J
Josh Silver
Josh Silver is the author of the young adult novel Fruit Fly. He writes contemporary fiction that focuses on the experiences of teenagers.
Fruit Fly
Synopsis
Go gay. Go sad. Go dark. A washed-up author will stop at nothing to claw her way back to relevancy—even if it means appropriating a young gay man’s tragic story. Mallory Maddox is buried under seven years of writer’s block. With her status as a literary sensation fizzling, she’ll do anything she can to resurrect her career. Inspiration needs to strike—and fast. Enter Leo. He’s a struggling addict sleeping under bridges and trading sex for survival. He’s vulnerable. He’s enigmatic. He’s exactly what Mallory has been looking for. Mallory needs Leo if she wants another bestseller. The world needs Leo’s story right now, and Mallory believes she deserves to tell it. Really, it’s her story—she’s the one who wrote it, after all. But as secrets threaten to unravel more than just her career, Mallory must decide how far she will go to pen the perfect story. A razor-sharp domestic thriller, Fruit Fly will appeal to fans of R. F. Kuang’s Yellowface and Yomi Adegoke’s The List.
Genres
Characters
Mallory MaddoxProtagonist
A literary novelist stalled by seven years of writer's block who masquerades as a therapist to mine Leo's life for her comeback manuscript.
Leo (Fruit Fly)Protagonist
A 22-year-old gay man experiencing homelessness and addiction in London, whose story Mallory exploits without his knowledge; the novel's second narrator.
Ronan (Fruit Fly)Supporting
Mallory's husband, portrayed as a coercive, controlling presence in their marriage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fruit Fly being adapted for screen?
Yes. A24 optioned Fruit Fly for television in July 2026, with author Josh Silver attached as an executive producer, according to Deadline.
Is Fruit Fly a young adult novel?
No. Fruit Fly is Josh Silver's debut adult novel, a departure from his earlier YA books (HappyHead, Dead Happy, Traumaland). It was named a BBC must-read book of 2026 and became a Sunday Times bestseller.
