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Saving Face
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 30, 2026
I really enjoyed Saving Face, but I think part of what made this one so enjoyable for me was how much it took me back to a completely different time in my own life.
My early 20s were spent around the drag community, and I hadn't really thought about some of those memories in a long time. Reading this brought back the makeup, the personalities, the culture, and especially watching these incredibly talented makeup artists completely transform someone. I always loved watching that process, so there was something really nostalgic about being back in that world through this book.
The story follows Derrick, a makeup artist trying to make it in New York, who gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he begins working with Lena, a huge celebrity trying to make a comeback. And of course, what looks glamorous from the outside gets very messy once you're actually inside of it.
There is A LOT happening behind those beautiful faces.
Addiction, manipulation, ambition, friendship, chosen family, celebrity, drag culture—and Derrick trying to figure out how much of himself he's willing to give up for the career he's always wanted.
I liked Derrick, even when I wanted to shake him a little. 😂 There were definitely times when I was thinking, "Derrick...come on!" But I could also understand how he kept getting pulled deeper into Lena's world. When someone makes you feel needed AND they're helping open doors you've spent your whole life trying to get through, that's a pretty powerful combination.
I also really appreciated the chosen-family aspect of this one. That felt very true to the culture and was probably one of my favorite parts of the story.
There were a few places where the pacing slowed down for me, but overall I really enjoyed this. I loved getting a peek behind the curtain of the fashion and celebrity world, but even more than that, I loved the unexpected nostalgia it gave me for my own younger years.
Sometimes a book brings back a whole era of your life that you weren't expecting to revisit, and Saving Face did that for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
My early 20s were spent around the drag community, and I hadn't really thought about some of those memories in a long time. Reading this brought back the makeup, the personalities, the culture, and especially watching these incredibly talented makeup artists completely transform someone. I always loved watching that process, so there was something really nostalgic about being back in that world through this book.
The story follows Derrick, a makeup artist trying to make it in New York, who gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he begins working with Lena, a huge celebrity trying to make a comeback. And of course, what looks glamorous from the outside gets very messy once you're actually inside of it.
There is A LOT happening behind those beautiful faces.
Addiction, manipulation, ambition, friendship, chosen family, celebrity, drag culture—and Derrick trying to figure out how much of himself he's willing to give up for the career he's always wanted.
I liked Derrick, even when I wanted to shake him a little. 😂 There were definitely times when I was thinking, "Derrick...come on!" But I could also understand how he kept getting pulled deeper into Lena's world. When someone makes you feel needed AND they're helping open doors you've spent your whole life trying to get through, that's a pretty powerful combination.
I also really appreciated the chosen-family aspect of this one. That felt very true to the culture and was probably one of my favorite parts of the story.
There were a few places where the pacing slowed down for me, but overall I really enjoyed this. I loved getting a peek behind the curtain of the fashion and celebrity world, but even more than that, I loved the unexpected nostalgia it gave me for my own younger years.
Sometimes a book brings back a whole era of your life that you weren't expecting to revisit, and Saving Face did that for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review