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The Glow
Jane Dorner has two modes:
PR Jane is twenty-five, breezy, clever in a non-threatening way and eager to sell you a feminist vibrator.
Actual Jane is twenty-nine, drifting through mediocre workdays and lackluster dates while paralysed by her crushing mountain of overdue bills.
Enter the impossibly gorgeous Cass, whom Jane discovers scrolling through Instagram - the guru of a 'wellness retreat' based out of a ramshackle country house that may or may not be giving off cult vibes. Suddenly Jane realises she might have found the one ladder she can climb.
But inner peace and glowing skin will always come at a price...
PR Jane is twenty-five, breezy, clever in a non-threatening way and eager to sell you a feminist vibrator.
Actual Jane is twenty-nine, drifting through mediocre workdays and lackluster dates while paralysed by her crushing mountain of overdue bills.
Enter the impossibly gorgeous Cass, whom Jane discovers scrolling through Instagram - the guru of a 'wellness retreat' based out of a ramshackle country house that may or may not be giving off cult vibes. Suddenly Jane realises she might have found the one ladder she can climb.
But inner peace and glowing skin will always come at a price...
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 20, 2023
131 people are currently reading
12158 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 599 reviews
January 17, 2023
If Portia from The White Lotus — with all of her insecurities and self-absorption and general privilege — was a slightly older book character sans tacky Gen Z outfits, she'd be Jane. And while Jane is obviously fictional, it's scary how many real-life people I could list who are exactly like her.
Y'all, the literary precision with which Jessie Gaynor unpacked the Metropolitan Millennial PR Girl — and everything associated with her — in this novel is almost low-key terrifying. There were observations and phrases that made me chuckle and also made me gasp at the accuracy. I've read Gaynor's work elsewhere, so I'm not surprised at how good her writing is, but this novel was on another level.
I read The Glow in mid-January 2023, but I can already tell you that it's going to be one of my favorites of the year. Hey, Jessie!!!! When's the next book coming out????
Content warning: Disordered eating, mentions of eating disorders
Y'all, the literary precision with which Jessie Gaynor unpacked the Metropolitan Millennial PR Girl — and everything associated with her — in this novel is almost low-key terrifying. There were observations and phrases that made me chuckle and also made me gasp at the accuracy. I've read Gaynor's work elsewhere, so I'm not surprised at how good her writing is, but this novel was on another level.
I read The Glow in mid-January 2023, but I can already tell you that it's going to be one of my favorites of the year. Hey, Jessie!!!! When's the next book coming out????
Content warning: Disordered eating, mentions of eating disorders
January 17, 2023
3.5 ⭐
This is a very readable, painfully relatable story about the millennial relationship with Instagram wellness influencers. Jane works for a third tier New York PR firm, and hates her job. She hates the cynicism, hates being fake in an industry that sells illusion, hates that she dropped out of her poetry doctoral program, and most of all hates that she needs the job to pay off a mountain of medical debt.
To save her job, she attends a very rough-around-the-edges wellness retreat in New Jersey led by preternaturally beautiful earth child Cass and her totally neutral partner Tom. While Jane doesn't become a convert to the spiritual enlightenment the retreat promotes, she definitely believes she can sell it to a large market, Goop-style. Thus begins the next phase of Jane's life, and an acerbically funny assessment of wellness culture that asks the questions: does anyone believe their own hype? And is believing all it takes to make it real?
It's a quick, funny, and enjoyable read that could've done more to explore the implications of its satire. Give it a read and prepare to re-think your relationship with Instagram.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. The Glow comes out in July 2023.
This is a very readable, painfully relatable story about the millennial relationship with Instagram wellness influencers. Jane works for a third tier New York PR firm, and hates her job. She hates the cynicism, hates being fake in an industry that sells illusion, hates that she dropped out of her poetry doctoral program, and most of all hates that she needs the job to pay off a mountain of medical debt.
To save her job, she attends a very rough-around-the-edges wellness retreat in New Jersey led by preternaturally beautiful earth child Cass and her totally neutral partner Tom. While Jane doesn't become a convert to the spiritual enlightenment the retreat promotes, she definitely believes she can sell it to a large market, Goop-style. Thus begins the next phase of Jane's life, and an acerbically funny assessment of wellness culture that asks the questions: does anyone believe their own hype? And is believing all it takes to make it real?
