Marcy Dermansky is an American novelist known for contemporary fiction that's sharp and insightful. Her notable novels include Bad Marie and The Red Car, both praised for their compelling characters and lively storytelling style.
If you enjoy reading books by Marcy Dermansky then you might also like the following authors:
Ottessa Moshfegh writes fiction that is darkly funny, blunt, and unflinching. Her characters often get themselves into uncomfortable or awkward situations, revealing surprising truths about isolation and obsession.
In her novel My Year of Rest and Relaxation, she explores these themes through the eyes of a young woman who tries to escape personal trauma by spending a year heavily medicated and sleeping as much as possible.
Halle Butler uses sharp satire and dry humor to highlight the dreariness of modern working life and strained human relationships. She creates darkly comedic yet painfully realistic situations, forcing readers to confront uncomfortable but relatable situations.
Her novel The New Me follows Millie, a dissatisfied temp worker whose awkward interactions and personal failures vividly express anxiety, alienation, and longing.
Mona Awad's fiction combines dark humor, twisted narratives, and a slightly surreal atmosphere. Her work often investigates body image, obsession, and identity through a lens that blurs between reality and fantasy.
In her novel Bunny, Awad tells the bizarre story of Samantha, a graduate student who becomes entangled with an insular and suspiciously bubbly clique, creating a frightening satire about the pressures of conformity and female friendship.
Melissa Broder captures loneliness, desire, and existential dread through darkly humorous writing and frank intimacy. Her work frequently observes characters confronting difficult truths through surprising or surreal situations.
The Pisces is her memorable, genre-defying novel about a woman dealing with heartbreak, depression, and self-sabotage who finds solace in a strange romance with a mysterious merman.
Raven Leilani writes vividly intimate portraits of characters navigating complex relationships, power dynamics, and racial identity in contemporary settings. She combines incisive humor, emotional depth, and biting social observation.
Her debut novel, Luster, follows Edie, a young Black woman stumbling through work, life, and romance, navigating a complex relationship that forces her to examine herself and society around her in new, uncomfortable ways.
Alissa Nutting writes sharp, satirical fiction full of dark humor and complex, often troubled characters. Her style is uncomfortable but enthralling, exploring the absurd and disturbing aspects of modern life.
In her novel Tampa, Nutting tells the provocative story of a teacher who becomes dangerously obsessed with her student, pushing readers into difficult moral territory with biting wit.
Maria Semple is known for her smart, humorous storytelling and sharp social observations. Her novels mock contemporary culture and privilege in a playful, insightful way.
In her popular novel Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Semple chronicles the comedic yet heartfelt story of an eccentric mother's mysterious disappearance, combining humor, family drama, and cultural satire.
Kevin Wilson deftly balances humor with genuine emotion, exploring family relationships, odd friendships, and unconventional situations in a quirky yet deeply relatable way.
His engaging novel Nothing to See Here revolves around two kids who spontaneously burst into flames and their unlikely caretaker, blending surrealism and comedy with an honest look at human connection.
Weike Wang crafts thoughtful, quiet stories focused on identity, anxiety, and self-discovery. Her writing is precise and understated, often examining the emotional weight of expectations placed on women by family, work, and society.
In her novel Chemistry, Wang explores the inner life of a chemistry graduate student navigating a challenging crossroads in her professional and personal life, offering sharp, gentle humor and emotional depth.
Miranda July creates imaginative, offbeat stories that spotlight eccentric characters navigating loneliness, human connection, and everyday anxieties. July uses honest humor and genuine compassion to present characters who are strange and endearing in their vulnerability.
Her novel The First Bad Man showcases her talent for portraying odd relationships and unconventional love, combining humor and tenderness in her unique voice.
Jean Kyoung Frazier combines humor, warmth, and sharp honesty in her writing. Her style is straightforward and engaging, often exploring loneliness, identity, and the awkwardness of finding oneself.
Her novel, Pizza Girl, follows a pregnant teenager working as a pizza delivery driver who develops an unexpected obsession with an older woman, leading to an uncomfortable and heartfelt journey.
Elif Batuman writes with wit, clarity, and an observant eye. She often explores intellectual curiosity, coming-of-age confusion, and cultural identity, blending humor into thoughtful narratives.
Her book, The Idiot, is about Selin, a young college student navigating language, love, and identity in the complex world of Harvard and abroad in Hungary during the 1990s.
Leila Slimani crafts crisp, direct prose that dives right into challenging and emotional subjects, such as motherhood, power dynamics, and class conflicts. Her narratives are intense and unsettling, exposing hidden truths behind ordinary lives.
Her novel, The Perfect Nanny, tells the chilling story of a family whose reliance on their seemingly ideal caregiver leads to a shocking tragedy.
Rufi Thorpe brings readers reflective and emotionally insightful stories that often revolve around friendship, complicated family relationships, and personal growth. Her writing combines dark humor with tender honesty, creating characters readers connect with deeply.
In her novel, The Knockout Queen, Thorpe explores the complexities of teenage years through the unlikely friendship between Bunny, a tall, privileged athlete, and Michael, her closeted gay neighbor, as they face difficult truths and personal crises.
Jade Sharma writes with brutal authenticity and clarity, looking at uncomfortable realities head-on and without flinching. Her style holds nothing back, exploring themes of addiction, loneliness, identity, and the difficulty of connecting honestly with others.
Her novel, Problems, follows the raw and candid account of Maya, a young woman sinking deeper into her heroin addiction and complicated personal relationships, told through her irreverently truthful voice.