"Shelve Anne Lardeux with Québécoise writers like Mikella Nicol and Christiane Vadnais, and internationally with Yun Ko-eun, Véronique Tadjo, Jenny Hval, and Sandrine Colette—writers whose characters are terrorized and galvanized by narrative." – Marcie McCauley, World Literature Today
"Much like the self-described mind of the book's primary narrator The Girl With No Name, Lardeux's writing is 'sharp as a blade but tender' and, with this assured first book, claims a unique corner of its own within the wide field of contemporary dystopian lit." – Alexa W., Powell's Books
"After reading [The Second Substance], you may forget how to read from left to right, or walk by putting one foot in front of the other … A mix of black humour, the absurd, and little stories in a highly inventive style …" – Le Matricule des Anges (France)
"A strongly erotic first novel swept along by free, sensual writing, an ode to the daughters of fire and the poetry of the body." – Les libraires (Quebec)
"Walk in the woods, hunt, chop wood, fuck, sleep — and the cycle repeats… a return to animal instincts and the senses […] A compelling first novel with a surprising mastery of language and style." – Bruno Cloutier (Quebec)
"An archipelago, The Second Substance’s islands comprise diary entries, film script, fantasy sequences, and authorial confessions." – Jacob James Bews, Filling Station Magazine