Not Safe For Work

Author of the viral essay 'My boyfriend, a writer, broke up with me because I am a writer'

Brought to you by Penguin.

The compulsively readable debut novel about a young woman trying to succeed in Hollywood without selling her soul - perfect for fans of Sweetbitter, My Dark Vanessa and Exciting Times

You are young, ambitious, college-educated and a feminist. Your new job is in television.

To climb the ranks, you do whatever it takes:
- Pull all-nighters
- Lean on your powerful mother's contacts
- Stay in shape at cult-like fitness classes
- Secretly wear your boss's fitbit to improve his stepcount - and his temper

You know the rules of this world. When someone senior tells you how pretty you look, you smile and thank him - and make a mental note never to wear that dress alone with him again.

When whispers start to circle that your office might have 'a bit of a rape problem,' and your close friend confesses her own unsettling encounter, you know there is plenty to gain from staying silent, and all too much to lose through speaking out.

And of course, you know your own boss is one of the good guys . . . don't you?

With blisteringly sharp prose and a darkly humorous voice, Not Safe For Work is an unflinching exploration of the grey area between empowerment and complicity, and a searing, unforgettable portrait of what success costs in a patriarchal world.


'A frank study of the psychological, and at times literal, gymnastics that are required of striving women.' RAVEN LEILANI, bestselling author of Luster

'Frank, funny and unputdownable' CLAIRE MESSUD

© Isabel Kaplan 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Reseñas de la Crítica

Glittering. A funny, spiky compulsive story about toxic workplaces, lean-in culture and #MeToo

A frank account of leaning in and its inherent filthiness. Kaplan captures the psychological, and at times literal, gymnastics required of striving women (Raven Leilani, New York Times bestselling author of Luster)

Readers who were obsessed with My Dark Vanessa, this one is for you. A blistering look at the hidden side of Hollywood

Wholly engrossing and shrewdly observational . . . that rare kind of read that made me giggle just as much as it left me gutted (Zakiya Dalila Harris, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Black Girl)

Sharp, funny . . . The writing is fresh and stylish and the conversational tone helps the thought-provoking narrative zip along. I loved it

Frank, funny and unputdownable . . . behind the glitter and the justice, everyone is tarnished and compromised - including even our narrator. Kaplan, with her sharp and nuanced eye, sees it all, and tells it brilliantly (Claire Messud, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman Upstairs)

Deliciously sharp, ridiculously funny, and surprisingly heartfelt . . . I cannot wait to discuss it with everyone I know (Coco Mellors, author of Cleopatra and Frankenstein)

Brilliantly deadpan and spiky in all the right ways. An accurate, darkly funny but also brutal portrayal of everyday workplace and world power dynamics. I couldn't put it down (Emily Itami, Costa-shortlisted author of Fault Lines)

With her sun-bleached Hollywood setting, Kaplan transports us to another world - one which is achingly familiar. A novel which makes us examine our own complicity, while also weaving in threads of tenderness, drive and office-based humour which at times feels delightfully absurd . . . I inhaled this book - and came up for air still reeling (Katie Hale, author of My Name is Monster)

Ambition bites back in Isabel Kaplan's Not Safe For Work, a novel that hits close to a few recent news events . . . So visceral is the narrator's voice that every time I opened the book felt like sliding into uncomfortable heels. Brave