This was a hilarious, unhinged, and totally captivating commentary on the wellness industry and the construction of selfhood. Jane, especially Jane pre-FortPath/Opeia, is unnervingly relatable: Gaynor absolutely nails the experiences of having a separate and more confident work persona that you put on and take off, of liking your academic field but feeling like you’re not as ridiculously devoted to it as you should be, of having nonspecific but desperate ambition in your twenties, of wanting to ruin things or cause chaos or join a cult because you don’t know what else to do, of unhealthy yet self-aware ruminations on youth and beauty….and a whole bunch of other pretty niche thoughts and feelings that I’ve absolutely experienced but hadn’t unpacked until this book looked me directly in the eye and told me to confront myself.

The Glow, which is entrenched in modern pop culture, naturally drew some interesting parallels for me with my other reading. It reminded me of what I wished A Touch of Jen could have been, if A Touch of Jen had ditched the paranormal elements and leaned further into its dark satire elements. It paired perfectly, in the way that I imagine fancy wine would pair with fancy cheese, if I was a wine connoisseur, with another book I began reading at the same time (Jia Tolentino’s essay collection Trick Mirror). It almost gave me hints of Melissa Broder’s biting, incisive voice. I would sell a kidney for a movie adaptation and I’m already thinking about who I would want to play Cass.

The Glow jumped from giving me excruciating secondhand embarrassment, to being genuinely heart wrenching in its discussion of friendship and loss of friendship. It genuinely kept me guessing every time I thought I’d figured out its conceit. Cass is so bizarre and nebulous that I found her difficult to picture, and sometimes to fully believe, but her characterization matches the bewilderment that Jane is experiencing–we as the reader are taken along in Jane’s journey of confusion to acceptance as the narrative reveals more and more of Cass. I loved the dynamic between Tom and Jane, and I loved the transition from dark satire to background narrative back to satire, and I loved how Gaynor unflinchingly skewered the wellness industry’s tendency to equate glowy skin with spiritual fulfillment.

If this book doesn’t blow up, at least in the circles I inhabit of other unhinged literary fiction girlies, I’m gonna be so mad.

Exactly what I hoped this novel would be: intriguing, propulsive, sensual, dryly hilarious, a finish-in-one-sitting read. While I can't say there was anything particularly surprising about the plot or character arcs, it was satisfying and fun!

The Glow is about Jane, a late twenties PR specialist who is struggling with medical debt and life in general. When she stumbles onto Cass and Tom, who run a wellness retreat, she ends up wiggling her way into being an integral part of the operation.

I enjoyed the novel and the narration especially. It’s unflinchingly honest and in a way, makes a lot of room for its readers to be a little more bold with their thoughts. Many times throughout the novel I felt it was saying all what we’re too afraid to say. Some will feel it’s too ugly, but for those who make no pretense that humanity is anything but perfectly sunshiney rainbows, it’ll feel like a breath of fresh air.

There’s not much of plot in this novel which is true to many literary works, but the journey that Jane embarks to figure out the force behind Cass and also understand herself a little more is well worth it.

The Glow was fantastic! The perfect balance of funny and illuminating, my only complaint is that it wasn't longer! The Glow follows Jane, a misguided every-woman. She reinvents herself constantly, She was Poetry Jane in college, PR Jane works in marketing but the story follows her evolution into Scary Woman Jane as she attempts to works off her medical debt at a highly dysfunctional wellness retreat led by Class, a magnetic, mysterious personality, and her devoted husband, Tom. Every character introduced was so interesting, I just want to know more about them all!

Jane, working in PR and desperate to retain her employment, searches for the perfect organization in need of her help. She's obsessed with wellness and "health" via influencers like many her age. She stumbles upon a wellness retreat and a new obsession with the face of said retreat. The obsession ebbs and flows while she infiltrates and creates a way to stay there for good.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't a win for me. I tried so hard. I had high hopes given the synopsis. Don't get me wrong though, there are a significant amount of highlightable one line zingers. Unfortunately the rest of it felt like it dragged on. I didn't find myself rooting for Jane or any other characters. Pieces felt incredibly repetitive. A little more than halfway through we get a tangential life story of a supporting character out of left field and I think that's where I just mentally tapped out. I am a BIG fan of sudden endings with lack of closure.. however, this wasn't it. Those witty takes on the beauty industry and insecurity were the saving grace for my rating.

