The Very Nice Box
Eve Gleichman
(Author)
Laura Blackett
(Author)
Description
"Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman are linguistic magicians, and their sparkling debut manages to expose the hollowness of well-being jargon while exploring, with tender care and precision, how we dare to move on after unspeakable loss . . . [They have] constructed a mirrored fun house, one that leads us down different paths, each masterfully tied up at the end, yet reflecting and refracting our own quirky selves."--New York Times Book Review, An Editors' Choice "A very funny debut -- and perhaps the most original office satire of the year."
--Washington Post For fans of Elinor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Severance: an offbeat, wryly funny debut novel that follows an eccentric product engineer who works for a hip furniture company where sweeping corporate change lands her under the purview of a startlingly charismatic boss who seems determined to get close to her at all costs . . . Ava Simon designs storage boxes for STÄDA, a slick Brooklyn-based furniture company. She's hard-working, obsessive, and heartbroken from a tragedy that killed her girlfriend and upended her life. It's been years since she's let anyone in. But when Ava's new boss--the young and magnetic Mat Putnam--offers Ava a ride home one afternoon, an unlikely relationship blossoms. Ava remembers how rewarding it can be to open up--and, despite her instincts, she becomes enamored. But Mat isn't who he claims to be, and the romance takes a sharp turn. The Very Nice Box is a funny, suspenseful debut--with a shocking twist. It's at once a send-up of male entitlement and a big-hearted account of grief, friendship, and trust.
Product Details
Price
$25.00
$23.25
Publisher
Harper
Publish Date
July 06, 2021
Pages
368
Dimensions
5.83 X 8.35 X 1.57 inches | 1.06 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9780358540113
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
LAURA BLACKETT is a woodworker and writer based in Brooklyn. EVE GLEICHMAN's short stories have appeared in The Kenyon Review, The Harvard Review, BOMB Daily, and elsewhere. Eve is a graduate of Brooklyn College's Fiction MFA Program and lives in Brooklyn.
Reviews
One of Alma's "Favorite Books for Summer 2021"
"A quirky, deeply satisfying, whip-smart debut that critiques corporate culture and male entitlement while also offering a heartfelt look at how to work through grief. Meticulously constructed and truly original--I inhaled it."--Jami Attenberg, author of All This Could Be Yours "The Very Nice Box is a fascinating look at the ways people choose to compartmentalize grief. The writing is sharp and dynamic, the plot wonderfully compelling. It's a very fun read, but it's also a timely one: how does toxic masculinity in corporate culture restructure and rebrand itself in order to appear innocuous? The Very Nice Box is a very nice book, and Blackett and Gleichman have created something stellar here."
--Kristen Arnett, author of With Teeth "This debut has everything I crave in a novel: emotional intelligence, humor both subtle and satirical, pathos galore, and sentences that you could bounce a quarter off. Eve Gleichman and Laura Blackett have managed to write a literary page-turner that is full of heart and scathing social critique, not to mention a surprise ending to rival those of my favorite mysteries. I absolutely devoured it."
--Melissa Febos, author of Girlhood "A satire of contemporary corporate culture. An exploration of how vulnerable we become in grief. A surprising romance. A cautionary tale. Somehow The Very Nice Box manages to be all of the above. Eve Gleichman and Laura Blackett have a wicked sense of humor and a keen view on our current moment. This is a delightful and propulsive read."
--Helen Phillips, author of The Need "What kind of box is this book? Is it a giftbox, or a memory box, or a coffin? It's all of the above, a deftly packaged story that hinges on the way we organize our days, our work, and our love. I relished living in its perfect compartments. Gleichman and Blackett have engineered a narrative not only very nice, but exceptional."
--Hilary Leichter, author of Temporary "This sharp page-turner is as well-constructed and pleasing as the titular Box, with a heroine whose affecting quirks lend heart and consequence to the headlong plot."
--Emily Gould, author of Perfect Tunes "The Very Nice Box is a thrill ride, an enthralling tale of love and vengeance. It's a rare novel that both sparkles with humor and pulses with deep emotion. At once a transgressive love story and an exploration of how to bring back life's meaning after loss, the plot builds in twist after twist to a shocking ending."
--Molly Dektar, author of The Ash Family "Smart, witty, wonderfully queer, The Very Nice Box is a moving novel about love and grief, a satire on corporate culture and thriller with a brilliant twist, all at once. Utterly original, warm-hearted and addictive."
--Kate Davies, author of In at the Deep End "This nicely hard-to-define joint debut combines workplace satire, steamy romance, and genuine suspense . . . Gleichman and Blackett irresistibly and unpredictably entertain with surprising plot twists and lots of diverting scenery."
--Booklist "At once a compulsively readable satire of white men in tech and a loving look at the power of friendship . . . [And the] ending absolutely delivers."
--Alma, "Favorite Books for Summer 2021" "The limits of self-preservation and the giddiness of new attraction collide in Blackett and Gleichman's sharp debut . . . The authors play their cards carefully, balancing the buoyancy of infatuation with subtle red flags and red herrings. Blending comedy, thriller, and romance to great and surprising effect, this should have wide appeal."
--Publishers Weekly
