Remember that television show, The Adventures of Mr. Yay? You loved it as a kid. Mr. Yay taught you to explore the world and stay true to yourself.

Everyone watched it. You might want to rewatch it now, or show your own kids. Though they say it’s disappeared…

Bradford Pierson, AKA Fatty Bratty, wakes up to some random dog that acts like it belongs in his apartment. Except Bratty doesn’t own a dog, despite always wanting one. Taking it as a sign, Bratty adopts the dog, rejects his parents’ expectations, and heads to LA to make beats for his best friend Tommy’s raps. Over a manic week they write and record their first album. They call themselves Mr. Yay.

Bratty’s therapist, Miriam, could use some therapy herself. Lately, her workaholic husband, Jack, has been even more absent and secretive than usual. All their friends are acting weird, too. Holly’s drinking excessively. Her thrill-seeking husband is increasingly reckless. Kate and Fred stop washing their hair and start brewing kombucha and harboring racoons.

As Mr. Yay climbs the charts with his rap songs, Miriam watches her life unravel. Why doesn’t Jack seem like the man she married? Why doesn’t he remember things he should? Like that other Mr. Yay from the old children’s TV show, the washed-up actor turned first-mate who sailed a boat captained by a dog. Miriam recalls the show vividly. She’s not alone. But on the internet, and according to the studio, there is no Mr. Yay. There never was.

After tackling aliens, sea monsters, and werewolves in her first three books, USA Today bestselling author Emily Jane new speculative novel explores how we grapple with inexplicable, sudden shifts in the world around us—and the conspiracy theories and identity crises they birth.