A Publishers Weekly Buzz Book
A Crime Reads Best Thriller of June
A Book Riot Most Anticipated Trans Book of Fall
An Amazon Book Review Most Anticipated Thriller of Fall
A Lit Hub Best SFF of October
A Pink News Must-Read LGBTQ+ Book of the Year
A Phrasemaker Book to Watch
A Debutiful Most Anticipated Debut of the Year
A BookTrib No-Holds-Barred Narrative and Queer Representation Book Recommendation for Fans of Fruit Fly
An Our Culture Magazine Most Anticipated Book of Fall
A Book Talk with Lauren Most Anticipated Book of October
A Write Through the Night Best Book of October
“Not sure I’ve ever experienced a wider range of emotions during a single read. Carrying is a totally original (stomach-turning, laugh-out-loud, horrifying, heartwarming) work of art.” —Marisa Kashino, USA Today bestselling author of Best Offer Wins
“Provocative and sharply original, Carrying is as unsettling as it is addictive. A body horror that pulls you in, disturbs you quietly, and doesn’t let you go. Samantha Josephs has a bold, singular voice.” —Raphael Montes, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Secret Dinner
“[An] audacious body horror debut. . . Not for the faint of heart, this is transgressive fiction at its finest, keeping readers guessing as Martha succumbs to increasingly stomach-churning developments. Josephs’ fresh take on the growing subgenre of pregnancy horror will appeal to fans of body horror starring trans characters, like Gretchen Felker-Martin’s Manhunt and Alison Rumfitt’s Brainwyrms, as well as the novels of Kathe Koja and Eric LaRocca. Josephs announces herself as a writer to watch (through splayed fingers).” —Booklist (starred)
“[An] exhilarating debut . . . The tension and suspense are there from the start . . . Joseph evokes a frenzied feeling as obstacle upon obstacle arise in Martha’s path and she must handle them all in secret, and often alone, to maintain the perfect life that she has always dreamt of. This page-turning exploration of bodily autonomy—or the lack thereof—astounds.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)
“This debut is getting a ton of buzz.” —Book Riot
“Pitched as Rosemary’s Detransition, Baby, Samantha Josephs’s debut novel is a notable entry in the (unsurprisingly robust) canon of trans body horror literature. . . It’s a fun, nasty little romp, and Josephs deftly weaves the visceral horror of embodiment into the domestic drama at the center of the book. Read it, but not while you’re eating.” —Lit Hub
“Samantha Joseph’s audacious debut blends dark comedy and body horror with some new variations on gleefully transgressive fiction. Think John Waters meets David Cronenberg.” —Goodreads
“[A]n exciting, grimly funny, and harrowing debut.” —Library Journal
“One of the buzziest debuts of the season, Samantha Josephs’ Carrying is not for the faint of heart. This is a deeply thoughtful, inventive horror novel . . . It’s also a hilarious portrait of a woman on the edge—one who is willing to go to some dark and disturbing places to protect the delicately constructed world she’s created for herself. Think Detransition, Baby meets Gone Girl with a hefty dose of gore.” —Amazon Book Review
“[A] debut novel that is as disturbingly detailed as it is engrossing . . . Gore, grotesquerie, blood and bones commingle into a body-horror fest fit for a true fan of the genre. Josephs’ debut novel is a drippy, disgusting, and delicious feast for the senses.” —Bay Area Reporter
“The premise of Samantha Josephs’ debut novel is irresistible . . . [I]t’s a perfectly unsettling novel to breeze through this fall.” —KQED
“One of the best books I’ve read this year. . . A perfect conceit for a book. It’s psychotic, it’s so funny, it’s so tense. I spent so much of the book just on the knife’s edge of tension. . . It’s gross, like really nasty, it’s sexy at certain points, it is incredible. I’m really excited for Samantha Josephs and what she does next.” —Like A Virgin
“Oscillating between sinister, sexy, and sardonic… Carrying features a fresh and freaky coat of paint to familiar themes in trans literature using the kind of body-horror and sharp wit that I crave when I’m looking for a fleshed out world to fall into.” —Miss Benny
