form, and fairly unhinged; I think these characters work best in a literary context when we kind of understand where we’re coming from – it’s why novels like Gone Girl and My Year of Rest and Relaxation work so well. Who amongst us, etc etc. But I just didn’t get Alice, or why she was so obsessed with Tom. She didn’t develop over the course of the novel either, so it made it really hard to connect with her beyond muttering “jesus, this girl needs therapy” under my breath every five minutes.

The ending was…a choice. I still can’t work out how to feel about it. I kind of love when this sort of novel makes me feel like I am losing my mind alongside the narrator, but a lot of it just felt a bit chaotic and strange. 3 stars, one for Hanako Footman’s impeccable narration.

Alice is an unreliable and obsessive narrator. In this disturbing and dark tale the protagonist is sure that the man she is cleaning for is the love of her life. He just doesn't know it yet. Van Straaten has a wonderful and unique writing style. I couldn't put this book down. Fantastic!

INTRO
I had started hearing hype about this book last year and had become practically unhinged with my obsession of it. When the publishers Little, Brown Book Co and NetGalley allowed me to read an advance copy I could have kissed them in my euphoria. They asked for my honest thoughts in exchange for the ARC and all I can say is this book is off-the-charts amazing with an absolutely ICONIC character in Alice. I knew this book and I were meant to be together, that's right this is "The One" you need to read it!

SYNOPSIS
Alice has been cleaning Tom’s flat for almost a year. He is her only client, her ‘soul’ focus. Alice cleans, collects, documents, and takes samples every Wednesday from 9-10am. Her tender fascination with Tom has grown into unhinged obsession, and despite never meeting in person, she is convinced they are meant to be together. Tom is unaware that his cleaner is reading and curating his inbox, engineering the perfect meet cute via his diary, and scaring off any potential threats to their future happiness. Committed to her belief that he is ‘The One’ Alice is blindsided when her fantasy faces reality.

MY THOUGHTS
I confess I am obsessed with Alice. I adore books about unhinged women. I feel Emma Van Straaten has created an absolutely ICONIC character in Alice but also one who needs treating sympathetically and with care. Alice is a victim of one of the most common circumstances we face in todays society; isolation and loneliness are key drivers in her unhinged behaviour. She has an obsessive need to connect with another human and believes romantic love is the answer. Alice is also crippled by the unbearable pain of body dysphoria caused by the cruelty of her peers following her lack of understanding around romantic interactions and appropriateness during her formative years at school

I will never stop thinking about Alice, about the way women talk to themselves, and treat their bodies, and view love as the answer to fulfilment. This is one of the best books I have read so far in 2025. This is a love sonnet to the lonely, and the lengths it can drive behaviour for human connection.

From the moment you open the pages of This Immaculate Body you cannot stop turning the pages.
It’s a one-woman monologue told by Alice, Alice who cleans Tom’s flat every Wednesday and then goes to her everyday job as a paralegal.
All very ordinary, but Alice is far from ordinary, she is obsessed with Tom, with the idea of Tom, of his clothes, the sheets on his bed, the gherkins that she regularly tops up in his fridge. Alice and Tom are destined to be together, to marry and live the romantic dream, happily ever after, except Tom is unaware, has no knowledge that Alice loves him.
This is the story of a mad, unhinged woman or did something else lurk beneath that drove Alice to more bizarre and extreme measures for that final coming together, of Tom’s realisation that he loves Alice.
I was utterly wrapped in the narrative, at turns shocked, felt empathy, sorrow, disgust, wanted to yell at Alice to stop, to get help. This was a woman spiraling out of control pushed by the actions of Tom but also her own mind twisting his actions to mean something else. Her final act was one of desperation but finally revealed to the reader the reasons behind her mindset, her actions.
This was an utterly brilliant novel of a woman’s spiraling mental health, lonely, isolated, no self-worth, looking for love, for validation, unable to take compliments on her apparent beauty. And what about that ending - wow
Fantastic!

Oh My God.

This book was insane.

I urge everyone to go into this book blind— the less you know, the better.

The opening — chef’s kiss. It tricks you into thinking it’s going to be a love story, and then the insanity begins.

At first, the protagonist’s obsession with Tom reminded me of My Husband by Maud Ventura — fixated and devoted. But as the novel progressed, it got more unhinged, and was like a gender-reversed Tom Ripley with even more delusion. The lengths she goes to and the way she justifies her actions is terrifying, yet compelling.

This is the kind of story that’s going to linger in my head for a long time. I’m still trying to process what I’ve just read!

This Immaculate Body is completely unhinged, and an utterly wild ride that kept me guessing right the way through. It is a potent portrayal of obsession, with a lead character who has become so obsessed with a man she cleans for (who she’s never met) that it’s blinded her to reality. Alice is an absolute car crash of a character, but one you will struggle to look away from; there were several moments I almost couldn’t read on, not wanting to witness what was about to happen! This is by no means a comfortable read, but I can’t deny how well her character and world were brought to life.

The pacing of this book is incredibly fast, as soon as you come to terms with what it is you are reading. For me, I spent the first 50 pages wondering where the story was going, before it started dawning on me just how deep the trauma and delusion was running; the rest went by in a horrifying blur. Much of this increase in pace comes from me not being able to put the book down, as the plot spirals towards its punchy conclusion. Just when you think the character’s decisions can’t get any worse, Alice finds a new way to make me gasp in horror!

