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Blank Canvas
If I ever woke up with an ungodly dread — that I could change it all now, turn around, and confess — I ignored it. I had never been good, and there was no point in trying now.
On a small liberal arts campus in upstate New York, Charlotte begins her final year with a lie. Her father died over the summer, she says. Heart attack. Very sudden.
Charlotte had never been close with her classmates but as she repeats her tale, their expressions soften into kindness. And so she learns there are things worth lying for: attention, affection, and, as she embarks on a relationship with fellow student Katarina, even love. All she needs to do is keep control of the threads that hold her lie – and her life – together.
But six thousand miles away, alone in the grey two-up-two-down Staffordshire terrace she grew up in, her father is very much alive, watching television and drinking beer. Charlotte has always kept difficult truths at arm’s length, but his resolve to visit his distant daughter might just be the one thing she can’t control.
On a small liberal arts campus in upstate New York, Charlotte begins her final year with a lie. Her father died over the summer, she says. Heart attack. Very sudden.
Charlotte had never been close with her classmates but as she repeats her tale, their expressions soften into kindness. And so she learns there are things worth lying for: attention, affection, and, as she embarks on a relationship with fellow student Katarina, even love. All she needs to do is keep control of the threads that hold her lie – and her life – together.
But six thousand miles away, alone in the grey two-up-two-down Staffordshire terrace she grew up in, her father is very much alive, watching television and drinking beer. Charlotte has always kept difficult truths at arm’s length, but his resolve to visit his distant daughter might just be the one thing she can’t control.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2026
40 people are currently reading
1258 people want to read
About the author
Grace Murray
12 books12 followersGrace Murray is twenty-one and grew up in Norwich. She is a final year student reading English Literature at Edinburgh University, where she finds time to write between her studies and two part-time jobs.
In writing Blank Canvas, Grace set out to explore themes of Catholic guilt and queer identity, clashing moral codes and lies, and the opportunity for reinvention presented by moving between countries and settings.
Blank Canvas was written over the course of a year as part of WriteNow, Penguin Random House’s flagship mentorship scheme for emerging talent. Grace Murray won one of nine places on the scheme on the exceptional strength of her writing, selected from a pool of over 1,300 applicants.
In writing Blank Canvas, Grace set out to explore themes of Catholic guilt and queer identity, clashing moral codes and lies, and the opportunity for reinvention presented by moving between countries and settings.
Blank Canvas was written over the course of a year as part of WriteNow, Penguin Random House’s flagship mentorship scheme for emerging talent. Grace Murray won one of nine places on the scheme on the exceptional strength of her writing, selected from a pool of over 1,300 applicants.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
January 25, 2026
I’m having a great run of books at the moment. I luuurved this and it’s definitely solidified my favourite novel type: complex, misunderstood characters seeking validation and acceptance. I thoroughly enjoyed the story developing through an internal monologue, particularly the character’s perception and commentary of the world vs her response/actions within it. Can’t believe this is a debut novel. Murray’s writing was both intelligent and witty and I will 100% be picking up her next book!!
May 19, 2025
Blank Canvas is a dynamic, intrusive and sharp read that follows student Charlotte and her web of lies. The reader is immersed in Charlotte’s messy array of thoughts as she navigates her relationship with fellow student Katarina. As their relationship progresses, we see Charlotte’s lies begin to unravel…
Murray’s writing of Charlotte depicts a complex and complicated character who struggles to connect with those around her, yearning for meaningful relationships. I loved how complicated of a character she was. As a reader, it allowed me to simply surrender myself to her thoughts rather than question why she may do things. I was happy just to be along for the ride. After being inside of her head so much, I was jolted when I remembering her lies. Just as she did, I could almost convince myself that they were real; a true testament to Murray’s writing.
She writes with intelligence and wit, with serval paragraphs making me laugh out loud at the spot on social commentary and accuracy of the (sometimes insufferable) university students. It’s clear that Murray has her finger on the pulse of society as she explores themes of obsession, desire and compulsiveness. Mark your calendars for January 2026, because this is one debut you do not want to miss!
January 23, 2026
So moody and desperately desperately sad. I could literally feel and smell the air. Such a great telling of loneliness and complex mental burdens. Complicated and conflicting but fantastic.
Slow start but once I was in it, I was in it.
Also the fact that this is a debut & the author was born in 2003. Incredible. Will be looking out for more from her as this was written so deliciously. Especially loved the interactions between Charlotte & her dad, and the therapist, & Matthew.
Slow start but once I was in it, I was in it.
Also the fact that this is a debut & the author was born in 2003. Incredible. Will be looking out for more from her as this was written so deliciously. Especially loved the interactions between Charlotte & her dad, and the therapist, & Matthew.
May 7, 2025
The most beautifully eloquent writing style. Couldn’t put it down. Murray’s characters are dynamic, vulnerable, and full of complex depth. Her writing is sensationally poetic, fierce, and raw. Cannot wait to see what else she has in store.
January 16, 2026
Blank Canvas is a novel that’s far less interested in exposing a lie than in examining why someone might need it in the first place.
Charlotte, an English art student spending a year at a small American college, invents the death of her father almost casually - and then quietly builds an entire version of herself around that absence. What follows isn’t a thriller about being found out, but a close, psychologically focused study of loneliness, self-erasure, and the strange intimacy that grief (real or performed) can create.
Grace Murray’s control of voice is impressive. The novel stays tightly lodged inside Charlotte’s head, capturing her vanity, insecurity, and moral evasions with sharpness and restraint. The prose is often darkly funny, sometimes deliberately uncomfortable, and very attuned to the self-conscious intensity of early adulthood - especially within a campus environment where everyone is experimenting with who they might become. Charlotte’s lie doesn’t make her exceptional so much as it makes her legible, and that’s where the book’s real interest lies.
I particularly appreciated how the novel treats identity as something fluid and imitative. Charlotte’s relationships - especially her romantic one - blur the line between desire and self-disappearance, and the book is very good on how longing, shame, and admiration can collapse into performance. There’s a strong sense that Charlotte doesn’t yet know what she wants, only what seems to make her more acceptable.
