After Care by Divya Maniar
After Care by Divya Maniar
English | 2026 | Mystery & Thriller
Grace is no longer famous. She sits alone in her New York apartment, endlessly watching reruns of herself on the reality TV show Speed Daters. Then, one evening, a man breaks in through her window. A rare, still-obsessed fan or raging incel – Grace is unsure. Before she can find out, he disappears.
That same night, the world is rocked by the news that Anoushka, Grace’s onscreen rival, has taken her own life. Suddenly thrust back into the public eye, Grace is thrilled to be relevant again.
But fame is fickle, and when the fans begin to turn on her, Grace escapes with her unreliable boyfriend and Speed Daters co-star Cal to his isolated cabin in the woods. With nothing but each other, can they mend what’s broken without destroying what little is left?
A piercing debut exposing the toxicities of reality TV and influencer culture, After Care is a disconcertingly recognisable portrait of reckless consumerism, spectatorship and the attention economy. Perfect for fans of Boy Parts by Eliza Clark, Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter and My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh.
This novel contains discussions of suicide and graphic depictions of sexual assault.