2.5 rounded to 2.

The rare genuinely funny black comedy. The wellness industry is ripe for skewering and this is very well done satire. Jane is a terrible person; it is a testament to Gaynor's writing that the book is so addictingly readable.

There was nothing wrong with this book, but it fell flat for me overall. I liked the voice coming through the writing and would read from the author again, unfortunately I just don't think this story had anything new or interesting to say about the topics discussed.

In her debut novel, "The Glow," Jessie Gaynor takes readers on a wild and hilarious journey through the realm of self-care and wellness, delivering a triumph of satire that is both cutting and careful in its approach. With sparkling wit and a razor-sharp narrative, Gaynor presents a story that is irresistibly entertaining and leaves a lasting impression.

At the heart of the book is Jane Dorner, a young and desperate publicist who finds herself at a crossroads in her career. Burdened by overdue medical bills and teetering on the edge of financial ruin, Jane embarks on a mission to transform the charismatic leader of a grungy retreat center into the next big self-care brand. Enter Cass, an impossibly gorgeous and enigmatic figure who becomes the focal point of Jane's ambitious plans. With a mix of inspirational quotes, Zen koans, and a diet centered around zucchini, Cass seems poised to become an influential wellness guru.

Gaynor expertly navigates the terrain of the wellness industry, exposing its peculiarities and the dubious intersection of money and health. Through Jane's journey, we are prompted to question the ethics of profiting off others while claiming to do good for them. Gaynor deftly explores the sacrifices we make when trading power, influence, and beauty, delving into the complexities of identity and the potential loss of self.

The writing in "The Glow" is nothing short of delightful. Gaynor's plotting is sparkling, keeping readers engaged and eager to turn the pages. The narrative brims with deadpan humor, and the dialogue crackles with wit and authenticity. It is evident that Gaynor possesses a keen observational eye, capturing the absurdities of the self-care industry with finesse and an undeniable sense of fun.

"The Glow" stands out as a timely and thought-provoking novel. It not only provides a satirical take on a booming industry but also poses pertinent questions about the nature of authenticity and the commodification of well-being. Gaynor's writing is fresh, vibrant, and full of energy, making this debut novel a true triumph.

Overall, "The Glow" is a must-read for those who enjoy sharp social commentary wrapped in a compelling and entertaining narrative. Jessie Gaynor has established herself as a talented and promising author, and I eagerly await her future works.

I was expecting biting and original satire, and for me, The Glow did not deliver on these fronts.

The premise of The Glow really drew me in--a woman in her late 20s . The way this book is pitched feels a bit misleading The more I read The Glow, the more I realized this book wanted to My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh and Self-Care by Leigh Stein (both are great and you should read them). The social commentary in The Glow felt regurgitated and didn't add anything new or nuanced to the conversation.

Glimmers of Gaynor's biting sense of humor stood out to me in the beginning of the book, especially as Jane first enters FortPath and interacts with Cass, but these moments were too infrequent in The Glow for me to label the novel as "biting".

The pacing felt very jolting to me, especially in the second half of the book and left me feeling needlessly unmoored. The Glow would have appealed to me more if there were fewer time jumps and instead wrote into some of the months/moments that were glossed over. It ended up feeling rushed and

My biggest issue, I think, is how the protagonist, Jane, is portrayed. To be clear, I do not need a "likeable" character to enjoy a novel--in fact, many of my favorite books center on unlikeable characters (see: My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Eileen, Agua Viva, and Luster). Jane is most certainly a very flawed and unlikeable character who deserved scrutiny, but I feel like this book glosses over the fact that Jane's desperation not only originates from her blurry sense of self & desire to be perceived as powerful, but it also is very much rooted in the fact that Jane is over $95,000 in medical debt. The book does illustrate Jane's complicity in exploiting wellness & people for profit. However, I also don't think this book really looked at Jane's personal vulnerability and didn't look at the fact that maybe a part of Jane's desperation for power, other than achieving what she thinks as "enlightenment," was maybe also feeling empowered to pay off her medical debt and survive.

Overall, while I am drawn to Gaynor's writing style, I found the story a bit threadbare and was left wanting more bite and nuance.