That said, while I admired the book’s psychological precision, I struggled to fully connect with it on an emotional level. Charlotte’s detachment feels intentional and thoughtfully rendered, but it kept me at a certain distance as a reader. Midway through the novel, a shift in setting and energy briefly opens the story up, and I found myself wishing that looseness and expansiveness had arrived earlier.
Overall, this is a smart, controlled, and unsettling debut that knows exactly what it’s doing. I didn’t love it, but I respected it deeply - and I’ll definitely be curious to see what Grace Murray writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC :)
Charlotte, an English art student spending a year at a small American college, invents the death of her father almost casually - and then quietly builds an entire version of herself around that absence. What follows isn’t a thriller about being found out, but a close, psychologically focused study of loneliness, self-erasure, and the strange intimacy that grief (real or performed) can create.
Grace Murray’s control of voice is impressive. The novel stays tightly lodged inside Charlotte’s head, capturing her vanity, insecurity, and moral evasions with sharpness and restraint. The prose is often darkly funny, sometimes deliberately uncomfortable, and very attuned to the self-conscious intensity of early adulthood - especially within a campus environment where everyone is experimenting with who they might become. Charlotte’s lie doesn’t make her exceptional so much as it makes her legible, and that’s where the book’s real interest lies.
I particularly appreciated how the novel treats identity as something fluid and imitative. Charlotte’s relationships - especially her romantic one - blur the line between desire and self-disappearance, and the book is very good on how longing, shame, and admiration can collapse into performance. There’s a strong sense that Charlotte doesn’t yet know what she wants, only what seems to make her more acceptable.
That said, while I admired the book’s psychological precision, I struggled to fully connect with it on an emotional level. Charlotte’s detachment feels intentional and thoughtfully rendered, but it kept me at a certain distance as a reader. Midway through the novel, a shift in setting and energy briefly opens the story up, and I found myself wishing that looseness and expansiveness had arrived earlier.
Overall, this is a smart, controlled, and unsettling debut that knows exactly what it’s doing. I didn’t love it, but I respected it deeply - and I’ll definitely be curious to see what Grace Murray writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC :)
November 24, 2025
*ARC kindly gifted to me by Penguin*
In her final year of college, art student Charlotte tells the lie that her father died over the summer. This is the start of her relationship with fellow student Katarina and two of them become very close very fast. But her father is alive back in England and her lie unravels as her relationship with Katarina progresses.
The premise of this book is so incredible interesting. It’s a book totally outside my usual genre comfort zone but I’m so glad I read it. To be in Charlotte’s head constantly was a humbling, embarassing and also interesting experience. She’s incredibly flawed and not very nice but I couldn’t help but feel for her a lot of times. The fallout of telling a lie like that and it constantly hanging over every part of the story was daunting and uncomfortable. But story goes much deeper than that and explores character, art and Charlotte’s reasonings in a digestible and layered way.
This book is a fast read but I sometimes had to put it down due to the second hand embarassment of it all.
There were some small parts where the story felt a bit stagnant but that might have been the fault of my short attention span and also fitted the story.
Would really recommend this book. I had a good time reading it.
In her final year of college, art student Charlotte tells the lie that her father died over the summer. This is the start of her relationship with fellow student Katarina and two of them become very close very fast. But her father is alive back in England and her lie unravels as her relationship with Katarina progresses.
The premise of this book is so incredible interesting. It’s a book totally outside my usual genre comfort zone but I’m so glad I read it. To be in Charlotte’s head constantly was a humbling, embarassing and also interesting experience. She’s incredibly flawed and not very nice but I couldn’t help but feel for her a lot of times. The fallout of telling a lie like that and it constantly hanging over every part of the story was daunting and uncomfortable. But story goes much deeper than that and explores character, art and Charlotte’s reasonings in a digestible and layered way.
This book is a fast read but I sometimes had to put it down due to the second hand embarassment of it all.
There were some small parts where the story felt a bit stagnant but that might have been the fault of my short attention span and also fitted the story.
Would really recommend this book. I had a good time reading it.
January 31, 2026
Lots of potential here but not much at the moment distinguishing this from the rest of the mass of contemporary litfic. I was impressed by the control of the prose but I thought that the concept wasn't drawn out to its full potential and that the first half of the book especially felt quite unfocused, leading to the second half feeling rushed.
I also wasn't sure about how convincingly any of the characters beyond Charlotte were drawn. As an observational comedy, sure, it works - haha yeah people do make in and out lists don't they - but there's some work to do here communicating interiority (weird gripe, but I found this especially noticeable with Charlotte's dad).
I also wasn't sure about how convincingly any of the characters beyond Charlotte were drawn. As an observational comedy, sure, it works - haha yeah people do make in and out lists don't they - but there's some work to do here communicating interiority (weird gripe, but I found this especially noticeable with Charlotte's dad).
February 3, 2026
Blank Canvas sets the scene with a to the point Brit, Charlotte, at art school in America, trying to navigate life. Touching on themes of loneliness, sexuality, religion and grief this is a good starting point for anyone wanting to branch into the world of contemporary fiction.
This starts off so strong but I felt it got a little lost in the middle making the ending seem a bit rushed... but overall a good debut.
This starts off so strong but I felt it got a little lost in the middle making the ending seem a bit rushed... but overall a good debut.
February 3, 2026
From start to finish I was CAPTIVATED - Charlotte is such an interesting narrator, and it’s a breath of fresh air to feel conflicted about her decisions and opinions. The writing immerses you the campus life, one moment hitting you in your FEELS and the next you’re laughing out loud. What 👏 a 👏 book 👏
February 1, 2026
3.5 stars
Interesting story but can’t help but wish for a happier ending 🌟
Interesting story but can’t help but wish for a happier ending 🌟
December 5, 2025
2.5
This has all the ingredients I love in a book - art, academia and an unreliable narrator. Sadly it was too slow paced & emotionally flat.
thanks for the publisher & NetGalley for an eARC.
This has all the ingredients I love in a book - art, academia and an unreliable narrator. Sadly it was too slow paced & emotionally flat.
thanks for the publisher & NetGalley for an eARC.
