Flashout

by Alexis Soloski

A thrill-seeking young woman joins a radical theater troupe in this taut, suspenseful novel of art, seduction, and the deadly limits of liberation.

New York, 1972. A cloistered college student slips out of the dorms to attend a performance by a legendary experimental performance troupe. Within months, she has left campus life behind and joined the company, infatuated by its charismatic leader and his promises of absolute freedom.

California, 1997. A theater teacher at an exclusive private school receives an unsettling letter. With her job at risk and her past clawing at her carefully constructed present, what will she do to protect the life she has made?

Riveting and atmospheric, Flashout is a coruscating coming-of-age story and an immersive thriller exploring the enchantments and perils of art.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Historical, Suspense, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

288 pages, Hardcover

First published August 5, 2025

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published August 5, 2025.

3.5 stars

In 1972 Alice Haze (nee Allison) sneaks out of her dorm in her strict, all girls college campus to see a play in New York City. She doesn’t know it is created and performed by a legendary experimental theatre troupe, Theatre Negative. She is hooked and begins leaving school to attend open rehearsals, which gets her in major trouble. Soon she has left everything she knows to become a part of their art.

In 1996, Ali is teaching theatre in a private school in Los Angeles when she believes someone from the group has found her. Who is it and what does she have to fear?

Really enjoyed this book. I liked that we are seeing the troupe after their heyday has past and I enjoyed the way the personalities are presented. Allison is an intriguing character and the entire scene was fascinating. Feel good about rounding to four stars.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s like if Charles Manson was obsessed with theater instead of music—and decided to direct something truly disturbing. I didn’t finish this author’s first novel, so I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one, but I’m really glad I gave them another chance. This book completely pulled me in. It’s a twisted, original take on obsession, toxic masculinity, and the lengths people will go to preserve power and legacy. There’s this constant tension running underneath everything, like something terrible is always just about to happen. It also digs into the way the past can claw its way back into the present, no matter how much you try to bury it. Definitely worth the read if you’re into books that aren’t afraid to get a little messy and a lot dark.

[Dimitrije Vojnov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drugi roman Alexis Soloski FLASHOUT sam naravno čekao sa velikom pažnjom zbog njenog prvenca HERE IN THE DARK, međutim, kada sam počeo da ga čitam, naročito me je zainteresovao jer se ispostavilo da ima dodirnih tačaka sa jednom starom idejom koju sam imao za filmski scenario.

Priča je zapravo identična, u postavci ali ne i u onome što je žanrovski pristup. No, ako išta, FLASHOUT mi je ponudio jednu sliku superiorne izvedbe te priče koja me je zanimala.

FLASHOUT se dešava u dva vremena, i oba su epoha. Jedno vreme je 1997. dakle period pre tridesetak godina a drugo je 1972. i dešavanja četvrt veka ranije.

Glavna junakinja je profesorka srednje škole u Kaliforniji koja je u prošlosti bila deo kontroverzne, gotovo pa mensonovske eksperimentalne pozorišne grupe, bazirane na avangardnim pozorišnim trupama šezdesetih i sedamdesetih koje su inspirisane Grotowskim, egzotičnim etno teatrom i raznim drugim kulturalnim uticajima žarila i palila BITEFom, Avinjonom, raznim alternativnim scenama i kampusima širom sveta.

Međutim, nju na period u toj pozorišnoj trupi podseća mračna tajna i jeziva trauma koje okida i preispituje pojavljivanje misterioznog savremenika iz tog doba koji se poigrava njenom krivicom.

Roman je triler i logično je da veliku tenziju upravo generiše smenjivanjem i doziranjem dva vremenska toka. U tome pravi i jedan zanimljiv stilski zahvat. U prošlosti roman je pisan u prvom licu a onome što je "sadašnjost" ili tehnički, bliža epoha, jer roman je iz ove godine, sve je dato iz trećeg lica.

Time Alexis Soloski uspešno gradi jasan efekat disocijacije koji je zadesio glavnu junakinju posle traume iz 1972. godine.

Stil je precizan, pripovedanje je jasno, energično, visceralno, atmosferično, zbilja u najboljoj tradiciji kako onoga što znamo kao američku prozu, a naročito američki krimić.

