Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom takes a sharp look at the dark side of social media.
Synopsis
While Anna waits to go under the knife to reverse all of her past cosmetic procedures, she reflects on her short stint as a social media influencer. Anna is 35 and works at a cosmetics store, but when she was 19, she moved to LA to try to make a name for herself. She didn’t expect the industry to use her and throw her out just as quickly.
The surgery Anna’s waiting to receive is called Aesthetica. In a single procedure, her surgeon will reverse all her Botox, fillers, nose jobs, everything. However, the surgery is high-risk, and there are no guarantees she will survive it.
Disillusioned with the beauty world, Anna wants to revert to her true self and believes this procedure will set her on that path.
Review of Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom
This literary fiction book has beautiful and evocative writing. The author discusses the compulsion to chase more likes, followers, and brand deals when Instagram was at its peak. It also explores societal beauty standards, feminine rage, and power imbalances.
It would have been easy for the author to have a critical view of Anna. Fortunately, she approached her with sensitivity and nuance, which indicates to me that the author has a thorough understanding of social media.
Overall, this book is an incredible debut, and I cannot wait to see what else she has in store. Indeed, I highly recommend adding this to your tbr piles.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Expected Publication: 22 November 2022
Thank you to Soho Press for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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