Monarch A Novel
Monarch, a novel by Candice Wuehle, published by Catapult on March 7, 2023, presents a unique narrative that intertwines elements of beauty pageants, deep state conspiracies, and personal identity. The story follows Jessica Clink, a former child pageant star who, after waking up with strange bruises, embarks on an investigation into a hidden underworld. As she navigates her past and the eccentric teachings of her father, Jessica uncovers unsettling connections to her former life and a covert program known as MONARCH.
Readers will find a blend of fiction that explores themes of feminism, LGBTQ+ identities, and the occult. As Jessica delves deeper into her investigation, she grapples with questions about authenticity and self-concept, particularly in relation to her first love, Veronica Marshall. The narrative weaves together iconic true crime stories from the ’90s with folklore and theories of consciousness, creating a complex tapestry that challenges perceptions of identity and reality. This edition spans 256 pages and is presented in English.
Official synopsis Publisher
“Candice Wuehle’s irresistibly weird debut novel Monarch is the kind of book that you want to start reading again immediately after turning the last page—not just to trace the conspiracy at its heart, but to appreciate how its kaleidoscope of beauty pageants, Y2K anxieties, famous dead girls, and deep state machinations synthesizes into an exploration of what makes up a self . . . Poetic, haunting.”—Kristen Martin, NPR
After waking up with a strange taste in her mouth and mysterious bruises, former child pageant star Jessica Clink unwittingly begins an investigation into a nefarious deep state underworld. Equipped with the eccentric education of her father, Dr. Clink (a professor of Boredom Studies and the founder of an elite study group known as the Devil’s Workshop), Jessica uncovers a disquieting connection between her former life as a beauty queen and an offshoot of Project MKUltra known as MONARCH.
As Jessica moves closer to the truth, she begins to suspect the involvement of everyone around her, including her own mother, Grethe (a Norwegian pageant queen turned occult American wellness guru for suburban housewives). With the help of Christine (her black-lipsticked riot grrrl babysitter and confidante), Jessica sets out to take down Project MONARCH. More importantly, she must discover if her first love, fellow teen queen Veronica Marshall, was genuine or yet another deep state plant.
Merging iconic true crime stories of the ’90s (Lorena Bobbitt, Nicole Brown Simpson, and JonBenét Ramsey) with theories of human consciousness, folklore, and a perennial cultural fixation with dead girls, MONARCH questions the shadow sides of self-concept: Who are you if you don’t know yourself?
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