September 10, 2025
Blank Canvas is a novel about a woman at an arts college who lies about her father's death. Charlotte studies at a small arts college in New York state and when she tells one classmate that her father died, it spirals into a new reality for her. However, her father is alive in England, and as Charlotte falls into a relationship with her classmate Katarina, she finds herself caught in a web of lies.
It almost feels surprising that this book doesn't already exist: it's a campus novel that mixes that liberal arts college atmosphere (e.g. The Secret History) with a dash of Ripley-style lying, and the narrative voice is distinctive, with Charlotte being distant and harsh and having secrets in her past she tries not to think about. Her first person perspective means you never quite know what is meant to be real, and there's a sense that people might think of her entirely differently to how she believes, especially given that she often lies or holds in what she really thinks of others. There's a definite atmosphere created, with her as a reinvented outsider who seems to have difficulty expressing her actual feelings and preferences, and it is interesting to see how it unfolds. I liked the fact she's from the UK and that brings an extra layer to the US campus novel, though the book being told from Charlotte's perspective means that you don't always see the full effects of this.
The romance side of the book is excruciating at times, in a good way: it really explores the ways in which Charlotte and Katarina have very different ideas about their relationship, and with the reader knowing the huge lie at the centre of it, you have to wince as it goes on. With so many campus novels being about unspoken homoerotic relationships, I like when they have actual queer relationships and let these be appropriately messed up for the genre.
I did feel that the plot didn't quite hold up to the promise, with the ending feeling frustrating in ways I couldn't quite define. Overall, this is a campus novel with a strong premise and a fascinating protagonist and central relationship, that asks what happens when we try to reinvent ourselves and what might be lurking underneath that.
It almost feels surprising that this book doesn't already exist: it's a campus novel that mixes that liberal arts college atmosphere (e.g. The Secret History) with a dash of Ripley-style lying, and the narrative voice is distinctive, with Charlotte being distant and harsh and having secrets in her past she tries not to think about. Her first person perspective means you never quite know what is meant to be real, and there's a sense that people might think of her entirely differently to how she believes, especially given that she often lies or holds in what she really thinks of others. There's a definite atmosphere created, with her as a reinvented outsider who seems to have difficulty expressing her actual feelings and preferences, and it is interesting to see how it unfolds. I liked the fact she's from the UK and that brings an extra layer to the US campus novel, though the book being told from Charlotte's perspective means that you don't always see the full effects of this.
The romance side of the book is excruciating at times, in a good way: it really explores the ways in which Charlotte and Katarina have very different ideas about their relationship, and with the reader knowing the huge lie at the centre of it, you have to wince as it goes on. With so many campus novels being about unspoken homoerotic relationships, I like when they have actual queer relationships and let these be appropriately messed up for the genre.
I did feel that the plot didn't quite hold up to the promise, with the ending feeling frustrating in ways I couldn't quite define. Overall, this is a campus novel with a strong premise and a fascinating protagonist and central relationship, that asks what happens when we try to reinvent ourselves and what might be lurking underneath that.
September 14, 2025
Starting your final year of university with the lie that your dad died over the summer feels like it could have been a gimmick but instead gives the perfect cover to explore questions of identity in a way that feels light and easy to read.
Charlotte is an outsider in many ways, she’s English at a New York college, hasn’t made friends yet and hides her life by compulsively lying. This starts to change when she says her dad died over the break and she gets the chance to reinvent herself.
It’s told from her perspective which makes us question how much who we are is shaped by our conscious self, how much by the ways we act that we don’t understand and how much by the expectations of the group.
It’s also a fun, and quite mean, campus novel that changes shape over its 300 pages.
Thanks to NetGalley and Fig Tree for the arc.
Charlotte is an outsider in many ways, she’s English at a New York college, hasn’t made friends yet and hides her life by compulsively lying. This starts to change when she says her dad died over the break and she gets the chance to reinvent herself.
It’s told from her perspective which makes us question how much who we are is shaped by our conscious self, how much by the ways we act that we don’t understand and how much by the expectations of the group.
It’s also a fun, and quite mean, campus novel that changes shape over its 300 pages.
Thanks to NetGalley and Fig Tree for the arc.
September 7, 2025
Thank you, netgalley and penguinfigtree , for the e-ARC.
I demolished it in 3 days! I couldn't put it down.
To start with, Charlotte was HILARIOUS, in a mean way, but pretty much everyone came across as terrible people, so I didn't even care. It's true we're only reading the story through her POV, and a lot of liberties may have been taken. I'm all here for making fun of the wannabe academic types (The Secret History comes to mind).
My girl had to tell a lie to make friends, and by the end of the book, I couldn't even blame her.
I initially thought Charlotte was either emotionally stunned or had some sociopathic tendencies. As the story progresses, it's clear as to why she behaves in certain ways.
Then, I simply felt sorry for everything that had happened to her and hoped she found some peace and kindness later in life. No, you're not a bad person. You were just brought up in a shite environment.
Charlotte, I would have forgiven you in a heartbeat. I can imagine all the horrid things you would think of me, though.
This is very much a character focused story, which I enjoy getting into. Not everything needs to be plot, plot, plot, fast, fast, fast.
Beautifully written character analysis. No notes. I'm still carrying all the emotions.
I demolished it in 3 days! I couldn't put it down.
To start with, Charlotte was HILARIOUS, in a mean way, but pretty much everyone came across as terrible people, so I didn't even care. It's true we're only reading the story through her POV, and a lot of liberties may have been taken. I'm all here for making fun of the wannabe academic types (The Secret History comes to mind).
My girl had to tell a lie to make friends, and by the end of the book, I couldn't even blame her.
I initially thought Charlotte was either emotionally stunned or had some sociopathic tendencies. As the story progresses, it's clear as to why she behaves in certain ways.
Then, I simply felt sorry for everything that had happened to her and hoped she found some peace and kindness later in life. No, you're not a bad person. You were just brought up in a shite environment.
Charlotte, I would have forgiven you in a heartbeat. I can imagine all the horrid things you would think of me, though.
This is very much a character focused story, which I enjoy getting into. Not everything needs to be plot, plot, plot, fast, fast, fast.
