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Size Zero
Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on fashion runways. A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage. The body is identified as Annabelle Leigh, the teenager who famously disappeared over a decade ago from her boyfriend’s New York City mansion.
This new evidence casts suspicion back on the former boyfriend, Cecil LeClaire. Now a monk, he is forced to return to his dark and absurd childhood home to clear his name. He teams up with Ava Germaine, a renegade ex-model. And together, they investigate the depraved and lawless modeling industry behind Cecil’s family fortune.
They find erotic canes, pet rats living in crystal castles, and dresses made of crushed butterfly wings. But Cecil finds more truth in the luxury goods than in the people themselves. Everyone he meets seems to be wearing a person-suit. Terrified of showing their true selves, the glitterati put on flamboyant public personas to make money and friends. Can Cecil find truth in a world built on lies?
In high fashion modeling, selling bodies is organized crime.
This new evidence casts suspicion back on the former boyfriend, Cecil LeClaire. Now a monk, he is forced to return to his dark and absurd childhood home to clear his name. He teams up with Ava Germaine, a renegade ex-model. And together, they investigate the depraved and lawless modeling industry behind Cecil’s family fortune.
They find erotic canes, pet rats living in crystal castles, and dresses made of crushed butterfly wings. But Cecil finds more truth in the luxury goods than in the people themselves. Everyone he meets seems to be wearing a person-suit. Terrified of showing their true selves, the glitterati put on flamboyant public personas to make money and friends. Can Cecil find truth in a world built on lies?
In high fashion modeling, selling bodies is organized crime.
412 pages, Paperback
First published July 12, 2020
16 people are currently reading
5315 people want to read
About the author
Abigail Mangin
1 book93 followersOriginally from Harrisburg, PA. BFA from NYU Tisch Dramatic Writing, 2018 NYU Outstanding Writing for Television Award. Feel free to reach out to me directly. Would love to hear from you!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
September 14, 2020
I've struggled greatly about how to properly phrase my review. For this was, in my opinion, a disaster. This is a new debut author. I always love reading new authors and I want them to succeed. Unfortunately, I can't say anything significant in support of this new effort.
I was very close to a DNF. I did start skipping several sections and was able to make it to the end. I think there were multiple problems. The biggest being the author tried much too hard. It was evident in the writing, in the overly dramatic descriptions that overtook the entire book, in the overdone characters that still lacked any substance and the pushed jokes that never seemed to catch a laugh.
I have read a few other reviews that have praised this novel. I could be entirely wrong in my opinion. I simply struggled to just want to turn the page after a while. It was not pleasant. I wish the author the best and I hope they improve. This was in my honest opinion not a good reader experience.
*Thank you to Visage Media via Edelweiss+ and NetGalley for the digital review copy.
I was very close to a DNF. I did start skipping several sections and was able to make it to the end. I think there were multiple problems. The biggest being the author tried much too hard. It was evident in the writing, in the overly dramatic descriptions that overtook the entire book, in the overdone characters that still lacked any substance and the pushed jokes that never seemed to catch a laugh.
I have read a few other reviews that have praised this novel. I could be entirely wrong in my opinion. I simply struggled to just want to turn the page after a while. It was not pleasant. I wish the author the best and I hope they improve. This was in my honest opinion not a good reader experience.
*Thank you to Visage Media via Edelweiss+ and NetGalley for the digital review copy.
January 10, 2025
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my open and honest review. This has, in no way, affected my opinion of the book.
*Also: Slight spoiler warning*
It has taken me much longer than usual to sit down and write this review for one simple reason: I did not like this book. I commend any author who has the stamina and courage to sit down, write an entire novel and send it out into the world where it’ll be read and judged by countless people. That takes courage, and I applaud Ms. Abigial Mangin for having that kind of courage.
That being said, I really didn't like this book. I picked it up to read because
A. The cover looks amazing and
B. The description of the book really sounded like something I'd enjoy.
The principle behind the book was really cool. The execution, though? Not so much.
First and foremost, this book could have definitely benefited from better editing. I'm not sure if there will be another round of edits before the book's actual publication or if it’s going out in this form, but if so, whew. It shouldn't. It definitely needs some work. At first, I was highlighting errors so that I could point them out in case there was time to correct them before publication. Once I realized how many there were, however, I just stopped.
Some of the most glaring ones that I found before I stopped my highlighting were as follows:
There were some instances of double words, such as location 1667 of 6531 (on the Amazon Kindle app)
'Margaux was already using her cane cane as a pathetic blockade.'
Then there were instances of wrong words and leaving words out, such as location 1685 of 6531
'A reported whispered a bit too loudly the woman next to him.'
There were multiple instances of wrong tenses, wrong words, wrong pronouns, misspellings (why spell check didn’t catch these is beyond me) and things of that nature.
(location 3885) - 'She manipulating the shape of the butterfly over her arm.'
(location 6204) - 'left a train set of handmade cars from Italy is his eill.'
(location 4270) - 'Everyone who seems they like they have control is faking it.'
These kinds of errors can ruin a book for me, especially if there are a ton of them, and there were in this particular book. Those are only a very few examples.
However, the thing that really killed the book for me was how absolutely unrealistic it was. It’s true that I’ve never been a model, and with my super curvaceous (read: overweight) figure, I never will, but come on now. Some of this crap was just absolutely ridiculous. I can believe that some awful, shady stuff goes down in the modeling world. I can believe girls starve themselves to death, and I can even believe that modeling is just a front for human trafficking. In fact, I do believe those things, but that was not nearly the extent of the crazy in this book.
First of all, the characters were absolutely, 100% unbelievable. There was nothing about them that seemed even remotely plausible. I’m talking about could not ever, would not ever happen in real life! Take, for example, the police detective working the murder investigation. This is actually a description from the book of a grown woman working as a law enforcement professional talking seriously to someone about pertinent information for her murder investigation:
"She hopped onto the hood of an ambulance, and unscrewed a jar of honey. (Yes, that unnecessary comma is in the book. I didn’t add it.) Her bare fingers dunked into the golden goodness. She reminded him of a grizzly bear. At first, she seemed cute and lovable, and then he remembered she had giant claws and a pistol. (etc. etc. etc. I’m skipping ahead a little here for the sake of brevity.) She slurped the honey over her tongue, puffing out her cheeks. And then she clicked the briefcase closed and handed it back to him. "I can't take these," Roosevelt said with a somber drawl. (What she couldn't take was actual proof that a murder suspect had stolen models' birth certificates, faked VISAs and passports to get them over country borders and forced them and their parents - who mostly couldn't read or speak English - to sign slave contracts. I'd think a cop should probably take those, but I digress. Here’s my favorite part...) Roosevelt said, scrubbing a hand through her short hair. She spiked it up into adorable horns, using the honey as gel."
In my experience, law enforcement professionals, particularly women who have to work even harder to be taken seriously in the field, don’t usually sit around using honey to make horns of their hair during murder investigations. This could have possibly been one of the most unrealistic scenes I’ve ever read in a book in my entire life, and I’m honestly not being hyperbolic.
Sadly, up until this point, this cop was actually one of the most believable characters in the story.
We also have the sex addicted, slave-driving mother with a penchant for Shirley Temple and erotic sex canes who ends up living in an abbey with monks because, of course, monks love when random women come to live with them - especially random, sex-addicted women.
There's also the entire city of NYC that has models posed in store windows, chained down with bidding sheets attached to them so that people can buy them for the night in order to perform deviant sexual acts with them (or in some cases, torture and murder them). I mean, I know New York City has its flaws, but you'd think someone would notice a whole block or two of the city trafficking in sex slavery.