Ponovo je Alexis Soloski na razmeđi mejnstrima i krimića, koliko god da preteže na ovu drugu stranu jer roman daje jasan žanrovski ugođaj. Međutim, on jeste i svojevrrsna skrivena istorija američkog avangardnog teatra iz perioda kontrakulturne borbe. Otud, mislim da će ovaj roman, za razliku od prvog, zbog jasnijeg žanrovskog rukopisa veoma lako mobilisati žanrovske puriste, ali će isto tako naći i prostor za crossover makar među onima koji znaju Alexis Soloski kao poznatu pozorišnu kritičarku i teoretičarku.

U romanu se nažalost nijednom ne pomene BITEF, ali sve ostalo je tu.

Alexis Soloski ponovo zalazi u sferu istinskog krimića, i opisuje transgresiju koja nije nemotivisana ali nije usiljena i nije uslovljena. Dakle, ona ipak ispituje spremnost ljudi da počine zločin kako bi umirili neke svoje želje, strasti, a ne samo iz teške egzistencijalne ugroženosti, i spremna da je protagonistkinji da takvo breme i da nas poveže na svakom nivou sa njom. U tom smislu, kako god da smeštamo ovaj roman na policama, zapravo ključna stvar je to da on zarobljava tu esenciju krimića kao romanu koji preispituje zločin kao takav i njegov uticaj na čoveka u najširem smislu.

Voleo bih da romani Alexis Soloski dobiju svoje izdanje kod nas, s tim što sam uveren da bi FLASHOUT zbog manje stilskih iskliznuća bio možda prava knjiga za upoznavanje.

[Delaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down. This book was weird, and I hated the main character so much, which I think as a whole makes a story less enjoyable.

There are a few things I liked about the book. I love cults. I love the psychology behind them, the weird things that go on, the outlandish belief and ideologies. It’s all always been super interesting to me, and I thought this book was intriguing. It was a fresh idea for a cult thriller.

It kept me engaged which I’ve had a hard time with lately, and I finished it quickly.

Something that bothered me about this book was it was very… provocative? Which normally doesn’t bother me but it was SO much of everyone sleeping with everyone and it being described every time. I don’t know, felt a little vulgar. I get it goes with the cult theme, but it was a lot and I didn’t love it. Normally I don’t really bat an eye to it, but it was such a copious amount, I was getting worried about STDs for the characters. Perhaps it was meant to feel that way but it didn’t sit well with me.

The ending was a bit lack-luster in the fact that it just ends, but what happens is inferred and I think it was totally the right move for the author to take it in order to give her character any sort of redeeming value.

I do think a lot of people will like this book, I didn’t dislike it and I’m not mad I read it. It’s fresh and engaging.

I already said this but want to kind of drive it home.. if provocatively explicit language bothers you, I’d skip out on this book.

I can see people who are more religious that enjoy thrillers really having a problem with this book. I’m no prude in the least and it even irked me a bit, so just be mindful of that going in.

[Geonn Cannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ridiculous and over the top, desperate to shock, shuffling between timelines (for the love of God... I keep giving them a chance and it all just ends up being two weak stories that won't stand on their own forced together). I was drawn in by the tease about a theatre troupe. But this was theatre like The Nightman Cometh was theatre.

[Caraline · Rating 3 out of 5]

full review: https://youtu.be/pfzNe069EJY?si=m2mA7...

thank you to macmillan audio for the audiobook ARC🖤

[Lilibet Bombshell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flashout is an extremely immersive and potently atmospheric suspense thriller set in dual historical timelines (from present day), starring the same character in different POVs: Allison tells her story that starts in 1972 New York in first-person POV and author Andrea Soloski tells Allison’s 1997 Southern California story in third-person POV. As of 2025, that puts the events of this book happening over 50 years ago. New York was a very different place then, and Soloski does a very good job of letting us see The City That Never Sleeps through the eyes of a naive-but-traumatized 19-year-old young Catholic woman on her own for the first time at an all-girls college. It’s dark, dangerous, seedy, and it’s everything a girl who longs to stand on her own and get away from everything expected of her could want.

So much of this book’s suspense and titillation is about the lengths people will go to in the name of art. They will cajole, coerce, become complacent when horrible things are happening around them, become complicit if it gets them what they want/need/desire, and act criminal if that’s what’s needed to get the job done. Is it only men? It’s mostly men–I won’t lie about that–but in the 1970s it’s also women assuring you everyone does it, everything will be okay, that he’s a good guy, that no one will tell, to please be cool about this, to do them this one favor, to just relax, to take this drink or this pill and just close your eyes…

When do you own up to your mistakes, your crimes, your lies, and take responsibility for what you’ve done? When does the treasure become trash? 4⭐️



