Chrysalis

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Finally, we see who she is through a work friend and flatmate, who describes the change before her abusive relationship and after. I also could have done without a lot of the superfluous details (especially from the first narrator) - I skimmed over a lot of mundane text.

She felt helpless raising her, and now she observes as her daughter’s lifestyle impacts strangers’ lives. Photograph: Alice Zoo View image in fullscreen Anna Metcalfe’s nameless protagonist becomes ‘a cult figure who embraces solitude’.Thank You to Random House and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review! Chrysalis isn't a book where a lot actually happens, but it nevertheless kept me riveted all the way through with its deeply psychological subject matter and strange, unsettling vibes. The book is told in three parts from their first-person points-of-view, as Anna Metcalfe explores themes of isolation and loneliness, reinvention, desperation and obsession, and the complex ramifications of trauma. Elliot’s account feigns objectivity and detachment but it’s clear he’s deeply invested in the woman from the moment he first spies her at a local gym.

But at the same time, this book isn't really about the woman at all: Instead, it becomes about three people in her orbit, who are drawn to her and find a purpose in her presence.Born in Germany and based in the UK, Anna Metcalfe is a novelist and scholar whose work includes Blind Water Pass and Chrysalis. He notices her dedication to building her body and taking up space, and he is drawn to her strength.