It's a quick, funny, and enjoyable read that could've done more to explore the implications of its satire. Give it a read and prepare to re-think your relationship with Instagram.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. The Glow comes out in July 2023.
July 17, 2023
Unhinged, Chaotic, and hilarious and unforgettable… this book had me going!
I cannot remember the last book I read where I could not stop shaking my head at the main character because they kept giving unhinged vibes. If you loved reading My Year Of Rest and Relaxation then you’re going to love this one.
In The Glow we meet Jane Dorner who is being held captivate by her medical debt and that is the only reason she is in her publicity job- a job she is exceptionally bad at or doesn’t care about anymore. Over the last few weeks she’s been giving the bare minimum at work and as a last ditch effort to save her job she decides to go to a wellness retreat to pitch her company’s publicity services.
At the wellness retreat Jane meets Cass who is the main attraction, she oozes self-confidence, leads each retreat group in a communal masturbation exercise, doesn’t shower, only eats nuts and zucchini and has the skin of a new born. Jane only sees potential with the retreat and wants to use her services to transform it into a high-end luxury retreat for wealthy white women. While at the retreat Jane gets fired from her publicity to job and in an act of desperation she asks Cass for work but was referred to Cass’s husband Tom who runs the entire operation. As lucky would have it, Cass lands a role at this dodgy retreat and spends the time formulating ways on how to rebrand the experiences. Tom not wanting to be a sell out, while Jane wants to sell Cass to the highest bidder, we read to see who will win.
Friends, I ate this book up. I don’t know, something about yt women behaving badly in literature does something for me and this one was brilliantly executed. For one, she character was wholly unrelated but also, genuinely funny, I remember physically laughing out loud reading her inner monologue. I also think because I loved watching White Lotus and Triangle of Sadness this book is a great companion to that. Also, I love reading about publicity and cult like books and this one straddled those two industries perfectly.
If you are looking for a beach read that will get you sunburned because you cannot move from your reading spot because you have to know what happens- this is definitely my go too pick!
I cannot remember the last book I read where I could not stop shaking my head at the main character because they kept giving unhinged vibes. If you loved reading My Year Of Rest and Relaxation then you’re going to love this one.
In The Glow we meet Jane Dorner who is being held captivate by her medical debt and that is the only reason she is in her publicity job- a job she is exceptionally bad at or doesn’t care about anymore. Over the last few weeks she’s been giving the bare minimum at work and as a last ditch effort to save her job she decides to go to a wellness retreat to pitch her company’s publicity services.
At the wellness retreat Jane meets Cass who is the main attraction, she oozes self-confidence, leads each retreat group in a communal masturbation exercise, doesn’t shower, only eats nuts and zucchini and has the skin of a new born. Jane only sees potential with the retreat and wants to use her services to transform it into a high-end luxury retreat for wealthy white women. While at the retreat Jane gets fired from her publicity to job and in an act of desperation she asks Cass for work but was referred to Cass’s husband Tom who runs the entire operation. As lucky would have it, Cass lands a role at this dodgy retreat and spends the time formulating ways on how to rebrand the experiences. Tom not wanting to be a sell out, while Jane wants to sell Cass to the highest bidder, we read to see who will win.
Friends, I ate this book up. I don’t know, something about yt women behaving badly in literature does something for me and this one was brilliantly executed. For one, she character was wholly unrelated but also, genuinely funny, I remember physically laughing out loud reading her inner monologue. I also think because I loved watching White Lotus and Triangle of Sadness this book is a great companion to that. Also, I love reading about publicity and cult like books and this one straddled those two industries perfectly.
If you are looking for a beach read that will get you sunburned because you cannot move from your reading spot because you have to know what happens- this is definitely my go too pick!
July 17, 2023
This was a genuinely funny and quick read. I’m just not entirely sure what I was meant to take away from it?
August 18, 2025
A 3.16 Goodreads’ rating????