I could give at least a dozen more examples, but I think that's enough to make my point. The entire book was absolutely unbelievable and unrealistic starting at about chapter three and going until the end. I wanted to throw in the towel several times and just say, "Nope. I'm done." However, when I get a free book in exchange for a review, I feel obligated to finish it, regardless of how bad it is.
Again, my total respect to the author, and despite the fact that I hated her book, I actually mean that sincerely. I can't even imagine how hard it is to write a book and put it out into the world. That being said, though, this one was absolutely, 100% not for me.
*Also: Slight spoiler warning*
It has taken me much longer than usual to sit down and write this review for one simple reason: I did not like this book. I commend any author who has the stamina and courage to sit down, write an entire novel and send it out into the world where it’ll be read and judged by countless people. That takes courage, and I applaud Ms. Abigial Mangin for having that kind of courage.
That being said, I really didn't like this book. I picked it up to read because
A. The cover looks amazing and
B. The description of the book really sounded like something I'd enjoy.
The principle behind the book was really cool. The execution, though? Not so much.
First and foremost, this book could have definitely benefited from better editing. I'm not sure if there will be another round of edits before the book's actual publication or if it’s going out in this form, but if so, whew. It shouldn't. It definitely needs some work. At first, I was highlighting errors so that I could point them out in case there was time to correct them before publication. Once I realized how many there were, however, I just stopped.
Some of the most glaring ones that I found before I stopped my highlighting were as follows:
There were some instances of double words, such as location 1667 of 6531 (on the Amazon Kindle app)
'Margaux was already using her cane cane as a pathetic blockade.'
Then there were instances of wrong words and leaving words out, such as location 1685 of 6531
'A reported whispered a bit too loudly the woman next to him.'
There were multiple instances of wrong tenses, wrong words, wrong pronouns, misspellings (why spell check didn’t catch these is beyond me) and things of that nature.
(location 3885) - 'She manipulating the shape of the butterfly over her arm.'
(location 6204) - 'left a train set of handmade cars from Italy is his eill.'
(location 4270) - 'Everyone who seems they like they have control is faking it.'
These kinds of errors can ruin a book for me, especially if there are a ton of them, and there were in this particular book. Those are only a very few examples.
However, the thing that really killed the book for me was how absolutely unrealistic it was. It’s true that I’ve never been a model, and with my super curvaceous (read: overweight) figure, I never will, but come on now. Some of this crap was just absolutely ridiculous. I can believe that some awful, shady stuff goes down in the modeling world. I can believe girls starve themselves to death, and I can even believe that modeling is just a front for human trafficking. In fact, I do believe those things, but that was not nearly the extent of the crazy in this book.
First of all, the characters were absolutely, 100% unbelievable. There was nothing about them that seemed even remotely plausible. I’m talking about could not ever, would not ever happen in real life! Take, for example, the police detective working the murder investigation. This is actually a description from the book of a grown woman working as a law enforcement professional talking seriously to someone about pertinent information for her murder investigation:
"She hopped onto the hood of an ambulance, and unscrewed a jar of honey. (Yes, that unnecessary comma is in the book. I didn’t add it.) Her bare fingers dunked into the golden goodness. She reminded him of a grizzly bear. At first, she seemed cute and lovable, and then he remembered she had giant claws and a pistol. (etc. etc. etc. I’m skipping ahead a little here for the sake of brevity.) She slurped the honey over her tongue, puffing out her cheeks. And then she clicked the briefcase closed and handed it back to him. "I can't take these," Roosevelt said with a somber drawl. (What she couldn't take was actual proof that a murder suspect had stolen models' birth certificates, faked VISAs and passports to get them over country borders and forced them and their parents - who mostly couldn't read or speak English - to sign slave contracts. I'd think a cop should probably take those, but I digress. Here’s my favorite part...) Roosevelt said, scrubbing a hand through her short hair. She spiked it up into adorable horns, using the honey as gel."
In my experience, law enforcement professionals, particularly women who have to work even harder to be taken seriously in the field, don’t usually sit around using honey to make horns of their hair during murder investigations. This could have possibly been one of the most unrealistic scenes I’ve ever read in a book in my entire life, and I’m honestly not being hyperbolic.
Sadly, up until this point, this cop was actually one of the most believable characters in the story.
We also have the sex addicted, slave-driving mother with a penchant for Shirley Temple and erotic sex canes who ends up living in an abbey with monks because, of course, monks love when random women come to live with them - especially random, sex-addicted women.
There's also the entire city of NYC that has models posed in store windows, chained down with bidding sheets attached to them so that people can buy them for the night in order to perform deviant sexual acts with them (or in some cases, torture and murder them). I mean, I know New York City has its flaws, but you'd think someone would notice a whole block or two of the city trafficking in sex slavery.
I could give at least a dozen more examples, but I think that's enough to make my point. The entire book was absolutely unbelievable and unrealistic starting at about chapter three and going until the end. I wanted to throw in the towel several times and just say, "Nope. I'm done." However, when I get a free book in exchange for a review, I feel obligated to finish it, regardless of how bad it is.
Again, my total respect to the author, and despite the fact that I hated her book, I actually mean that sincerely. I can't even imagine how hard it is to write a book and put it out into the world. That being said, though, this one was absolutely, 100% not for me.
May 3, 2020
This book is a scream. In many ways. First of all, it’s not for everyone - it’s well-suited for you if you enjoy social satire and think a corpse being modeled on the runway of New York Fashion Week is hilarious. (Guilty.) It also helps if you like monks who love Flashdance. You’ll also have to be aware of, or at least open to, the many awful things that can happen to young people who come to New York to be models, and the general horrors of New York excess. As you may have gathered, this book is not like anything else you will read anytime soon. It is basically American Psycho with a social conscience..
I really enjoyed that this book has something to say and never tries to tippy toe around the horrifying issues it tackles. It is wickedly funny but also very sad. It can be hard to read at times but is always fascinating. (It is really hard to discuss this book without giving any spoilers.) The book reminds me a bit of the literary influences it nods to: Bret Easton Ellis, Edgar Allen Poe - but like Glamorama or American Psycho, it is really more of a satire than a traditional horror novel or murder mystery a la Poe. Also, it is the opposite of many current horror novels that glamorize and specialize the murders of young girls a la Lolita (to which this book also explicitly refers). Never titillating - It is grotesque throughout and I mean that as a compliment. I did feel it went on a little too long before the mystery was fully solved — I probably only felt this way bc the issues are so hard to read about at this level of horror and the author did such a good job of making you confront them.
All of this makes for a totally different and bizarre reading experience, in a good and rather enlightening way. The ending is great. This book appears to be first in a series and I will definitely read the next one. (As a side note, the cover is a perfect depiction of the book.)
Also, I tend to roll my eyes at “trigger warnings” but in the case of this book there are a couple of issues the reader should really be prepared to have the stomach to deal with in a major way, particularly child sexual abuse, sex trafficking and anorexia. (But know these issues are never glamorized - quite the opposite.)
Four weirded-out and impressed stars. This author is truly original and different and tackles very ambitious ideas that are tough to read about, but somehow also makes them funny at times. I’m interested to see what she comes up with next.
Thanks to NetGalley, Abigail Mangin and Visage Media for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoyed that this book has something to say and never tries to tippy toe around the horrifying issues it tackles. It is wickedly funny but also very sad. It can be hard to read at times but is always fascinating. (It is really hard to discuss this book without giving any spoilers.) The book reminds me a bit of the literary influences it nods to: Bret Easton Ellis, Edgar Allen Poe - but like Glamorama or American Psycho, it is really more of a satire than a traditional horror novel or murder mystery a la Poe. Also, it is the opposite of many current horror novels that glamorize and specialize the murders of young girls a la Lolita (to which this book also explicitly refers). Never titillating - It is grotesque throughout and I mean that as a compliment. I did feel it went on a little too long before the mystery was fully solved — I probably only felt this way bc the issues are so hard to read about at this level of horror and the author did such a good job of making you confront them.
