Reviews with content warning for Fire/Fire injury - Ripe

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Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

24 reviews

kaymichelle's review against another edition

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dark sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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avocadotoastbee's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Ripe is for people with mommy issues who cried watching Ladybird and enjoyed My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfeigh, as well as Sarah Rose Etter's previous novel The Book of X.

Just as in The Book of X, we follow the protagonist, Cassie. Perhaps it is a different version of Cassie from The Book of X. The novel is set in Silicon Valley, where Cassie works at a tech start-up and struggles with life in the late capitalist world - housing crisis, a deadly virus, working 90 hours a week and appearing to cope with it all.

"A single choice made with the best intentions can become a terrible life. Imagine biting into a seemingly ripe fruit, only to have your mouth filled with rot."

What makes the story so bizarre is that Cassie was born with a black hole always hovering next to her.
If you've read The Book of X and liked Etter's writing style, you'll love Ripe, too.
Throughout the book, Sarah Rose Etter inserts facts about black holes, physics, and word definitions.

"it was just me and the black hole, which spiraled wider. I stared into the abyss and wondered, not for the first or the last time, what would become of me if I let myself fall inside."

I just wished the ending hadn't been so abrupt. I would have liked to know more about Cassie's thoughts after the abortion and how she felt at her last meeting at work. I feel like the last few pages could have been stretched out a bit more.

All in all, I was stunned by Ripe. I related to it on a deep level and at times I felt like Etter was in my head, taking my life and thoughts as inspiration. The way she describes certain themes is unmatched. I can't wait to read more from her.
She has easily become one of my favorite authors this year.

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servemethesky's review

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challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Sarah Rose Etter has done it again. The Book of X is one of my favorite books of all time. For me, Ripe did not surpass it. Etter’s critique of capitalism and depiction of our current dystopia is spot-on, but it was almost painful to read at times because it’s so real and bleak. The Book of X is more surreal and removed from our current moment, so I preferred it and the emotional punch it packs.

Nonetheless, Ripe is beautifully done. The prose is sharp and gorgeous. The bite-sized chapters make it easy to fly through this book. For those who have read The Book of X, you might see the ending coming. I love that the ending can be read in a hopeful light depending on how you feel about the research presented on wormholes.

The pregnancy plot was not my favorite aspect. It definitely gives the novel a sense of urgency, but it was hard to watch the protagonist do cocaine and drink while knowing she’s most likely pregnant. If you’re currently trying and struggling to get pregnant, you might want to skip this book for now. I appreciate the realistic depiction of abortion, though, and Etter’s clear point that women deserve the right to choose.

Etter’s use of definitions, research, notes, and examples felt so different and fresh to me in The Book of X, and a little more familiar and expected here. They’re utilized effectively, though. I loved how she structured the novel around the layers of a pomegranate. So creative + brilliant.

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rainyreadss's review

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dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

A novel I preordered the moment it was announced and have been eagerly anticipating ever since. I read this book within 24 hours of it arriving in the mail. Nearly every page has some sort of ecstatic marking. There’s something magical, mythical even, about a book whose reading comes off as an experience. It sticks with you. Ripe is one such novel.

Many things swarm throughout Sarah Rose Etter’s second novel, Ripe- black holes, pomegranate seeds, wasps, and time, to only name a few. There is an ache within this book which resounds with the ache in its readers. It’s heavy, but a weight worth carrying.

Ripe is bright red, burning through love, disgust, relationships, disillusionment, light, and fear. Here, the blade is always sharpened. There are moments where I couldn’t tell where I was aiming the knife- outwards, toward the tech obsessed, corrupted society, or inwards toward the own dark looming within? We are what the world makes us, or are we?

Ripe is an electric grid thrumming, ready to shock. Its prose is witty, disarming, tender yet brutal, unwavering. Throughout the novel, the main character, Cassie wonders about life- if this life is what she wanted, if this is all life has in store, if this life is worth it, if this is really being alive. As I read Ripe, and thinking about it after, my pulse quickens, and I realized that I, too, am really alive. If you can be convinced of one thing, it should be to read this book right away. Don’t keep the black hole waiting.

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