Beautifully written character analysis. No notes. I'm still carrying all the emotions.
August 16, 2025
Grace Murray's Blank Canvas, her debut novel, is stunning in its ferocious quietude. Charlotte, in a university in upstate New York tells a lie - her father died over the summer. Back in the UK, her father is preparing to visit. Murray draws Charlotte so brilliantly on the page from the outset that you want to love her, even despite the lies, and when her relationship with Katarina blossoms you feel love for them both - but as the reader you know there is this bomb, waiting to go off.
Blank Canvas is a truly gripping novel, a fantastic debut, and marks Murray out as a writer to watch. I gulped this one down in one sitting, breathless. Highly recommended.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Blank Canvas is a truly gripping novel, a fantastic debut, and marks Murray out as a writer to watch. I gulped this one down in one sitting, breathless. Highly recommended.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
January 21, 2026
On a small liberal arts college campus in Pittsford, New York, Charlotte begins her final year with a lie, by telling fellow student Katarina her father had a heart attack and died over the summer -when he is, in fact, alive and well back home in Lichfield, England.
Charlotte has never connected with her fellow students, but suddenly she is an object of kindness from those around her, and she starts to enjoy being noticed. But once the lies begin, it is impossible to stop - especially when she embarks on a relationship with Katarina that is founded on falsehoods.
Murray sucks you in this literary delight through the perspective of her unreliable narrator. Charlotte's voice grips you from the first page, completely immersing you in a novel that begins wreathed in acid wit, and then has you run a gamut of heart-rending emotions.
In an effort to distance herself from the bleakness of her life in England, Charlotte has attempted to reinvent herself, without success - until a whopping lie brings her the contact she craves. Suddenly feeling seen, for the first time in her sad life, she quickly becomes addicted to the attention. Drawn into a relationship with her unwitting confidante, a young woman she has previously found ugly, she is seduced by Katarina's kindness and affection. Charlotte becomes overwhelmed by the feelings she has long supressed, and finds herself falling in love, but disaster awaits...
I found it impossible to look away as Murray gradually peels back the layers of Charlotte's dysfunction, revealing the unresolved traumas that have shaped her, and why she feels the need to fill the void inside with lies. She makes it her business to take a good long look at complicated family history, painful childhood experiences, guilt, shame, estrangement, loneliness, and yearning, freewheeling towards the inevitable moment when the consequences of Charlotte's actions play out - and then takes you beyond to a messy kind of healing. There is nothing vaguely comfortable about the experience, but, my goodness, the writing is a joy to behold.
And if that was not enough, this is also a seriously clever dig in the ribs to the absurdity of the world of art, especially the pretentious folly of the liberal arts college campus scene.
What an absolute cracker of a debut, with a wonderfully apposite title! Quietly devastating, it is like a gut punch to the emotions, with shades of Rebecca Wait's mix of pitch black humour and raw sentiment, and it held me fast, all the way to a perfectly contrived ending. I cannot wait to see how Grace Murray's career develops, because this is an impressive opening gambit.
Charlotte has never connected with her fellow students, but suddenly she is an object of kindness from those around her, and she starts to enjoy being noticed. But once the lies begin, it is impossible to stop - especially when she embarks on a relationship with Katarina that is founded on falsehoods.
Murray sucks you in this literary delight through the perspective of her unreliable narrator. Charlotte's voice grips you from the first page, completely immersing you in a novel that begins wreathed in acid wit, and then has you run a gamut of heart-rending emotions.
In an effort to distance herself from the bleakness of her life in England, Charlotte has attempted to reinvent herself, without success - until a whopping lie brings her the contact she craves. Suddenly feeling seen, for the first time in her sad life, she quickly becomes addicted to the attention. Drawn into a relationship with her unwitting confidante, a young woman she has previously found ugly, she is seduced by Katarina's kindness and affection. Charlotte becomes overwhelmed by the feelings she has long supressed, and finds herself falling in love, but disaster awaits...
I found it impossible to look away as Murray gradually peels back the layers of Charlotte's dysfunction, revealing the unresolved traumas that have shaped her, and why she feels the need to fill the void inside with lies. She makes it her business to take a good long look at complicated family history, painful childhood experiences, guilt, shame, estrangement, loneliness, and yearning, freewheeling towards the inevitable moment when the consequences of Charlotte's actions play out - and then takes you beyond to a messy kind of healing. There is nothing vaguely comfortable about the experience, but, my goodness, the writing is a joy to behold.
And if that was not enough, this is also a seriously clever dig in the ribs to the absurdity of the world of art, especially the pretentious folly of the liberal arts college campus scene.
What an absolute cracker of a debut, with a wonderfully apposite title! Quietly devastating, it is like a gut punch to the emotions, with shades of Rebecca Wait's mix of pitch black humour and raw sentiment, and it held me fast, all the way to a perfectly contrived ending. I cannot wait to see how Grace Murray's career develops, because this is an impressive opening gambit.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Grace Murray’s Blank Canvas is an impressive debut, not least because of the confidence and control of its prose. Set within a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, the novel opens with a striking premise: Charlotte, the emotionally guarded narrator, tells her classmates that her father has died when he is very much alive. From this uneasy starting point, Murray explores deception, identity, and the complicated ways people connect with one another.
The writing is sharp and intelligent, often dryly funny, with a strong sense of psychological observation. Murray captures the claustrophobic intimacy of campus life particularly well, and there is real skill in how she sustains Charlotte’s voice throughout the novel.
Personally, I found Blank Canvas difficult to fully engage with on an emotional level. Charlotte’s detachment, while clearly intentional and convincingly written, ultimately made it hard for me to feel invested in her journey or to care deeply about the outcome. I really enjoyed the part where the setting moves to Italy, where I felt the book really come alive, but the detachment through the rest of the book made it hard for me to feel engaged. This is very much a matter of personal taste rather than a failing of the novel itself; the book does exactly what it sets out to do, even if that particular approach didn’t quite work for me as a reader.
