Radiant Shimmering Light

by Sarah Selecky

A sharply funny and wise debut novel about female friendship, the face we show the world online and letting your own light shine, from the Scotiabank Giller Prize–shortlisted author of This Cake Is for the Party

Lilian Quick has looked up to her cousin Florence her whole life. Florence is everything Lilian is not—brave, confident, quick to find adventure and American. The women have been out of touch for years due to a family rift, but Lilian, childless, single and self-employed as a pet portraitist, has been watching Florence for years. Florence is now Internet-famous as Eleven Novak, the face of a compelling new feminine lifestyle empowerment brand.

When Eleven comes to town as part of her sales tour, she offers Lilian a place at the Temple, her Manhattan office. Despite twenty years of silence, Eleven welcomes her long-lost cousin with open arms, and the two women begin a new relationship. Lilian quickly enrols in the Ascendency, Eleven’s signature program: an expensive three-month training seminar on empowered leadership, spiritual awakening, and sales and marketing. Eleven is going to help her cousin rise up to be her highest self: confident, affluent and self-actualized.

Lilian’s sensitive, artistic nature is stretched by the work she does in the Ascendency, and pushed even further by her cousin’s careful life coaching. In just three months, Lilian’s life changes drastically and becomes everything she’s dreamed of. But is it everything she wants? And can she trust everything Eleven says? 

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Book Club, Canada, Chick Lit, Humor, Adult Fiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2018

About the author

Sarah is the author of Story Is a State of Mind, Radiant Shimmering Light, This Cake Is for the Party, and the founder of the Sarah Selecky Writing School, est. 2011, which is now a creative community of thousands of writers from around the world. She is alumna of Hedgebrook, the Humber School for Writers and The Banff Centre, and graduated from the University of British Columbia with an MFA in Creative Writing.
This Cake was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Commonwealth Prize for Best First Book in Canada and the Caribbean, and it was longlisted for the Frank O'Connor Prize. Kirkus Reviews calls Radiant Shimmering Light "A killer satire . . . [and] a funny, tender, gimlet-eyed dive into the cult of self-improvement." The novel has been optioned for television and published in countries around the world.
Sarah is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, and currently lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario, where she writes, runs a school, and mentors other writers in her online and in-person classes.

Reviews

[Kylie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful novel, I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading it, which I did in one day!

It sees Lillian, a struggling Canadian artist who paints the auras of people's pets, reuniting with her estranged cousin Florence. Florence is now known as Eleven, and has created an empire with a website and seminars to help women feel empowered and to be the best they can be. Lillian moves to New York to join Eleven's team and soon finds wealth and prosperity flowing her way through her blog, which she has revamped from pets and auras to, well nothing really!

This novel is a satirical look at how people can build wealth through social media and blogging when they really have nothing to say. As long as you have a following and can make people feel good about themselves, and maybe have some products to sell, you're well on your way! If you can charge a ridiculous amount for a service/product, you've really got it made.

I laughed out loud at a few scenes in this book, delighting in the fact that, though this is tongue in cheek, some people really can pull it off. Now, I'm off to start that blog...

My thanks to Text Publishing for a copy to read and review. The opinions are all my own.

[Phil Dwyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's not that I don't get what Sarah Selecky was aiming for. It's not that I don't think she's a great writer. It's not even that I found the premise of this book to be flawed in any way. The narcissism of the social media generation thoroughly deserves to be eviscerated in print: they would make Narcissus himself blush (at least he only fell in love with his reflection in a pool). It's that I couldn't bear to spend another second in the protagonist's empty head. It's annoying enough when they are in close physical proximity, but when you are privvy to their every vapid and empty thought it's just unbearable. I just couldn't take it any more. Sorry.

