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Vi Liu, a Taiwanese-American woman in her mid-twenties, is stuck—dealing with a breakup, a stalled college career, and a dead-end hotel job. One night, after reluctantly going out with a coworker, she stumbles upon a small, sentient blob in an alley and impulsively takes it home. As the blob becomes more self-aware, Vi moulds it into her ideal partner, feeding it sugary cereals and immersing it in American pop culture. Eventually, it transforms into a handsome man she names Bob. But as Bob develops autonomy, Vi is forced to confront her own loneliness, past relationships, and the consequences of trying to shape someone to fit her expectations.

Vi struggles with a sense of detachment from her body, identity, and emotions, often feeling like a formless “blob� herself. The novel explores mental health, anxiety, body dysmorphia, loneliness, and the uncertainty of adulthood. It’s like a mix of Melissa Broder’s existential weirdness and Emily Austin’s dry humour—but it didn’t quite land for me. I love a witty, cynical protagonist, but not an unnecessarily mean one, and Vi often felt insufferable (not in a fun way). The weirdness wasn’t weird enough to be compelling, and the writing felt unbaked. If I had connected with Vi more, I think I would’ve enjoyed it.