NEED TO KNOW
Jan Saenz’s debut novel, 200 Monas, will be published in spring 2026The novel follows a college student who unwittingly becomes part of a high-stakes drug scheme, and is described as being for fans of Breaking Bad and Uncut Gems“I’ve always been drawn to sexy stories, dark stories, stories that dare to risk something on and off the page,” Saenz tells PEOPLE of the book
An orgasmic pill, an unlikely duo and a high-stakes drug scheme — Jan Saenz’s upcoming book has it all!
PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the cover of the author’s debut novel 200 Monas, out in early 2026 from Little, Brown and Company.
200 Monas follows Arvy, a college student grieving the loss of her mother, and attempting to make it through her last year of college at Westheimer University. Any hopes of a smooth transition into the real world, however, are dashed when Arvy finds a load of drugs in her mother’s closet.
The cover of ‘200 Monas’ by Jan Saenz.
Courtesy of Little, Brown and Company
The pills, known as Mona, are a rare pharmaceutical that causes intense orgasms. They also happen to be wanted by a duo of drug dealers, who tell Arvy she has 48 hours to sell the stash and give them the profits before they kill her.
With no other choice, Arvy confides in Wolf, the town’s resident drug dealer, and the two embark on a righteous journey through their college town. But as more people become intrigued by Mona’s effects, so does Arvy, who sees the pill as an opportunity to help with her grief.
Little, Brown and Company says the book is perfect for fans of hits like Breaking Bad and Uncut Gems — and it’s no surprise why.
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“I’ve always been drawn to sexy stories, dark stories, stories that dare to risk something on and off the page,” the author tells PEOPLE. “For 200 Monas, I wanted all of that, but I wanted it to feel fun — a love story wrapped inside a hilarious, heart-racing, super horny burrito.”
Jan Saenz.
Claire McAdams
Amazon MGM already nabbed the screen rights for the book, with Saenz to write the screenplay and executive produce — though the author says that readers can expect to be entertained by the book version long before it comes to the screen.
“My hope is that readers will find this book just as fun as it is thought-provoking,” Saenz says.
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200 Monas will be published on March 3, 2026 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.