[Steph VanderMeulen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most beautiful tributes to creation and creating I've ever read. Sarah's insight into the struggle of what it means to make things and be happy doing it, or, being true to oneself, juxtaposed with how to make a good living doing what you love, is electric. Not only has she accurately captured the struggle but she's managed the balance between satire and humour and sobering truth, particularly around the predominantly women's empowerment movements (think Oprah, Liz Gilbert, Marie Forleo, Danielle LaPorte, etc.). That's not to say there's necessarily judgement here--you can decide for yourself as you read.

The genius here is how Sarah has couched the truth of our human nature and connectivity with the world in which we live and create. Depending on your own life experience, this book has the potential to make you uncomfortable and self-conscious with its spotlights of truth and yet eager to seek out more. It will make you laugh and squirm at the same time. It will make you question motivations and purpose of others and yourself.

And I hope it will do for you what it did for me: It reminded me of who I am and what makes me happiest. That part is so overwhelming, I need time to process it, maybe the rest of my life.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a disappointment.

I have been a big fan of Sarah Selecky’s work, both her noteworthy short story collection and her writing lessons. So, I’ve been looking forward to the release of her first novel.

But Radiant Shimmering Light missed the mark — full stop.

Is it supposed to be satire? A beach read? A serious social commentary just poorly executed? Who knows based on the ambiguous tone of the novel. All of the characters were flat to me, and so I couldn’t pick up if I should be laughing at or cheering with the women behind the Ascendency lifestyle brand.

On face value, I think the concepts of lifestyle brands, female empowerment and the #metoo movement are worthy to explore in literature. I also appreciated Selecky’s clever use of mailing list emails as part of the narrative.

But overall, the story just fell flat. Some parts of the storyline dragged on, others weren’t fully explored. I thought, for example, more should have been said about the impact of Lilian’s allegations of inappropriate behaviour from a self-help guru. You’re telling me neither the police nor the media would have followed up with her after her blog post?

In a nutshell, I think the concept behind the story was sound, but the structure and storytelling itself was shaky. More editing, including an overhaul of the story line, could have made this book a winner.

[Text Publishing]

‘In Radiant Shimmering Light, @SarahSeleckyWS nails the Perfect-Yourself 35-43 gen in all of its hopeful internet-brand-conscious pyramid-scheming empowering goddessiness. Social satire + cultural insight whipped into a yummy froth! You’ll laugh + shed a tiny precious tear, my petals!’
@MargaretAtwood

‘Selecky has written a satirical and contemporary novel about the enlightenment and life-branding industries…An intriguing novel which will elicit a wide range of responses from readers. I can’t think of a more perfect novel for a book club.’
Readings

‘Our online world provides endless humorous possibility and here is a book that’s witty, timely, and smart with regard to social media. But then, quite wonderfully, Selecky’s story turns more complicated than it first appeared. Bursting with energy and color, every page delights and provokes. This book is a dazzler.’
Karen Joy Fowler

‘Sarah Selecky could easily be the next Alice Munro.’
Chatelaine

‘The human desire to belong is at the heart of Sarah Selecky’s radiant, shimmering novel. In the person of Lilian Quick, Selecky has created an irresistible heroine. She has once again proven that she is a writer perfectly attuned to the music of the present moment.’
Barbara Gowdy, author of Little Sister

‘Radiant Shimmering Light is inventive and modern. Sarah Selecky delivers a cast of characters who are both recognizable and utterly unique in this novel that is as luminous as its title.’
Marissa Stapley, author of Things To Do When It's Raining

‘Fresh and original, Sarah Selecky’s novel cleverly satirizes our insta-world but also takes its characters seriously enough to give them an ending that’s moving and transcendent.’
Kerry Clare, author of Mitzi Bytes

‘This meditative, funny, groovy, and absolutely beautiful book kept me entranced beginning to end. The intrigue and mystery of self-help movements shimmers throughout the narrative, and our narrator, so full of life, hearkens back to the plucky heroines of Jane Austen, but with a modern wit and vivacity all her own. I loved the rich, meaningful hours I spent with this book.’
Rebecca Lee, author of Bobcat and Other Stories

