This debut novel from singer-songwriter Alina Simone is pitched as a slightly broad satire of modern life—newly unemployed protagonist Anna Krestler has a real addiction to the Internet, while her roommate Brie is a 27-year-old unpaid intern. But the New York of Note To Self stumbles into something far scarier than gently poking fun at Anna’s drifting. In the novel’s world, everyone involved in making art is struggling financially and intellectually, spews pretentious, incomprehensible jargon, and can never, ever be trusted. With a cast of monsters that doesn’t include a single truly sympathetic character and a “happy ending” that boils down to an escape to “normal life,” Note To Self is a splash of cold, existentially terrifying water for any would-be creatives.