That said, there is no question that this is a thoughtfully constructed, well-written novel, and Murray’s talent is evident on every page. Blank Canvas will undoubtedly resonate with readers who enjoy psychologically driven fiction and complex, inward-looking protagonists, and it firmly establishes Grace Murray as a writer worth watching. I can't wait to see what she writes next.
Thanks very much to NetGalley and Penguin Figtree for gifting me an advanced copy of this book.
The writing is sharp and intelligent, often dryly funny, with a strong sense of psychological observation. Murray captures the claustrophobic intimacy of campus life particularly well, and there is real skill in how she sustains Charlotte’s voice throughout the novel.
Personally, I found Blank Canvas difficult to fully engage with on an emotional level. Charlotte’s detachment, while clearly intentional and convincingly written, ultimately made it hard for me to feel invested in her journey or to care deeply about the outcome. I really enjoyed the part where the setting moves to Italy, where I felt the book really come alive, but the detachment through the rest of the book made it hard for me to feel engaged. This is very much a matter of personal taste rather than a failing of the novel itself; the book does exactly what it sets out to do, even if that particular approach didn’t quite work for me as a reader.
That said, there is no question that this is a thoughtfully constructed, well-written novel, and Murray’s talent is evident on every page. Blank Canvas will undoubtedly resonate with readers who enjoy psychologically driven fiction and complex, inward-looking protagonists, and it firmly establishes Grace Murray as a writer worth watching. I can't wait to see what she writes next.
Thanks very much to NetGalley and Penguin Figtree for gifting me an advanced copy of this book.
January 30, 2026
Charlotte is in her final year at a small liberal arts school in upstate New York. And she begins it by telling a lie: that her father died suddenly over the summer.
Charlotte has never really fit in with her classmates and she doesn’t feel things the way others do. Lying is second nature to her. She sees herself as predestined to lie while others are predestined to be good, so what’s the point in trying. But then she embarks on a relationship with fellow student Katarina. Suddenly she’s starting to understand the emotions that have eluded her and she wants to be good. But how can she admit she lied about her father’s death?
Sensual, emotional, witty, assured and original, Blank Canvas is a small book that makes a big impact. An extraordinary debut, Grace Murray showcases herself as an outstanding literary talent to watch. Exquisitely written, multi-layered and acutely observed, this book oozes malaise, heartache and dysfunction. It will consume you, Murray holding you in her thrall from the first page to the last.
Protagonist Charlotte is a fractured, flawed and xx character. Her inner monologue hypnotises you as Murray slowly lays bare her grief, trauma and dysfunction. It is impossible to turn away, even as you see the car crash heading her way. Her relationship with Katarina is full of the intensity and transformation of first love while also being complicated by her lies. It’s beautiful, raw and real, humanising Charlotte when she starts out as someone pretty hard to relate to. This is also where we begin to see Charlotte really crave some kind of bond, something she has never wanted before, highlighting the human need for connection in even the most solitary of souls.
A magnificent debut that will leave you breathless, this is a must-read. I can’t wait for whatever Murray writes next.
Charlotte has never really fit in with her classmates and she doesn’t feel things the way others do. Lying is second nature to her. She sees herself as predestined to lie while others are predestined to be good, so what’s the point in trying. But then she embarks on a relationship with fellow student Katarina. Suddenly she’s starting to understand the emotions that have eluded her and she wants to be good. But how can she admit she lied about her father’s death?
Sensual, emotional, witty, assured and original, Blank Canvas is a small book that makes a big impact. An extraordinary debut, Grace Murray showcases herself as an outstanding literary talent to watch. Exquisitely written, multi-layered and acutely observed, this book oozes malaise, heartache and dysfunction. It will consume you, Murray holding you in her thrall from the first page to the last.
Protagonist Charlotte is a fractured, flawed and xx character. Her inner monologue hypnotises you as Murray slowly lays bare her grief, trauma and dysfunction. It is impossible to turn away, even as you see the car crash heading her way. Her relationship with Katarina is full of the intensity and transformation of first love while also being complicated by her lies. It’s beautiful, raw and real, humanising Charlotte when she starts out as someone pretty hard to relate to. This is also where we begin to see Charlotte really crave some kind of bond, something she has never wanted before, highlighting the human need for connection in even the most solitary of souls.
A magnificent debut that will leave you breathless, this is a must-read. I can’t wait for whatever Murray writes next.
December 11, 2025
Sometimes a book moves me so much, and is so personal, that I struggle to articulate my thoughts in a review. This is the case for ‘Blank Canvas’, but I will try!
The book follows Charlotte’s final year in art school in America as she falls into a relationship with Katarina - which begins on the basis of Charlotte lying that her father has just died.
I loved the writing style. Admittedly, I did find the writing to be somewhat stilted at the start of the book, which made me feel a bit distanced from the characters, but once I got 15% or so in I was completely enthralled. (Besides, this “stilted start” may well be an intentional choice due to Charlotte becoming more vivid, or perhaps is seen as such by her future self, once she begins dating Katarina.) I think that the way the author articulated the main character’s feelings was so well done, particularly with respect to her relationships with her parents and Katarina. Anyone who has had a borderline-obsessive, or just full-on obsessive, relationship (be that platonic or romantic) will be able to see themselves reflected here.
The first couple of chapters may have not been perfect for me, but the rest of the book (particularly the second half) absolutely was. I thought it was perfectly paced and every sentence was so emotive, yet never over-written.
I don’t necessarily think this book would be something I could widely recommend, but it was definitely For Me. If the premise intrigues you, you enjoy character-focused books, and can empathise with messy/”unlikeable” characters, then I would encourage you to pick this up. I am looking forward to any future books by Grace Murray.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
The book follows Charlotte’s final year in art school in America as she falls into a relationship with Katarina - which begins on the basis of Charlotte lying that her father has just died.
I loved the writing style. Admittedly, I did find the writing to be somewhat stilted at the start of the book, which made me feel a bit distanced from the characters, but once I got 15% or so in I was completely enthralled. (Besides, this “stilted start” may well be an intentional choice due to Charlotte becoming more vivid, or perhaps is seen as such by her future self, once she begins dating Katarina.) I think that the way the author articulated the main character’s feelings was so well done, particularly with respect to her relationships with her parents and Katarina. Anyone who has had a borderline-obsessive, or just full-on obsessive, relationship (be that platonic or romantic) will be able to see themselves reflected here.