All of this makes for a totally different and bizarre reading experience, in a good and rather enlightening way. The ending is great. This book appears to be first in a series and I will definitely read the next one. (As a side note, the cover is a perfect depiction of the book.)
Also, I tend to roll my eyes at “trigger warnings” but in the case of this book there are a couple of issues the reader should really be prepared to have the stomach to deal with in a major way, particularly child sexual abuse, sex trafficking and anorexia. (But know these issues are never glamorized - quite the opposite.)
Four weirded-out and impressed stars. This author is truly original and different and tackles very ambitious ideas that are tough to read about, but somehow also makes them funny at times. I’m interested to see what she comes up with next.
Thanks to NetGalley, Abigail Mangin and Visage Media for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 20, 2020
This is an unusual crime novel, with a wonderfully exotic cast of characters. It is set around the fashion industry, which – hopefully – is not quite as bad as it is painted in this novel. If it is, it should be shut down tomorrow and everyone should take any suggestion that their daughter could be a model and rush her, as fast as possible, in the opposite direction.
That said, this is an interesting setting for a book and the action really begins at New York fashion week, when a young model, called Ava, is thrust into the limelight wearing a coat made from a corpse. More specifically, from the body of a girl, Annabelle Leigh, who had gone missing outside the house of the LeClare family; owners of the LeClare Model Management Agency. Cecil LeClare was fourteen at the time and good friends with Annabelle, who was the daughter of a chauffeur. However, he found himself suspected of her murder and, some years later, we find him at twenty four years old, and now Brother George, training to be a monk at St Joseph’s Abbey.
Of course, the sudden reappearance of Annabelle Leigh, brings the press to his door and he finds it is not so easy to escape being heir to a fashion house, where young girls eat cotton wool, are not allowed outside and whose every encounter is monitored. Nor is it so easy to escape his family, including the larger than life Perdonna or his mother, Margaux LeClare. I found this a really interesting premise; the author managed to make this crime novel both bizarre and yet, horribly, realistic. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
That said, this is an interesting setting for a book and the action really begins at New York fashion week, when a young model, called Ava, is thrust into the limelight wearing a coat made from a corpse. More specifically, from the body of a girl, Annabelle Leigh, who had gone missing outside the house of the LeClare family; owners of the LeClare Model Management Agency. Cecil LeClare was fourteen at the time and good friends with Annabelle, who was the daughter of a chauffeur. However, he found himself suspected of her murder and, some years later, we find him at twenty four years old, and now Brother George, training to be a monk at St Joseph’s Abbey.
Of course, the sudden reappearance of Annabelle Leigh, brings the press to his door and he finds it is not so easy to escape being heir to a fashion house, where young girls eat cotton wool, are not allowed outside and whose every encounter is monitored. Nor is it so easy to escape his family, including the larger than life Perdonna or his mother, Margaux LeClare. I found this a really interesting premise; the author managed to make this crime novel both bizarre and yet, horribly, realistic. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
January 24, 2021
Still reading, but I honestly can’t tell whether this is worthless drivel, biting satire that takes aim at the fashion industry and organized religion, or a hormonal teenager’s attempt to exorcise his inner demons and angst. Struggling to finish and am hoping for a payoff that makes it worth the effort. The blurb held such promise. ::sigh::
Edited to add:
I. Just. Can’t. This is a DNF and has earned a spot on my “OMG Bad!” shelf. Five stars for whomever promoted the hell out of this. One star for the book itself.
Edited to add:
I. Just. Can’t. This is a DNF and has earned a spot on my “OMG Bad!” shelf. Five stars for whomever promoted the hell out of this. One star for the book itself.
July 12, 2020
Weird and wonderful!
Trust me, you've never read anything like this, and you probably never will!
This novel deals with some heavy, dark, important subjects. Subjects which need light shown on them. Subjects which will scatter when light is shown on them, like the rats they are, rats which dwell in the deepest darkness of the human psyche and conscious.
The author has softened the blow of these horrors using dark humor, satire and sarcasm, yet never makes light of the seriousness they represent.
Personally, I enjoy dark comedy, satire and I appreciate sarcasm, especially when it's mixed with humor. As other reviewers have stated, this book is a scream! A nightmarish, house of mirrors, fantastical one!
With a well laid out plot, expertly fleshed out characters, ones who get under your skin, (literally), who've left after a weird yet wonderful visit and you can't wait until they return ones. The, they're in my thoughts and I can't wait to see them again ones, whose influence drives the direction of this story and will drive future plots.
I mean, look at the cover for example. It's simple, beautiful, yet dark and horrifying. I kept looking at the stunning cover, fascinated, and it suddenly dawned on me... It reminded me of another story, dark yet beautiful.
Game of Thrones. Remember?
The throne made of swords?
This story is about another type of throne...
A symbolic one.
Made of flesh and blood. Of skin.
Notice the hands?
Just like this book, and the moral of this story, these are also unforgettable.
Abigail Mangin is a very clever and gifted author, and she's created a unique world with interesting characters and a fascinating plot that just won't quit!
This is one of my top favorites and so far it's a neverending re-read! I wouldn't say this novel is for everyone, but if you love it, you love it!
I can't wait for the next books in the series!
Thank you Abigail Mangin for sharing your gift of storytelling with the rest of us!
Trust me, you've never read anything like this, and you probably never will!
This novel deals with some heavy, dark, important subjects. Subjects which need light shown on them. Subjects which will scatter when light is shown on them, like the rats they are, rats which dwell in the deepest darkness of the human psyche and conscious.
The author has softened the blow of these horrors using dark humor, satire and sarcasm, yet never makes light of the seriousness they represent.
Personally, I enjoy dark comedy, satire and I appreciate sarcasm, especially when it's mixed with humor. As other reviewers have stated, this book is a scream! A nightmarish, house of mirrors, fantastical one!
With a well laid out plot, expertly fleshed out characters, ones who get under your skin, (literally), who've left after a weird yet wonderful visit and you can't wait until they return ones. The, they're in my thoughts and I can't wait to see them again ones, whose influence drives the direction of this story and will drive future plots.
I mean, look at the cover for example. It's simple, beautiful, yet dark and horrifying. I kept looking at the stunning cover, fascinated, and it suddenly dawned on me... It reminded me of another story, dark yet beautiful.
Game of Thrones. Remember?
The throne made of swords?
This story is about another type of throne...
A symbolic one.
Made of flesh and blood. Of skin.
Notice the hands?
Just like this book, and the moral of this story, these are also unforgettable.
Abigail Mangin is a very clever and gifted author, and she's created a unique world with interesting characters and a fascinating plot that just won't quit!
This is one of my top favorites and so far it's a neverending re-read! I wouldn't say this novel is for everyone, but if you love it, you love it!
I can't wait for the next books in the series!
Thank you Abigail Mangin for sharing your gift of storytelling with the rest of us!
February 26, 2022
“You know the fashion industry. You can take your pain and turn it into something.
stop what you're doing, and read this book. this book is not for the faint hearted. it's dark, twisted, and gruesomely vivid at points. but it's also wickedly funny, has unpredictable plot twists, contains intricate character development, brings to light critical issues in the fashion world, is so well written, and is beyond entertaining.
i think many readers went into this book anticipating a murder mystery and a "who dunnit?" vibe. but this book is so much more than that.