But I’m the wrongreader. Yeah, okay.
In all fairness, maybe you have to be addicted to all things culty and influcencey and The ‘Gram in order to dig this one. I was scrolling said ‘Gram over the weekend and some story popped up by a friend of a friend of a friend offering book recommendations for anyone looking for the aforementioned topics. Then I blacked out for awhile and when I came to I had like nine new library checkouts.
This was the first and lemme tell you if they all end up being as much fun as this one then I’m REALLY going to be kicking my own ass that I didn’t take down the name of the person who curated this list.
The story here is about Jane, sort of a perpetual underachiever who uses her corporate card as a Hail Mary and pay for a weekend retreat with a potential new client in order to hopefully save her job. When that doesn’t work, she decides she’ll lean in to the hippy dippy environment and rebrand Cass (and Tom’s) wellness center into the next big thing that the interwebs simply can’t live without.
This will either be for you or it won’t. As I said, I’m a trash panda of the nth degree when it comes to all things cultish or badly behaving influencers. And having just watched “Orgasm, Inc.,” this was right up my alley. The pacing goes real rogue at the end and things get rushed, but other than that I had a great time bedrotting to this one.
But I’m the wrongreader. Yeah, okay.
In all fairness, maybe you have to be addicted to all things culty and influcencey and The ‘Gram in order to dig this one. I was scrolling said ‘Gram over the weekend and some story popped up by a friend of a friend of a friend offering book recommendations for anyone looking for the aforementioned topics. Then I blacked out for awhile and when I came to I had like nine new library checkouts.
This was the first and lemme tell you if they all end up being as much fun as this one then I’m REALLY going to be kicking my own ass that I didn’t take down the name of the person who curated this list.
The story here is about Jane, sort of a perpetual underachiever who uses her corporate card as a Hail Mary and pay for a weekend retreat with a potential new client in order to hopefully save her job. When that doesn’t work, she decides she’ll lean in to the hippy dippy environment and rebrand Cass (and Tom’s) wellness center into the next big thing that the interwebs simply can’t live without.
This will either be for you or it won’t. As I said, I’m a trash panda of the nth degree when it comes to all things cultish or badly behaving influencers. And having just watched “Orgasm, Inc.,” this was right up my alley. The pacing goes real rogue at the end and things get rushed, but other than that I had a great time bedrotting to this one.
July 4, 2023
Sadly, The Glow didn't work for me. I've read a few novels in the same vein satirizing the white American female obsession with self-care, beauty, and skin care regimens, but I don't think The Glow added anything new to that conversation. While the protagonist Jane has some great millennial zingers and relatable hard truths, I thought the novel was overall light on plot and social commentary. I didn't really care for any of the main characters; some of Jane's interior thoughts and millennial moments—especially when it came to her bleak dating life—were relatable, but she was also profoundly insecure and seemed more like a teenager than a 29-year-old woman. I also wasn't sure I completely understood Jane's obsession with Cass, the woman who runs a spiritual retreat that Jane finds on Instagram—Cass is both owner of "the Glow" that Jane so desires and a potential pathway to the shiny career Jane wants. It's odd that Jane was both unambitious and wanted a high-powered career. Overall, it's a "no from me, dawg" to quote American Idol's Randy Jackson.
Thanks to Random House via Netgalley for giving me a free digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to Random House via Netgalley for giving me a free digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
July 25, 2023
Structurally and thematically muddled with a protagonist who develops with no clear arc, this one was only readable through its satire bits (fewer than you'd imagine) and the irreverence of a character like Cass. The Tom chapter was so good that it should've been his own short story.
February 22, 2023
This starts off as a very funny book, so much so that I had to keep sharing hysterical lines by reading them aloud. It's a snapshot of modern social media internet culture. Jane is in her late 20s and working in PR, (she's PR Jane at present.). She's previously been poetry Jane who never finished her PhD degree. Jane is in a financial black hole, owing a huge amount to a hospital where she had appendicitis surgery., a hospital was not in her network.( Many people can relate to that tragic occurrence.)
