Pretend I'm Dead
Jen Beagins funny, moving, fearless debut novel introduces an unforgettable character, Mona--almost 24, cleaning houses to get by, emotionally adrift. Handing out clean needles to drug addicts, she falls for a recipient who proceeds to break her heart in unimaginable ways. Always just under the surface are her memories of growing up in a chaotic, destructive family from which she's trying to disentangle herself. The story of her journey toward a comfortable place in the world and a measure of self-acceptance is psychologically acute, often surprising, and entirely human.
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about Pretend I'm Dead
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Mona is a young housecleaner in Lowell, Massachusetts who hands out clean needles to addicts on the side. She falls hard for a man called Mr. Disgusting, then leaves town for Taos to start over.
Pretend I'm Dead was written by Jen Beagin and published in 2018. It is her debut novel and the first in a loose series following Mona, a young housecleaner. Big Swiss is her later novel that became a TikTok hit.
Yes. Pretend I'm Dead is followed by Vacuum in the Dark, which continues Mona's story. Each can be read on its own, but the two together form a connected arc.
Pretend I'm Dead is 220 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Pretend I'm Dead takes most readers 3 to 5 hours to finish.
Pretend I'm Dead is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.