Girl Dinner - by Olivie Blake (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six, Girl Dinner is a darkly fun novel about power, lust, and eating your fill, as wealthy moms and sorority girls practice a sinister new wellness trend . . .

Good girls deserve a treat.

Every member of The House, the most exclusive sorority on campus, and all its alumnae, are beautiful, high-achieving, and universally respected.

After a freshman year she would rather forget, sophomore Nina Kaur knows being one of the chosen few accepted into The House is the first step in her path to the brightest possible future. Once she's taken into their fold, the House will surely ease her fears of failure and protect her from those who see a young woman on her own as easy prey.

Meanwhile, adjunct professor Dr. Sloane Hartley is struggling to return to work after accepting a demotion to support her partner's new position at the cutthroat University. After eighteen months at home with her newborn daughter, Sloane's clothes don't fit right, her girl-dad husband isn't as present as he thinks he is, and even the few hours a day she's apart from her child fill her psyche with paralyzing ennui. When invited to be The House's academic liaison, Sloane enviously drinks in the way the alumnae seem to have it all, achieving a level of collective perfection that Sloane so desperately craves.

As Nina and Sloane each get drawn deeper into the arcane rituals of the sisterhood, they learn that living well comes with bloody costs. And when they are finally invited to the table, they will have to decide just how much they can stomach in the name of solidarity and power.

Review Quotes

"Darkly comedic ... Blake proves herself witty, stylish and unafraid of big ideas."--The New York Times Book Review

"At once hilarious, scathing, insightful, and heartbreaking--I devoured Girl Dinner! Olivie Blake never pulls any punches, defies genre boundaries, and this book cements her as one of the most unique voices writing at the moment. I live for her commentary on motherhood, relationships, and above all, academia. This book is the fever dream I never knew I needed, and I'm going to recommend it to everyone I meet!"--Ali Hazelwood, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

"A series of biting jokes in a trench coat, Girl Dinner is what all good satire should be: slick, sharp, furious, and full of love."--Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of The Everlasting

"Bracing and darkly funny, Girl Dinner is filled with the fire of feminist rage that burns so good. Also, some cannibalism, as a treat." --TJ Klune, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"As always, Blake eats! Girl Dinner is truly brilliant--a precise and ruthless novel about the impossibility of being a woman and a mother, it also answers the question of what it takes to win when you start from a losing position. I savored every morsel of this wickedly fun and deeply satisfying interrogation of sisterhood, sorority life, and the true cost of success."--Ling Ling Huang, author of Natural Beauty and Immaculate Conception

"A book that whets your appetite before devouring you whole. Girl Dinner is cunning, charged, and just as you're comfortable--a profound shock. Perfect for the era we live in."--Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Longings

"A brilliant head trip of a book, Olivie Blake constantly comes at timely topics from new and interesting angles. I can't wait to see what she does next!"--Katee Robert, New York Times bestselling author of Neon Gods

"Hot. girls. read. cannibal. novels!! Deliciously twisted and lipstick-stained, Girl Dinner serves up a feast of ambition, privilege, and the deadly price of belonging. I loved it." --Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb

"Whip sharp, nuanced, and highly propulsive. I will be thinking about Girl Dinner for a long time."--Hildur Knútsdóttir, author of The Night Guest

"Girl Dinner is a crackling, tense journey between the ravenous teeth of feminine rage and sorority power struggles. Overflowing with creeping dread. I devoured it and loved every second."--Chuck Tingle, USA Today bestselling author of Bury Your Gays

"A female-fueled tumbleweed of bloodthirsty seduction. A decadent dive into the dark depths of ambition and toxic relationships. Deliciously addictive."--A. R. Torre, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Lie

"An exploration of the many hungers of the female heart and the pain behind the drive to be everything to everyone, Girl Dinner shaves pearls into teeth and bites deep. As a woman, as a mother, as a wife, as an artist--I felt this story in my bones."--Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times bestselling author of The Violence

"Delicious!"--Jennifer Weiner, New York Times bestselling author of The Breakaway

"Combining dark academia and biting satire, Blake's first foray into horror is a delectable treat. ... Timely and funny." --Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

"Sinister and downright surprising--you'll see!...Endlessly quotable, highly entertaining."--Kirkus Reviews

"Daring, ironic, and bold."--Booklist

"It's not just satire--it's a dark mirror held up to what we already expect of women. Expect to laugh, squirm, reflect, and probably rethink your next girl dinner."--ELLE

PRAISE FOR GIFTED & TALENTED

"Told with Blake's signature wit and driven by a cast of morally gray characters you will hate to love and love to hate, Gifted & Talented is equal parts black comedy, sharp indictment of privilege and power, and soaring, vicious drama. Addictively entertaining, this is Blake at the height of her abilities."--Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lady Macbeth

"Incisive, unsparing, and utterly brilliant. Gifted & Talented is a remarkable character study meditating on the consequences of dynasty and power. Olivie Blake's storytelling has risen to empyrean heights." --Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Longings

"Take the love-to-hate-'em siblings of Succession, add a dash of The Magicians' real-world magic, and put it together with Olivie Blake's stellar sense of humor, and you have Gifted & Talented, a refreshing tale of spoiled-sibling woe, mysterious curses, and family complexity that will absolutely delight you."--Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When Among Crows

"Olivie Blake's singular narrative voice sparkles in Gifted & Talented--a timely tale of greed, ambition, and rivalry which eviscerates the world of wealth and privilege in nimble and terrific style."--M. L. Rio, bestselling author of If We Were Villians

"Gifted & Talented is a wickedly funny book about perfectly horrible people--and some of them even get what they deserve. Blake's sly prose and vivid character work bring the dreadful siblings to life, but also give us moments of heart-clenching tenderness. A delight."--Emily Tesh, Hugo Award-winning author of Some Desperate Glory

About the Author

OLIVIE BLAKE is the New York Times bestselling author of sci-fi and fantasy for adults, including The Atlas Six trilogy, Alone with You in the Ether, Masters of Death, the short story collection Januaries, and her most recent novel, Girl Dinner. With Little Chmura, she is the co-creator of the graphic series Clara and the Devil. As Alexene Farol Follmuth, she is also the author of the young adult novels My Mechanical Romance and Twelfth Knight. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.