“Carrying ruined my weekend plans because I couldn’t put it down and couldn’t stop talking about it. I was insatiable, much like Martha, eager to devour every last word of Samantha Josephs’ electric debut. Centered around one of the great antiheroes of contemporary fiction, Josephs’ wickedly funny novel is at once grotesque and picturesque. It examines womanhood, motherhood, suburbia, and identity (ew, I know) through the sharpest pen, drawing blood on every page. The prose has the surgical precision of someone who has been carrying this story for a lifetime and the confidence of someone born to tell it, with a keen eye for the performance of femininity and the violence underneath it. Carrying wrecked me and delighted me in equal measure, a balance that’s nearly impossible to pull off. The envy I felt reading this—wishing I could be both Martha and Samantha at once—is impossible to describe. Tens across the board. This book will probably make you trans.” —Tommy Dorfman, bestselling author of Maybe This Will Save Me
“In this thrilling work of trans body horror, Josephs has crafted a delightfully unhinged diva who is endlessly entertaining to watch spiral. Carrying is bold, hilarious, disgusting and so damn sexy.” —Rose Dommu, author of Best Woman
“Carrying doesn’t ask to be liked, it asks to be reckoned with, and once Martha gets her hooks into you, there’s no putting her down. This is the best horror debut in years, and the last page won’t be the last time you think about it. . . Carrying doesn’t just get under your skin, it moves in, redecorates, and starts eating what’s in the fridge. . . Equal parts camp comedy and gut-deep horror, Carrying earns its comparisons to The Substance and Rosemary’s Baby while sounding like absolutely nothing else on shelves this year.” —Ginger Nuts of Horror
“A fierce tour de force of terror. Carrying is a campy, erotic, provocative and utterly essential horror story for our time. It’s like The Substance meets Jane the Virgin but put a horny trans woman right at the centre. Samantha Josephs is the new horror it girl.” —Lucy Rose, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lamb
“Josephs’ debut is a spooky novel you might not be able to get your hands on yet but should keep an eye out for . . . [Martha] is willing to do anything to keep her identity a secret, including taking The Substance-eqsuque treatments to prevent her symptoms. And sure, let’s add in a sudden pregnancy. Josephs pries into the troubles of maintaining a body, watching it turn against you, and what you’re willing to do to bend it to your will in this body-gore story.” —Autostraddle
“Carrying will make you laugh, cry and gag, potentially all at the same time . . . [A] social commentary with snark and body horror.” —Orange County Register
“A sharp horror exploring the trans experience with razor-sharp writing. Joseph understands how to pace a story to perfection.” —Debutiful
“Of everything we’re tracking, this is one of the debuts we’re most curious to see break through.” —Phrasemaker
“Carrying is a biting, Stepford-wifey body horror about the lengths we go to protect our relationships: the secrets we keep, the friends we lean on, the sacrifices we make. A funny, paranoid page-turner. I’m excited for it to be in the world.” —The Scoop
“Josephs does a great job of making Martha not only sympathetic, but justified . . . Carrying captivated me from the very first sentence and kept me reading throughout. The pacing was incredibly quick . . . This book is a true page turner that incorporates all of the elements of queer fiction, identity, women’s fiction, and horror into one. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a deliciously repugnant story of being a woman.” —Write Through the Night
“[A] captivating, horrific debut.” —Our Culture Magazine
“[A] terrifyingly unique book, that is as much an exploration into the life of a transgendered woman as it is an unhinged horror that just kept getting crazier as the pages turned . . . Carrying is a book that surprised the hell out of me, in such a fantastic way . . . Josephs’ storytelling ability shines in this one and will be on the lookout for more from this author. Carrying is an incredibly fresh blend of unsettling horrors, emotional connection, and poignant storytelling. Samantha Josephs bursts on the scene with a unique tale that is cringeworthy from multiple angles, in such a wonderful way. Carrying will have you looking away, yelling at the page, and in a state of awe at various times, making each part of this book gripping.” —Capes & Tights
“What an interesting concept, I’m so intrigued!” —Book Talk with Lauren
“This is giving weird girl lit.” —Book Life by Libby
“[I] adored it.” —Write Through the Night
