SUPERSAURIO

An acerbic, fan-fiction-writing millennial woman struggles to navigate her soul-crushing office job, corporate culture, and societal expectations.

Set over the course of a couple of years and narrated through a meandering inner monologue, El Mehdati’s novel tells the story of Meryem, the 25-year-old daughter of Moroccan immigrants who lives in the Canary Islands. Meryem has gone to university, prays, avoids partying, and lives with her parents while working as an intern at Supersaurio, the largest supermarket chain in the archipelago. It’s a miserable job, and Meryem repeatedly expresses frustration as she feuds with her boss—the worst person she’s ever met—and deals with misogyny, racism, and microaggressions. The only things keeping her going are her friends, all of whom also write fan fiction; Omar, a senior coworker who is smart, funny, and devastatingly handsome; and the hope that one day she might journey from intern to fixed employment. While some readers might find themselves reflected in Meryem and her day-to-day life, her anger and sense of herself as a victim become grating. Meryem’s diatribes are often repetitive, and there is very little plot; the book seems to rely more on vibes and a constant barrage of pop culture references. The result feels one-dimensional and lacking depth.

A disjointed story about a quarter-life crisis.