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Aesthetica
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom
14 posts | 8 read | 1 reading | 9 to read
In a debut novel as radiant as it is caustic, a former influencer confronts her pastand takes inventory of the damages that underpin the surface-glamour of social media. At 19, she was an Instagram celebrity. Now, at 35, she works behind the cosmetic counter at the black and white store, peddling anti-aging products to women seeking physical and spiritual transformation. She too is seeking rebirth. Shes about to undergo the high-risk, elective surgery Aesthetica, a procedure that will reverse all her past plastic surgery procedures, returning her, she hopes, to a truer self. Provided she survives the knife. But on the eve of the surgery, her traumatic past resurfaces when she is asked to participate in the public takedown of her former manager/boyfriend, who has rebranded himself as a paragon of woke masculinity in the post-#MeToo world. With the hours ticking down to her surgery, she must confront the ugly truth about her experiences on and off the Instagram grid. Propulsive, dark, and moving, Aesthetica is a Veronica for the age of Instagram face, delivering a fresh, nuanced examination of feminism, #MeToo, and mother-daughter relationships, all while confronting our collective addiction to followers, filters, and faux realities.
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review
she.hearts.horror
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom
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Mehso-so

Still processing…

review
BirdLaVie
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom
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Pickpick

Aesthetica is a dark exploration around the culture of women altering their faces and bodies to be youthful, relevant, and trendy.

It begs the question…what are we really buying when we alter ourselves?….Love? Admiration? Safety? Security? A little more time?

BirdLaVie The storyline felt a bit two dimensional and incomplete, but it still raised a lot of thought provoking questions for me. I‘m left with a defeated awareness of how much impossible, cruel pressure girls and woman are under. 10mo
12 likes1 comment
review
Hooked_on_books
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom
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Pickpick

I fully expected this to be a skewering of our social media, filtered-pictures, unrealistic appearance obsessed society and it certainly is! It went a bit darker than I was expecting, but I thought it was really good. I agree with other reviewers that it could have explored some things a bit more, but I fully enjoyed it.

37 likes1 stack add
review
MicheleinPhilly
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom
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Pickpick

A light pick. I absolutely LOATHE influencers and everything they stand for so I had to sort of hold my nose a bit with this. Maybe we could pass out copies to young‘uns whose life goal it is to set social media on fire? I was hoping for just a bit more “oomph” but the issues she raises are sadly all too timely.

LeahBergen It looks like someone is thinking, “less reading and more dog parks, if you don‘t mind”. 😆 13mo
MicheleinPhilly @LeahBergen Actually the dishwasher had just switched cycles and startled her. 🙄 13mo
LeahBergen Johnny jumps at his own farts. I‘m sure they‘d both do well in the wild. 13mo
See All 13 Comments
squirrelbrain Lol @ both of you (and your daft doggies!) 🤣❤️ 13mo
MicheleinPhilly @LeahBergen She does that too! This morning she farted, jumped off the couch, and ran away. Like she could escape it. 13mo
LeahBergen @MicheleinPhilly Leaving you to take the blame. 13mo
MicheleinPhilly @LeahBergen I just laugh at her. 13mo
Suet624 @LeahBergen the idea that you both have dogs that are scared of their farts cracks me up. 12mo
LeahBergen @Suet624 We‘re proud mothers. 😉 12mo
MicheleinPhilly @Suet624 They both have neurotic Scorpios as mothers. Are you surprised? 😉 @LeahBergen 12mo
LeahBergen Oh, that‘s true! 😮😆 12mo
56 likes13 comments
blurb
theokiereader
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom

For all of you wondering about Aardvark Book Club, here is my first experience with them. APO/FPO address holders: You might want to take note! https://bakingthroughbookclub.com/2023/01/16/trying-out-aardvark-book-club/

review
ICantImReading
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It‘s hard to be immune from the siren song of social media and comparing ourselves to ever-changing, unrealistic beauty standards. What is empowering, and what is only an illusion of power? I do wish some aspects had been developed more, but Aesthetica raises thought-provoking questions, explores important themes, and really leaves a lasting, unsettling impression.

