Immersions, Kyle McCarthy
Immersions, Kyle McCarthy
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Immersions

Author: Kyle McCarthy

Narrator: Phoebe Strole

Unabridged: 6 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 05/05/2026


Synopsis

A Most Anticipated Book of 2026 from LitHub

Black Swan meets Bluebeard in this novel of sisterly rivalry and obsessive love set in the New York City dance scene

Frances’s older sister Charley was a star of the modern dance world. But just as she was ascending, she fell in love with Johnny, an enigmatic trust fund artist, and married him. A few years into their turbulent marriage, Charley mysteriously leaves her dance company and joins an enclosed convent in Provence. Much to the shock of her family, she changes her name to Sister Anne and cuts off contact with the outside world.

Frances, a dancer herself, grew up in the shadow of her brilliant sister and is suddenly unmoored without her. From their first uneasy meeting, Frances has distrusted Johnny. Now, she is certain he had something to do with her sister’s abrupt abandonment of her art and family. When Frances discovers that Johnny has returned to New York, she reaches out to him, looking for answers and seeking confrontation. The two plunge into an ambiguous intimacy—diving ever deeper, as each tries to unlock the other's secrets. A slender and twisted tale of sexual coming-of-age and of the deep bonds of lust and loyalty, Immersions asks how we are made—and unmade—by desire.

About The Author

Kyle McCarthy is the author of the novel Everyone Knows How Much I Love You, and her fiction and essays have appeared in Best American Short Stories, American Short Fiction, n+1, and elsewhere. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she lives in Brooklyn, New York.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Lina on November 17, 2025

3 / 5 Stars The prose in this book was spectacular but I just felt uncomfortable reading parts of this book. I think that was, in fact, the point but I have to be in a particular mood to be open to feeling uncomfortable while reading and I guess I just wasn’t in that mood. In “Immersion,” Frances’ ol......more

Goodreads review by cursedb on May 09, 2026

I think this book is a great example of how effective a strong prose style can be in a novel. The writing feels extremely immersive, sensual, and emotionally raw, which is what kept me engaged throughout the entire story.The plot itself was not particularly surprising, and I could mostly predict how......more

Goodreads review by Celine on February 04, 2026

absolutely incandescent.......more

Goodreads review by sophie on December 10, 2025

thanks to edelweiss for the arc! 3.5 rounded up, compulsively readable and the main character felt very real and complex but the last third of this book simply did not hold up. the bones are there, the first two thirds are great, and this is absolutely an author to keep your eye on, but the story be......more

Goodreads review by Maddie on December 16, 2025

every once in a while you need to read a book about a spiraling woman so you can scream NOOOOOO!!!!!! NOOOOOO!!!! at the pages this is one of the best of that genre......more