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Jenna Bush Hager revealed the cover for “BENEATH,” the much-publicized prequel to Ariel Sullivan’s novel “CONFORM.” Scheduled to be published in March 2026 under the Random House imprint Ballantine Books, the book explores the dystopian world further laid in Sullivan’s previous work. The book has been set up by Thousand Voices Media, founded by Hager, and she has described it as a “spectacular dystopian love story” meant for older audiences of “The Hunger Games.”
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Almost instant thunderclap created a great excitement in the literary community as Hager herself made sure to announce it on every social media channel. The story is about 200 years before “CONFORM” and “explores how love can grow in the darkest of places.” The cover pitch—white and blue birds in flight against almost black-and-stark backgrounds—renders a visual interpretation of what the novel is about, about hope in darkness.
Hager’s announcement of a joint tour with Ariel Sullivan will solidify the collaboration between the now former First Daughter turned media personality and literary entrepreneur for yet another big project with Random House.
The majority of the responses leaned toward positive, showing much excitement for the forthcoming addition. One commenter reiterated, “AHHH!! THIS IS SO EXCITING!!” which basically summed up the general feeling of fans of Sullivan’s works. Another reader added, “Can’t wait to read this!!! Loved CONFORM,” indicating that this book is hyped up by fans in the present.
There followed praise for the cover: “So exciting and this cover art is amazing! @thousandvoicesmedia is on fire.” The artist display seems to have captured the dystopic mood while maintaining artistic appeal that speaks to potential readers.
The announcement indeed cleared up confusion among followers as to how much participation Hager had in the project. One inquirer seeking clarity wrote, “Did you write the book or just published it???” Clearing this up, it is made obvious that Hager published with Thousand Voices Media through her company rather than writing it herself. This is key to knowing Hager’s trajectory in the literary world, where she has worked on becoming a powerhouse in book publishing and promotion.
That is not to say all were positive. One comment brought up “no remorse for the 9/11 victims???” although this was entirely unrelated to the book announcement and more likely an extension of political commentary, unrelated to the reveal. Those types of comments are a common occurrence for high-profile accounts and typically represent isolated viewpoints, not the status of general consensus.
Die-hard followers of Sullivan gave louder reactions: one sniffing, “Just gimme gimme gimme now!!!!!!! I loved Conform sm!!!!!!!” Meanwhile, another chimed in, “Anxiously awaiting the prequel to CONFORM! It was a fabulous read!” This suggests a ready-made audience awaiting the expansion of Sullivan’s fictional universe.
March 2026 is a long wait and a long time for promotor planning, on which of course pre-orders have already started for and thus indicating the publisher’s shockingly positive expectations for the venture.
This continued partnership is further manifestation of Hager’s growing influence in publishing and through Thousand Voices Media she has really reached the highest echelons of publishing, especially concerning stories with a strong female voice and quality writing.
Sullivan’s storyline and Hager’s promotional muscle sit as a power couple ready to explode within the literary world and perfectly illustrate both the synergy of creative content and business partnerships surrounding it: “INCREDIBLE!!! What a beautiful cover and so fascinated by this storyline ahh I can’t wait. Congrats Ariel and Jenna!”
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The cover reveal has been a big moment in time, and with pre-orders coming up already, this certainly looks to be another initiating success for Hager. The expedition into dystopia forms so very much a statement on forth-rising of both genders and is also another chapter in Hager’s gradual ascension into literature.