She becomes fascinated by the face of a woman named Cass whose skin glows and who is absolutely beautiful on a website called FortPath. She convinces her boss that a weekend visit to FortPath will help her recruit them as new client. intriguingly, the website also featured erotic photos of zucchini, and elaborates that this is a "spiritually nourishing vegetable that grows without fear." I won't go on to describe that weekend because you must read it for yourself. The food is almost non-existent featuring variations on zucchini as well as body temperature water, yoga like exercise and a group masturbation session. The amazing thing is that the darn place works, and Jane returns with glowing skin. like Cass. Unfortunately, her big mouth loses Jane her PR job.
Jane is not a likeable character, but she is the embodiment of a certain type of post-feminist contemporary woman. How Jane worms her way in and PRs her way into taking over and turning Fort-path into Opeia is a tongue-in-cheek inside look at how Goop and its ilk have become so popular in women's self-care and health products.
The Glow shows up the things that influence our lives in these days of influencers and their web sites. It's also a very entertaining novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC copy of this novel (you knew I would like) in exchange for an honest review.
She becomes fascinated by the face of a woman named Cass whose skin glows and who is absolutely beautiful on a website called FortPath. She convinces her boss that a weekend visit to FortPath will help her recruit them as new client. intriguingly, the website also featured erotic photos of zucchini, and elaborates that this is a "spiritually nourishing vegetable that grows without fear." I won't go on to describe that weekend because you must read it for yourself. The food is almost non-existent featuring variations on zucchini as well as body temperature water, yoga like exercise and a group masturbation session. The amazing thing is that the darn place works, and Jane returns with glowing skin. like Cass. Unfortunately, her big mouth loses Jane her PR job.
Jane is not a likeable character, but she is the embodiment of a certain type of post-feminist contemporary woman. How Jane worms her way in and PRs her way into taking over and turning Fort-path into Opeia is a tongue-in-cheek inside look at how Goop and its ilk have become so popular in women's self-care and health products.
The Glow shows up the things that influence our lives in these days of influencers and their web sites. It's also a very entertaining novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC copy of this novel (you knew I would like) in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2023
I totally get why this book has a 3.5 rating right now, but if weird, darkly comedic satire featuring slightly unhinged millennial women is your thing, please pick this up. The rating isn’t there because the writing or characterization are bad, (in fact both are great) I think the rating reflects the content rather than the quality (humor being highly subjective, and the content being uncomfortable in places).
I laughed at so much of this, mostly because everything in it is the polar opposite of me (I’m much more Jane then Cass). I felt called out in so many places. Many reviews mention the commentary on the wellness/beauty/influencer industries which is present through out, but I also found there to be a critique of capitalism and the health care industry as a whole. It was a bit cathartic, in that manner.
It’s the perfect length for what it is, which is largely a plotless and character driven book.
I’m not going to go into plot details- plenty of other reviews and the blurb have that covered. Just wanted to say I mostly enjoyed this, and will definitely look out for more from Gaynor in the future.
I think the only reason it wasn’t a full five star read for me is I felt like I missed a little bit of the message? I though I had it figured but the ending through me for a loop. If I had to guess I’d say the book overall is about the performativity of our modern day culture, but the murky messaging had me leaning more 4 stars than 5.
Anyway- great book. On to the next.
I laughed at so much of this, mostly because everything in it is the polar opposite of me (I’m much more Jane then Cass). I felt called out in so many places. Many reviews mention the commentary on the wellness/beauty/influencer industries which is present through out, but I also found there to be a critique of capitalism and the health care industry as a whole. It was a bit cathartic, in that manner.
It’s the perfect length for what it is, which is largely a plotless and character driven book.
I’m not going to go into plot details- plenty of other reviews and the blurb have that covered. Just wanted to say I mostly enjoyed this, and will definitely look out for more from Gaynor in the future.
I think the only reason it wasn’t a full five star read for me is I felt like I missed a little bit of the message? I though I had it figured but the ending through me for a loop. If I had to guess I’d say the book overall is about the performativity of our modern day culture, but the murky messaging had me leaning more 4 stars than 5.
Anyway- great book. On to the next.