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was meant to be a satire. It’s advertised as such, which was the main attractor for me, because I really like satires. Also, because normally I would never read a blatant chicklit thing like that. But the thing is this book just didn’t read like a satire. I’ve been trying to put a finger on it, figure out why and I’m still not quite sure. I do know that it just didn’t read like some satire greats like Christopher Buckley or Max Barry. In fact this read pretty much like chicklit. Which is weird, because the author obviously set off to make fun of the New Agey idiocy so prevalent in modern day and age as a sort of viable alternative to the rigor of traditional life and yet boils down to simple platform for consumerism. Selecky’s got the vapid lingo, warped mentality and business plans down and yet somehow she doesn’t seem to be quite spoofing it either. Maybe because her main characters…Eleven Novak (the hugely popular New Age guru with a focus on feminine empowerment) and Lillian Quick (her loser aura perceiving cousin) have enough of a traditional three act narrative for readers to anchor down to. Maybe because we don’t get to know enough about Eleven (by far the most interesting of the characters) to merit enough investment with her story. Maybe because Lillian is too much of a gullible idiot and that’s literally all there is to her. Maybe because no one calls out anyone on their crap, not once, not even the semisane (or at least ones that can think for themselves) characters. I mean, Selecky really does represent well the cultish mentality behind such programs. And women most susceptible to them. Interestingly enough, it’s a woman led cult. Cults stereotypically have male leaders, while the members are predominantly female. Weaker sex or not, apparently women do enjoy being told what to do. Although in the politically correct present day it can be done by women for women, using the most terrible convoluted language to disguise a basic pyramid scheme. So in the book we follow Lillian as she gets close to her cousin by joining her in the program and becoming more and more wealthy and obnoxious as a person. Lillian (being a 40 year old virgin barely getting by doing pet aura portraits) being a prime candidate for the kind of lifechanging brainwashing or, in their language, experience Eleven offers. So the readers do get an inside look into how these sort of scams are worked, but it never comes across as a satire and Lillian certainly never suspects a thing. And then in the end there are auras. So yeah, an entire book about brainwashed or at least brainwashable women, featuring conversations that might otherwise be overheard at Lululemon or any trendy vegan gluten free café or a yoga studio. Failed attempts to find meaning in crystals and astrology. Vapid language overutilizing the word energy. Brains gone to mush from an over reliance on social media, from expecting others to tell you how to live, from not enough selfhelping, from too much selfhelping, from lack of self possession and basic intelligence. Lifestyle coaches teaching nothing. Makers making nothing of use. In an apocalypse, this bunch would be found mentally sending good wishes to survivors and trying to visualize some organically farmed sustainable nourishment. Not really funny. No moral. Tedious as our culture of forced positivity is, the book might aspire to do more than repeatedly mention it. And it doesn't do nearly enough to highlight the inner ugliness or at the very least ordinariness of these positivity wielders. Which it to say that if your jogi seems very relaxed, they are most likely high, not enlightened. Slight and very subtle attempts at satirizing Lillian as she alienates the only person who might love her for who she is (no small task there) and comforts her best friend in cultish language of Eleven’s program, but that’s about it. Just not enough here for 368 pages. The author can write, that’s obvious, but it just isn’t enough. The book is imminently readable and imminently frustrating at the same time. Personal mileage may vary.

Addendum…Ok, took me long enough (well not really, more like the next morning, but still…longer than this book deserved to linger in my mind) to figure out exactly what was wrong with this book, so here it is. When you think about satire as a genre, here’s basically how it works…you take a premise (obviously something worth satirizing and all that) and you inflate it into a sort of crazy balloon. And then on that newly created macroscale you can easily present and make fun of all the flaws that are easy to ignore on the original everyday microscale of the thing. So satire works as a sort of loupe to the world’s foibles. When it works. And Selecky didn’t chose to do it that way. She tapped into a perfectly good zeitgeist to satirize, but didn’t expand the premise wide enough for proper comic ridicule. And the genre required regular characters who usually end up being the ones holding up the mirror to the inanity are barely present enough to even register, let alone do the work. So the novel essentially fails as a satire. Although the tone remains too critical for chicklit. It’s more of a one note attempt at a satire straight down to its lackluster ending. The light, ladies and gentleman, is pretty dim, actually. So yeah, finally my properly formulated thoughts on this one. Now it can be forgotten.

