A deliciously dark horror reimagining of a Greek tragedy, by Ivy Pochoda, winner of the LA Times Book Prize. Lena wants her life back. Her wealthy, controlling, humorless husband has just died, and now she contends with her controlling, humorless son, Drew. Lena lands in Naxos with her best friend in tow for the unveiling of her son's, pet project--the luxurious Agape Villas. Years of marriage amongst the wealthy elite has whittled Lena's spirit into rope and sinew, smothered by tasteful cocktail dresses and unending small talk. On Naxos she yearns to rediscover her true nature, remember the exuberant dancer and party girl she once was, but Drew tightens his grip, keeping her cloistered inside the hotel, demanding that she fall in line. Lena is intrigued by a group of women living in tents on the beach in front of the Agape. She can feel their drums at night, hear their seductive leader calling her to dance. Soon she'll find that an ancient God stirs on the beach, awakening dark desires of women across the island. The only questions left will be whether Lena will join them, and what it will cost her. Ecstasy is a riveting, darkly poetic, one-sitting read about empowerment, desire, and what happens when women reject the roles set out for them. “[ Ecstasy ] revamps ‘The Bacchae’ into a contemporary feminist horror story. . . [that] explodes into hallucinatory violence, blinding bloodlust and outbreaks of primal madness. . . Pochoda has been grouped with such writers as Jonathan Lethem, Richard Price, Walter Mosley, Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane. . . Joan Didion is likewise evident, in Pochoda’s ability to turn sunlight dark or to capture the universe in a traffic jam.” — New York Times “This beautiful and lyrical fever dream of a novel isn't afraid to embrace the power of female rage and desire.” — People “[A] stiletto-sharp remake of Euripides. . . The White Lotus meets Midsommar, with a nod to Absolutely Fabulous.” — Washington Post “Quick, bloody fun. . . [If] you can’t make it to Mykonos or Corfu for parties this summer, this book may be the next best thing.” — Wall Street Journal " Ecstasy is a lyrical, fevered, and furious re-imagining of a classic Greek tragedy. Tense and phantasmagoric, the novel sinks its considerable teeth into the patriarchal 21st century capitalist machine. And gloriously, no one is spared." —Paul Tremblay, author of the New York Times bestseller Horror Movie " Ecstasy is a superb and horrific reimagining of a Greek tragedy. Pochoda's writing is a lyrical scalpel reopening old wounds, dissecting abandoned dreams, and slicing to the core of motherhood and female friendship with style to spare. Don't miss it." —Gabino Iglesias, author of House of Bone and Rain “Trippy, sensual, hallucinatory, and very strange. . . Pochoda's novel is full of staccato lines, short and at times enigmatic; at times beautifully evocative. . . [Blends] magical realism and surreal effects into a churning, fiery concoction.” —New York Journal of Books “Lyrical and dreamlike. . . Perfect for fans of Greek retellings and novels that explore feminine rage and empowerment, like Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch or Kirsten Miller’s The Change .” —Booklist “The brisk, feminist beach read you’re looking for.” —Bustle “Based on Euripides’ ‘The Bacchae’ — well, the one he might have written as a brilliant, fiercely feminist provocateur . . . As delicious as Zeus’ home-brewed nectar.” — Los Angeles Times “Pochoda’s intoxicating feminist retelling of The Bacchae is full of dreamlike prose that flows effortlessly. A great pick for fans of CJ Leede and Cassandra Khaw that begs to be finished in one sitting.” — Library Journal (starred review) “A moving novel about power, desire, and society’s expectations of women.” — Alta “Psychedelic, dizzying and deadly. . . [A] quick and powerful novel that shows off Ivy Pochoda’s gifts as a writer who knows how to get under readers’ skin.” —BookReporter “It’s a bloody story in the old and new, rife with decadence and depravity.” — Harvard Gazette “With stunning prose that transcends the merely evocative into the realm of glorious hallucination, Pochoda gleefully resurrects the idea of Dionysian rites and mystery cults and, yes, the ultimate triumph of the Goddess.” —The Day “Pochoda takes female rage, desire, and liberation to a thought-provoking, blood-curdling level. The final chapters are unsettling and deeply provocative. Unflinching in its vision, Ecstasy resonates long after the last page.” —Suspense Magazine “Astute, incisive and sharp, this modern retelling of Euripides’ The Bacchae is all atmosphere, all the time. It’s mystery, horror and so much more on its way to exemplifying what it is to be a woman in the world today.” —Barnes & Noble, Best Books of June “[A] defiantly feminist reimagining of Euripides’ The Bacchae . . . Pochoda’s sun-drenched, blood-soaked literary fever dream pits hubris against hedonism