January 12, 2023
Jessie Gaynor has written a whip smart black comedy! In The Glow, we meet Jane, a PR writer (or "maven:) living a haphazard life in New York. Still waiting to find herself, Jane is crippled by medical debt and barely getting by. She jumps at a chance to visit a wellness retreat she discovers on social media, thinking she can be credited with the discovery of the next best thing. Once she arrives however, Jane wonders if she has stumbled into a cult, a true visionary, or the next big fake.
Join Jane as she explores the cutthroat world of women's beauty, social media influencing and true spirituality. The Glow is fast moving and you will enjoy every minute, even while you question your own beauty regimes.
#RandomHouse #TheGlow #JessieGaynor
Join Jane as she explores the cutthroat world of women's beauty, social media influencing and true spirituality. The Glow is fast moving and you will enjoy every minute, even while you question your own beauty regimes.
#RandomHouse #TheGlow #JessieGaynor
July 14, 2023
Tbh, I just didn’t care enough about anything or anyone in this.
October 17, 2024
Personaggi detestabili, scrittura inconsistente. Che noia.
July 16, 2023
Overall, this book was just kind of "mid" to me. It could've gone deeper into the somewhat cult-like aspects that were being teased, but it never really WENT there.
Our main character, Jane, is definitely just an easily moldable human being with no clear direction in life. So seeing her kind of fall into this trap of outward beauty wasn't surprising and wasn't that interesting to read about. Cass was also pretty spineless and did not deliver on being the "guru of wellness" that she was teased to be. I wanted her to be much more heinous and unlikeable.
The commentary on the beauty industry and any commentary on society in general in this book didn't really do anything for me. It wasn't as thought-provoking as I wanted it to be. It wasn't a bad book by any means, I just didn't really get much out of it.
Our main character, Jane, is definitely just an easily moldable human being with no clear direction in life. So seeing her kind of fall into this trap of outward beauty wasn't surprising and wasn't that interesting to read about. Cass was also pretty spineless and did not deliver on being the "guru of wellness" that she was teased to be. I wanted her to be much more heinous and unlikeable.
The commentary on the beauty industry and any commentary on society in general in this book didn't really do anything for me. It wasn't as thought-provoking as I wanted it to be. It wasn't a bad book by any means, I just didn't really get much out of it.
March 10, 2024
in the least offensive way possible i felt like this was below my reading level
October 23, 2024
Una critica acuta e ironica della società della performance, del privilegio e dell’ossessione intossicante nei confronti di trend, brand e articoli, l’ennesima linea di demarcazione tra classi, tra chi può permettersi di sborsare cifre folli per prodotti di bellezza e trattamenti e chi non può fare altro che consumare video di unboxing e skincare routine sui social. Alcuni passaggi del libro sono meno a fuoco di altri e, in generale, ho avuto l’impressione che a un certo punto l’autrice mollasse un po’ troppo il controllo sulla storia, che pure arriva a un finale paradossale ma assolutamente “in character”. In definitiva una bella lettura, divertente e shockante, che avrebbe potuto osare essere più dissacrante di quanto non sia.
August 6, 2025
“she had really never had hobbies beyond instagram scrolling and light skin picking”
“she once gave a guy a hand job because he said her hair looked long”
this was more enjoyable and a little gross to read
love books that make you hate yourself a little bit
god help us all
“she once gave a guy a hand job because he said her hair looked long”
this was more enjoyable and a little gross to read
love books that make you hate yourself a little bit
god help us all
June 19, 2024
2.0/5
what am i supposed to take away from this
what am i supposed to take away from this
February 5, 2023
3.5 rounded down
The "cult of wellness" is an oft used phrase in the 21st Century, and one that is increasingly being incorporated into novels (Nine Perfect Strangers and Self Care immediately spring to mind) and forming the subject of a non-fiction offerings (The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care).
A topic which blends the desire of an individual to reach a form of fulfillment with consumerism is ripe for exploration in a novel, and that is exactly what The Glow sets out to examine. The protagonist, Jane, a 25-year-old working in PR, keeps up an appearance of having made it spends her days promoting products that she doesn't believe in to insecure women just like herself, whilst privately being crippled by debt from an essential medical procedure she couldn't afford to have. One day she stumbles across a wellness retreat in New Jersey via Instagram, attracted by the impossibly beautiful Cass who runs the retreat, and decides she must attend to meet Cass and see if the retreat is the next big thing that propels her career.
