After Care

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 Eliza Clark, Caro Claire Burke, Sarah Rose Etter and Ottessa Moshfegh. 'A compelling and perceptive exploration of the dangers of seeking validation in a society that increasingly mistakes a carefully constructed existence for reality. Maniar has crafted a story I did not know I needed, but one I was deeply grateful to uncover. Wholly absorbing' - Oyinkan Braithwaite, author of Cursed Daughters 'Bold and haunting, After Care dissects the delusions of fame, parasocialism and the attention economy. Who do we become when we're being watched? And what happens when people stop?' - Stacey Yu, author of Kitten 'Searing, visceral and sincerely uncomfortable, but like a deep dark doomscroll into the psyche of 2026, I found that I just couldn't look away. An unmissable debut. Let it jab at your tender insecurities' -…