I found this book to be a very uncomfortable read, which is no doubt intended, but there seemed to be very little insight or reward at the end of the drawn-out and overshared account of Alice's descent into severe mental illness. Alice becomes increasingly isolated as she becomes fixated on one of her cleaning clients and her fantasy of a life with him strengthens in response to how far it departs from reality. Not a book to enjoy, rather to endure and to hope that when she needs it, Alice is able to find the help she so clearly needs.

I was asked to review this by NetGalley

Strange book - a lady who cleans a mans flat weekly - but then becomes obsessed with him and i get that cleaning staff will touch your stuff but this went beyond.

Read whilst I was not in a good place with life so found this a tad upsetting for me. Dont get me wrong interesting subject obsession and was written well

just not my bag sorry,

Well, if there's ever an unreliable narrator then Alice is definitely it. This is a creepy as hell novel and I've got to say, the author writes the crazed obsession character well. The problem is that there isn't anything to the book beyond the crazed obsession. It's very much a character study with very limited plot otherwise and follows Alice as she mires herself deeper and deeper in her stalker behaviour and complete mental disintegration.

There's very limited character development - Alice is unhinged at the beginning of the book and slightly more unhinged at the end of the book. The side characters are barely touched on, probably a deliberate choice as Alice is incredibly self centred throughout, but one that meant there wasn't anyone to get attached to. And there's next to no plot, other than watching as Alice makes bad decision after bad decision and thinking constantly about this man she has never actually met.

I wasn't a fan of the writing style either and the repetitive and detailed references to the menstrual cycle icked me out. I'm a woman, I have periods. I don't think I've ever had such detailed thoughts about the clots my body expels and I have no intention of pondering this for any longer. It was unnecessary and pointless, adding nothing to the narrative.

All in all, this wasn't for me although thanks go to the publishers and to NetGalley for my free review copy of this title.

This book is wild, crazy, unhinged and I just loved it !! That’s all I can really say , go in blind and enjoy the ride and never employ a cleaner!!

Wow. It's hard to know what to say about this book. It was at times horrifying, and at other times darkly funny. I'm glad I read it but was also pleased when it was over as it was often very stressful.

I'm not sure how to review this. It's a horribly uncomfortable read. Alice is an unlikeable main character with nothing going for her. We can feel sorry for her and how she got to have such low self esteem. We meet her with an unhealthy obsession with Tom whose flat she cleans. The thought of someone behaving as she does in someone else's house turns my stomach. Alice has mental health problems although she thinks her actions are rational and she will end up in a couple with Tom. She has a strange relationship with her mum and sister and we don't discover the reason until late in the book. We know the roots are in their teenage years as they were very close as children. There is self harm, stalking, mental health but nothing could make this palatable. #netgalley #thisimmaculatebody

To be honest, I’ve had a hard time getting into this story. I just couldn’t find any connection with the main character.
I DNF'd at 35%.
However, I do appreciate all the work and time the author put into this book.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Sometimes, you need a book to remind you that your daydreams are tame and normal. This is that book. A fever dream of delusion, obsession, wishful thinking and warped reality, This Immaculate Body made me feel uncomfortable and wary - in a great way.

The relentlessness of this book is astounding. There is no reprieve in the pursuit of Tom, the love interest. The balance of self-loathing and self-belief shows the fragility of mental health and self image.

Though not without faults, the pace, fortitude and agonisingly bad decisions make this a fast, easy (well, not in all meanings) read.

Delusional Disorder is an actual psychological term for people who can't tell what is real and what is imagined. Written from the point of view of the instigator rather than the victim, its delves into the psyche of a delusional stalker. It is a compelling read and Alice is a complex character. Alice cleans Ben's home and although they have never met, she is 100% confident that they are destined to be together. Through her cleaning she learns intimate details about Ben, from the cologne he wears to his preferred foods. Every tea cup in the sink or hand print on the glass window is a message to her. Alice's actions and her feelings are driven by a desire to maintain a (delusional) connection to Ben.

The style of writing is so clever you almost feel complicit in her actions. It is at times deeply uncomfortable to read, it leaves you feeling distressed...for her, for Ben. I squirmed my way through some paragraphs, it's shocking, and dark but it does make you feel for Alice. She is as much a victim as Ben, a victim of her disorder. I would have loved some Ben chapters and his take on how he felt when he was discovering the incidents at home.

I can't say I enjoyed the read because of its content but I do feel more knowledgable and changed after reading this novel.

I’m left wondering why I requested this book because it simply was not a fit for me at all. Some reviewers ( the majority) loved its wordy narrative but it was a turn off for me.

Watch this space - This Immaculate Body will be a HUGE hit among those who enjoy 'weird girl' books.

If you want to peek into the mind of a disturbing, obsessive, lonely, and spiralling woman, this is the book for you! However, don’t expect to like the protagonist too much (except when she’s volunteering at Roseacres). Alice had me laughing, cringing, rolling my eyes, and wanting to give her both a hug and shake - all of which can only be attributed to van Straaten's incredible writing. I loved that the writing felt chaotic at times, it felt as though I was truly inside the mind of a woman like Alice.

The book touches on themes of mental health, fantasies, memory, relationships, and desire in a way that will leave you wanting more.

Put simply, Alice makes Martha (Baby Reindeer) look relatively normal... and that ending!? I underestimated how twisted Alice could be. Easily a 4-star read.