MY ADVICE: go into this book completely blind. don't even read the description because it doesn't do this book justice.
kingle highlights attached below!
stop what you're doing, and read this book. this book is not for the faint hearted. it's dark, twisted, and gruesomely vivid at points. but it's also wickedly funny, has unpredictable plot twists, contains intricate character development, brings to light critical issues in the fashion world, is so well written, and is beyond entertaining.
i think many readers went into this book anticipating a murder mystery and a "who dunnit?" vibe. but this book is so much more than that.
MY ADVICE: go into this book completely blind. don't even read the description because it doesn't do this book justice.
kingle highlights attached below!
April 26, 2020
Once, when I was younger, I got a couple calls from a modeling agency in my hometown called PMS. I didn’t take them up on it, I thought it was a little strange. Came out of nowhere. Still, even though I had declined the offer it felt nice to have some place that supposedly recruited beautiful girls to tell me, a 13-year-old with pretty heavy self-esteem issues, that I was worthy of being considered for such a job. But, to be honest, I always kind of feared it would be like the modeling world of Abigail Mangin’s Size Zero.
Size Zero is horrifically comic satire at its best. I knew from page one that I was reading something intended to put the reader on edge. Parents desperate for money sell their children to men. Pack them a bag and send them off, never to return. The girls are sold dreams of fashion modeling and travel beyond their wildest dreams. Then, they’re promptly thrust into the high stakes world of high fashion. When the childhood friend of a prominent designer’s son goes missing and turns up as a skin suit on the runway years later, he decides to reenter the world he’d abandoned for monastic life and track down her murderer.
Abigail Mangin is a craftsman of pitch black humor. I found myself laughing at almost every page, even as I was disgusted by her vivid imagery of the modeling world’s underbelly. She knows how to skewer and twist those parts of society we’d rather not think about and turn them to the light. A not-so-distant future of high-tech high fashion and all the things about the elite world we don’t want to believe are happening, the world of Size Zero is sharply crafted and unforgiving. There is no mercy here, even as you laugh your way down. Its dark, sensual, vicious prose slides across the page like oil and bites.
I didn’t originally realize it was first in a series. It twists back on itself so effectively I wasn’t sure where it had left to go. Nevertheless, I’d follow Abigail Mangin into the depths of Hades if she guided. I can’t wait to see where this elite, morally complex, privileged beasts of humanity go next.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Visage Media, and Abigail Mangin for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Size Zero is horrifically comic satire at its best. I knew from page one that I was reading something intended to put the reader on edge. Parents desperate for money sell their children to men. Pack them a bag and send them off, never to return. The girls are sold dreams of fashion modeling and travel beyond their wildest dreams. Then, they’re promptly thrust into the high stakes world of high fashion. When the childhood friend of a prominent designer’s son goes missing and turns up as a skin suit on the runway years later, he decides to reenter the world he’d abandoned for monastic life and track down her murderer.
Abigail Mangin is a craftsman of pitch black humor. I found myself laughing at almost every page, even as I was disgusted by her vivid imagery of the modeling world’s underbelly. She knows how to skewer and twist those parts of society we’d rather not think about and turn them to the light. A not-so-distant future of high-tech high fashion and all the things about the elite world we don’t want to believe are happening, the world of Size Zero is sharply crafted and unforgiving. There is no mercy here, even as you laugh your way down. Its dark, sensual, vicious prose slides across the page like oil and bites.
I didn’t originally realize it was first in a series. It twists back on itself so effectively I wasn’t sure where it had left to go. Nevertheless, I’d follow Abigail Mangin into the depths of Hades if she guided. I can’t wait to see where this elite, morally complex, privileged beasts of humanity go next.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Visage Media, and Abigail Mangin for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2020
When Ava Germaine stumbles out onto the runway in a coat made of human skin, people freak out and assume it’s the body of Annabelle Leigh, a girl who went missing years before at the age of fourteen. Fingers automatically point to Cecil LeClaire, son of the owner of the infamous LeClaire Modeling Management company, who was suspected of kidnapping and murdering Annabelle from the start. Cecil leaves the monastery that he had made his home and comes back to New York City, determined to find out who is behind this madness taking place in the fashion world.
This book is a thoroughly dark read, and I think that’s part of why I enjoyed it so much. It was full of dark humor about the fashion world, and every page was intense. The flaws that made up each character were so interesting to read about, and I loved watching every piece of the story fit together between the plot and the characters.
This is most definitely a heavy and dark read, but I really enjoyed it and would love to see more!
This book is a thoroughly dark read, and I think that’s part of why I enjoyed it so much. It was full of dark humor about the fashion world, and every page was intense. The flaws that made up each character were so interesting to read about, and I loved watching every piece of the story fit together between the plot and the characters.
This is most definitely a heavy and dark read, but I really enjoyed it and would love to see more!
May 18, 2020
I was ecstatic when I found out I won an ARC on Goodreads. The cover alone drew me in, just because it was very different. Add that to the description, I knew this was going to be a wild & entertaining ride. The characters were just so outlandish, that you couldn't help but love them, despite their flaws. I'm definitely left wanting more!
July 21, 2020
Variety of dresses combined with technology have come on the runway. Even though the model is standing still you'll be able to see the dress floating. LeClaire fashion brand is touching sky through its achievement but no one have any idea what goes on the backstage, until one day a model with real human's skin coat lands on the runway.
Through DNA reports the body is identified as Annabella Leigh, a teenager who disappeared a decade ago from in front of LeClaire Mansion & his best friend Cecil LeClaire was accused of the incident. And the model is an almost retired model Ava Germaine who've almost no idea how that coat came over her.
Cecil who went to become a monk away from the cameras who only sees him as a criminal now have to return back to his high fame life with all pain in his life endured in it. But this he's going to make sure to clear his name, solve all suspicions & find the truth of his childhood bff.
That fashion brand is currently run by Margaux LeClaire his mother who always failed herself for being a good mother instead probably she is one of the most monstrous person Cecil knows as probably she'd failed in her humanity too.
Cecil with the help of Ava Germaine try to find the reality while discovering the back of this high fame industries which not only sell fashion but even humans & their lives & other people who buy/bid on them mercilessly.
Being honest the book got my atrention due to its cover.Story, plots & character development was good but I don't know why I felt boring many times, maybe due to lack of knowledge regarding that profession or it was little stretched.
Through DNA reports the body is identified as Annabella Leigh, a teenager who disappeared a decade ago from in front of LeClaire Mansion & his best friend Cecil LeClaire was accused of the incident. And the model is an almost retired model Ava Germaine who've almost no idea how that coat came over her.
Cecil who went to become a monk away from the cameras who only sees him as a criminal now have to return back to his high fame life with all pain in his life endured in it. But this he's going to make sure to clear his name, solve all suspicions & find the truth of his childhood bff.
That fashion brand is currently run by Margaux LeClaire his mother who always failed herself for being a good mother instead probably she is one of the most monstrous person Cecil knows as probably she'd failed in her humanity too.
Cecil with the help of Ava Germaine try to find the reality while discovering the back of this high fame industries which not only sell fashion but even humans & their lives & other people who buy/bid on them mercilessly.
Being honest the book got my atrention due to its cover.Story, plots & character development was good but I don't know why I felt boring many times, maybe due to lack of knowledge regarding that profession or it was little stretched.
May 11, 2020
This book is a trip! It's like entering into a bizarre escape room of macabre descriptions, extreme creativity and depravity of human kind. In all of that... there's a mystery.
