Medium Rare - by A Natasha Joukovsky (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From the author of The Portrait of a Mirror, a modern tragicomedy transforms the myth of Icarus into a blazing romp through bureaucracy, B-list fame, and college basketball...

Phil is ordinary. A mid-level Washington lobbyist for a decidedly unsexy organization, unhappy in the way all mildly successful, minimally influential men are. That is until the spring of 2019, when Phil's picks for the NCAA March Madness Tournament start panning out, and heads begin to turn his way. He really may do it: predict a perfect bracket, for a billion-dollar prize.

At first, Cassandra is just along for Phil's soaring rise--she had foreseen it happening, after all. Despite moving in different circles since their shared university days and Cassandra never much liking him, she recognizes in Phil the making of a legend worthy of the highest art. What Cassandra fails to predict, though, is just how much she'd grow to care about Phil's wife, Raleigh--and that the grandest narrative arcs sometimes unfold at the steepest of personal costs.

Dazzling in its absurd comedy, Medium Rare is not only a gambol through the upper echelon, but also a shrewd examination of madness, desire, and credibility--why don't we listen when prophetic women speak? A. Natasha Joukovsky delivers a story as layered and incisive as it is high-flying fun.

Review Quotes

"Funny, propulsive, and more than a little ruthless, Medium Rare is a shrewd interrogation of the American political class, the attention economy, and the Millennial worldview's inherent contradictions. It's also tremendous fun. A. Natasha Joukovsky's prose moves along a high-speed rail of exquisite wit and incisive observation. I could not stop reading." -- Liv Stratman, author of Cheat Day

"A modern comedy that unfolds in a culture of sports predictions, political gamesmanship, and Silicon Valley which still manages to say some serious and really smart things about the power of narratives, and where dumb luck can take you in a society of spectacle." --Martin Riker, author of The Guest Lecture

"A riveting, messy story about the perils of luck, the dangers of money, and delicacy of friendship written with merciless honesty. It is rare to read a novel that eviscerates the striving bleak cadre of lower-upper class professionals so thoroughly and enjoyably. I could not put this book down." -Kelsey McKinney, New York Times bestselling author of You Didn't Hear This From Me

"Joukovsky fillets the American dream with the razor-sharp knife it deserves. Medium Rare is a brilliant delight. I devoured it." --Isabel Kaplan, author of NSFW

"Erudite and immensely fun, this is brimming with Joukovsky's signature wry observation and superb comedic timing. This novel also packs an emotional punch, holding a funhouse mirror to our current American psyche. A must read." -- Julia Fine, author of The Upstairs House

About the Author

A. NATASHA JOUKOVSKY is the author of The Portrait of a Mirror. Her writing has been published in Literary Hub, Electric Lit, The Common, and Still Alive. Natasha holds a BA in English from the University of Virginia and an MBA from New York University's Stern School of Business. She lives in Washington, DC.