Audition (Kitamura novel)

Last updated
Audition
"Audition" by Katie Kitamura book cover.jpg
Author Katie Kitamura
GenreLiterary fiction
Publisher Riverhead Books
Publication date
April 8, 2025
Pages208
ISBN 978-0593852323

Audition is a 2025 novel by Katie Kitamura, published by Riverhead Books. [1] It was released on April 8, 2025.

Contents

Synopsis

Set in New York City, the novel follows an actress who is in rehearsals for a play called The Opposite Shore. For lunch, she meets a younger man named Xavier who, at times, claims to be her son. She, however, thinks that's impossible.

Background

Kitamura came upon the idea for the novel in the 2010s when she read an article about a woman who had encountered a stranger claiming to be her son. After writing and publishing Intimacies in 2021, she began to write Audition. [2]

Kitamura considers Audition to be "in conversation" with her two previous novels, Intimacies and A Separation. [3]

Audition appeared on lists of highly anticipated novels set for publication in 2025 published by Time, The Guardian, and other outlets. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Critical reception

In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews concluded that "In this searing, chilly, and psychologically profound story lies insight into some harrowing human questions." [11] Publishers Weekly also gave the novel a starred review, noting "Throughout, [Kitamura] succeeds in creating a complex and engrossing portrayal of her characters’ blurry boundaries. Readers won’t be able to put this down." [12]

Vogue said that Kitamura "writes with a spare, almost clinical efficiency, but that doesn’t limit the depth of her characters or the complexity of the dynamics she depicts" and concluded: "The strange pendulum swing from one scenario to the other catches you off guard—and isn’t that the mark of truly exciting fiction?" [13]

Author Lauren Groff stated that "Audition is eerie, a book so cold it feels hot.” [14]

The novel was included on former president Barack Obama's 2025 Summer reading list. [15]

References

  1. ↑ Kitamura, Katie (2025-04-08). Audition. Riverhead Books. ISBN   978-0593852323.
  2. ↑ "Katie Kitamura Will Return in 2025 With Her Newest Novel, 'Audition'". ELLE. 2024-07-24. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  3. ↑ "'Intimacies' by Katie Kitamura '99 | Princeton Alumni Weekly". paw.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  4. ↑ Carlin, Shannon (2024-12-17). "The 39 Most Anticipated Books of 2025". TIME. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  5. ↑ Preston, Alex (2024-12-29). "Fiction to look out for in 2025". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  6. ↑ "Books to watch for in 2025". The Washington Post . 2015-01-18.
  7. ↑ "48 Books By Women of Color to Read in 2025". Electric Literature. 2025-01-09. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  8. ↑ Lopez, Nadia (2025-01-10). "3 book trends to watch in 2025". Axios. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  9. ↑ Park, Andrea (2025-01-08). "You're Going to Be Booked and Busy With the Amount of Exciting Novels Coming in 2025". Marie Claire Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  10. ↑ Starner, Nina (2024-12-10). "The Biggest Books Coming In 2025". Looper. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  11. ↑ AUDITION | Kirkus Reviews.
  12. ↑ "Audition by Katie Kitamura". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  13. ↑ "The Best Books of 2025—A Preview". Vogue. 2024-12-26. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  14. ↑ Arterian, Diana (2025-02-06). "The Annotated Nightstand: What Sarah Chihaya Is Reading Now, and Next". Literary Hub. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  15. ↑ Allen, Brittany (August 27, 2025). "Here's Obama's 2025 summer reading list". Literary Hub. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
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