My review of "Ripe" by Sarah Rose Etter on GoodReads

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cassie is a tech worker on the verge of a meltdown. Her job at a San Francisco Startup is sucking her soul. Her support system keeps her going, but that's not going well either. This is a dark, in-your face, novel about is about the life of a overworked tech worker in a tech town. It's also about a woman trying to get by in a world dominated by men. The effects of the Patriarchy and the casual, constant misogyny are big elements of the story as well. It's set in SF but could easily be Seattle.

There's a lot of themes and messages in this book that resonate with me. The biggest one is how the character notices the contrast between the unhoused people in the city next to extremely wealthy folks. People go about their business complaining that their employer-provided breakfast is not up to the standards while there are people outside their building living in tents and defecating on the street.
The author frames this as a class struggle, with rich corporation exploiting workers and Believers (the main character's co-workers) making it happen without noticing what they are doing.

This is not a feel-good story. I don't want to spoil the book for anyone reading this review who wants to read it. Cassie (the main character) has a ton of issues going on, I feel like the book could have go on for longer, but maybe it's a good thing to spare us the pain.

I will be thinking about Cassie for a long time.

Good Read

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