Under the Influence, Noelle Crooks's first novel, follows a young woman into a work opportunity that offers the chance for great success--or a total loss of self.
Recently laid off from a position in New York publishing, Harper Cruz has been struggling to make rent, aided by a perfectly lovely best friend, Poppy. It's Poppy who finds the listing for a "Visionary Support Strategist" to a social media sensation, influencer Charlotte Green. As soon as she's applied, Harper finds herself whisked off to Nashville, Tenn., rushed through signing a contract for an unbelievable amount of money, and inducted into the work family at the Greenhouse, where tiny, magnetic, manipulative Charlotte rules a team of employees who are both in love with and terrified of her.
Harper has off-and-on concerns about Charlotte's self-help empire; her boss notes more than once how much integrity Harper has. But she falls under the spell of Charlotte's charm and soon embraces the long hours, absence of work-life balance, and cult-like branding that defines the Greenhouse. As Harper sees herself losing touch with Poppy and her own parents, Charlotte warns her staff that their families won't support their work. Harper figures, "I guess that's just the price of success."
Under the Influence is propulsive in its pacing, with the chipper tones of the Green Team and the emotional roller coaster that is Harper's work (and only) life. That readers can see warning signs that Harper herself often fails to note makes the novel quietly terrifying. Disorienting but addictive, Under the Influence perfectly captures some of the contradictions and challenges of modern work life. --Julia Kastner, librarian and blogger at pagesofjulia