Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino is an incredible, unhinged thriller about a woman who refuses to let go of her dream house. It is a brutal satire of the American housing market that perfectly captures the obsession of chasing the American Dream.
This is a novel I devoured in 24 hours. I could not pull myself away. The pacing is incredible, with short chapters that often end on cliffhangers. Margo is such an intriguing protagonist that I had to keep reading just to find out how everything would unravel.
Best Offer Wins is my favorite debut novel of the year, narrowly edging out Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser. Kashino’s writing is sharp and confident. Her characterization of Margo is outstanding. Margo is deeply unlikable, yet every terrible decision she makes only made me more invested. I constantly found myself wondering whether she would somehow pull everything off or fail spectacularly.
I loved the novel’s exploration of the American Dream and obsession. The house itself becomes the object of Margo’s affection. She develops an unhealthy relationship with it and convinces herself that everything in her life will finally fall into place once she owns it. The novel brilliantly captures the dangerous side of chasing a dream while ignoring reality.
Margo is a fascinating character because, despite taking everything to absurd extremes, she remains surprisingly relatable. What resonated with me was her inability to appreciate the present because she is so focused on a future goal. For Margo, life cannot truly begin until she owns this house. I remembered feeling something similar when I lived in a small apartment, constantly dreaming about all the things I would do once I finally owned a home. I spent far more time imagining that future than appreciating where I was. The difference, of course, is that Margo’s methods become increasingly extreme. In her mind, the ends always justify the means.
I was completely satisfied with the ending. It surprised me in all the right ways and delivered on everything the novel had been building toward. I’m already ready for the inevitable film adaptation because I would love to see all of this insanity brought to the screen.
Since Best Offer Wins was published so late in 2025, it is eligible for the 2026 Goodreads Choice Awards.
Best Offer Wins was first published on November 25, 2025, by Celadon Books.
Why did I read Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino?
I picked up Best Offer Wins because of pure FOMO. I had heard so many glowing reviews, yet somehow no one had spoiled the story. The word of mouth surrounding this novel is incredible, and in my opinion, it absolutely lives up to the hype.
Shout out to TinaBooks, Gabbyreads, The Pastel Bookshelf, and BooksandLala for putting this book on my radar.
One of my reading goals this year has been to read more Goodreads Choice Award contenders and more debut authors. I have now read six debut novels, and Best Offer Wins has officially claimed the top spot.
Plot Summary:
Margo and her husband, Ian, live in a cramped apartment in the Washington, D.C., area. What was supposed to be a temporary living situation has become permanent after losing bidding war after bidding war. They have now been outbid eleven times.
When Margo learns about a house that will soon hit the market, she convinces Ian to drive by and spy on it. Looking through the car window quickly isn’t enough for her. She wants to get closer. Before long, she begins quietly stalking the homeowners, believing the best way to secure the house is to become their friends. After all, who would turn down a friend’s offer?
What I Liked:
Kashino’s writing is clean and incredibly readable. The prose never calls attention to itself, but where her writing truly shines is through her sharp observations, clever comparisons, and psychological insight into Margo’s increasingly obsessive mindset.
The pacing is outstanding. Kashino hooked me within the opening chapters and never let go. Every chapter pushed me to read just one more until I suddenly realized I had finished the entire novel.
The character work on Margo is exceptional. We follow her every step as she gradually bends and eventually shatters every line of social decorum. Even when she is making terrible decisions, I couldn’t look away.
I also appreciated the depth given to Ian and the homeowners. I initially worried they would exist only as obstacles in Margo’s journey, but Kashino gives them enough complexity that they feel like fully realized people instead of plot devices.
What I Disliked:
The novel is structured around three distinct acts, and while I enjoyed each one, I found myself wanting a little more time with the second act before the story transitioned into its explosive finale. I felt there were still interesting dynamics left to explore before the third act took over.
Recommendation:
Read this book.
Best Offer Wins is incredible. At only 277 pages, it flies by and would make an excellent book for anyone trying to break out of a reading slump. You’ll probably know within the first few chapters whether it’s for you.
The closest comparison I can make is Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. Both novels follow deeply flawed women whose obsessive pursuit of success leads them to justify increasingly questionable choices while focusing only on the end goal.
The book also reminded me of Nightcrawler starring Jake Gyllenhaal because of its portrayal of obsession, as well as Election by Tom Perrotta and movie staring Reese Witherspoon in the way it satirizes ambition and self delusion.
I cannot recommend Best Offer Wins enough.
Rating:
Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino 5 out of 5
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