The first couple of chapters may have not been perfect for me, but the rest of the book (particularly the second half) absolutely was. I thought it was perfectly paced and every sentence was so emotive, yet never over-written.
I don’t necessarily think this book would be something I could widely recommend, but it was definitely For Me. If the premise intrigues you, you enjoy character-focused books, and can empathise with messy/”unlikeable” characters, then I would encourage you to pick this up. I am looking forward to any future books by Grace Murray.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
December 11, 2025
‘Blank Canvas’ is touted as a “sensual, sharp, and utterly compelling campus novel about grief, reinvention, and the ripple effects of telling lies” from an “outstanding new voice”. My interest was piqued; my expectations were high. Unfortunately, much like the protagonist’s story about her father’s death, this promise turns out to be a lie.
The novel is a varsity novel that has little to do with reinvention; no exploration of the ripples cast by falsehoods; and only an oblique consideration of grief. Furthermore, the prose lacks fluidity, momentum, and emotional texture, and is devoid of anything resembling voice, instead reading like the debut of an author published far too soon. Which is a real shame, because there is much potential evident on the page—potential that should have been given time to flourish.
Overall, I struggled to find the novel engaging, with the vast majority of characters—and the protagonist in particular—being irredeemably unlikable, and the emotional landscape remaining frustratingly flat throughout, offering neither tension nor thematic urgency. The book ultimately seems unsure of what it wants to say.
Yet, it isn’t a bad novel so much as an underdeveloped one. There are glimmers of talent scattered across the pages, enough that I would be curious to see what this author produces in ten or twenty years’ time. For now, though, ‘Blank Canvas’ is a forgettable read—one that unintentionally illustrates the risks of publishing too early.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Grace Murray and Fig Tree for the ARC.
⚠️ Suicide attempt referenced, implied rape, paedophilia, mental illness, death of a parent
The novel is a varsity novel that has little to do with reinvention; no exploration of the ripples cast by falsehoods; and only an oblique consideration of grief. Furthermore, the prose lacks fluidity, momentum, and emotional texture, and is devoid of anything resembling voice, instead reading like the debut of an author published far too soon. Which is a real shame, because there is much potential evident on the page—potential that should have been given time to flourish.
Overall, I struggled to find the novel engaging, with the vast majority of characters—and the protagonist in particular—being irredeemably unlikable, and the emotional landscape remaining frustratingly flat throughout, offering neither tension nor thematic urgency. The book ultimately seems unsure of what it wants to say.
Yet, it isn’t a bad novel so much as an underdeveloped one. There are glimmers of talent scattered across the pages, enough that I would be curious to see what this author produces in ten or twenty years’ time. For now, though, ‘Blank Canvas’ is a forgettable read—one that unintentionally illustrates the risks of publishing too early.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Grace Murray and Fig Tree for the ARC.
⚠️ Suicide attempt referenced, implied rape, paedophilia, mental illness, death of a parent
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January 21, 2026Given this is a debut novel, Blank Canvas had me thoroughly impressed and I found myself enjoying it far more than I initially expected. While our MC, Charlotte, is undeniably flawed - often distant, guarded and prone to poor decisions - she ultimately became a character I deeply sympathised with. Beneath her sharp observations and emotional detachment is a well of suppressed pain that slowly comes into focus over the course of the novel, and this gradual reveal is one of the book's greatest strengths.
Grace Murray does an excellent job of capturing what it feels like to be young, lonely, and unsure of who you're allowed to be. Charlotte's attempts to reinvent herself, while ethically questionable, feel rooted in a genuine desperation to belong and to escape a past she doesn't know how to confront. As the story progresses, her emotional walls being to crack, and those moments of vulnerability made her feel increasingly real and human.
The novel's understated style works well for this kind of character study. Rather than relying on dramatic twists, Blank Canvas lets it impact build quietly through character development and emotional tension. By the end, Charlotte's journey felt earned, and the themes of identity, guilt and self-forgiveness lingers.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publish for providing me with this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend!
Grace Murray does an excellent job of capturing what it feels like to be young, lonely, and unsure of who you're allowed to be. Charlotte's attempts to reinvent herself, while ethically questionable, feel rooted in a genuine desperation to belong and to escape a past she doesn't know how to confront. As the story progresses, her emotional walls being to crack, and those moments of vulnerability made her feel increasingly real and human.
The novel's understated style works well for this kind of character study. Rather than relying on dramatic twists, Blank Canvas lets it impact build quietly through character development and emotional tension. By the end, Charlotte's journey felt earned, and the themes of identity, guilt and self-forgiveness lingers.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publish for providing me with this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend!
September 27, 2025
When Charlotte tells her fellow art student Katarina that her father died over summer break, she realises how easy it is to deliver these fantasies to her sympathetic classmates. But when Charlotte and Katarina end up romantically involved, we the reader are just waiting for the guillotine to fall and the truth to be revealed. Grace Murray adeptly captures the dread of waiting for a lie to be found out.
Charlotte is a frustrating character. Blank Canvass is the perfect title to capture her avoidance, her emotional repression. She's on the periphery, cynically observing her fellow art students,l exaggerated traits whilst not displaying much of a personality herself. You're often not just willing her to be honest, you're willing her to offer anything of substance at all. This isn't a criticism - I love problematic characters who don't behave the way people "should". The novel also delves into her childhood and why she is so closed off, which was heartbreaking at times.
This is a strong debut and a great character-driven story. I appreciated that a novel about such a complicated character didn't end with everything being magically resolved. It's a realistic coming of age story that captures the awkwardness of trying to make meaningful connections at university, coming to terms with your past to try and make the best of your future.
Charlotte is a frustrating character. Blank Canvass is the perfect title to capture her avoidance, her emotional repression. She's on the periphery, cynically observing her fellow art students,l exaggerated traits whilst not displaying much of a personality herself. You're often not just willing her to be honest, you're willing her to offer anything of substance at all. This isn't a criticism - I love problematic characters who don't behave the way people "should". The novel also delves into her childhood and why she is so closed off, which was heartbreaking at times.