[Loretta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a free copy of this book for review from the author.

I am...not entirely sure what to think of this novel, honestly. I'd probably rate it at a 3.5 because of this confusion. I've seen a number of reviewers call it satire and I just don't see that. It's too earnest - at least, the character of Lilian is too earnest, and too sort of sad and pathetic and lost in the beginning.

The good: the writing is lovely, with many lyrical descriptions and also some sly humor. The story itself, the subject of the internet business/lifestyle/trend/marketing your beautiful life and how that works - that is a subject ripe for satire and deep exploration in fiction. And I actually both liked and loathed that part of it. On the one hand - Selecky does a good job of slyly pointing out the profit motive inherent in most of these internet famous characters work, the next level of self-help. It's all about increasing the clicks and the views and the affiliate marketing. And we see behind the glamorous lives of a few of these internet famous folks to see that their marriage is falling apart, they hate their lives, they are just as human and unhappy as the rest of us. That was what I liked.

What I didn't like was how passive and silly the main character of Lilian came across as, for the first half of the book at least. She has no insight and just follows the latest "how to be better" advice of her internet gurus and seems to have no actual agency in her own life, falling from one situation into the next. And the thing about Lilian, who is the central character and the only POV character in the novel, is that I couldn't figure out if I was supposed to be mocking her or feeling bad for her. And while she does develop and grow over the novel, it's really not clear to me if she actually understands what she's learned, if she has seen through the shallowness and deception of the internet guru lifestyle or if she has entirely bought into it.

I don't know if Selecky plans to write a sequel, but my other irritation is that there are a lot of unfinished threads at the end of the book.

So there was a lot to like but some confusing stuff too.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book! Not the sort of book I normally read but I was hooked! It made a change from my usual murders and serial killers!! It was funny, clever and thought provoking . I thougherly enjoyed it. It made me think about how I deal with struggles in my life and what I said it that we really want.

The story of 2 long lost cousins. Best friends as kids but a family feud pulled them apart. It is 20 years later and Lillian is a struggling artist in Toronto, while cousin Eleven is an internet sensation with her female lifestyle and empowerment programs. The 2 reconnect at an event and end up working together again. Lillian's life takes a dramatic change of direction and she suddenly has money, friends and a purpose.

Such a great read that was outside my usual reads. Highly recommend this book. Thanks to Text Publishing and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read and enjoy. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

[Penny (Literary Hoarders) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one that will sit with you, and I do need to better formulate my thoughts so I can express coherently. Because I'm not going to sound coherent here. But - this is an excellent and biting satire about the ridiculousness of our lives and how they've become this way in a social media age. How we express ourselves has been taken over by this need to market ourselves - for instance, Lillian's "friend" sends out impersonal newsletter emails that are littered with product placements and this "i don't know what to call it" (actually I call it total bullshit) to cleanse, this cult like behaviour surrounding female empowerment and drink coconut water that has been mined using only organic cane sugars and whatever....

I enjoyed Lillian's journey from becoming consumed by this, to awakening to the realization that it's not her and her slow withdrawal from this lifestyle and return to her own way of being/creating. To realizing she was not being her individual and true self. I know I am absolutely not expressing myself well here - it's a tumble of words - but it definitely puts this zeroed in lens on how social media consumes and dictates our lives, definitely of women, has become almost controlling who we are and is utterly fake because of this dependence on becoming a "brand" over your true self. Reading this, I thought of many that were represented here, and this whole building a brand and a "lifestyle" (how everyone and their mother's uncles have published these lifestyle books, blogs, newsletters, etc (eco-transportation lifestyle and other new age and silly and ridiculous things like that) when, like Lillian, we just need to turn it off, unsubscribe and return to being (normal), not putting our lives on Instagram and hashtagging the hell out of it. The need to remove ourselves from it all.

