Book Review: Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

The Gist: Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter is a poignant and darkly satirical exploration of classism, mental health, and the dystopian nature of modern work culture.

Series: Standalone

Release Date: July 11, 2023

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 5-stars

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Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter was my favourite book in May! It’s a literary fiction novel – with a dystopian bent – that I would hesitate to broadly recommend because of the author’s eerily accurate portrayal of intrusive thoughts. The story follows the protagonist, Cassie, as she finds herself trapped in the minutiae of a toxic job at a cutthroat Silicon Valley startup that highlights the increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots by juxtaposing San Francisco’s homelessness crisis against the frivolity of startup bro culture.

How does anyone bear themselves? How can anyone stare into the darkest corners of humanity and return to the office, enter the meeting room, and deliver the presentation? How do we all just keep working?

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

Exploring Mental Health through Metaphor

Sarah Rose Etter uses the protagonist’s lifelong depression to explore our desensitization to violence and despair in modern society. Cassie’s depression manifests as a miniature black hole that has shadowed her through life since her birth, changing size depending on her emotions and self-medication with drugs and alcohol.

For frequent readers of literary fiction, this symbolism might feel heavy-handed. But I loved how the author leaned into the black hole metaphor by having Cassie obsessively research them to deduce why it’s a black hole that haunts her.

Through facts and definitions about black holes, other phenomena in space and critical themes in the novel (e.g., mothers, work, friendship), the reader understands Cassie’s state of mind and decisions.

Dystopia is Now

The stylistic choices — short chapters, using dictionary formatting (definitions and examples), and sectioning the book into parts aligned with the parts of the pomegranate (e.g., exocarp, mesocarp, membrane, seeds) — excel at portraying Cassie’s internal conflict. She has a job people will kill for (literally), yet she cannot seem to escape her melancholy. Outwardly, she’s the definition of success but barely makes ends meet. She’s stuck on the rat wheel of capitalism, desperately trying to believe its gold veneer and ignore the rot within.

While Ripe leans into (dark) satire to convey its social commentary, I didn’t find the harrowing scenes unbelievable. Upon finishing the novel, I found a Goodreads review that perfectly captured my feelings: dystopia is now. The incisive look at classism through the extravagant — and wasteful — purchases of the obscenely wealthy alongside the unforgiving brutality of poverty paints a stark, unflinching portrait of our current societal landscape. Ripe also subtly nods to the erosion of the middle class through Cassie’s family background — her family has no job opportunities in their small town — and Cassie can barely afford to live in San Francisco, even with her fancy job.

The depiction of startup culture explicated the dystopian bent to work in modern society. The characteristics of a dystopia are as follows:

Propaganda is used to control the citizens of society. Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted. A figurehead or concept is worshipped by the citizens of the society. Citizens are perceived to be under constant surveillance.

Read Write Think

Cassie’s job uses propaganda (through corporate mission statements and values and leaning into the capitalist lie of meritocracy), the deification of its founder, and surveillance of its employees (they always need to be online) to augment employee efficiency and increase its bottom line.

Sad Girl Summer

Several reviewers mentioned that Ripe is similar to My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh, which is good news since My Year of Rest and Relaxation has been on my TBR for 2+ years! The sad girl book is characteristic of a protagonist who is sad (duh) or disaffected and leans into these emotions to cope with her life.

In Ripe, Sarah Rose Etter uses the pomegranate metaphor (and its appearance in myth) to describe and explore Cassie’s pregnancy (not a spoiler – it’s mentioned in the synopsis). There’s the tension of Cassie not having a good relationship with her mother, not being in a place (financially, mentally or emotionally) to have a baby, and, obviously, not wanting to have a kid.

A woman shouldn’t be seen like this, all ruined. Or maybe everyone should have to see me, all of them, especially the men, the aftermath, the knives in their hearts for once.

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

Not only does the pomegranate metaphor work for the stages of pregnancy (hello, fertility), but it calls back to the Persephone myth, who becomes trapped in hell for half the year after eating the food from the underworld. Cassie’s job at the startup is an apt description of her hell on Earth; she’s just trying to survive yet feels increasingly consumed by the toxic environment, much like Persephone’s entrapment, illustrating the inescapable nature of her predicament.

In Conclusion

With its incisive commentary and compelling use of metaphor, Ripe offers a stark reflection on the societal issues we face today. Cassie’s journey through the toxic startup world and her battle with inner demons are portrayed with unflinching honesty, making this a thought-provoking read.

If you’re intrigued by literary fiction that delves into the complexities of human experience, I highly recommend Ripe.

Be sure to check out the rest of my blog for more reviews and discussions on similar thought-provoking books. Happy reading!

Buy Ripe

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