This is one of the most difficult books I have ever had to review. That's not because I don't think it's really well written... it's because it almost seems to defy description. Usually, what I do with a review is attempt to write a review that will summarize a plot without giving spoilers. I want to give people enough clues that they may be able to decide whether this book might be something they would enjoy reading.
Let me start with the beginning of this book. Someone has managed to send a drugged model staggering out onto a high fashion runway wearing a creation made from a human body... and the description is breathtaking in the most unpleasant way. Mangin has a marvelous way of describing the most visceral scenes. There's great attention to visual detail in the book... and it really helps to immerse the reader in the world.
The short version is that When Brother George AKA Cecil was young.. his girlfriend disappeared. suspicion landed firmly on Cecil's shoulders. Eventually, Cecil ended up in a monastery and that's where he is when a murder is committed. The body that was used to make the suit on the model is no other than that of his girlfriend.
Cecil is sent from the monastery to "put closure" on all the loose ends that seem to torment him. How he's supposed to do that is a great mystery but he begins with returning "home." This is the point at which things in the novel begin to get extremely bizarre.
The fashion world in this book is like some sort of twisted and mutated caricature of the fashion world we have today. It's futuristic and archaic, young girls - little more than children re basically kept captive. They barely eat, they are treated as a bizarre collection of dolls rather than human beings. I felt as though I was reading a demented version of Alice in Wonderland as I was plunged into a macabre, futuristic, extreme, disgusting fashion world.
There were times when things in this book were so absurd that they were almost funny, but the darkness takes away that hint of humor. So you see... this is why I'm struggling to write a review. None of the relationships in the book are healthy... Cecil is probably the sanest but even he has emotionally flat reactions to the depravity that he returns to.
Is this book hard to read? At times it was. Is it worth reading? Abso-freaking-lutely! It's been a long time since I've read something that made amused me in such a twisted way! And it's completely original. I can safely say that I've never read anything like it before. In fact, the only thing I can come up with that might begin to give you a hint of what this is like is that it reminded me of books from the "bizarro" genre... although not quite as removed from reality.
This is one of the most difficult books I have ever had to review. That's not because I don't think it's really well written... it's because it almost seems to defy description. Usually, what I do with a review is attempt to write a review that will summarize a plot without giving spoilers. I want to give people enough clues that they may be able to decide whether this book might be something they would enjoy reading.
Let me start with the beginning of this book. Someone has managed to send a drugged model staggering out onto a high fashion runway wearing a creation made from a human body... and the description is breathtaking in the most unpleasant way. Mangin has a marvelous way of describing the most visceral scenes. There's great attention to visual detail in the book... and it really helps to immerse the reader in the world.
The short version is that When Brother George AKA Cecil was young.. his girlfriend disappeared. suspicion landed firmly on Cecil's shoulders. Eventually, Cecil ended up in a monastery and that's where he is when a murder is committed. The body that was used to make the suit on the model is no other than that of his girlfriend.
Cecil is sent from the monastery to "put closure" on all the loose ends that seem to torment him. How he's supposed to do that is a great mystery but he begins with returning "home." This is the point at which things in the novel begin to get extremely bizarre.
The fashion world in this book is like some sort of twisted and mutated caricature of the fashion world we have today. It's futuristic and archaic, young girls - little more than children re basically kept captive. They barely eat, they are treated as a bizarre collection of dolls rather than human beings. I felt as though I was reading a demented version of Alice in Wonderland as I was plunged into a macabre, futuristic, extreme, disgusting fashion world.
There were times when things in this book were so absurd that they were almost funny, but the darkness takes away that hint of humor. So you see... this is why I'm struggling to write a review. None of the relationships in the book are healthy... Cecil is probably the sanest but even he has emotionally flat reactions to the depravity that he returns to.
Is this book hard to read? At times it was. Is it worth reading? Abso-freaking-lutely! It's been a long time since I've read something that made amused me in such a twisted way! And it's completely original. I can safely say that I've never read anything like it before. In fact, the only thing I can come up with that might begin to give you a hint of what this is like is that it reminded me of books from the "bizarro" genre... although not quite as removed from reality.
May 30, 2020
First things first can we just look at how stunning this cover is? I was completely drawn in by it and decided I wanted to read it just by that.
So before reading the book i wasnt sure what to expect to be honest as the synopsis is a little crazy, but it ended up being pretty good. Its dark and gives a very blunt look into the seedy, negative parts of the high fashion industry so much so that it had me wondering how exaggerated or true to point it was. And although it did have it's funny moments it was more in a slightly ridiculous way.
It was very descriptive, which really helped with picturing the scenes from the decadent and luxurious to the dingy and grimey. But I did find sometimes it went a bit too far where it wasn't needed.
Being part of a crime series I was expecting it to be a bit more fast paced and maybe to get my heart racing but it didn't quite fully get there for me and I found it a little slow in places. Saying that it did have twists and turns and had me trying to guess where it was going and gave me quite a lot to think about. If this is to be part of a series id be interested in seeing where Mangin goes next.
Trigger warnings - anorexia, child sexual abuse and sex trafficking.
Thank you NetGalley and Visage Media for the eARC in return for an honest review.
So before reading the book i wasnt sure what to expect to be honest as the synopsis is a little crazy, but it ended up being pretty good. Its dark and gives a very blunt look into the seedy, negative parts of the high fashion industry so much so that it had me wondering how exaggerated or true to point it was. And although it did have it's funny moments it was more in a slightly ridiculous way.
It was very descriptive, which really helped with picturing the scenes from the decadent and luxurious to the dingy and grimey. But I did find sometimes it went a bit too far where it wasn't needed.
Being part of a crime series I was expecting it to be a bit more fast paced and maybe to get my heart racing but it didn't quite fully get there for me and I found it a little slow in places. Saying that it did have twists and turns and had me trying to guess where it was going and gave me quite a lot to think about. If this is to be part of a series id be interested in seeing where Mangin goes next.
Trigger warnings - anorexia, child sexual abuse and sex trafficking.
Thank you NetGalley and Visage Media for the eARC in return for an honest review.
July 25, 2020
This book is beautifully creepy. It raises awareness to so much that is wrong with the fashion industry. It has so many cringe worthy moments, but it is so beautifully written and so entertaining that you just don’t want to put it down.
CW: rape, sex trafficking, anorexia, mental & physical abuse
CW: rape, sex trafficking, anorexia, mental & physical abuse
March 10, 2021
This book had me at human skin coat! There were some great moments, but overall, it was just okay for me.
July 1, 2020
I thought I would love this book. After reading the synopsis, I thought it was about murder. It started off as promised, with a model wearing the skin of a human corpse down a runway. And I understood early on that it was satire and meant to be humorous, but I kept hoping for a real murder-mystery and took the book more seriously than it was meant to be taken, so I ended up being disappointed.
The book is a lot more about sex trafficking than murder. If I had known that going in, I wouldn't have read it. I don't enjoy that subject matter at all. Murder, I like! But this is primarily a story about the sexual abuse of women in captivity and it was unpleasant. I wish the synopsis had made that more clear. It's gross and not a matter I would have picked up a satirical book about if I had known.
Initially the zaniness of it all was entertaining, but soon the descriptions of all the outlandish decor and the outrageous behavior of all the characters eclipsed the actual plot. I kept plodding through because I genuinely wanted to know who the murderer was. And I enjoyed the plot twists and liked the story itself, but I felt like there were so many distractions that after a point they became actual obstacles to the story getting told. The characters themselves were lost in their wardrobes. (But was that the point?) I kept forgetting who the side characters were amidst all the long, descriptive narratives. In my mind, Freddy and Henry are the same person and his name just changed for no reason. For three-quarters of the book I also thought Perdonna was Cecil's grandmother, until finally it was mentioned again that she was his godmother. (Imagine my relief!)
