A unique blend of satire and horror is set to captivate readers next year when debut author Clare Ogawa releases her novel, “This Town Will Eat You Alive,” through Hanover Square Press. Drawing on her own experiences in Hollywood, Ogawa presents a chilling narrative that delves into the darker side of the film industry.
Plot Overview: A Descent into Horror
The story follows Frankie Meyers, a determined assistant with dreams of ascending to the pinnacle of Hollywood as an Oscar-winning producer. Currently tethered to the infamous studio head, Lee Becker, Frankie is willing to endure his notorious temper and unreasonable demands, seeing him as her ticket to stardom. However, her ambitions take a sinister turn when she uncovers a disturbing pattern of young women going missing around Becker.
As Frankie digs deeper, she discovers that Becker is transforming into a terrifying tentacled monster with a horrific appetite for blonde women. Though she initially believes her mixed Japanese heritage might spare her from his gruesome fate, she understands the urgency of stopping him. With the help of Blue Becker, the studio head’s son who is also privy to the unsettling truth, Frankie must reconcile her aspirations with the moral imperative to confront the monster that Becker has become.
Background and Inspiration
The novel is written under a pseudonym, allowing Ogawa to maintain her anonymity while still working in the industry. As a Gen-Z mixed Japanese-American author living in Los Angeles, Ogawa’s personal journey informs the story. She notes, “Like a lot of young people, I only started working in the industry after the #MeToo movement, and I had no idea what to expect.” This sentiment reflects the broader anxieties many face when navigating the complexities of the entertainment world.
Ogawa elaborates on her motivations for creating such a character: “What if someone escaped the movement when they shouldn’t have? Would they actually change their behavior, or would they just hide it better?” By transforming her own fears into a narrative about a literal monster, Ogawa addresses the troubling dynamics of power and ambition in Hollywood, presenting a young female protagonist who grapples with the industry’s fraught history.
Publishing Details
Scheduled for release on July 6, 2027, “This Town Will Eat You Alive” was acquired by Dina Davis of Hanover Square Press in a preempt from Jenny Bent at her agency. The publisher describes the book as an incisive critique of Hollywood’s dark underbelly wrapped in a horror-romance tale.
With Clare Ogawa’s compelling voice and unique perspective, readers can look forward to a riveting journey through the complexities of ambition, power, and transformation in a town known for devouring dreams.
