In This Issue

Oscar Wilde famously wrote that there are two tragedies in life: "One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it." Sophie Mackintosh's new novel, Permanence, dances both sides of that line in its consideration of a couple whose love affair transports them back and forth between a real world that demands secrecy and a fantastical realm where they're free to live openly. Meanwhile, Mona Tewari's Burn the Sea heroine watches her dreams of becoming a warrior fall apart when she's forced to become queen. And Kate Cavanaugh's struggling social media influencer in Thanks for Watching receives an enviable brand-name sponsorship, only it's far more dangerous than she anticipated. Given these terms, getting what you want or not getting it at all seems like a devilish game of a Would You Rather. Luckily, we readers get to watch everything play out before deciding.