I did like the protagonist Cecil, but less as the story progressed. In the beginning he is a monk. I am not a religious person, but I liked that he was a modern monk, especially when he protected a gay child from his homophobic family. But his behavior increasingly mimics the very institution he is fighting against and by the end I'm not sure he really learned his lesson.
I see this is the first book in a series but I don't plan to continue reading the other books. I feel like the first volume concluded as much of the story as I care to read. I felt satisfied with the way it wrapped up, and the story itself was good. I just felt that overall this book was too long to enjoy.
*My review is based on an advance copy I received from the publisher through NetGalley.
The book is a lot more about sex trafficking than murder. If I had known that going in, I wouldn't have read it. I don't enjoy that subject matter at all. Murder, I like! But this is primarily a story about the sexual abuse of women in captivity and it was unpleasant. I wish the synopsis had made that more clear. It's gross and not a matter I would have picked up a satirical book about if I had known.
Initially the zaniness of it all was entertaining, but soon the descriptions of all the outlandish decor and the outrageous behavior of all the characters eclipsed the actual plot. I kept plodding through because I genuinely wanted to know who the murderer was. And I enjoyed the plot twists and liked the story itself, but I felt like there were so many distractions that after a point they became actual obstacles to the story getting told. The characters themselves were lost in their wardrobes. (But was that the point?) I kept forgetting who the side characters were amidst all the long, descriptive narratives. In my mind, Freddy and Henry are the same person and his name just changed for no reason. For three-quarters of the book I also thought Perdonna was Cecil's grandmother, until finally it was mentioned again that she was his godmother. (Imagine my relief!)
I did like the protagonist Cecil, but less as the story progressed. In the beginning he is a monk. I am not a religious person, but I liked that he was a modern monk, especially when he protected a gay child from his homophobic family. But his behavior increasingly mimics the very institution he is fighting against and by the end I'm not sure he really learned his lesson.
I see this is the first book in a series but I don't plan to continue reading the other books. I feel like the first volume concluded as much of the story as I care to read. I felt satisfied with the way it wrapped up, and the story itself was good. I just felt that overall this book was too long to enjoy.
*My review is based on an advance copy I received from the publisher through NetGalley.
June 27, 2020
I am going to keep this review short for a single reason: I REALLY DISLIKED the book. Size Zero has been categorized under the crime thriller genre but that’s only half accurate. While it lives up to the crime bit, the only thrill I felt was when I FINALLY finished reading it after constantly putting it down due to boredom and just hoping for something to happen.
The plot is dark and twisted but not in an amazing thriller way and rather in the most horrid way possible. The first chapter and the blurb belies the entire plotline. It’s nasty and this book is definitely not for everyone. There are multiple triggers to be found in the book: anorexia, abuse, rape, explicit language and more. The whole time it felt as if the author was trying too hard to assault my sensibilities instead of weaving a story and I didn’t find a single character that I liked (except maybe the mouse – Firago).
The problem with the book was that no matter how crazy the fashion industry is, the only “size zero” I found in the book was the pace, practically non-existent. You keep waiting for the book to finally start moving but all you get is a slight pulse to bring you out of the boredom-coma after every 7 chapters or so during which the pace and the story has flat lined itself. I may sound very harsh about the book but I believe the book would have been a great short story or maybe even a Netflix show with all the crazy but as an entire novella it’s a disaster.
I’m rating this book 1.5 bookmarks out of 5 solely for the cover and this is probably the first book which has let me down this year.
I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy in lieu of an honest review. I would also like to wish the author the best for her next book in this series and would like to congratulate her for coming of with this book, I unfortunately wasn't the reader for it.
The plot is dark and twisted but not in an amazing thriller way and rather in the most horrid way possible. The first chapter and the blurb belies the entire plotline. It’s nasty and this book is definitely not for everyone. There are multiple triggers to be found in the book: anorexia, abuse, rape, explicit language and more. The whole time it felt as if the author was trying too hard to assault my sensibilities instead of weaving a story and I didn’t find a single character that I liked (except maybe the mouse – Firago).
The problem with the book was that no matter how crazy the fashion industry is, the only “size zero” I found in the book was the pace, practically non-existent. You keep waiting for the book to finally start moving but all you get is a slight pulse to bring you out of the boredom-coma after every 7 chapters or so during which the pace and the story has flat lined itself. I may sound very harsh about the book but I believe the book would have been a great short story or maybe even a Netflix show with all the crazy but as an entire novella it’s a disaster.
I’m rating this book 1.5 bookmarks out of 5 solely for the cover and this is probably the first book which has let me down this year.
I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy in lieu of an honest review. I would also like to wish the author the best for her next book in this series and would like to congratulate her for coming of with this book, I unfortunately wasn't the reader for it.
June 10, 2020
This book was really something else!
Thanks @visage_ny & @abigailmangin for sending me a review copy!🖤
Size Zero is a dark black satire about the modelling industry, but also sharply relevant and biting.
Super overwritten, the plot bounces all over the place like a rubber ball and you want to stop reading it, but then you're dragged back in by the mention of human skin boots, or a fancy rat, or glittery tooth goo that sounds like something out of The Hunger Games...
I liked the look at the dark side of modeling aka the sex trafficking industry.
I didn't like the weird incest lusty bits and the whole monk-turned-fashion designer with a savior complex was just confusing and weird.
Will I read the next book in the series? Yup, because it was so fucking strange and I'm intrigued by what the author will come up with next.
Don't read this if you are triggered by eating disorders, sexual abuse, bizarre erotica, or just easily triggered.
This isn't a spoiler (it's a book about models) but there's hella sexual abuse and disordered eating. Being pregnant reading this was a weird experience because I simultaneously wanted to be skinny and thin again but I also read this while eating a bowl of chips and wishing I could get beignets delivered hot to me every morning.
There's some strong female characters and some really despicable ones too. Definitely a story that will keep me thinking about it for awhile.
⭐⭐⭐🌠/5 stars.
Size Zero comes out July 12th and I'd suggest putting it on your TBR if any of this intrigued you.
Thanks @visage_ny & @abigailmangin for sending me a review copy!🖤
Size Zero is a dark black satire about the modelling industry, but also sharply relevant and biting.
Super overwritten, the plot bounces all over the place like a rubber ball and you want to stop reading it, but then you're dragged back in by the mention of human skin boots, or a fancy rat, or glittery tooth goo that sounds like something out of The Hunger Games...
I liked the look at the dark side of modeling aka the sex trafficking industry.
I didn't like the weird incest lusty bits and the whole monk-turned-fashion designer with a savior complex was just confusing and weird.
Will I read the next book in the series? Yup, because it was so fucking strange and I'm intrigued by what the author will come up with next.
Don't read this if you are triggered by eating disorders, sexual abuse, bizarre erotica, or just easily triggered.
This isn't a spoiler (it's a book about models) but there's hella sexual abuse and disordered eating. Being pregnant reading this was a weird experience because I simultaneously wanted to be skinny and thin again but I also read this while eating a bowl of chips and wishing I could get beignets delivered hot to me every morning.
There's some strong female characters and some really despicable ones too. Definitely a story that will keep me thinking about it for awhile.
⭐⭐⭐🌠/5 stars.
Size Zero comes out July 12th and I'd suggest putting it on your TBR if any of this intrigued you.
August 3, 2020
This is the worst book I’ve read. The plot doesn’t make sense. The writing is poor. It’s over descriptive and under descriptive at the same time.
