I Thought I Could Spot a Narcissist Until This Book
From an enthralling romance to a bone chilling thriller, "The Very Nice Box" will blow you away.
“The Very Nice Box” by Eve Gleichman and Laura Blackett crashed into my world — no, literally.
I was mumbling to myself in the romance section of the bookstore about how rare it is to find a unique romantic novel these days, as the books I kept picking up were consistently formulaic. Turning the corner into the next aisle, “The Very Nice Box” (“TVNB”) fell off the shelf and at my feet — and it was the last copy I could see. I sat for a moment in the bookstore to read it among five other books I was eyeing to purchase and twenty minutes later, completely enthralled in the world of Gleichman and Blackett, I knew it was coming home with me.
Published in 2021, “TVNB” follows lead character Ava Simon, who is dealing with the loss of her fiance and parents after a car accident. As a result of this traumatic incident, Simon is laser-focused on her career (working as an engineer for a household manufacturer named STÄDA, the authors’ play on IKEA) keeping interpersonal relationships at bay, except for her adoring relationship with her dog, Brutus. When Mat Putnam is hired as her new boss and weasels his way into her life, Simon sees the dark clouds start to part. She finds comfort in the days less planned, joins STÄDA’s therapy text app, buys her lunch at work rather than making it at home, and even takes two sick days after years of a perfect record. From afar, it would appear Putnam is a gift in Simon’s life. When her colleague and friend, Jamie, expresses doubts about him, as a reader it comes off as annoying rather than friendly concern. But the signs were there to detect a narcissist all along and I was stunned I did not see it coming.
Gleichman and Blackett subvert our understandings of breadcrumbing, love bombing, and overall narcissistic relationships through “TVNB.” The book begins in a unique setting at STÄDA and takes us through how Simon, with walls around her so high it was a surprise anyone could climb over, navigates life after loss. The novel is a timely call-back to my previous article about how men use therapy-speak and wellness to disguise their manipulation, lack of self-growth, and dodge accountability. It’s a rewarding experience watching Simon grow and a juicy, albeit at times triggering, surprise untangling the steps that led her there.
“TVNB” reminded me of a quote from one of my favourite films, Now You See Me: “The closer you think you are, the less you’ll actually see.” You will identify elements of yourself in this book, don’t look away when they appear.