Ruth Newton

As an allegory for our commercialised lives, and particularly the expectations of women’s emotional labour, it’s right on the nose. This cleverly plotted thriller shines a light on the way fortunes are made by inventing new addictions, and how easily unfair treatment may be hidden, or simply accepted. A thought-provoking read.

A little Severance-like and ideal summer reading for those of us who enjoy a good high-concept thriller.

Ruth Newton’s high-concept thriller is easily one of the most thought-provoking debuts we’ve read this year, operating in that same chilling, systemic sci-fi territory as Severance. It's an incredibly sharp, uncomfortable metaphor for emotional labor and class exploitation. Newton handles the unfolding mystery with a razor-sharp clinical precision that will leave you thinking about the real cost of emotional freedom long after the final chapter.

Timely, innovative and fantastically compelling.

I so enjoyed it: smart, absorbing and disturbingly timely.

I absolutely loved this novel - I finished it in one weekend. The entire novel is a call to arms for women.

Newton creates a world that's frighteningly real with a well-crafted spotlight on women's emotional labour. Equal parts thought-provoking and rage-inducing The Carrier is a propulsive thriller you'll remember long after the last page. An incredibly accomplished debut.

A breath-taking debut and essential reading for our times.

An acute allegory for emotional labour, and the subtle yet oppressive toll this gendered reality takes on our lives and bodies.

The Carrier holds no punches. A fast-paced, prescient novel set in an all too familiar near-future, with a glimmer of hope to inspire each of us to step up and speak up.

Jodie Matthews, author of Meet Me at the Surface

Why should you suffer when she can do it for you?A revolutionary company can free you from your unwanted emotions. 
Jealousy, grief, despair. If you can afford to, you need never feel them again. 
In your place is a Carrier – a woman who is paid to process your pain. 
In a world full of suffering, there is no shortage of demand. 
But this company has secrets. The true cost of your freedom is a Carrier’s life. 
Would you let her pay the price?

The Carrier

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Ruth Newton

Praise for The Carrier

As an allegory for our commercialised lives, and particularly the expectations of women’s emotional labour, it’s right on the nose. This cleverly plotted thriller shines a light on the way fortunes are made by inven ...

A little Severance-like and ideal summer reading for those of us who enjoy a good high-concept thriller.

Gripping.

As an allegory for our commercialised lives, and particularly the expectations of women’s emotional labour, it’s right on the nose. This cleverly plotted thriller shines a light on the way fortunes are made by inven ...

A little Severance-like and ideal summer reading for those of us who enjoy a good high-concept thriller.

Gripping.

As an allegory for our commercialised lives, and particularly the expectations of women’s emotional labour, it’s right on the nose. This cleverly plotted thriller shines a light on the way fortunes are made by inven ...

A little Severance-like and ideal summer reading for those of us who enjoy a good high-concept thriller.

Gripping.

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