July 15, 2020
I really tried, I really did, but I could not get through this one. I had a really tough time with this book as it didn’t grab me the way I had hoped and I had difficulty finding the plot at all imaginable. Additionally, I had difficulty connecting to the characters and feeling invested in the story.
The slow pace of Size Zero didn’t evoke feelings of suspense or intrigue however I did not finish this @ 50%.
Thank you Netgalley and Visage Media for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange of an honest review.
The slow pace of Size Zero didn’t evoke feelings of suspense or intrigue however I did not finish this @ 50%.
Thank you Netgalley and Visage Media for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange of an honest review.
July 7, 2020
I recieved this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am very happy with this book because I did not expect much, and I was quite surprised.
The book begins when they tell us about the disappearance of Anabelle, Cecil's best friend. The only thing they know is that she disappeared in Cecil's house and for the same reason, everyone assumes that it was he who abducted and killed her, but Cecil knows that it is not so and decides to look for her.
It is the only thing I will say because I think it is best to read this book with the least amount of information possible so that you can be surprised with everything you read in this book.
This book also touches on many very strong themes that women have to live with today such as (a small spoiler): the skinnier the more beautiful we are. THAT IS VERY BAD. There is also sex trafficking and such strong phrases, that many times I was shocked, but I really don't want to say more because I really want you to read this book.
What I liked is that no character is good and bad, they are all gray and have different layers that as the book progresses, one realizes how they really are or you are surprised because you realize that you have been deceived during the whole plot.
All the characters have serious problems, the truth is that I would send all of them to a psychologist. And I say this because when you already find out everything that has happened and more than anything how each character decides to act in each situation you are like: woooow they really are out of their minds.
Maybe what I didn't like is that it has parts to spare, I think it could perfectly be shorter.
Do I recommend this book? Of course yes.
I am very happy with this book because I did not expect much, and I was quite surprised.
The book begins when they tell us about the disappearance of Anabelle, Cecil's best friend. The only thing they know is that she disappeared in Cecil's house and for the same reason, everyone assumes that it was he who abducted and killed her, but Cecil knows that it is not so and decides to look for her.
It is the only thing I will say because I think it is best to read this book with the least amount of information possible so that you can be surprised with everything you read in this book.
This book also touches on many very strong themes that women have to live with today such as (a small spoiler): the skinnier the more beautiful we are. THAT IS VERY BAD. There is also sex trafficking and such strong phrases, that many times I was shocked, but I really don't want to say more because I really want you to read this book.
What I liked is that no character is good and bad, they are all gray and have different layers that as the book progresses, one realizes how they really are or you are surprised because you realize that you have been deceived during the whole plot.
All the characters have serious problems, the truth is that I would send all of them to a psychologist. And I say this because when you already find out everything that has happened and more than anything how each character decides to act in each situation you are like: woooow they really are out of their minds.
Maybe what I didn't like is that it has parts to spare, I think it could perfectly be shorter.
Do I recommend this book? Of course yes.
June 11, 2020
I had trouble with deciding how to rate this book, which I received as an ARC from Visage Media, LLC (thank you!); I think that it's a book that you either love or hate. In the end, I didn't hate it, but I decided that I didn't like it that much. My problem is that the world portrayed in Size Zero is so over-the-top decadent and debauched that you could think of it as crazy rich fashion porn.
I also didn't think that the main character, Cecil LeClaire, was particularly likable. He didn't seem to me to be a man who could have spent six years in a Trappist monastery, as he certainly didn't behave like one once he leaves. He has a violent temper, and does a despicable act [spoiler alert] at the end. I really didn't like his mother, Margaux, head of the LeClaire modeling agency. You weren't supposed to like her, but I got tired of spending time with her at all. On the other hand, I did like his godmother, Tazia Perdonna, a beautiful creative genius and head of the Visage fashion line, with whom Cecil has an ambiguous sexual relationship.
I don't if anything like the conspicuous consumption and depraved partying depicted in the book are ever really seen in the New York fashion scene. Certainly, I doubt that you would see a $500k crystal castle weighing several tons hauled by a crane into an upper story of a building in New York to serve as a home for a rat. (Note: that probably wouldn't have worked, as the crystal structure would have weighed too much to go in an unreinforced building.). There is a lot of other unbelievable stuff in the book, too: somehow, there seems to be no law enforcement in 2019 New York; and there is high tech that certainly doesn't exist today, even though this is set in the present day, not in the near future. Maybe that's one reason why it's hard to place this book in a genre: suspense/thriller? satire? urban fantasy? Is this real or pretend?
I did enjoy how the story had constant twists and surprises, with dead persons turning out to be alive; villains turning out to be not so bad; good guys turning out to be villains; and supposed victims turning out to be bad guys. It's campy and you could like it as a guilty pleasure. If you are into that sort of thing, this is a book for you.
I also didn't think that the main character, Cecil LeClaire, was particularly likable. He didn't seem to me to be a man who could have spent six years in a Trappist monastery, as he certainly didn't behave like one once he leaves. He has a violent temper, and does a despicable act [spoiler alert] at the end. I really didn't like his mother, Margaux, head of the LeClaire modeling agency. You weren't supposed to like her, but I got tired of spending time with her at all. On the other hand, I did like his godmother, Tazia Perdonna, a beautiful creative genius and head of the Visage fashion line, with whom Cecil has an ambiguous sexual relationship.
I don't if anything like the conspicuous consumption and depraved partying depicted in the book are ever really seen in the New York fashion scene. Certainly, I doubt that you would see a $500k crystal castle weighing several tons hauled by a crane into an upper story of a building in New York to serve as a home for a rat. (Note: that probably wouldn't have worked, as the crystal structure would have weighed too much to go in an unreinforced building.). There is a lot of other unbelievable stuff in the book, too: somehow, there seems to be no law enforcement in 2019 New York; and there is high tech that certainly doesn't exist today, even though this is set in the present day, not in the near future. Maybe that's one reason why it's hard to place this book in a genre: suspense/thriller? satire? urban fantasy? Is this real or pretend?
I did enjoy how the story had constant twists and surprises, with dead persons turning out to be alive; villains turning out to be not so bad; good guys turning out to be villains; and supposed victims turning out to be bad guys. It's campy and you could like it as a guilty pleasure. If you are into that sort of thing, this is a book for you.
July 12, 2020
Book Review!!
Size Zero by Abigail Mangin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Every now and then, you will find yourself lucky enough to stumble across a title like Size Zero. It may take years, but you find that one book that is everything you could’ve dreamed of having, all wrapped up in a perfect little paperback. I cannot stress to you enough how perfect of a work of art this is.
Not only is the story line, characters, the writing, legitimately everything amazing, this pushes boundaries. Boundaries that people don’t even want to touch with a ten foot pole. I would find myself saying, “Oh my god. She went there.” I can’t tell you how many times those words left my mouth. But I loved every delicious second of it. I was kept on my toes, I had no idea what to even expect.. This is a work of art. The descriptions made me feel like I was right there in this crazy world of modeling. I never would have been able to dream something like this up, but now that I’ve read it? I can most definitely see it happening.
This is the nitty gritty; some things aren’t pretty. (TW: rape, sex trafficking, prostitution, etc.) But those aspects of this novel are what truly made it earth shatteringly amazing. On the flip side, we have models being posed in windows for purchase, a model wearing a coat made from the skin of a dead body.. Come on. That’s badass. I loved that Mangin wasn’t afraid to delve into these deep, dark aspects of the human psyche. Not only do you have to be brave, you have to be able to make it out on the other side with your sanity intact.
This is for sure a novel that will stay with me, that I will recommend to everyone, a five star read. Those are hard to come by, and I appreciate every single one.
