I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself, Marisa Crane
I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself, Marisa Crane
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I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself
A Novel

Author: Marisa Crane

Narrator: Bailey Carr

Unabridged: 8 hr 29 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/17/2023

Synopsis

Dept. of Speculation meets Black Mirror in this lyrical, speculative debut about a queer mother raising her daughter in an unjust surveillance stateIn a United States not so unlike our own, the Department of Balance has adopted a radical new form of law enforcement: rather than incarceration, wrongdoers are given a second (and sometimes, third, fourth, and fifth) shadow as a reminder of their crime—and a warning to those they encounter. Within the Department, corruption and prejudice run rampant, giving rise to an underclass of so-called Shadesters who are disenfranchised, publicly shamed, and deprived of civil rights protections.Kris is a Shadester and a new mother to a baby born with a second shadow of her own. Grieving the loss of her wife and thoroughly unprepared for the reality of raising a child alone, Kris teeters on the edge of collapse, fumbling in a daze of alcohol, shame, and self-loathing. Yet as the kid grows, Kris finds her footing, raising a child whose irrepressible spark cannot be dampened by the harsh realities of the world. She can’t forget her wife, but with time, she can make a new life for herself and the kid, supported by a community of fellow misfits who defy the Department to lift one another up in solidarity and hope.With a first-person register reminiscent of the fierce self-disclosure of Sheila Heti and the poetic precision of Ocean Vuong, I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself is a bold debut novel that examines the long shadow of grief, the hard work of parenting, and the power of queer resistance.

About Marisa Crane

Marisa Crane is a writer, basketball player, and sweatpants enthusiast. Their work has appeared or is forthcoming in Joyland, No Tokens, TriQuarterly, Passages North, Florida Review, Catapult, Lit Hub, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. An attendee of the Tin House Workshop and Bread Loaf Writers’s Conference, they currently live in San Diego with their wife and child. I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself is their first novel.

About Bailey Carr

Bailey Carr is a New York City–based audiobook narrator. She graduated with a BFA in acting from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Bailey has narrated audiobooks for multiple New York Times bestselling authors.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jasmine on January 25, 2023

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane (they/she) is an incisive portrayal of one family trying to survive the clutches of a government that resembles Big Brother. Set in the near future, the government has found a new way to deal with crime. Instead of incarcerating people, the government......more

Goodreads review by Amy on January 26, 2023

Absolutely a 4.5 — creative, smart, thought-provoking. This is just a really interesting book I’ll be thinking about for a while. What an interesting story — if you paired the dystopian feel of The Women Could Fly with the sapphic relationship and emotionality of Our Wives Under The Sea, with the str......more

Goodreads review by Michael on February 01, 2023

This book disappointed me. Given all the strong ratings I truly expected something better. The story is good but the writing could be a lot tighter. For example, dozens of pages are spent describing sex sessions, which is fine even fun but only if they really move the story and all but the first one......more

Goodreads review by Dr. K on July 22, 2023

"I don't want to rate this because I was so disappointed" - me, for the past 3 days I was so excited for this book. When our power went out earlier this week, I thought "yes!! an evening of reading Exoskeletons!!". And then I finished it out of spite and frustration and now we're here. The book is wri......more

Goodreads review by JulesGP on February 03, 2024

Remarkable book. I went slow on this one because it merited a mindfulness. On its surface, the book is a dystopian Big Brother cautionary tale. Instead of prison, the government now punishes criminals by giving them additional shadows and does it on a public stage like old time executions. The peopl......more

Quotes

“Bailey Carr gently narrates this dystopian audiobook…[and] voices Kris’s grief with realism and depth…Carr’s voice for Kris’s daughter is adorably youthful and strong…These characters will resonate with listeners.” AudioFile

“Offers a fresh peek at our dystopian future.” Ms. Magazine

“The novel stands out in its poetic reporting on the everyday experience of living under incessant observation and enforcement.” Chicago Review of Books

“A not-so-cautionary tale about America’s poor treatment of marginalized people and how it would take little for the country to tip over into fascism.’ Locus

"The creation of family, criminalization, and queer resistance. Readers will be moved and electrified.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“On the surface, it’s all explosive force; underneath, it’s introspective and intimate.” BookPage (starred review)

“Vailey Carr narrates this poetic novel, sensitively voicing Kris’s hope and heartbreak, while also capturing the idealism and vivacity of her daughter.” Library Journal (audio review)

"A soft yet fierce narrative of queer resistance and abolitionist feeling.” Booklist

“Skillfully probes the complexities of loss, love, and injustice…[and] convincingly leans toward hope…An anthem for queer love and solidarity that rises above the dystopian cacophony.” Kirkus Reviews

“Phenomenal.” Daily Kos

Awards

  • Indie Next Recommendation
  • Philadelphia Inquirer
  • Chicago Review of Books Pick
  • Goodreads Pick
  • Literary Hub Pick
  • Den of Geek
  • BuzzFeed Books Pick
  • Audible.com “Best of the Year”
  • New York Times Book Review pick
  • Esquire Magazine Best Books of the Year
  • Washington Independent Review of Books
  • Library Journal Best Book
  • Independent Book Review Pick
  • Debutiful Pick
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