First published 2023
Marisa appears to have it all. She occupies a desirable apartment in central Madrid, maintains a relationship with Pablo who lives one floor below, and has climbed the ladder at a prominent advertising firm. The reality tells a different story. She despises her work and the entire corporate world surrounding it. During a sweltering summer, the company mandates her attendance at their annual team building event. Marisa must present on creativity, a topic that feels absurd given her circumstances. The retreat brings together manipulative executives, flirtatious workshop leaders, and abundant substances. These elements combine to push Marisa toward a complete breakdown. Her carefully constructed professional identity begins to fracture under pressure. The experience forces her to confront the gap between her public success and private misery. This Spanish bestseller explores what happens when someone finally acts on their impulse to break free from soul crushing work.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, contemporary, adult-fiction, spanish-literature, psychological-thriller
Vibes: character-driven, claustrophobic, dark, introspective, tense, thought-provoking
Tropes: breaking-point, internal-conflict, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Madrid, Spain
Period: Contemporary, Summer
181 pages · Paperback · Harvill
Content warnings: depression, mental-illness, substance-abuse