Hopefully at some point I'll be able to string the words together coherently to properly express myself about what I read and how I read Radiant Shimmering Light.

[Laurie Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have read some of my posts before, you might know I have a bit of a problem with the whole "branding of influencers" and having a "personal brand" and people always advertising products. Sometimes I feel like Instagram is just a place where people can try to sell you things and make believe their life is perfect.  I also have a bit of an issue with people trying to sell "safe-care". The self-care industry is worth billions of dollars in North America, with people shelling out money everyday for crystals, malas, and energy aligners. I don't necessarily think that this is bad per say, but I do think there is something wrong with trying to get people (mostly women) to buy things they don't need to make themselves feel better, getting into more debt and ending up feeling worse. And most of the people who sell these items are white women, but that's a whole other story. Let's get back to the book.
This book is about Lillian, a pet portrait artist, who is barely getting by, but feels pretty content in her life, in most ways. She has always looked up to her cousin, Florence but has been out of touch for many years, due to the fighting of their mothers. Lillian is someone who spends too much time on Instagram, comparing herself to others. It is through the world of online media that she realizes her cousin has re-branded herself as "Eleven" and is now a powerful lifestyle guru. She sees that Eleven is holding an event in Toronto and receives a surprise message inviting her to come along for free! From this meeting Lillian ends up moving to New York to work for Eleven at the "Temple" and "find herself." Of course once Lillian gets there it is a whole new world to figure out, a world of appearances, newsletters, selling products and "being your best self". 
This satire book made me think a lot. I couldn't put it down, I found the story very compelling and written in a very unique voice. It felt a lot different than most of the books I read, in a good way. I like how the author put in email newsletters from a lot of the characters directly into the book, they made me laugh and were so telling of the world we live in today.

It made me feel a little bit better about the appearances people give us and the way we are all hiding behind perfection. Maybe at the very least, it's going to make me pull back a bit from constant comparison to others and the chase of a non exsisting perfection. 

Also, I liked the ending, the way we are left wondering what choices Lillian has made and not knowing for sure. I am hoping the best for her. 

[Christina McLain · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utter utter crap. This book pretends to be a satire on female empowerment cults and our desire to consume everything around us instead of creating useful fulfilling lives but the line between satire and sincerity is so blurred that it's difficult to know what exactly what message the author is sending us. The truth, I think, is that Lilian was a complete fool and that her cousin sold the golf balls when they were kids, just as she created the appalling Ascendancy. Women will never get together because they see everything as scarcity. When was the last time some guy's wife came running after you because they saw you chatting innocently with their stupid spouse for two minutes at some social event? It's the nature of humans to be motivated by self-interest, most of the time. Beyond that there is art, honor and love. I think we are supposed to believe that Lilian gets there but I was so muddled by the ending I couldn't be sure. Glad I didn't put down good money for this. I felt swindled.

[kp · Rating 2 out of 5]

like having a chocolate bar for dinner because you're too hungry to cook

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read a book like this one. It is light and deep, witty and fun, satirical and innocent. I think it’s making a particular statement... and then, it doesn’t. (It lets me make my own.) For me, it’s a breezy summer read that is also a meditation on the is-ness of the universe and what it means to be human (IRL and on the internet). I loved it.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing novel that turned into a real page-turner for me. Sarah Selecky's wonderful story is either a tribute to, or a satire of, New Age feminine empowerment cum marketing juggernauts, I can't decide which. But the writing is bang on the nose and the characters are relatable and recognizable. I really loved the narrative about modern society's use of (enslavement to?) technology and social media. I docked a half star because the auras and mystical elements of the story felt unreal to me, and my disbelief pulled me out of the story. Excellent, thought-provoking book. 3 1/2 stars.

[Missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fun to see the world through the narrator Lilian Quick’s eyes - her new age mantras, vegan indulgences and eccentric artsy spirit. This didn’t feel like a story so much as a snapshot of a zany, self-help company/cult. I kept waiting for the catch. Was the cousin a con artist? Would Lilian reject capitalist success for the artistic life? But no big reveal ever came.

I enjoyed this book for its peek into the world of quasi-spiritual business empires. But I wouldn’t recommend it.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve had to pick this up and put it down a few times over the last month and the haphazard way I read it reflects my final feelings on it, which are weak. Though I’d give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’d only rate it as such because I made it through to the end but I don’t know why I persisted or what I got out of it. I closed the book as confused as ever about the MC.

Lilian Quick is a lost 40-year-old virgin, behind on rent and trying to promote herself and her artistic practice online in the hopes of the emulating her estranged cousin, the infamous “Eleven” Novak. They meet up after one of Eleven’s events in Toronto and she proposes Lilian fix all her problems by moving to NYC to work for her cousin and sign up for her program, The Ascendency, which allows women to ascend to their full potential.

The way that Lilian’s constantly questioning herself internally & externally while otherwise acting enthusiastically about anything/everything I couldn’t tell if her attitude was just trying to align with Eleven’s teachings or if she was just that naive. Neither appealed to me and I felt distinctly apart from the spirituality described— I could not connect with it and did not know if I was supposed to take either Lilian or Eleven seriously.

Though the message of the story is clear, it was as obvious in the first pages and didn’t need 350 more to elaborate. Technology has taken over our lives and we need a break sometimes. It’s a good reminder for us all but shrouded here by a very expensive lifestyle surrounded by vegan diets, private cars, crystals & jewelry, designer chocolates, etc.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only put it down when I had to- for driving or going to work! A fresh voice, unlike anything out there right now...a very enjoyable read!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m confused

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have preferred a subtler touch but this is a pretty interesting takedown of all things wellness/sponsored/self-empowerment/inspo-preneurship.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

What in the liberal hell did I just read? Awful. The most awful thing I've ever read. No likeable characters, plot was just....awful. I cant believe I wasted my precious reading time on this.

[Seema Rao · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cult life marketing-style as a satire of our personality-driven society. Some Nice written passages but too flat in general

[Brooke Waite · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was completely outside my preferred genre, but I LOVED it!!! I picked it up on a whim at the library and I’m so glad I did. It made me think and it made me laugh...what more could you want! 😉
Lillian is a 40 year-old artist who paints pet auras. She is unmarried, childless, and struggling just to get by when out of the blue she reconnects with her cousin, Florence, after 20 years! Florence, aka Eleven Novak, has rebranded herself as a powerful, influential women’s empowerment guru and she seems to have it all! It’s not only until after Lillian moves to NYC and becomes employed by Eleven and is surrounded by all she thinks she’s missing does she realize there’s more to life.
It’s written satirically, kind of tongue in cheek, about the empowerment movement (ie. women’s spirituality, positive subconscious thinking, crystals, meditation, veganism...which don’t get me wrong, I’M INTO IT!!) but it was written hilariously over the top!! My favorite was the Conscious Chocolate Truffles which are infused with the mantras of Tibetan monks while being baked and are to be eaten...you guessed it...consciously!
I love the lessons that Lillian learns...especially about social media and how it can be a tool for good or bad depending on how it’s used...so applicable. And how we all need to CREATE BEFORE WE CONSUME. I loved that and will repeat that everyday.

[Zoom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusual novel. I don't know quite what to make of it! The protagonist is a 40 year old artist who sees the auras of animals and has an active social media life. She reconnects with a cousin who is the founder of some kind of cultish corporate spiritual organization called The Ascendency. You know, one of those super-woo-woo monetized enlightenment things. She leaves her life and moves to NYC to accept a job with her cousin's organization, The Ascendancy.

