Victoria Ruben

The Young Gods Victoria Ruben

In this post-adolescent coming-of-age story, a depressed millennial uses her new and devastating powers to ensure that she will never be lonely (or bored) again. After grappling with her overbearing family, her suddenly ambiguous sexuality, her deep desire for independence, and her growing cynicism, Estella Edgehill suffers an accidental overdose. In the afterlife, she is informed that the Gods of old are retiring, and she has been chosen as a replacement. Upon returning to life, she leaves home and meets the boy and girl of her dreams. Together, the three embark on several misadventures, from a shoplifting spree aided by their burgeoning powers at a futuristic shopping mall, to attending a lavish forest party hosted by hipster ghosts, to an encounter with a student-devouring, spectral Wraith on their college campus. On top of the supernatural alterations in the world, Estella must contend with her attachment to her writing teacher, an aging literary titan whose bitterness is only outmatched by his cruelty, and her attraction to her forty-something-year-old neighbor, who is unhappily married to her husband. Relationships are tough, and growing up is hard to do, even for the Gods.