ICantImReading I think this very modern work of fiction would be a great reading pairing with the feminist classic nonfiction book, “The Beauty Myth”, which examines the relationship between beauty and the female identity and the way this is exploited by our patriarchal and capitalistic society. 1y
47 likes3 stack adds1 comment
review
swishandflick
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom
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Pickpick

This was hard to rate because it hit a bit close to home. In all honesty, I'd already been reassessing my relationship with social media and the negative impact its had on my mental health and body image (excluding Litsy obvs), so this book felt like looking at myself in one of those warped funhouse mirrors and not liking my reflection. While I can see it won't be for everyone, and I wish a little more had been fleshed out, it'll stick with me.

swishandflick PS: it also made me feel even more firm in my conviction to take a step back from social media (excluding Litsy which is my safe space) #aardvark #aardvarkbookclub (edited) 1y
tpixie Sounds like a profound book. Amazing how your artwork is similar to the cover! 1y
CBee I stepped back from Facebook a year or more ago and I‘ve never regretted it! Litsy is truly the only social media I participate in - I don‘t even really group it in with FB et al because it just doesn‘t even compare. My safe space as well ❤️ 1y
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RebL I‘ve always been a little on the tech side, an early adopter & social media manager at one point. I have a fondness for what it can be, but am grossed out by what it is. 1y
swishandflick @RebL I definitely know the feeling - I actually work for one of the bigger tech companies 😬 1y
swishandflick @CBee Totally! I haven't been active on Facebook in a long time but find myself aimlessly scrolling on Instagram or TikTok more than I care to admit. So I'm def trying to take a major step back with that. 1y
CBee @swishandflick I understand! I still have those and sometimes do the aimless scroll 😂 But I‘ve gotten better about catching myself doing it and distracting myself. 1y
93 likes7 comments
review
Megabooks
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom
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Pickpick

I wish I could be more enthusiastic about this. The premise is so cool but the execution is low pick. #aardvark

At 19, Avery left Houston to become an Instagram star in LA. At 35, she‘s looking back negatively at all the cosmetic procedures she had and her relationship with a shady manager. She‘s back in LA to undergo Aesthetica™, a procedure that will undo the others and return her to natural aging. Dual timelines at 19 and 35. ⬇️

Reggie Oof, idk. Was she a sympathetic character? Or are we low key judging her the whole time? 1y
Cinfhen Great photo. I can see how this novel‘s premise could swerve from literary to lighthearted ☺️ 1y
Megabooks @Cinfhen it wasn‘t lighthearted. V dark bordering on dystopian. And thank you! (edited) 1y
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Megabooks @Reggie 6 of one half dozen of the other. Maybe that was part of it. She wasn‘t really a sympathetic character nor did you love to hate her. It just didn‘t quite Go There. 1y
Cinfhen Still an awesome cover. 1y
Megabooks @Cinfhen I agree! 1y
AardvarkBookClub Ah! Bummed you didn‘t love this one but always appreciate an honest review! ❤️ The character is deeply flawed and complicated for sure and the story is def not lighthearted! 1y
Megabooks @AardvarkBookClub I gave it an #aadmirable in your system, which I love(!), because I liked it even if it wasn‘t swoonworthy. I‘d also be open to choosing similar books in the future! 1y
74 likes1 stack add8 comments
quote
beccamayo
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom

But I wasn‘t a child. I wasn‘t a virgin. I already knew things. Womanly things, like love is overrated and pleasure is a right.

blurb
Megabooks
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom
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So excited to get my #aardvark package today! Great selections this month, and y‘all know I 💜love💜 purple! I think the tagged book will be up first. Nori, our Norfolk Island Pine, demanded to be in the shot. 😉🌲

