This book was a welcome change of pace. It was whip-smart and incredibly relatable for a woman in early thirties still trying to figure out her place career-wise. Gaynor has a real talent for honest and hilarious commentary. One such quip was when Jane was unsure of whether to attend the retreat: “If it were a cult, someone would have already made a podcast about it.” This quote showcases just how jaded Jane, much like the rest of us, is.

I’ll admit the book started to drag about midway, but the backstory of Tom was quite redeeming. Also, there’s not a lot of resolution, but it made sense for me. It’s a realist tale, so there’s no fluffy ending. If you enjoy Goop drama and Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers, this is for you. Thank you Random House Publishing, Jessie Gaynor, and NetGalley for the ARC. This will be published on Goodreads on January 26, 2023.

I loved this! There are a few typos here and there as a heads up to the editors, but I love these kinds of books where you can hate-love the characters and you can feel the satire dripping through the author’s words. And the cover is gorgeous! Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House!

The Glow is a satirical dark comedy about the new age wellness industry and its power of belief and suggestion. The story is told from the point of view of Jane, a millennial PR girl who is struggling to make her mark in a job in order to pay off her astronomical medical bills. To avoid getting fired she finds an obscure wellness guru named Cass on social media and masterminds a plan to turn this guru into the next big wellness brand. Cass is the epitome of the #selfcare #mindbodysoul #namaste woman on social media who has the "glow"... a magnetism and charisma that radiates through her flawless glowing skin. Jane has to immerse herself in Cass' world, visiting her spiritual retreat where she experiences the ridiculous high vibe activities. Reality versus expectation becomes blurred like the finest social media filter, because Jane makes some startling discoveries that will have her question her own self-worth, self-value, and self-respect in a superficial industry where the image of wellness can be bought and sold.

Throughout the story we see conflicts between the superficial and the skin deep and self-care and self-serving. While the story does critique the commodification of the new age, it offers a deeper look at the narcissistic pursuit of self-improvement. The "glow" refers to the dewy sparkly skin that has become a poster child for inner peace, health, and success. In this story, Cass has the glow and with Jane's help, is able to sell the idea that "you too can have the glow" if you spend the week-end mediating and eating zucchini. Despite the farcicality of it all, there is something that changes within the guests who have experienced Cass' retreats. Is it possible there is a genuine inner radiance that appears through their skin? Or is it only surface level?

The ending was abrupt and the characters did not redeem themselves which was necessary since this was an unfiltered look at the new age wellness industry. No clear answers or opinions are given by the author as to what is wrong or what is right with the people, ideas, and products that make up the industry. It's up to the reader to decide if this story is their mirror, vision board, or social media feed and what the glow ultimately means.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Glow by Jessie Gaynor is an absolutely addictive, delicious novel I could not put down. Jane is the ultimate fish out of water- a broke grad school drop out with a mountain of debt who finds herself at a wellness retreat led by spiritual earth mother-type Cass and her bland partner Tom. It's dark and sarcastic and compulsively readable. Highly recommend!

The Glow is a biting story of a middle-class millennial woman who finds herself immersed in a cult-like wellness retreat. What's supposed to be a weekend research trip for Jane Dorner's PR job, instead turns into a self-serving obsession with transforming the retreat and its beautiful, charismatic leader into the next global wellness brand. The retreat is rich with bizarre rituals (group masturbation), clientele that ranges from earnest to downright nasty ("scary women"), cricket corpses, kelp, and never ending zucchini.
 
While the pace is stitled at some points and the tone can shift wildly, this send up of #girlboss and wellness culture takes a surprisingly deep look at life steeped in insecurity, dissatisfaction, and envy. It delves into what happens when life doesn’t turn out as planned and the ends one will go to to quiet a longing for the undefined. The question, though, is the cost. What do you have to give up and who do you have to use to find - and ultimately get - what you think you want? Is it worth it, or are you still the same as when you started? Maybe there’s no definitive answer, but The Glow gives its take with a humorous look at the banality of modern life and toxic influence of "wellness" culture in social media.
 
