Writers and readers have mixed feelings about blurbs. They are difficult to ask for. And how do you know if you can trust them?

I kind of like them. I love to pick up a book in a bookstore and read the blurbs, see who loves the book and how they love it. A well written blurb will definitely compel me to buy a book.

I received lovely blurbs for The Red Car by writers whose work I have read and admired: Roxane Gay, Kevin Wilson, Megan Abbott, Edan Lepucki, Laura van den Berg, and Cari Luna.

It is so gratifying and so interesting to read what they have to say about something that had once seemed so intensely private, a book on my laptop computer that no one could read but me. Pretty soon, my book will be out there.

Here they are, my blurbs:

“I've been waiting and waiting for a new book from Marcy Dermansky and finally that new book is here. The Red Car is taut and smart and strange and sweet and perfect. I want to eat this book or sew it to my skin or something.” -- Roxane Gay, author of The Untamed State and Bad Feminist

“There are few writers who can do what Marcy Dermansky does so effortlessly in The Red Car, the way she pushes this story in such surprising and thrilling directions, never losing control, taking your breath away line by beautiful line. Dermansky writes with such unnerving clarity about grief, not just for the loss of a loved one, but for our own unexpected lives. A strange, unflinching, utterly amazing novel.” -- Kevin Wilson, author of The Family Fang

“Marcy Dermansky’s The Red Car is a wonder. Moving, mysterious and filled with dark, sly humor, it rustles under your skin and stays there. By the time I reached its shimmering final pages, I wanted to go right back to the beginning and start again.” -- Megan Abbott, author of You Will Know Me

“A new book by the inimitable Marcy Dermansky is worth cheering for. The Red Car is droll, unflinching, and mysterious, a feat of efficient storytelling. I could not put it down. This novel mesmerized me.” -- Edan Lepucki, author of California

“Don’t be fooled by The Red Car’s brevity: it packs a serious punch. Dermansky’s vision is sharp and clear, pushing her beautifully realized protagonist, Leah, into the rapids on a journey of self-discovery. And we’re right there at her side, breathless, as she shakes herself awake. A tremendously moving story that feels true and important.” -- Cari Luna, author of The Revolution of Every Day

“I’ve long admired the work of Marcy Dermansky, and her latest is an absolute stunner. The Red Car is the very rare kind of novel that―with its urgency and intrigue and deep intelligence―will pin you to your chair and transport you utterly. Stop what you’re doing and read this book.” -- Laura van den Berg, author of Find Me