Assistants launch a revolution
Enter Cate’s office. It’s where she thought she’d be vetting out the next Great American Novel. Instead, Cate’s ordering lunch for her boss and covertly applying lipstick before silently bringing in coffee during meetings.
“Smile and Look Pretty,” Amanda Pellegrino’s debut novel, deftly explores the world of assistants dealing with all manner of mistreatment in the name of working their way up.
Fortunately for Cate, she has a solid support system in her three best friends who share her plight in their respective industries. Lauren wants to be a TV writer but can’t seem to edge her way into so much as a single writing credit. Olivia works for a washed-up actor in hopes that he’ll finally make good on his promise to forward her demo reel to his agent. Max, future journalist, provides coffee for “The Morning Show” hosts while keeping her head on a swivel for the news anchor who can’t seem to keep his hands to himself.
When the ridiculousness of their jobs reaches a boiling point, the four start a blog where they can anonymously vent — and maybe even start a revolution. But they’ll have to get the word out and build trust among the other 20-somethings struggling to climb the ladder.
These incognito bloggers will soon have to decide if their internet insurgency is worth losing their anonymity, and probably their jobs.
“Smile and Look Pretty” captures the tangle of anxiety-ridden thoughts that hang heavy over women during and after misogynistic faux pas. Pellegrino uses a show-don’t-tell style that trusts her audience to recognize and relate to the situations she describes.
But you can’t affect change in the patriarchy without discussing its key players. This feminist novel possesses the nuance to acknowledge both the men who ally themselves with women, and the women who perpetuate misogyny and hierarchical hogwash.
“Smile and Look Pretty” is an affirmation to
In Stephanie Wrobel’s “This Might Hurt,” we meet first meet Natalie, an executive living in Boston. She focuses most of her energy on her career because she’s lonely and unfulfilled with her regimented life.
She’s jolted from the monotony of her life when she receives an email from a wellness retreat where her sister, Kit, has been staying. The last time they spoke was when they argued about whether it was wise for Kit to leave her job for this six-month retreat, called Wisewood, located on a private island. Kit was promised she could become the best version of herself if she followed its leader, known by the ominous-sounding Teacher. A rule of Wisewood: All contact with the outside world is forbidden in order to submit to the transformation process.
When Natalie receives an email from Wisewood, it’s not from Kit but from a generic email address. The sender threatens to expose a dark secret Natalie has kept from Kit, unless she tells her first.
Who knows Natalie’s secret and what will happen to these sisters’ relationship if it comes to light? Natalie races to Wisewood to get to Kit first and learns it’s not so easy to remove a resident from this community and its Teacher.
“This Might Hurt” is a psychological thriller that tackles themes of family, abuse, shame and the wellness industry. If you’re a fan of stories about cults, the underbelly of the self-help industry and family secrets, this one is for you. those who can relate to Cate, Max, Olivia and Lauren, as well as a girlpower rallying cry. In a sea of media in which men are either saviors or villains, and women are their prize, this novel provides a life raft.
Filled with wit, humor and snark, if you liked “A Promising Young Woman,” you’ll enjoy “Smile and Look Pretty.” Like the former, the latter will leave you raising your hackles at the merest whiff of the patriarchy.