"No one understands the misery and hilarity of being alive better than Lucie Britsch ... Writing like this takes talent and the most tender of hearts." JEAN KYOUNG FRAZIER, author of PIZZA GIRL All her life, Susan's loved ones have been hiding a terrible secret from her: If she thinks too hard, her head will explode. Luckily, her devoted boyfriend, anxious parents and fierce best friend are prepared to do whatever it takes to keep Susan safe in ignorant, thoughtless bliss. And until now, Susan has lived happily in a bubble of TV and takeaways, social media and small talk; anything to distract her from the spiralling thoughts that so often haunt the rest of us - thoughts that would be deadly for her. But what happens when reality creeps in and Susan's perfectly curated world starts to crumble? Can we distract ourselves from the real world forever... and should we? Praise for Lucie Britsch 'Surprising and irreverent' NEW YORK TIMES 'A strangely exuberant meditation on sadness' REFINERY29 'A whip-smart, biting piece of tragicomedy... Hilarious, profound' HUFFINGTON POST 'A wicked satire of our obsession with happiness' THE i 'A tragicomic riot of a book - charging, foul-mouthed and tender' CLAUDIA DEY 'Like a grown up Daria' HELEN MCCLORY 'If you're a Halle Butler fan or like despair cut with humour, you'll love this' LEIGH STEIN 'Dark and hilarious' ROWAN HISAYO BUCHANAN

A whip-smart, dark comedy for fans of Sally Rooney, Fleabag and My Year of Rest and Relaxation 'Janet is my soulmate' LUCY MANGAN 'Surprising and irreverent' NEW YORK TIMES *** If there was a pill that promised happiness... Would you take it? Meet Janet. Janet is sad. Not about her life, about the world. Have you seen it these days? The thing is, she's not out to make anyone else sad. She's not turning up to weddings shouting that most marriages end in divorce. She just wants to wear her giant coat, get rid of her passive-aggressive boyfriend, and avoid human interaction at the rundown dog shelter where she works. That is, until word spreads about a new pill that promises cynics like her one day off from being sad. When her family stages an intervention, and the prospect of making it through Christmas alone seems like too much, Janet finally decides to give them what they want. What follows is life-changing for all concerned - in ways no one quite expects. Hilarious, provocative and profound, Sad Janet is the antidote to our happiness-obsessed world. *** PRAISE FOR SAD JANET: 'The dog-whispering, post-Goth cousin to Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag' CLAUDIA DEY 'Like a grown up Daria' HELEN MCCLORY 'If you're a Halle Butler fan or like despair cut with humour, you'll love this' Leigh Stein, author of SELF CARE 'As I was reading this, my partner kept asking why I was laughing. This book is dark and hilarious and will speak to everyone who's ever wondered why they spend time with humans and not just dogs' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days and Harmless Like You 'A tragicomic riot of a book - charging, foul-mouthed and tender, across the modern condition' Claudia Dey, author of Heartbreaker 'Try reading Sad Janet ... It might just make you happy' Marcy Demansky, author of Very Nice 'A biting, pitch-perfect novel about one woman's desire to stay true to herself in a world that rewards facile happiness ... a dazzling debut' Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney 'The narrative voice of Janet in Britsch's debut novel is a skin-tingling combination of new and necessary' Booklist starred review 'Loved this book... it made me lol via the dark humour and dry observations. An artful take on the "happiness economy"' Emma Gannon, author of Olive 'I loved SAD JANET'S cynical humour. Superbly original, with spot-on one-liners. Brilliantly bleak, but with a spark of hope' Caroline Hulse, author of The Adults 'Hilarious, wise, wicked and tender' CYNTHIA D'APRIX SWEENEY 'Loved this book' EMMA GANNON 'Sharp, sad, hilarious' CLARE BEAMS

All her life, Susan’s loved ones have been hiding a terrible secret from her: If she thinks too hard, her head will explode.

Luckily, her devoted boyfriend, anxious parents and fierce best friend are prepared to do whatever it takes to keep Susan safe in ignorant, thoughtless bliss. And until now, Susan has lived happily in a bubble of TV and takeaways, social media and small talk; anything to distract her from the spiralling thoughts that so often haunt the rest of us – thoughts that would be deadly for her.

But what happens when reality creeps in and Susan’s perfectly curated world starts to crumble? Can we distract ourselves from the real world forever… and should we?

A whip-smart black comedy for fans of The New Me and My Year of Rest and Relaxation Named one of the Best Books of the Summer by LitHub, The Millions, Refinery29, and Hey Alma. 'Surprising and irreverent...Be prepared for edginess, dark humor and profanity. The only sweet thing about "Sad Janet" is its cover, which might be the most adorable one I've seen all year' New York Times 'Hilarious, wicked, wise and tender' - Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, bestselling author of The Nest *** Meet Janet. Janet is sad. Not about her life, about the world. Have you seen it these days? The thing is, she's not out to make anyone else sad. She's not turning up to weddings shouting that most marriages end in divorce. She just wants to wear her giant coat, get rid of her passive-aggressive boyfriend, and avoid human interaction at the rundown dog shelter where she works. That is, until word spreads about a new pill that promises cynics like her one day off from being sad. When her family stages an intervention, and the prospect of making it through Christmas alone seems like too much, Janet finally decides to give them what they want. What follows is life-changing for all concerned - in ways no one quite expects. Hilarious, provocative and profound, Sad Janet is the antidote to our happiness-obsessed world. *** PRAISE FOR SAD JANET: 'If you're a Halle Butler fan or like despair cut with humour, you'll love this' Leigh Stein, author of SELF CARE 'As I was reading this, my partner kept asking why I was laughing. This book is dark and hilarious and will speak to everyone who's ever wondered why they spend time with humans and not just dogs' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days and Harmless Like You 'A tragicomic riot of a book - charging, foul-mouthed and tender, across the modern condition' Claudia Dey, author of Heartbreaker 'Try reading Sad Janet ... It might just make you happy' Marcy Demansky, author of Very Nice 'A biting, pitch-perfect novel about one woman's desire to stay true to herself in a world that rewards facile happiness ... a dazzling debut' Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney 'The narrative voice of Janet in Britsch's debut novel is a skin-tingling combination of new and necessary' Booklist starred review 'Loved this book... it made me lol via the dark humour and dry observations. An artful take on the "happiness economy"' Emma Gannon, author of Olive 'I loved SAD JANET'S cynical humour. Superbly original, with spot-on one-liners. Brilliantly bleak, but with a spark of hope' Caroline Hulse, author of The Adults