Size Zero by Abigail Mangin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Every now and then, you will find yourself lucky enough to stumble across a title like Size Zero. It may take years, but you find that one book that is everything you could’ve dreamed of having, all wrapped up in a perfect little paperback. I cannot stress to you enough how perfect of a work of art this is.
Not only is the story line, characters, the writing, legitimately everything amazing, this pushes boundaries. Boundaries that people don’t even want to touch with a ten foot pole. I would find myself saying, “Oh my god. She went there.” I can’t tell you how many times those words left my mouth. But I loved every delicious second of it. I was kept on my toes, I had no idea what to even expect.. This is a work of art. The descriptions made me feel like I was right there in this crazy world of modeling. I never would have been able to dream something like this up, but now that I’ve read it? I can most definitely see it happening.
This is the nitty gritty; some things aren’t pretty. (TW: rape, sex trafficking, prostitution, etc.) But those aspects of this novel are what truly made it earth shatteringly amazing. On the flip side, we have models being posed in windows for purchase, a model wearing a coat made from the skin of a dead body.. Come on. That’s badass. I loved that Mangin wasn’t afraid to delve into these deep, dark aspects of the human psyche. Not only do you have to be brave, you have to be able to make it out on the other side with your sanity intact.
This is for sure a novel that will stay with me, that I will recommend to everyone, a five star read. Those are hard to come by, and I appreciate every single one.
June 9, 2020
I think I’m still digesting this read. First of all it was weird (totally okay, love weird) but it was also VERY uncomfortable to read in places. It touched on some majorly important topics and themes. I felt myself getting confused with the story line and the characters motivations (but, maybe that was the point?). I also struggled with the very heavy dark topics complimented with humor throughout the book. All this to say, maybe I am just not used to this style.
I didn’t like many of the characters and wasn’t able to relate or connect with them, minus Ava. Who is incredible and hilarious. I want a spin off focused on Ava and Figero.
Overall I thought the book was creepy and interesting. I would absolutely read the next book in the series.
I didn’t like many of the characters and wasn’t able to relate or connect with them, minus Ava. Who is incredible and hilarious. I want a spin off focused on Ava and Figero.
Overall I thought the book was creepy and interesting. I would absolutely read the next book in the series.
April 16, 2020
⚜Book Review⚜
📚Size Zero by @abigailmangin
👄WARNING..*THIS BOOK POSSIBLY CONTAINS TRIGGERS IN SEXUAL NATURE
👄First word...WOW! This book is mind blowing. Fantastic writting.
👄This book has murder, love, sexuality, and a whole lot of crazy!
👄It's simply mind blowing. I seriously felt so many emotions in this book. It is a lengthy book but every sentence is needed and worth it. Everything comes together. And all the shock factor. I can't say enough about this book. Definitely a must read.
👄Huge thank you to @visage_ny
For the ARC!
📚Size Zero by @abigailmangin
👄WARNING..*THIS BOOK POSSIBLY CONTAINS TRIGGERS IN SEXUAL NATURE
👄First word...WOW! This book is mind blowing. Fantastic writting.
👄This book has murder, love, sexuality, and a whole lot of crazy!
👄It's simply mind blowing. I seriously felt so many emotions in this book. It is a lengthy book but every sentence is needed and worth it. Everything comes together. And all the shock factor. I can't say enough about this book. Definitely a must read.
👄Huge thank you to @visage_ny
For the ARC!
May 29, 2020
I did not finish this book sadly. I really tried over a week to get into the story I just could not. I did not understand what fully was going on. There was no depth, I got to the part where the cops were searching the modeling house, but could not go into the basement? Like seriously? I kept reading but got to about 36 percent and figured if I am not invested in the story now I never will be. The characters were just blah, no real depth and I am not sure about the model Ana. She felt as fake as all get out.
Want to read
June 30, 2020Somewhere along the line, I lost appetite for this one but I have a feeling I will come back to this soon...
August 27, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. It was fast passed and funny. It’s like finally someone who shares my dark humor. I need more!!! The only con I would say there are a lot of characters. But then again it makes sense in why. Please read this book.
June 11, 2020
Can we talk about the cover for just a second? It is amazing and gets you thinking about what a gruesome claw has to do with a book about fashion. Yes there are some over-worded descriptions and details but it wasn't a negative for me. I am so glad this is book one of a series. The author is also new to me and can't wait until book two! This is a dark, twisted, horrific, sci-fi/fantasy look at the pressures and spotlight of the fashion world. Yes, there is plenty of glitz, crazy accessories and luxurious fabrics; but there is also the heinous because a corpse has been turned into a coat. I love there is a thriller/crime aspect to it to stop the evil in the fashion industry which has turned to organized crime. Many awful things can happen to models when they come to NYC (or any place) to becomes part of the fashion industry.
I just didn't even know how to react to what I read; it was so shocking. This might not be for everyone because it is thriller/crime but also has a sci-fi and fantasy element to it with a lot of horror. But it was a still a worthwhile read for me and definitely different. Like I said, cant wait for book two and highly recommended if you want a book that will keep you up at night. Glad I live in a place where I don't have a need for a heavy coat ever again.
Thanks to Netgalley, Abigail Mangin and Visage Media for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I definitely want a hard copy at publishing date.
Available: 7/12/20
I just didn't even know how to react to what I read; it was so shocking. This might not be for everyone because it is thriller/crime but also has a sci-fi and fantasy element to it with a lot of horror. But it was a still a worthwhile read for me and definitely different. Like I said, cant wait for book two and highly recommended if you want a book that will keep you up at night. Glad I live in a place where I don't have a need for a heavy coat ever again.
Thanks to Netgalley, Abigail Mangin and Visage Media for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I definitely want a hard copy at publishing date.
Available: 7/12/20
August 23, 2020
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Size Zero has been on my mind ever since I got accepted to dive into this little thriller. Then I got excited after reading the synopsis and hoped it would be amazing. Honestly, it started off on a pretty good start. Unlike Lady Gaga's meat dress, we see a model wearing the skin of a human corpse down a runway.
Beyond cringe-worthy and gross, I was intrigued in this little mystery now. Unfortunately, for me, this went down hill so freaking quickly. Instead of this book being a murder mystery, it was about sex trafficking. Which don't get me wrong.. that is still beyond interesting and I was still invested (sort of). I was just disappointed because the beginning gave me murder vibes and such!
It also doesn't help that I have horrible detective skills and will continue to keep my day job.
This book also had some twist and turns throughout it. I will even admit that I was confused around some stuff that happened but it was bound to happen. It also didn't help that I wasn't connecting with anyone in this book either. I tried.. oh lord, I tried. Heck, I even brought in some wine to help - it didn't.
In the end, it was an okay book and that's that.
Size Zero has been on my mind ever since I got accepted to dive into this little thriller. Then I got excited after reading the synopsis and hoped it would be amazing. Honestly, it started off on a pretty good start. Unlike Lady Gaga's meat dress, we see a model wearing the skin of a human corpse down a runway.
Beyond cringe-worthy and gross, I was intrigued in this little mystery now. Unfortunately, for me, this went down hill so freaking quickly. Instead of this book being a murder mystery, it was about sex trafficking. Which don't get me wrong.. that is still beyond interesting and I was still invested (sort of). I was just disappointed because the beginning gave me murder vibes and such!
It also doesn't help that I have horrible detective skills and will continue to keep my day job.
This book also had some twist and turns throughout it. I will even admit that I was confused around some stuff that happened but it was bound to happen. It also didn't help that I wasn't connecting with anyone in this book either. I tried.. oh lord, I tried. Heck, I even brought in some wine to help - it didn't.
In the end, it was an okay book and that's that.
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