BLANK

After taking drastic measures to deal with writer’s block, a struggling author finds herself part of some unexpected plot twists.

Once upon a time, Pippa Jones was a big name in the book world. Her debut novel was a smash and was made into a movie. But since then, she hasn’t published anything—even though she’s three years past the deadline for her next novel. But as a busy mom who feels more distant from her husband every day, she finds it hard to focus on writing—that is, until her agent calls and says she needs to turn a novel in ASAP or pay back her advance. Of course, she’s already spent the advance on an office renovation. In desperation, Pippa turns to a suggestion from her son: What if she wrote a book that was intentionally empty? A novel called Blank, full of literal blank pages, could highlight the fakery of the publishing world and, if it became a bestseller, show how ridiculous it is that some books succeed regardless of their content while truly great books languish in obscurity. Pippa’s out-there idea could revive her career…or completely tank it. Meanwhile, Pippa also faces family and friendship issues, but maybe she’ll be lucky enough to have second acts in both her work and her personal life. Owens (an author as well as a podcaster, bookstore owner, and publisher) clearly understands the publishing industry and has many thoughts about what she sees as its limitations. Her book shines, though, when focusing on Pippa’s personal drama and the way her support system surrounds her when she’s in crisis. It’s unclear if readers would actually shell out money for an empty book, but they’ll always be interested in is scandal, betrayal, and heartwarming bonds.

An enjoyable read full of book industry antics and plenty of dramatic surprises.