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A review by bookspam
Chrysalis by Anna Metcalfe
challenging
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the digital arc in exchange for an unbiased review!
Chrysalis is about an unnamed, enigmatic woman who experiences a transformation in body and mind. Told from three perspectives that circle this woman, all of whom are enamored with her in different ways, Anna Metcalfe posits questions about agency and loneliness. I enjoyed Metcalfe's prose and exploration of what triggers a transformation in the first place. Elliot, Bella, and Susie, the three narrators from which we build our image of the woman, seek specific relationships with this woman who only seeks to be fully her own. The presence of social media/influencer culture subverts the question of who is to blame for any individual's decisions and actions in life.
Ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Chrysalis and want to read more of Anna Metcalfe's work. For fans of The Vegetarian by Han Kang and Supper Club by Lara Williams, I think Metcalfe joins an ongoing and necessary conversation about the surprisingly subversive act of women taking up space - and what drives them to reach a point of indifference towards the world which wants them to only be small.
Chrysalis is about an unnamed, enigmatic woman who experiences a transformation in body and mind. Told from three perspectives that circle this woman, all of whom are enamored with her in different ways, Anna Metcalfe posits questions about agency and loneliness. I enjoyed Metcalfe's prose and exploration of what triggers a transformation in the first place. Elliot, Bella, and Susie, the three narrators from which we build our image of the woman, seek specific relationships with this woman who only seeks to be fully her own. The presence of social media/influencer culture subverts the question of who is to blame for any individual's decisions and actions in life.
Ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Chrysalis and want to read more of Anna Metcalfe's work. For fans of The Vegetarian by Han Kang and Supper Club by Lara Williams, I think Metcalfe joins an ongoing and necessary conversation about the surprisingly subversive act of women taking up space - and what drives them to reach a point of indifference towards the world which wants them to only be small.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Eating disorder