Told in the third person, Jane’s personality is examined at length, and she comes across as self-loathing, envious, and bitter. She’s smart, though, and witty, and wants something but doesn’t know what exactly. Described as "mlsny" in the story, it’s "the feeling when you know there’s one thing, and maybe it’s even right in front of you, or you could at least order it or make it, if only you could figure it out." But she’s too occupied figuring out what will make her liked, complimented, and desired instead. More specifically, she wants to know what will make her skin glow.
 
Jane is a woman on the verge of her 30s who has found herself working in PR almost by accident. She’s a poetry PhD dropout who hates poetry and ends up promoting scammy wellness products instead (which I guess is PR? Or at least the Emily in Paris version of PR). When she's caught by her boss cyber stalking her ex’s girlfriend, she improvises, promising an exciting new wellness experience. It leads her to the FortPath wellness retreat, run by the enigmatic Cass, whose skin is glowing and taut like a newborn baby's.
 
Cass is effortless, beautiful, radiant, seemingly at peace—all the things Jane wishes she could be. Jane doesn't have a sense of self, which leads her to try on diets, religions, skincare routines, etc. She craves approval without effort and judges easily, all while being too paralyzed to do much of anything herself. But still, Jane holds out hope that that ONE thing will be her answer. The years wear on, though, and she's still stuck. It's natural for her to gravitate to someone like Cass, who has it all figured out.
 
Jane, though, is selfish, not to mention buried in medical debt. So when she ends up at FortPath with the goal of cynically offering her PR services, the aim to improve herself is secondary. At the wellness retreat, we watch Jane half-heartedly attempt the rituals, are introduced to the other clients, meet Tom, Cass' business partner who's maybe more, and see Jane become enchanted with Cass while still never fully believing in what she's selling.
 
The story is funny and takes the typical jabs at millennial life, but I didn’t understand the choice to tell this from the third person perspective. There are some hints that the author has some issues with its so-called "decline", though. This choice makes the story weaker and the first third of this book left me feeling like I was just being told things about Jane. Why should I care?
 
There’s just too much exposition. It’s weaved into the story sloppily, giving way to awkward pacing and stilted conversations. Any time Jane is having a conversation, paragraphs of backstory are introduced. This issue is most prominent at the beginning, which is incongruous with much of the rest. Even the opening email's tone is jarring and disconnected. The chipper description of sex toys (for the feminist, of course) feels aggressive.
 
There was also a repetitive structure to the paragraphs that became tiresome. It goes tenuously-related backstory, observation, pithy comment. Over and over. While it’s funny, it could be used less. The intro could also be pared down a lot, and most of the funny comments could still stand on their own without all. the. exposition.
 
Once Jane lands at FortPath, though, the story gets going. The conversations become natural and less awkward. We see Jane doing things. Her observations are sharper, less rambling. I enjoyed the barbs she traded with Farren, a particularly bitchy client whom Jane describes as "a scary woman."
 
Cass and Tom, the creators of FortPath, are the highlights here. Cass talks like an AI that only spits out nonsensical wellness bullshit. Jane questions (correctly) if Cass is actually negging people with her inane musings when Cass inquires about a lawyer’s bee pollen intake, only to immediately state that she "...finds it helps with body odor."
 
Cass and Tom’s interactions aren’t normal, and Jane grows increasingly fascinated. Tom is maybe gay, maybe doesn’t subscribe to Cass’ lifestyle 100%, but is still fully dedicated to her and serves her every need. Jane identifies Tom as a fellow loser (also correct). They both seem to let life happen to them, so when Jane gets to know more about Tom and reassesses her initial judgment, her betrayal feels raw and relatable. 
 
Tom’s backstory is eventually introduced (and, in turn, Cass'), and it’s well-told and touching. But again, it’s the same expositional style used at the beginning.
 
We see Jane take a turn towards the last part of the story, and with that, the tone shifts. It’s pared down and reflective. In some ways, it works: Jane is more insightful, and her observations aren’t wrapped in her typical ironic armor. Yet it also makes it feel like a different book. Her newly found empathy and the way the story ties back to her medical debt, in particular, didn’t necessarily ring true.
 
Overall, I enjoyed this story, and parts of it really stuck with me. The observations the author makes are culturally relevant. The self-destruction, loathing, and deadpan humor of this book reminded me of Ottessa Moshfegh, but less bleak and also less skillful. With more editing, I think it could be great. I look forward to reading more from this author and watching as her style matures.
 