This is a strong debut and a great character-driven story. I appreciated that a novel about such a complicated character didn't end with everything being magically resolved. It's a realistic coming of age story that captures the awkwardness of trying to make meaningful connections at university, coming to terms with your past to try and make the best of your future.
February 4, 2026
Charlotte is an English art student in her final year at a small American college. She has no friends and struggles to connect with anyone, until she tells another student that her father died during the school holidays. The truth, however, is that her father is very much alive and back home in the UK.
From that single lie, Charlotte builds an entire version of herself. But can one lie exist on its own, or does it inevitably lead to others?
The story is told through Charlotte’s internal thoughts, capturing her vanity, her insecurities, and her deep need for acceptance. It’s a coming-of-age story set in a campus environment, where everyone is experimenting with who they are and who they might become.
Charlotte herself has no clear idea of what she wants, only that she wants to belong, even if that sense of belonging is built on a lie.
Personally, I didn’t connect with Charlotte, which may be a generational thing. That said, this is a very well-written debut novel, and I can definitely see this author going on to do great things if their next book is written to the same standard.
From that single lie, Charlotte builds an entire version of herself. But can one lie exist on its own, or does it inevitably lead to others?
The story is told through Charlotte’s internal thoughts, capturing her vanity, her insecurities, and her deep need for acceptance. It’s a coming-of-age story set in a campus environment, where everyone is experimenting with who they are and who they might become.
Charlotte herself has no clear idea of what she wants, only that she wants to belong, even if that sense of belonging is built on a lie.
Personally, I didn’t connect with Charlotte, which may be a generational thing. That said, this is a very well-written debut novel, and I can definitely see this author going on to do great things if their next book is written to the same standard.
November 15, 2025
This is a coming-of-age tale, about navigating grief and learning to cope with the tangled realities of life.
Charlotte is an art student at an American college, far from home in England - and her messy past.
Troubled by the loss of her mother, confused by feelings about her body, appearance and identity, she lies to a fellow art student Katarina about the death of her father. The relationship that develops between the two is therefore built on a web of lies.
I liked the fact that although Charlotte suffers, it never goes too far, and she does get help. She seems to mature over the course of the novel, so the character development was well done. Her relationship with her father was troubled, but sweet and I liked how it progressed.
Overall, a bittersweet story about starting afresh - a blank canvas.
Charlotte is an art student at an American college, far from home in England - and her messy past.
Troubled by the loss of her mother, confused by feelings about her body, appearance and identity, she lies to a fellow art student Katarina about the death of her father. The relationship that develops between the two is therefore built on a web of lies.
I liked the fact that although Charlotte suffers, it never goes too far, and she does get help. She seems to mature over the course of the novel, so the character development was well done. Her relationship with her father was troubled, but sweet and I liked how it progressed.
Overall, a bittersweet story about starting afresh - a blank canvas.
January 26, 2026
Blank Canvas left me feeling like an “emotionless eunuch,” which is both a quote from the book and, unfortunately, my entire reading experience.
The premise is strong, Charlotte, sad girl from Staffordshire, moves to a liberal arts college in upstate New York, and lies about her father being dead. That lie drives the story, but I kept wanting more emotional and psychological depth behind such an extreme choice.
Strong writing and big identity themes. This is a promising debut with a clear talent behind it. Recommended for readers who enjoy campus novels, introspective narration, and emotionally distant main characters, but this is just not a "feelings" read.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
I rated this 3.25 stars
The premise is strong, Charlotte, sad girl from Staffordshire, moves to a liberal arts college in upstate New York, and lies about her father being dead. That lie drives the story, but I kept wanting more emotional and psychological depth behind such an extreme choice.
Strong writing and big identity themes. This is a promising debut with a clear talent behind it. Recommended for readers who enjoy campus novels, introspective narration, and emotionally distant main characters, but this is just not a "feelings" read.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
I rated this 3.25 stars
January 2, 2026
Another fact of life: the Fibonacci sequence; Newton’s apple; hamsters eating their young. And I was crying again. Between those sputtering, aching breaths, pulled out from the diaphragm, I had settled on a phrase, as if to prove my insanity further: I’m bad. I’m bad. He stood up, and came over to hug me again. I watched the red blur of his movements, and tried not to be touched. He reached me anyway. What a shame, for him to have raised this. He started patting my head, and said that I was his daughter again, as though that might remedy everything, every evil. That stuffy room, with its thick heat, was confessional-like, warm and close. Later, when searching for a quotation for a painting – little dots, like raisins, on the edge of the work, childish fingerprints – I would find a passage, and think of him, and that tentative hug. He who created you, he who formed you: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you
The debut novel from a Norfolk born based writer, and 2025 English language graduate from the Edinburgh University – this novel written as part of her participation in 2024-24 WriteNow, Penguin Random House’s flagship mentorship scheme for emerging talent.
The set up of the novel is simple, our first party narrator - an English girl Charlotte – is studying at a small New England liberal arts campus and decides, on something of an impulse, to start her final year by sharing that her father back in England died over the Summer Break – starting with telling Katarina (a girl who she – claims she - finds almost magnetically physically unattractive but nevertheless charismatic).
The problem is that her father – who loves in their small family terrace in Staffordshire – is very much alive if very distant (initially we think by way of very different cultural circles – but we quickly realise due to a more serious/longstanding breach, we also realise quickly that Charlotte’s mother died some time ago); and secondly that Katarina immediately latches on to the news and seems to make Charlotte some form of project (art projects feature throughout the novel).
And the repercussion of both the lie and the rapidly intense relationship then play out through the novel which takes place over three main phases: the initial set up and Charlotte’s last year at college with Katarina and her circle of friends; a working Summer holiday that she takes to Italy with Katarina and two of Katarina’s gay friends (themselves in a relationship) – one which finally brings her deception to a head; the aftermath back at college.
