Book description
'Acampora is an original' Jay McInerney, author of Bright Lights, Big City
An electrifying debut novel of two women's friendship, a haunting obsession and twisted ambition, set against the feverish backdrop of contemporary Hollywood.
Abby Graven is a dreamer. She dreams her way through her small, lonely life - hiding…
Why read it?
1 author picked The Paper Wasp as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This is a beautifully written psychological thriller.
At a high school reunion, a polite invitation between old friends—Elise, a successful actor, invites Abby, who is floundering, to visit her in LA—spirals into Abby’s attempt to infiltrate the star’s life. The novel fearlessly plumbs the mysteries and complications of friendship and shows how misguided impulses can gradually take over our psyches.
I’m a fan of big endings, and this novel’s final paragraphs, which cap Abby’s disturbed yet compelling emotional journey, are stunners.
From Andy's list on The best literary novels with criminal protagonists.
If you love The Paper Wasp...
December on 5C4
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…
Want books like The Paper Wasp?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 90 books like The Paper Wasp.
Share your top 3 reads of 2026!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
181
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like The Paper Wasp, you might also like...
Sexy Selfie Nation
The problem is not with the actions young women take but with the toxic, sexist conditions they are responding to.
Tanenbaum found, based on six years of interviews with young people ages 14-30, that young women are navigating a culture littered with gendered dress codes, revenge porn, and sexually explicit…
In This Together
In This Together explores how we can harness our social networks to make a real impact fighting the climate crisis. Against notions of the lone environmental crusader, Marianne E. Krasny shows us the power of "network climate action"—the idea that our own ordinary acts can influence and inspire those close…