It's about women, connection, community, and the commercialization of personal development. It's about personal branding, side hustles, and the line between marketing and exploitation. It's about monetized endorsements and leveraged connections and affiliate links and lifestyle blogging. It's about self image and online personas. It's about contemporary online life on steroids.It's about what you're willing to sacrifice for the illusion of authenticity and creativity and community. It's about going along with things and doing as you're told until you can't anymore.

It's kind of disturbing...actually, it's deeply disturbing. It reads as a light and airy novel, but it illuminates a pathological online lifestyle that you *hope* is hugely exaggerated. And it's funny and well written.

I enjoyed reading it, but I still don't know quite what to make of it. I'm looking forward to reading other reviews of it.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this but the constant inner dialogue of every single thought of the main character was only cute for about the first 25% of the book. It was so distracting and made it hard to actually read the book. Bummer.

[Alison Webster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book… started off loathing the main character and suddenly saw myself in her. A love hate relationship with the book based on the narcissism of all the characters but realism in its reflection of our day and age. Interesting read that’s left me thinking!

[Lawra Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, mainly because I am somewhat into metaphysics and personal growth and crystals. but alas, I just felt that the author either took it too far or was flat out making fun of people. I have no idea why it's considered satire. The author took every new age, metaphysical stereo type and amped it up to a point that I felt ridiculed. These characters, or at least the 2 main ones, dispite being saturated in "personal power, growth and spiritual lifestyle" were so incredibly empty, and remained so. Not everyone practicing a spiritual or metaphysical lifestyle is this shallow and self absorbed! the only "growth" in Lillian having a color induced breakdown where she learned she should go back to painting. All we see is her become a big ass to be honest. The story was flat, the backstory was flat. I kept waiting for SOMETHING, anything to happen. But it was page after page of unnecessary descriptions of colors, outfits, food, yogi-isms and yeah, we get it, you drink tumeric tea and see auras.... It's never really addressed that all this "spiritual guru" stuff is just pomp and profit, no one learns anything, no one changes or grows, no one heals. And the ending. Argh. Plain dumb.

[Jacquelyn Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Sarah Selecky in exchange for a review, the opinions are my own.

I couldn't put this book down! Billed as chick lit, an easy summer read, a quickie read, this story is all of those things and so much more. Radiant Shimmering Light is for anyone who lives their lives online: the influencers, the influenced, the side hustlers, the artists; in short, all of us.

Sarah's deft prose and amazing ability to parse out the intricate details of character shimmers throughout this novel. This story feels like an anthropologist's guide to the current state of our world where the fine line between consumerism and art, empowerment branding and friendship, who we are online and off, the crafted personas and the reality lurking beneath the curated squares intersects.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. Funny, refreshing, and deceptively light (as I believe another reviewer put it), it managed to disturb and inspire me at the same time. Recommended for anyone who works online, tries to make art AND make a living, or feels addicted to their smart phone...that should cover everyone! I've never read anything quite like this, and although it was entertaining it left me with a lot to think about.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book! Razor-sharp wit and smart social commentary are rolled up into a charming story about self-discovery in the smoke-and-mirrors society in which we live. I didn’t want this book to end!!

[eleanor ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew this book wasn't going to be what I wanted it to be, but it was still a let down. I think this was meant to be satire but there really wasn't much commentary?

I found it extremely interesting that Sarah Selecky, whom I had never heard of until this book and who does not appear to be a HUGELY popular Canadian author, wrote a book about self aggrandizing behavior and also has her own "writing school." Even more interesting when you find multiple typos in the paperback edition (aka not the first printing) - and I don't mean typos in the texts or emails, but typos in dialogue between characters.

But anyway. I found the book enjoyable enough but it literally just ends. There is no resolution, no wrap up, nothing. Granted, it went on about 100 pages longer than necessary, a few of those pages definitely could have been used to give some closure?

Overall, 2 generous stars out of 5. Do not recommend.