I won't go into the plot too much more but the novel is smart and has some incisive comments to make on the wellness industry. As the blurb correctly surmises: "Are helping people and making money mutually exclusive? And once you become a girlboss, can you ever go back?". Recommended!
Thank you Netgalley and Headline for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
The "cult of wellness" is an oft used phrase in the 21st Century, and one that is increasingly being incorporated into novels (Nine Perfect Strangers and Self Care immediately spring to mind) and forming the subject of a non-fiction offerings (The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care).
A topic which blends the desire of an individual to reach a form of fulfillment with consumerism is ripe for exploration in a novel, and that is exactly what The Glow sets out to examine. The protagonist, Jane, a 25-year-old working in PR, keeps up an appearance of having made it spends her days promoting products that she doesn't believe in to insecure women just like herself, whilst privately being crippled by debt from an essential medical procedure she couldn't afford to have. One day she stumbles across a wellness retreat in New Jersey via Instagram, attracted by the impossibly beautiful Cass who runs the retreat, and decides she must attend to meet Cass and see if the retreat is the next big thing that propels her career.
I won't go into the plot too much more but the novel is smart and has some incisive comments to make on the wellness industry. As the blurb correctly surmises: "Are helping people and making money mutually exclusive? And once you become a girlboss, can you ever go back?". Recommended!
Thank you Netgalley and Headline for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2023
jessie gaynor's "the glow" is a deep dive into the occult lifestyle of beauty and health influencers. jane is a struggling pr manager with crippling medical debt and an uncompleted phd. after a mishap at work, she searched for a spiritual retreat to attend in the hopes of acquiring a client for her company (hilariously named "relevancy"). she's a skeptic, but as we get to know her, we find out she has a deep need for validation that is simultaneously met and ignored by the leader of the retreat -- cass. cass is the perfect model you've seen everywhere on social media. she has perfect skin, the perfect body, and she speaks vaguely enough that people are drawn to her. as jane gets the full experience, she finds out things are not as perfect as they seem.
jane describes herself in fragments; there is poetry jane, pr jane, fortpath jane, and jane herself. this powerful fragmentation truly allows us to see her desire for acceptance and praise. she's funny, witty, sarcastic, and not at all the polished, perfect cass. gaynor has created extremely powerful characters who are larger than life (cass), and extremely relatable (jane). the novel uncovers the bullshit behind the beauty/health influencer world and how, at the end of the day, everyone is truly alone. the psychology behind these brands is to ensnare vulnerable, insecure, normal people; a demographic that jane knows well. this novel was absolutely riveting from start to finish with great insight into toxic positivity, toxic femininity, and the dangers of white folks stealing culture that is not theirs to turn a profit. jane is a character that i felt a personal connection to, and that is rare for me to experience whilst reading. i cannot wait to read more from jessie gaynor.
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
jane describes herself in fragments; there is poetry jane, pr jane, fortpath jane, and jane herself. this powerful fragmentation truly allows us to see her desire for acceptance and praise. she's funny, witty, sarcastic, and not at all the polished, perfect cass. gaynor has created extremely powerful characters who are larger than life (cass), and extremely relatable (jane). the novel uncovers the bullshit behind the beauty/health influencer world and how, at the end of the day, everyone is truly alone. the psychology behind these brands is to ensnare vulnerable, insecure, normal people; a demographic that jane knows well. this novel was absolutely riveting from start to finish with great insight into toxic positivity, toxic femininity, and the dangers of white folks stealing culture that is not theirs to turn a profit. jane is a character that i felt a personal connection to, and that is rare for me to experience whilst reading. i cannot wait to read more from jessie gaynor.