Thanks to Flatiron Books for providing me with an early physical copy of this title to review. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Coming of Age/Cult Fiction/Historical Fiction/LGBTQ Fiction/Lit Fic/Suspense Thriller/Women’s Fiction

[Giselle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flashout, an intriguing story about Allison's crashout.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was def entertaining and kept my attention but the prose felt really vulgar and not believable. The protagonist is so unlikable and it’s obvious that she acts the way she does bc of her tragic backstory, but that backstory is left mostly undiscussed. I also never understood why the ‘70s storyline was in first person and the ‘90s storyline was in third person

[Audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Harrowing. Hard to read. Theater or cult? A brutal story of coming of age, total destruction, devastation, and coming to terms. Some ghosts you can't outrun. I read the ARC.

[Helen Wu ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ideal for readers who:
• Appreciate psychological depth over plot speed
• Are intrigued by cult stories, experimental art, and moral ambiguity
• Don’t need to “like” a character to be fascinated by them
• Enjoy books that leave a lingering discomfort or invite critical thinking

For me personally, I thought I could handle one more cult story—but I don’t think so anymore. I also realized I prefer fast-paced narratives over slow-burn storytelling.

That said, I thought the narrator, Mia Barron, did a fantastic job. For a while, I truly felt like I was listening to an autobiography.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

[Barbieprivilege · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually skip dual timeline books, very very few authors do them well. Most use it as a crutch to cover up poor writing and the inability to craft a good story, which is what I feel happened here.

I couldn't really connect with any of the characters, despite having been lured and groomed myself by older men when I was the protagonist's age. No one is likable, which is fine, but there was nothing else to draw one in to the story. Most characterizations fell flat or out of sync with earlier descriptions. The roommate, the antagonist who comes back, none of this felt real or natural, there was just a real lack of verisimilitude throughout, which is so strange because again, I've experienced similar situations. It just felt strange and not well done. Also, I was surprised to learn the author is Jewish because there was a bit near the beginning about a Jewish girl in the story that just fell utterly flat for me and just...not realistic at all, even for very secular Jewry.

I wanted it to be better. I started reading as soon as I got my advance copy, I was really excited to dig into it. But it was overall just flat and disappointing.

[Yari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flashout by Alexis Soloski (book cover is in image) in the format of a dual timeline, tells the story of how Allison Haze left school to join a travelling performance group, seeking freedom. 24 years later, after receiving a mysterious communication, the reader is taken on a journey through her past to determine who reached out her. This book explores themes of seduction, grooming, and cultlike behavior and Allison's escape from it all.

While I thought this was a great story, the narration by Mia Barron was ok. Unfortunately, I only got access to the audiobook and was not able to read the ARC, but I believe this would have been a much better read than listen.

Thank you, @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3 Stars
Pub Date: Aug 05 2025

#MacmillanAudio
#Flashout
#AlexisSoloski
#MiaBarron
#WomensFiction
#YarisBookNook
#NegGalley

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Alexis Soloski's last book and was really excited to listen to an early copy of this one. I really enjoy her writing -- she is so descriptive and I can vividly imagine all her scenes and settings.

I really liked the way this story unravels -- it moves through multiple time periods and we get to see Alice at various points in her life. It is unsetting as we find out what happened in the past, and how it relates to what Alice is experiencing in the present.

I especially enjoyed all the descriptions of the performance pieces and the dynamics between the group.

I thought the audio narrator was excellent - I am picky about my narrators and I would definitely listen to more by her.

I'm excited to read what Alexis Soloski writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

[lori pennington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Mia Barron does a great job narrating this story.

In NYC in the 70's, a sheltered college student falls under the spell of a charismatic director of a performance theatre company and the promise of freedom. Fast forward 20 years and Allison is now a theater director of a private school when her past comes calling and she must take extreme measures to prevent her life from blowing up.

I love the dual timelines in this story and the cultish Charles Manson-esque themes. But, unfortunately, that's about it. This one was in a word - weird. None of the characters are likable, which is ok, but I honestly could not find anything to draw me into the story. The pacing was too slow and the characters were flat. Not a great read for me and one I struggled to finish.

[Nicole Duron · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this dual timeline story, we meet Allison Haze. In the 1972 timeline, Allison is boxed in and wants a bit more from life when she decides to go to see a theatre performance. She becomes hooked. Flashforward to 1996, she is now a theatre teacher and is contacted by someone from the past. It sets her out on a journey to determine who it is before they destroy everything she has worked for.