 · Name of the publication/blog/outlet where your review will be published/posted:: Goodreads, instagram, fable

· Run date for when the review will be posted/published: May 2023

3.75

I think this book would be enjoyed by someone who enjoyed the movie Ingrid Goes West! it has a similar theme and characters, the influencer and the influenced. I enjoyed the writing, I think it was readable and smooth, but I failed to feel fulfilled at the end of this. I kept waiting for some type of twist or closing lesson or explanation, and it ended without any.

I was left with so many questions, and despite the interesting questions raised about the beauty industry and “self care”, the female beauty industries farces and pressures, it failed to truly dissect any of these phenomena. Jane spanned the entire book without truly experiencing any kind of catharsis or enlightenment, she enters this “wellness” universe doubtful and removed, and then she begins to commercialize this thing in which she does not actually care nor enjoy. There is this ambiguous healing effect ostensibly resulted from this retreat experience they pander, but all that results is temporary clear skin?

I guess the premise here is that women will pay so much money for the possibility of being the woman they see online, the woman who sells this lifestyle that is not realistic, and this beauty that is not the sum of the products she is selling. I laud this exploration of the self care/wellness universe that is so ubiquitous these days, but I feel like the book ended without actually presenting or providing any sort of actual stance or insight into the flaws of this industry, or how harmful and false it is.

thank you to NetGalley for gifting me an eArc of this book for reading and review!

I'm not sure how I feel after reading this - disappointed isn't the right word, but it definitely was not what I anticipated. Jane is unlikable, Cass is an enigma (one we really should have got more backstory on), and Tom is pitiful. It didn't mesh.

This book was not at all what I expected, and I’m still sitting here a bit dazed after reading it! A complete skewering of the wellness industry and social media and public relations all in one satirical, funny package.

Jane is a publicist desperate to find the next big thing to bring to her boss when she stumbles across an Instagram page for FortPath, a weekend wellness retreat run by an angelic, glowing woman named Cass. Jane goes to the retreat and finds one of the oddest places I’ve ever read about, filled with things like mushroom tea, beds rolled out in corners of the home, and a leader speaking in complete nonsense. Something special must be in that tea, as people adore the place and Jane is able to build it into an empire.

I laughed out loud several times at the speeches Cass made throughout the story. I’m still not sure if she truly believed everything she was saying, or if she was just completely aware of her image and was a genius at marketing herself. Makes you think a bit about how we perceive others online, and what people are able to easily sell to us as the big must have things or experiences.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book. It had everything I need in a book; unlikeable characters, black humor, and character development. It offered a satirical look at the wellness industry. It reminded me a lot of self care by Leigh stein.

I loved this book. I am very fascinated by the wellness industry and how it effects my own life. While I did not find the characters likable, they were all very dynamic and had a lot of development, except Cass, who to me remained a mystery,

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!

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.

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?

<spoiler>
What didn't work for me was the failure to answer these questions in any meaningful way. By the end of the book I still didn't know a) what was the deal with Cass? b) how did everyone's skin get better? c) did Cass or Jane regret selling out to the same medical shitheads who caused all of Jane's problems in the first place? d) is Tom well-adjusted or possibly the most self-loathing and emotionally damaged character in the book.

I really thought we were working toward a conclusion of "looking well does not equal being well", and we kiiiiind of got there, but without any shifting of priorities from looking well to being well. Also doesn't sufficiently critique the white womanification of self-care beyond pointing it out.
</spoiler>

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.

What a wild and interesting story! Jane, a PR employee, goes to a wellness retreat led by Cass. While on the retreat, Jane gets fired from her job and she then realizes that her new job can be doing PR for Cass and her wellness "brand." Cass is definitely an interesting character and truly defines the brand. She reminds me of a 60's hippie who lives in a commune and is at one with nature. But as Jane takes on Cass as a client, even though her skin is glowing and she's earning money, ultimately money and success don't always equal happiness. This was definitely a different read and I would read other books by Jessie Gaynor.

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" (as someone who has, like Jane, purchased arguably overpriced and itchy wool sweaters made in Europe, I had to laugh in recognition).

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.

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

I absolutely loved reading this book. I was completely drawn into the topic and could not stop reading it.