Cinfhen Great photo🙌🏻😍 1y
Suet624 It seems like you‘re really enjoying this book club. 1y
Megabooks @Cinfhen thank you!! 😘💜 1y
Megabooks @Suet624 I am! They‘re making some really interesting selections. 1y
AardvarkBookClub ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 1y
80 likes1 stack add5 comments
blurb
Megabooks
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom
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I was unsure whether I‘d make #aardvark picks this month just due to finances/Christmas spending, but I do want to support this startup, so I chose two, but Factory Girls also sounded good. Hopefully I won‘t have too much fomo. Plus I love purple! 😁💜

bthegood @Megabooks this sounds good - interested in your review of it when you are done - 🙂 1y
Cinfhen The covers look great together 💜💜 1y
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Megabooks @bthegood thanks! I‘m looking forward to them. 1y
Megabooks @Cinfhen you know I‘m a purple girl! 😁😁💜 1y
swishandflick I've got both of these in my box too! So excited! 1y
Megabooks @swishandflick I‘ve been really impressed with aardvark! 1y
AardvarkBookClub Thanks so much for the support! ❤️ We know December can be a brutal month for the budget 😅 1y
Megabooks @AardvarkBookClub hey! I‘ve been very happy with your picks. I loved Singer Distance, which I never would‘ve picked up otherwise. Keep being awesome!! 1y
75 likes1 stack add10 comments
blurb
swishandflick
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom
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The #Aardvark December picks are up! I got two of the clues wrong, but the three that I got right happened to be exactly the ones I wanted most, so I'm excited! 👏🏽📚

Hooked_on_books So what did the botm audiobook situation end up being? 1y
swishandflick @Hooked_on_books After you select and finish oredering your physical books for the month it gives the option to use additional credots for audiobooks if you want. Not all of the options had an audiobook associated (there's a little headphone symble next to the one's where it's an option so that you know). They did have a little "preview audio" so you could get an idea of what the narration sounds like. I didn't end up getting any though! 1y
Hooked_on_books That‘s interesting. I‘m glad they‘re using a symbol so you know what‘s available. It‘ll be interesting to see if this ever goes live for everyone and how it evolves as things go forward. Thanks for the insider info! 1y
swishandflick @Hooked_on_books Of course! I'll take some screenshots and make a post so that folks can get a sense of what it looks like! I'll tag you 😄 1y
AardvarkBookClub 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 1y
60 likes5 comments
blurb
swishandflick
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom
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Ok, so this was one of my #Aardvark guesses last month too but hear me out based on the synopsis...

💄 = The mc worked behind a cosmetics counter
📱 = At one point she was a social media influencer
🌴 = She moved to LA so... maybe palm trees fit?
👍 = likes on social media?

I dunno, maybe I just *really* want to read this book, sounds fascinating, and trying to make round clues fit in square holes 😂

Cinfhen Solid guess!!! 1y
Hooked_on_books You put this on my radar when you guessed it before and I snapped it up on audio, as I‘m also really excited to read it. It sounds great! 1y
Chelsea.Poole This is on #hoopla audio! 1y
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brittanyreads Maybe this one? Thoughts? I hope so! It sounds delightful!! 1y
swishandflick @BrittanyReads Oooh, that does sound good!!! And definitely seems to match the emoji clues! 1y
brittanyreads 🤞🤞 1y
AardvarkBookClub Spot on! Good job Sherlock 😉❤️ 1y
66 likes1 stack add7 comments
blurb
swishandflick
Aesthetica | Allie Rowbottom
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I like that #Aardvark is giving hints but damn some of them are tough. This is the only new release I can find that sort of fits the emoji clues? 💉

Any other ideas??

Cinfhen Good guess!!! 1y
swishandflick @Cinfhen Word on the street is that this clue might actually be (edited) 1y
AardvarkBookClub Just saw this 😂 an early guess for a Dec pick ❤️ 1y
56 likes3 comments