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
September 19, 2023
I picked up this book hoping it would be similar to Mona Awad's Rouge - which I read recently and loved so much I already want to read it again. Unfortunately, this wasn't it. While the summary includes references to a cult - this isn't really about a cult. It's about a desperate woman taking advantage of a business opportunity. The interest in beauty was nowhere near the obsessive levels in Rouge - or what I was expecting from the synopsis. Certain passages felt shoehorned in and there was too much backstory for my tastes. The ending was also quite odd and abrupt.
Overall, just kind of disappointing.
Rating: 2.5 / 5
Overall, just kind of disappointing.
Rating: 2.5 / 5
February 6, 2024
live, laugh, girlboss
December 20, 2024
Mi ha ricordato molto “Il mio anno di riposo e oblio” per il modo apparentemente frivolo di dire cose in realtà pesantissime: si parla della nostra realtà, del nostro sistema economico, delle nostre relazioni e del nostro modo di stare al mondo.
Un po’ meno postmoderno e meno aggressivo rispetto al capolavoro di Moshfegh, e dunque un po’ più accessibile.
Bello, consigliato. Leggendolo vi ritroverete a ridere ma anche a sentire un peso sullo stomaco e a mettere in discussione tutte le vostre scelte.
(La protagonista, una giovane americana, ha un enorme debito nei confronti della propria assicurazione sanitaria: questo tema è evidentemente oggi più che mai attuale e meritevole di riflessione. Fosse anche solo per questo, il libro merita attenzione.)
Un po’ meno postmoderno e meno aggressivo rispetto al capolavoro di Moshfegh, e dunque un po’ più accessibile.
Bello, consigliato. Leggendolo vi ritroverete a ridere ma anche a sentire un peso sullo stomaco e a mettere in discussione tutte le vostre scelte.
(La protagonista, una giovane americana, ha un enorme debito nei confronti della propria assicurazione sanitaria: questo tema è evidentemente oggi più che mai attuale e meritevole di riflessione. Fosse anche solo per questo, il libro merita attenzione.)
February 6, 2024
I’ve never felt passionate enough to write a review, but this book was so bad I would be doing a disservice to not share. I will say, the writing was not bad, it actually drew me in enough to read the book relatively quickly, but there was absolutely no plot at all and not one character was likable. The cult narrative had so much potential and fell flat, and the repeated “circle jerks” and masturbation narrative was so weird and unnecessary. This book gave me the weirdest dreams and not in a good way. Would highly recommend NOT wasting your time on this book, but did give 2 stars because I believe the author has potential. Good writing, really bad story/concept.
June 29, 2023
I don't even know what to say other than the first 80% was very interesting. lol I think if you liked Natural Beauty then you will probably like this. It's a milder but still unhinged book.
February 28, 2023
ARC provided by NetGalley.
2.5 rounded up.
This was an interesting read. “The Glow” is well written. The dark, sometimes strange, humor is funny.
Jane is employed at a PR agency and attends FortPath, a wellness retreat, as a last minute attempt to save her job (Jane is not employee of the year but she does have medical debt to pay, so being unemployed is not an option). Although she’s warned by a one night stand that this retreat is actually a cult, Jane boards the bus and sets off to join the wellness retreat and possibly a cult.
The plot doesn’t pick up speed until you’re already more than halfway through the novel, and a large chunk of the story prior is sluggish and close to meandering. I was close to DNF-ing but I was interested enough in the outcome of one character, Tim, that I continued on.
The concept of “The Glow” is the influenced becoming the influencer. The false lives on social media, the structured appearances, the deliberate attempts to convince others that they need someone — or their product, the protein powder mixed in their smoothie, the clothes sent to them to put on display — to be better, fitter, prettier, healthier. And how, even when Jane has been on the influenced side of the screen, she can’t resist the power of becoming the influencer.
I was expecting more of a social commentary. Maybe I overlooked the underlying meaning, or maybe it just isn’t there. Either way, once the story ended, I didn’t think about it again. I don’t feel that I took anything away from the story and, for that reason, it ultimately wasn’t for me.
2.5 rounded up.
This was an interesting read. “The Glow” is well written. The dark, sometimes strange, humor is funny.
