Et cetera : What We're Reading: Ripe

'Ripe' by Sarah Rose Etter is my latest dystopian find on the Libby App. Cassie has moved to Silicon Valley to work for a start-up that promised her the world on a silver platter, but instead leaves her working days, nights, and weekends for barely enough pay to survive. What is strange and striking about 'Ripe' is the presence of a black hole that has followed Cassie since childhood—beginning with her strained relationship with her mother. The black hole is like an invisible, sinister companion; it ebbs and shifts with her, sometimes vibrating close enough to sing a hymn.

As her depression deepens, the black hole expands—especially after she becomes pregnant by a man who still lives with his girlfriend, all while battling a drug addiction fueled by the relentless demands of her job.

This was a strange and haunting read, written in lyrical detail, almost like a long poem capturing the battles of depression. ~Heather