A Touch of Jen

By: Beth Morgan

Narrated by: Casey Turner

A young couple's toxic Instagram crush spins out of control and unleashes a sinister creature in this twisted, viciously funny, "bananas good" story (Carmen Maria Machado).

"Um, holy shit...This novel will be the most fun you'll have this summer." —Emily Temple, Literary Hub

Remy and Alicia, a couple of insecure service workers, are not particularly happy together. But they are bound by a shared obsession with Jen, a beautiful former co-worker of Remy’s who now seems to be following her bliss as a globe-trotting jewelry designer. In and outside the bedroom, Remy and Alicia's entire relationship revolves around fantasies of Jen, whose every Instagram caption, outfit, and new age mantra they know by heart.

Imagine their confused excitement when they run into Jen, in the flesh, and she invites them on a surfing trip to the Hamptons with her wealthy boyfriend and their group. Once there, Remy and Alicia try (a little too hard) to fit into Jen’s exalted social circle, but violent desire and class resentment bubble beneath the surface of this beachside paradise, threatening to erupt. As small disturbances escalate into outright horror, we find ourselves tumbling with Remy and Alicia into an uncanny alternate reality, one shaped by their most unspeakable, deviant, and intoxicating fantasies. Is this what “self-actualization” looks like?

Part millennial social comedy, part psychedelic horror, and all wildly entertaining, A Touch of Jen is a sly, unflinching examination of the hidden drives that lurk just outside the frame of our carefully curated selves.

Critic reviews

WIRED's Best Summer Reads
REFINERY29's Best Books of Summer
LITERARY HUB's Most Anticipated Summer Novels—--

“A Touch of Jen is bananas good. Funny and sharp and surprising and bittersweet. Just [three chef's kiss emojis]."
—Carmen Maria Machado

“Morgan has created a fabulous monster here, legitimately Frankensteined herself a wicked, unflinching, dynamite novel out of razor-sharp dialogue, toxic social media culture, and the nonsense notion that the self is just another brand to be endlessly plumbed for content. Wildly hilarious and absolutely terrifying, A Touch of Jen is truly a touch of genius. I loved every minute of it.”
—Kristen Arnett, New York Times bestselling author of MOSTLY DEAD THINGS

"A Touch of Jen is hipster noir, acerbic social parable and slasher gore-fest: as if Patricia Highsmith, Chris Kraus, and Ann Quin all crashed a Hamptons beach party, and John Carpenter dropped in with some weed."—Tom McCarthy, author of REMAINDER and SATIN ISLAND

"The funniest (and most twisted) book of the year."—Tony Tulathimutte, author of PRIVATE CITIZENS

“Morgan's got swagger. A Touch of Jen will draw you in with its electric rhythm and razor-sharp wit, but it will make you stay with its wild, beating heart. I came for the blood-thirsty monsters, I left moved by Morgan's deep understanding of the day-to-day absurdity and pain of 21st century existence. A banger of a debut and the arrival of a bold new voice in fiction.”
—Jean Kyoung Frazier, author of PIZZA GIRL

“Um, holy shit. Or maybe it’s better to say: unholy shit. Whether you’re on a post-vaccine rampage or not, this novel will be the most fun you’ll have this summer: a millennial comedy of manners that, just at the point where these things usually fizzle and disappoint, takes A Turn and morphs into a weird horror novel… I don’t want to tell you any more, so look, just trust me on this one.”—Emily Temple, LITERARY HUB

“Morgan masterfully brings dark comedy and psychedelic horror together at a slow-burning pace. Her mundane but over-the-top characters and brilliant dialogue add to the surreal and fantastical tone of this spellbinding book.”—BOOKLIST

“An ambitious debut which captures the loneliness of the internet age in deft strokes.”—KIRKUS REVIEWS

not for me

*spoilers* I found the beginning with the couple being obsessed with Jen to be very disturbing, yet interesting. However, as the book went on, I cared less and less. The last 2 hours especially were a slog to get through. I just didn't really care about any of the characters, didn't care about whether Remy got with Jen, etc. He practically got with her by the middle of the book, so who cares after that? Plus, I found the rich kid spirituality annoying to listen to. Maybe someone else will like this book better, but I didn't like the direction it took.

Glad I have it a try.

Though very much NOT what I expected, it was an enjoyable listen. I certainly never got bored with it but still a bit perplexed with the turn it took. I normally have no interest in shows or books where millennial characters are at the forefront however this author and the fabulous reader did a beautiful job of making them interesting. I would love to listen to more done by both.

Took a twist that I didn’t need

I love books with unlikable characters so I quite enjoyed the beginning of the book. The last two hours felt rushed, reaching, and like the story at the beginning of the book was a completely different genre than the ending.

Not well executed

Narration: 4 stars. Solid performance. Story: 2 stars. The unhinged dating and world views of characters at the start were well done. But the whole thing goes off the tracks when it somehow morphs into a horror story. Seemed rushed. Won’t recommend.

Like a Gregg Araki movie set in NYC

This story's second half took a wild turn.
The narrator did a fantasic job bringing life to these characters.