Don’t Sleep with the Dead by Nghi Vo is a companion novella set nearly two decades after the events of The Chosen and the Beautiful (3.75/5 stars)

Don’t Sleep with the Dead by Nghi Vo is a companion novella set nearly two decades after the events of The Chosen and the Beautiful.

This is technically a standalone, but I think it’s a good idea to read TCatB first, because it would definitely provide a lot of context! Both DSwtD and TCatB are queer fantasy reimaginings of The Great Gatsby, which is celebrating its centennial this month!

Nick Carraway is our point-of-view character in this novella, while Jordan Baker (reimagined as a Vietnamese adoptee) is who we follow in TCatB. She has a cameo appearance in this work as well. Greg D. Barnett does a pretty good job with the narration; I think he absolutely nailed Nick’s entire vibe. He’s a self-admitted unreliable narrator, not knowing what is absolutely true about himself for reasons I won’t spoil if you haven’t read TCatB.

As with all writings by Vo, this has a lot of vibes and I was here for them. Her prose is beautiful, lush, and often lyrical; her dreamlike quality is one I really enjoy. While there were some points where I was a little confused about what was happening, I was absolutely along for the ride.

I received a complimentary review copy from Macmillan Audio, Tordotcom, and NetGalley. All opinions contained herein are my own.

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