The Book of X

Visceral, raw, devastating, surreal but incredibly human simultaneously. I don't think I've ever read a book like The Book of X and I'm not sure that anything will ever come this close again. This is my second book by Sarah Rose Etter and I love it as much as I loved Ripe. I'm so glad that VERVE is republishing this because this is girlhood in a book and everyone should read it.

Thank you so much to VERVE Books for the ARC and the opportunity to read this before the book is released in ebook on 8th August 2024 and in paperback on 5th December 2024. I'm preordering my copy this afternoon! #TheBookOfX #NetGalley

3.5

Ripe was easily my favourite read of 2023, so the moment The Book of X popped up on NetGalley, I requested it! While this book was first published in 2019, it’s been released by Verve with a swish new cover and slated to hit the shelves in December 2024!

What worked for me:
● The formatting is unusual but once I got into the rhythm, I really enjoyed it. It flows well and held my attention by breaking the story into paragraphs.
● I liked the sections with the bullet point facts
● The writing is excellent - Sarah Rose Etter has a great writing style and I really enjoy how she tells her stories
● Cassie was a complex, interesting character that, at times, deeply frustrated me but I cheered her along the whole way
● The themes and commentary on capitalism, gender roles, womanhood, body image were expertly crafted
● I could see some of the themes and ideas that would go on to produce Ripe emerging in this story
● The surrealism vibe

What I wasn’t so keen on:
● It’s a personal preference but I don’t enjoy body horror. There was a lot of imagery, explicit detail, and all-too-real-pain in this book that made me squeamish and slightly nauseous.
● This is a very bleak book.
● Overall, this wasn’t quite as polished to perfection the way that Ripe was.

Folks who are keen for an expansion of the themes of Ripe but with more body horror, this could be for you! Please check the content warnings before diving in.

I said it in my review for Ripe, and I’ll say it again: Sarah Rose Etter is an author to watch. Now, technically, The Book of X is an older book that Ripe and from Etter’s back catalogue. Giving the development in Etter’s style and writing, I’m deeply excited to see what she pens next!

I was privileged to have my request to read this book accepted through NetGalley. Thank you so much, Verve Books!

The Book of X is a beautiful, surreal, and emotive read that i greatly enjoyed.
It follows the journey of Cassie, who is born with a knot, the same as her mother and her mother before. Throughout this novel it feels so realistic while throwing out some really surreal concepts which blur the line in a wonderful way.

It follows the growing up of Cassie and her heartache, her trauma, and the struggle she faces with self acceptance.

I thoroughly enjoy Sarah Rose Etter's writing within style throughout this book and found it easy to follow, and really was invested in Cassie and her choices.

I would recommend this book!

The Book of X by Sarah Rose Etter is highly imaginative and creative but relatably real at the same time. The writing is lyrical and poetic and visceral. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Alright, here we go.
3,5 stars rounded up.
Cassie is born with a stomach knot; a knot which becomes a cause for abuse and mistreatment, dysmorphia and a symbol for her life stages.
Content warning; multiple - verbal abuse, sexual abuse, suicide…

Etter’s a master of her craft. Her prose is snappy, energetic and fits well with the themes of this book.
Without giving any spoilers, this book is structured into small sections - I enjoyed these the first couple of times however, the content of this book, the story, the writing and the characterisation are so intriguing, smart and gritty that I found the facts sections and the repetition of the title ‘vision’ a bit distracting and predictable (formulaic) for such an intense, amazing work. If the book were structured differently, my star rating could have been 4.5. Yet, this is still negligible to some extent. I am eager to read Etter’s other work as her writing is exactly my cup of tea and fresh.

Now this is some gorgeous surrealism. The world was intriguing, shocking and disturbing but I didn’t want to put it down.

There were numerous interesting themes throughout this book with exploring loneliness and building senses of desperation.

The formatting was odd at first however I really enjoyed it and had me reading SUPER FAST. I felt it flowed well and almost felt conversational with how quickly things were changing but there were also added snippets. I definitely enjoyed the body horror aspects.

I loved the factual point breaks and felt like they both came at good times but also they were all relevant and interesting facts.

I am yet to read Ripe but this book makes me want to read that and anything Sarah Rose Etter puts out.

Thank you to netgalley and verve books for the arc.

As beautiful as it is bizarre, The Book of X is unlike anything I’ve ever before read. It is one of the most visceral, mind-bending reading experiences I have had in a very long time.

I really enjoyed this book, I don't normally read books in a day, but I devoured this within 24 hours. Not perfect, as my review states, but Sarah Rose Etter is a great writer and I'm really glad I had a chance to read the arc in advance of the re-issue. Many thanks for that and I will be purchasing a physical copy of this and promoting it on my Instagram page.

this was INSANE. It was eerie and visceral and completely bizarre and I loved it.
ive never read a book that followed a similar format before, and I thought this was potentially going to be a case of concern in my reading experience- but it just elevated the surreal beyond. This makes me want to read anything else that Sarah Rose Etter puts out into the world.

My only hold back was that I felt it a challenge to build a connection to Cassie, the main character. She felt beyond my touch, which I suppose only adds to the complex layers to this story, but I just wanted to be able to sympathise with her at one point so I could follow her progression and development.

All aside though this was fucking great.

A girl with a knot for a midriff, whose family own a meat quarry - where meat is mined. Honestly, this was a great read, great concept and enthralling. Cassie wants to live a 'normal' life, without this knot, which makes her a freak to her peers. Her mother, and grandmother, both had this knot, but it was a rare case with no cure but plenty of quack surgeons. Cassie trusted too easily and was abused by her s0-called friends, even her 'positive workplace boss' was a let-down.

I really enjoyed this and definitely recommend it.