"[She] finds plenty to make fun of in this ridiculous-yet frighteningly familiar-world.” Entertainment Weekly
Description
A nuanced satire—both hilarious and disconcerting—that probes the blurred lines between empowerment, spirituality, and consumerism in our online lives
Lilian Quick is forty, single, and childless, working as a pet-portrait artist. She paints the colored light only she can see, but animal aura portraits are a niche market at best. She’s working hard to build her brand on social media and struggling to pay the rent.
Her estranged cousin has become internet-famous as “Eleven” Novak, the face of a massive feminine lifestyle empowerment brand, and when Eleven comes to town on tour, the two women reconnect. Despite twenty years of unexplained silence, Eleven offers Lilian a place at the Temple, her Manhattan office. Lilian accepts, moves to New York, and quickly enrolls in the Ascendency, Eleven’s signature program: an expensive, three-month training seminar on leadership, spiritual awakening, and marketing. Eleven is going to help her cousin become her best self: confident, affluent, and self-actualized.
In just three months, Lilian’s life changes drastically: she learns how to break her negative thought patterns, achieves financial solvency, grows an active and engaged online following, and builds authentic friendships. She finally feels seen for who she really is. Success! But can Lilian trust everything Eleven says? This compelling, heartfelt satire asks us, How do we recognize authenticity when storytelling and magic have been co-opted by marketing?
Praise
"[She] finds plenty to make fun of in this ridiculous-yet frighteningly familiar-world.” Entertainment Weekly
"[A] hilarious debut novel about self-help gurus and the people who follow them…There’s plenty of laughs—but lots of truth, too.” Washington Post
“The author explores the power and distraction of social media, the paths to creativity, and how intense devotion to a cause can either consume one’s identity or allow one to flourish, resulting in a searing look at mass market–oriented transformation.” Publishers Weekly
“Selecky’s deadpan tone, punchy writing, and vivid characters transport readers to a specific, highly diverting world that hits close to the bone and sparks the self-reflection it’s spoofing.” Booklist
“A funny, tender, gimlet-eyed dive into the cult of self-improvement.” Kirkus Reviews
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Dec 3, 2018 |
| Release Date | December 4, 2018 |
| Release Date Machine | 1543881600 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Literature & Fiction, Humor & Satire, Genre Fiction, Literary Fiction, Fiction - All, Fiction - Adult |
Author Bio
Sarah Selecky’s breakout debut collection, This Cake Is for the Party, was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, was short-listed for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book, and was long-listed for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. Her stories have been published in the Walrus, Elle, the New Quarterly, and The Journey Prize anthology, among other publications. She is also the creator of the beloved online creative writing school, and MFA alternative, Story Is a State of Mind.
Narrator Bio
Lisa Flanagan is a classically trained soprano, comedian, voice-over artist, and Earphones Award–winning narrator.
Overview
A nuanced satire—both hilarious and disconcerting—that probes the blurred lines between empowerment, spirituality, and consumerism in our online lives
Lilian Quick is forty, single, and childless, working as a pet-portrait artist. She paints the colored light only she can see, but animal aura portraits are a niche market at best. She’s working hard to build her brand on social media and struggling to pay the rent.
Her estranged cousin has become internet-famous as “Eleven” Novak, the face of a massive feminine lifestyle empowerment brand, and when Eleven comes to town on tour, the two women reconnect. Despite twenty years of unexplained silence, Eleven offers Lilian a place at the Temple, her Manhattan office. Lilian accepts, moves to New York, and quickly enrolls in the Ascendency, Eleven’s signature program: an expensive, three-month training seminar on leadership, spiritual awakening, and marketing. Eleven is going to help her cousin become her best self: confident, affluent, and self-actualized.
In just three months, Lilian’s life changes drastically: she learns how to break her negative thought patterns, achieves financial solvency, grows an active and engaged online following, and builds authentic friendships. She finally feels seen for who she really is. Success! But can Lilian trust everything Eleven says? This compelling, heartfelt satire asks us, How do we recognize authenticity when storytelling and magic have been co-opted by marketing?
Reviews
Write Your Own Review