Jane is employed at a PR agency and attends FortPath, a wellness retreat, as a last minute attempt to save her job (Jane is not employee of the year but she does have medical debt to pay, so being unemployed is not an option). Although she’s warned by a one night stand that this retreat is actually a cult, Jane boards the bus and sets off to join the wellness retreat and possibly a cult.
The plot doesn’t pick up speed until you’re already more than halfway through the novel, and a large chunk of the story prior is sluggish and close to meandering. I was close to DNF-ing but I was interested enough in the outcome of one character, Tim, that I continued on.
The concept of “The Glow” is the influenced becoming the influencer. The false lives on social media, the structured appearances, the deliberate attempts to convince others that they need someone — or their product, the protein powder mixed in their smoothie, the clothes sent to them to put on display — to be better, fitter, prettier, healthier. And how, even when Jane has been on the influenced side of the screen, she can’t resist the power of becoming the influencer.
I was expecting more of a social commentary. Maybe I overlooked the underlying meaning, or maybe it just isn’t there. Either way, once the story ended, I didn’t think about it again. I don’t feel that I took anything away from the story and, for that reason, it ultimately wasn’t for me.
June 19, 2023
A smart and hilarious exploration of society’s obsession with external beauty under the guise of wellness.
We meet Jane as she is bored at work but desperate to keep her PR job so she can slowly pay off her enormous medical bills. She spends a lot of her time on Google and Instagram. Sure, she does a lot of research on her ex’s current girlfriend but she’s also looking for the next big thing she can help publicize. When she sees a photo of a stunning woman who leads a “wellness retreat” (or a cult, depending on who you ask), she knows she has found her success story. Jane attends the retreat to find out more about what is Cass’s deal and to convince her to hire Jane.
The writing is as gorgeous and glowy as Cass’s skin. There is much to enjoy here, including the clever skewering of a culture willing to spend countless resources on anything deemed "self-care".
Jane was the highlight of the story for me and I was immediately drawn in by her petty, incisive (yet vulnerable), self-preserving, and witty personality. You are not sure you want her to succeed but you kind of hope she does. By the end, I was wondering if I should incorporate kelp and bee pollen into my diet. :) 4.5 stars.
Recommended to anyone in the mood for a snappy take on (or lighthearted takedown of) the wellness industry.
Thank you very much to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.
We meet Jane as she is bored at work but desperate to keep her PR job so she can slowly pay off her enormous medical bills. She spends a lot of her time on Google and Instagram. Sure, she does a lot of research on her ex’s current girlfriend but she’s also looking for the next big thing she can help publicize. When she sees a photo of a stunning woman who leads a “wellness retreat” (or a cult, depending on who you ask), she knows she has found her success story. Jane attends the retreat to find out more about what is Cass’s deal and to convince her to hire Jane.
The writing is as gorgeous and glowy as Cass’s skin. There is much to enjoy here, including the clever skewering of a culture willing to spend countless resources on anything deemed "self-care".
Jane was the highlight of the story for me and I was immediately drawn in by her petty, incisive (yet vulnerable), self-preserving, and witty personality. You are not sure you want her to succeed but you kind of hope she does. By the end, I was wondering if I should incorporate kelp and bee pollen into my diet. :) 4.5 stars.
Recommended to anyone in the mood for a snappy take on (or lighthearted takedown of) the wellness industry.
Thank you very much to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.
August 21, 2023
Such a fun, imaginative and unhinged novel. I really enjoyed the writing style, which helped to grasp my attention throughout the slower parts of the book, I loved the ridiculous and humorous touches of the book, and the juxtaposition of Cass and Jane’s personalities. This book was such a breath of fresh air. I would definitely recommend it!
December 14, 2023
I have no idea what this book was trying to be, and I’m almost certain the author didn’t either
May 18, 2024
Not my kind of book – DNF 10 % in.
November 14, 2024
In teoria doveva rivelarsi una bomba.
In realtà l'ho trovato lento, noioso, inutilmente prolisso e con una trama molto debole.
Ho rischiato il blocco del lettore, ma ne sono uscito salvo.
In realtà l'ho trovato lento, noioso, inutilmente prolisso e con una trama molto debole.
Ho rischiato il blocco del lettore, ma ne sono uscito salvo.
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