Review: The Gallery Assistant by Kate Belli

First, thank you to NetGalley, Kate Belli, and Atria Books for an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book. I was provided an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book, which is what you'll find below.

I've been on NetGalley since 2022, but really only started actively participating over the last year or so — and I'm so glad I did. I've been able to read (and share about) some incredible books, like this one, that I might not have known about otherwise.

First thoughts

I really loved The Gallery Assistant by Kate Belli! This was the first book of Belli's I had ever read — but it definitely won't be the last. This is a thriller that takes place in the early 2000s in NYC.

The Gallery Assistant felt honest, asked difficult questions, and showed the impact of living with compounding trauma while being uncertain about the people around you.

I deeply enjoyed this book for many reasons, but one stands out. It plays on something I love: the fact that something can be unraveling even when it looks fine from the outside.

I honestly didn’t know how this would end, but I’m really glad with how it did. Certainly not with a perfect bow, but with honesty and steps forward. The very last scene felt like a wonderful closing moment — and I deeply enjoyed it.

And I LOVE the cover — but I can't find any information on it / the artist / etc. so I might look into that a bit more. But it might just not be info that's available before the publication date, so I might just need to wait and see.

So, what’s this book even about?

November 2001. NYC. A 9/11 survivor is wrestling with guilt — survivor's guilt and another type of guilt that she's holding a lot closer to her chest. And this is only amplified when she wakes up one morning unable to remember how she got home. When cops arrive at her job — as a gallery assistant, like you might have guessed — things only keep getting weirder.

The days that follow continue making her question everything — and everyone — around her, uncertain who actually has her best interests in mind. You'll follow the main character as she wrestles with reality in more ways than one.

Final thoughts

Even with a complicated, layered plot, this novel is easy to follow — even easier to enjoy. I moved quickly through this book, but the book felt fast paced to me anyway. This book does not truly wrap up until the very end, but I liked the level of suspense.

This book, available on October 14, 2025, is one I'd definitely recommend. You can purchase it on Bookshop.org here, with my affiliate link. If you make a purchase, I might make a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Content warning: Please note...

Based on the situation and timeline, you might have guessed that this book deals with difficult subjects, so please check all content warnings before reading. Above all else, make sure you take care of yourself.

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Hi there, thanks for reading! I'm Jaci Schreckengost, a writer, marketer, and creator. I've spent more than 8 years in content, digital, and social media marketing, and I'm currently running Schreckengost Creative. If you'd like to stay connected with me, you can find me here on Substack.

If you liked this, you might also like my book reviews on The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green or Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

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