First published 2022
Kate Summerscale's "Book of Phobias and Manias" plunges readers into the mind of a woman struggling with debilitating anxieties. When a chance encounter triggers a cascade of panic attacks, she becomes obsessed with cataloging her phobias and the irrational impulses that control her life. As her investigation deepens, she uncovers a web of dangerous secrets, forcing her to confront the traumatic origins of her condition. With her sanity hanging by a thread, she must find the strength to overcome her fears before they consume her entirely. At its core, this taut, psychologically complex novel explores the power of the mind to both torment and transform.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, mystery, contemporary, psychological-thriller, 21st-century
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: mental-health-struggles, obsession, unreliable-narrator
256 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Books
Content warnings: anxiety, mental-illness