Advanced Praise for Ultranatural
“In a ramped-up retelling of the pop starlet mythos, Ultranatural charts the converse curves of fame-seeking and holy bestiedom through the literary tradition of posting like your life depends on it. Wuehle’s shades—dark humor and astute weirdness are pitch-perfect, autotuned to ring out an alien gloss of mystic uncanny.”
—Sadie Dupuis, songwriter and guitarist, Speedy Ortiz
“Lacey Dove Bart’s rise from small-town obscurity to pop superstardom echoes tabloid-era Britney in all its glittering dread. Ultranatural is Candice Wuehle’s sharp, surreal telling of a body turned brand, and the girl trapped beneath it. I adore this novel.”
—Anna Dorn, author, Perfume and Pain
“Ultranatural skewers fame, girlhood, and celebrity culture with a deft hand, seamlessly blending philosophy, satire, and musings on the metaphysical while chronicling the rise and fall of a pop icon. Lacey Dove Bart is at once a recognizable cultural figure and a wholly original character whom you won’t soon forget.”
—E. K. Sathue, author, Youthjuice
Before Love became a household name, she was Lacey Dove Bart, a determined teen with dreams of stardom. Desperate to escape her bleak small-town life, Lacey dazzles at an audition for the prestigious Newland Academy, catching the eye of mega producer Jimmy Coins. Lacey’s friend and coperformer, Carrie-Anne, believes they’re on the brink of achieving their shared dream of escaping Appalachia. But a betrayal by Lacey leaves them both reeling.
As Lacey is transformed into “Love,” the carefully controlled idol of a generation, she loses piece after piece of herself. She’s contracted for stints on Christian variety shows, toured through malls and state fairs, and even locked in a fortress-like mansion between recording sessions. With her life spiraling out of control and younger, hungrier replacements waiting in the wings, Love’s only chance at freedom is to reconnect with Carrie-Anne and seek redemption in the one authentic bond she has left. Part pop elegy, part horror story, part radical reimagining of female celebrity, Ultranatural autotunes the static of fame until it sounds like prophecy.
University of Iowa Press, 2026
Film Representation: Danny Hertz at The Gotham Group