Exalted: A Novel

Written by Anna Dorn

Narrated by Tara Marie Kirk

Emily Forrest runs Exalted, the hottest astrology account on Instagram, from her studio apartment in Los Angeles. Burned out on meme-making and listicles, Emily's passion for astrology is waning despite her gift for deciphering the signs, until she comes across a birth-chart that could potentially change her mind. Beau Rubidoux's planets are aligned, each paired with its optimum sign-his chart is exalted. She decides that Beau, a well-connected photographer in Echo Park, could potentially be the love of her life and help her fulfill her true destiny: to be a star.

Meanwhile in Riverside, Dawn Webster has been dumped once again. At forty-eight, she is forced to return to the same restaurant where she started waiting tables at eighteen. With no girlfriend, no career, and her only son gone to Hollywood, the once-vivacious Dawn is aimless and alone. She guzzles cheap champagne and checks Exalted to feel seen. She is a fiery Leo, and one day she will get her due.

Alternating between Emily and Dawn's points of view, Exalted is a deliciously dark novel that explores desire, the projection of our need for love, and what we're really searching for when we keep scrolling. Anna Dorn's signature wit and biting social commentary takes listeners across Southern California until Emily and Dawn's shocking connection is finally revealed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Aug 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9798765048962

Anna Dorn

Anna Dorn is a writer living in Los Angeles. A former criminal defense attorney, she regularly writes about legal issues for Justia and Medium. Her article on juvenile life without parole was published in American University Law Review. She has written about culture for LA Review of Books, The Hairpin, and Vice Magazine. Anna has a JD from UC Berkeley Law School, an MFA from Antioch University-Los Angeles, and a BA from UNC-Chapel Hill. Her memoir, Bad Lawyer, will be published by Hachette Books in Spring 2021.

Reviews for Exalted

[Charlotte Schwark · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story was okay, could have done without the “twist.” But the audio was so monotone. I get what the voice actor was going for (SoCal bored I guess), but a whole book like that was torturous.

[Julia Roll · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The book is fun but I would not recommend listening to it. Probably the worst audiobook narrator I‘ve ever encountered. Every sentence is spoken in the same way, there are no variations in tone, volume etc.