Charlotte – a non-believer – had catholic parents and still has buried sensibilities (or at least a sense of guilt) but herself a deliberately neutral, almost para-ethical take on life – almost the first we hear of her is her statement that: “I had no standards to live up to, either. I had never been particularly honest. Other people were good and kind – the rest were predestined for mediocrity, or cruelty. It wasn’t my fault that I fell, through the random act of my birth, into the second category. If I ever woke up with an ungodly dread – that I could change it all now, turn around, and confess – I ignored it. I had never been good, and there was no point in trying now.” and later “Because I was an idiot, I believed that if I could cut goodness out – laughter, kindness, generosity – I might be protected from negativity, simply by becoming an emotionless eunuch. This was unsuccessful, obviously. I left the exhibition drained, and drew my blinds the minute I got back, keeping them closed”.
Charlotte, to Katarina’s frustration, is the titular blank canvas: “My personality could be characterized by a distinct lack – of almost everything. Lying was one of the only things I did for myself, the only time I felt active, a real person, and I was good at it. But it was just another absence, this inability to be honest.”
In the afterword, Murray quotes novelists Garth Greenwell, Brandon Taylor and K Patrick as inspirations – for me I was reminded perhaps more of Elif Batuman (with perhaps less goofy humour) and Ledia Xhoga (and her recently Booker longlisted “Misinterpretation) in an outsider’s portrayal of America and its collage and art scenes respectively. I must say that it is very refreshing to read an American campus novel written by an English writer as it removes the unfulfilled need for cultural translation that I require in many campus novels (2025 Booker judge Kiley’s Reid’s “Come and Get It” just one example).
But whereas Brandon Taylor’s Booker shortlisted “Real Life” campus novel featured a biochemistry student (and was interesting as a result) the art students here with their desultory attempts at any form of hard work and conceptual art projects in which serious art and satire seem almost interchangeable were not to my liking at all – and I must admit after a really interesting initial set up and the intrigue of Charlotte’s voice I found myself really struggling – her three holiday companions in Italy were far from my ideal novel companions.
The novel for me though took off when her father (who for some time was only really a nagging presence for Charlotte knowing she has lied – and that for the novel felt to have a Chekhov’s Gun style inevitability of unravelling) enters the narrative – as suddenly we are privy both to some hard revelations about Charlotte’s past (and the reason for her blankness and for her strained relationships with her father) but then a pathos which resists easy resolutions – making this an impressively mature novel from an author with a bright future ahead of her.
My thanks to Penguin General UK for an ARC via NetGalley
May 13, 2025
Blank Canvas by Grace Murray is one of the best debuts I’ve read this year - I read the whole thing in one sitting, so enmeshed in Catherine’s life and lies that I simply couldn’t leave her. A character eliciting the level of frustration and sympathy that Catherine does in a reader is a mark of truly impressive writing. The middle act, set in Italy, floored me. Murray’s writing moves between a New York campus, a terraced house in Lichfield and a workaway trip in Italy with the ease of a writer unencumbered – each setting, each relationship, and each conversation felt real, as if they were being recounted to the reader from memory. Grace Murray is a writer to watch.
January 23, 2026
While I didn't so much enjoy it, I can appreciate this book, particularly as a well written debut.
The big lie turns out to be such a small part and dives more into the reasoning and why of it all. By the end, you discover a young woman who is deeply grieving, traumatised and just overall messily trying to find her way.
However, Charlotte is so aloof and detached that you can't forge any kind of emotional connection to her, as the reader you are kept as much at a distance as all other characters. This isn't a bad thing, but it does make it more difficult to create a sense of empathy toward her.
An overall interesting read.
3/5
The big lie turns out to be such a small part and dives more into the reasoning and why of it all. By the end, you discover a young woman who is deeply grieving, traumatised and just overall messily trying to find her way.
However, Charlotte is so aloof and detached that you can't forge any kind of emotional connection to her, as the reader you are kept as much at a distance as all other characters. This isn't a bad thing, but it does make it more difficult to create a sense of empathy toward her.
An overall interesting read.
3/5
January 25, 2026
The premise was interesting, a lie confronted. But the plot just dragged on, and I thought there would be elevation or revelation at the end, but I was just wrong. Plot-wise, this is just some hollow characters having hollow relationships, plus some shallow or social media worthy criticism of art school students and their make-believe career titles. Using therapy scenes after the fallout to prompt the self-introspection of the narrator is not a good choice. I’m not sure if this is one of those autobiographical debuts, but it sure feels like it, and this reading might traumatize me into not wanting to read anything that depicts college life for a long while.
January 7, 2026
This book stressed me out (!!) but in the best way ✨
Can you imagine telling your classmates that your dad has died, while he's very much alive ...?! Well that's how Blank Canvas by Grace Murray starts and I was sold 👀
Charlotte is a very complicated character and it was quite an experience being in her head as she navigates the relationships in her life. Murray writing pulls you in and makes you feel awkward, uncomfortable, while also being hilarious and witty. Honestly was squirming at so many points from secondhand embarrassment which shows how great the writing is 👏
The tension builds throughout as you wonder if the lie is going to be revealed. You only see Charlotte's POV, which makes you question how much of how she thinks others perceive her is in her head and what is reality.
It's a novel about loneliness, grief, connection and reinvention, with great character development.
This was a brillant, gripping debut and I highly recommend 👏
#ad-giftedThanks to Penguin for sending me a proof copy. Blank Canvas is out on January 15th!
Can you imagine telling your classmates that your dad has died, while he's very much alive ...?! Well that's how Blank Canvas by Grace Murray starts and I was sold 👀
Charlotte is a very complicated character and it was quite an experience being in her head as she navigates the relationships in her life. Murray writing pulls you in and makes you feel awkward, uncomfortable, while also being hilarious and witty. Honestly was squirming at so many points from secondhand embarrassment which shows how great the writing is 👏
The tension builds throughout as you wonder if the lie is going to be revealed. You only see Charlotte's POV, which makes you question how much of how she thinks others perceive her is in her head and what is reality.
It's a novel about loneliness, grief, connection and reinvention, with great character development.
This was a brillant, gripping debut and I highly recommend 👏
#ad-giftedThanks to Penguin for sending me a proof copy. Blank Canvas is out on January 15th!
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