This book is perfect for those who like a cult-like undertone with very Charles Manson vibes. If you don't mind a slower build up, you will enjoying the back and forth story telling. The pacing was a bit slow, and at some points, fragmented. But for some, that might add to the overall experience and atmosphere in reading a book like this.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Alexis Soloski's first novel, but this one was a miss. It was too weird and unevenly passed. The novel follows Allison (Alice), who becomes involved in a bizarre theater cult. The action alternates between 1972 with a first person POV and 1997 with a third-person POV, as someone from Allison's theater culty past comes back to haunt her. Soloski employs this dual timeline ostensibly to build suspense, but not all that much happens, and I thought Allison was unbearable and unlikeable as protagonist.

Also, ultimately this was more about cults than theater. I was in it for the theater aspect, and I instead read a lot of weird culty stuff. I recommend Soloski's first novel Here In The Dark instead!

[Deirdre Jost · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was incredibly well-written and told an interesting story. I really enjoyed the dual narratives in past and present. Characters were incredibly complex and realistic, and the MC was sympathetic enough to keep me rooting for her without being boring. This book definitely covers some heavy topics but the author handles them with nuance. While the plot made sense, it was still unpredictable and I found myself unable to put the book down at certain parts.

Some parts were a little confusing to read and might have benefitted from a first-person POV, but nothing that took away from the story or my enjoyment.

(I received this as a free ARC through Goodreads)

[Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Won an advanced copy in a giveaway. I thought I was in for a thriller set in a cult type group but what I got was an increasingly depressing downward spiral. I did laugh at the long descriptions of driving directions whenever she drove around California. Reminded me of the SNL skit “the Californians”, but I don’t think it was meant to be funny. This just wasn’t a great book for me. I stayed to the end in hopes that the wrap up for the mystery would be satisfying, but it was not. As someone who enjoys a good thriller and likes a cult book this was just missing something. The leader wasn’t magnetic enough for me to understand why people were following him.

[Dawn H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flashout is a dark and twisted tale about art, theater and manipulation. Not a single one of the characters are appealing or likable. Yet the disturbing story is compelling. I had to keep listening.

The audiobook narration by Mia Barron is very finely done. Her performance greatly enhanced the story.

I enjoyed the audiobook 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest feedback.

[Louise Ember · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cliche yet relatable craving for freedom and adventure in a young college student that takes a... unique and traumatic route to gain those dreams. Although this is fiction, women can relate to this story all too well at times. It's devastating, it's cringe, but it's beautifully told.

If you love a good serving of trauma in your historical fiction, this one might be for you.

[Cornelia Huellstrunk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too sure what I thought about this book. It was easy to read, and it kept me engaged. However, the back-and-forth between the generations was OK but not great. The best character was Rosa. She was very interesting and multilayered. She was a prostitute but at the same time extremely caring She was rough and tumble and intelligent and conniving. I think I actually like the book.

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. It was on the “8 New Books We Love This Week” from the NYTimes and I did NOT love this book. The narrative is a dual point of view: the 1972 sections are in first-person, and the 1997 sections are in third-person. The 1972 plot feels like it could have been stronger if it hasn’t relied on just one character, and the 1997 plot felt trite and predictable. Forgettable.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher, via Edelweiss, for an advance e-galley for honest review.

This captures the time(s) and eras of its settings in a tense, focused way that brings them to life. It's uncomfortable at times, but I chalk that up to the author truly making the characters and the situations they find themselves in seem true.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one hit a lot of my sweet spots - avant garde theatre in the 1970s, high school theater teachers, A Midsummer Night's Dream, flashbacks and bad behavior. It's ever so slightly underbaked, I'm not sure it comes together in a way that is completely satisfying and whether or not the ending is believable but it is a fantastic ride.

[Spenser]

dnf at like 40% a little heavy handed for my taste and the switch in pov between past and present was jarring. MC veryyyy unlikable. local theater nerd is driven insane by comp het and joins a cult is interesting tho.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a cult story add in a possibly unreliable narrator and I am sold!. the audio version of this was so well done and it was an addictive listen.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Kara Wily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story at a time when I’m learning about “parts” as a psychology concept. This story entails acting. And argues acting is just being. So the parts exist on stage and off. Beautiful production too, I so enjoyed the Narrator. It was like a one woman play , not just a narration.

[Leeroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC. I think it was interesting and entertaining. Pretty dark, which I kinda expected. None of the characters are super likable, which can be off putting for some. IMO worth a read.

[Joseph Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just won this book, I cant wait to get it and read it! I will update as soon as I am done.