This was sharp, clever, witty and a great depiction of the shallowness and self-absorbed nature of so many people. It was difficult to really care for Jane who spent the entire book thinking about herself yet was so pitiful you felt sorry for her. Cass could have stepped out of a fantasy novel and Tom was pathetic from a lifetime of privilege and ease.
The story was funky and original and I will always wonder if kelp, zucchini and body temperature water really could make me glow.
Looking forward to what Jessie Gaynor brings us next.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

DNF at 32% -- I didn't dislike this book, I think it's likely making some really interesting commentary on wellness influencers and the commodification of health, but it's challenging to keep pushing myself through a book when I don't feel any connection to the characters. I will probably revisit this one someday, and I hope it finds its way into the hands of readers who can appreciate it now.

I tried, but this was just not the book for me. I don't know if it was the writing or what exactly the issue was but it felt wrong in all aspects.

3.5 rounded up. I would say this is a very smart and satirical book. I quite enjoyed I did knock off a star because I think for it being a shorter book I was bored at times but I will say, overall it was good.

This is the equivalent as the woke people who are also chronically online because ironically that’s quite the opposite of these characters their goal is to be so disconnected from the world’s perception of social media that all them turn into the book definition of someone who is an influencers. It’s about obsession and the exaggeration of appearance and mental health and how far you’d go to make it appear that you’re in touch with yourself and the world around you.

I liked it a lot because I did not connect with not one single character and I think that was the whole point. They’re so unlikeable but they also feel so real. All of their actions come off as desperation and dishonest.

Wow, what an incredibly unique writing voice this author has! I was so drawn into her way of seeing the world and the looseness (compliment!) of the language. It created an incredible energy for me as a reader as I dove into Jane's world. The plotting is excellent, as is the satirical send up of the influencer industry. I was laughing out loud throughout while also pondering the modern issues the books grapples with, like if it's possible to do good while making a profit. I highly recommend this one, one of my favorite reads of 2023 so far!

this book hit me in a way i absolutely did not expect. really funny and astute on modern wellness and influencer culture but also deeply moving.

The writing was good and it was genuinely funny at times, but I did not care about the characters at all. As someone who needs to feel some sort of connection with them, this one fell flat for me there, which made me less interested in where the story was headed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC!

Synopsis from Penguin Random House:
"A desperate young publicist tries to save her career by turning the charismatic leader of a grungy retreat center into the hot new self-care brand in this “wildly funny, laser-eyed” (Michael Cunningham) debut novel."

This book had a great start. The writing is great and the tone is just the right kind of funny and self-aware. I found Jane to be interesting and unlikeable in a realistic and mega messy way! The plot is also super intriguing and I think it had a lot of potential.
Unfortunately, this book felt pretty surface level and aimless. While the topic, setting, and themes are interesting, the book itself kind of falls flat, especially the ending, and most of it felt like stuff we've all already heard before.

Bitingly funny, deeply incisive- I loved this take on the world of wellness, and the weirdness of human relationships, from Jessie Gaynor. Our heroine, Jane, a burned out poetry-PhD-turned-PR-girlie (with the most possible eye roll accented on the girlie) stumbles upon an Instagram profile for a mysterious wellness retreat and falls into lust/fascination with its leader, Cass. After spending a weekend at Cass's house, and becoming deeply enmeshed in the idea of making the retreat over, Cass moves into the house and the lives of the people who reside there. This is a deeply messy book (which is the kind of book I love best) about messy people messing up. I also loved the subtle examinations of whiteness and privilege in the wellness space, sprinkled on but not the dominant flavor. Can't wait to see what Gaynor writes next.

The premise to this book sounded interesting, so I was excited to read it. I think that it had potential, but didn't live up to it imo. The main character wasn't really likeable at all, and neither were any of the others. I DNF'd it around halfway through.

The premise of this book sounded right up my alley (a FMC around my age facing typical millennial problems) but unfortunately the characters and plot fell flat for me.

Jane is a 29 year old working in PR, who falls into a depressive-like state after being broken up with by her boyfriend of 5 months. In this state, she doesn't really do anything at work, which is picked up on by her manager. In order to essentially keep her job (which she needs to pay off her medical debts) she pitches working with companies selling experiences instead of products, and goes to a wellness retreat to prove to her manager that this is a successful endeavour.

There isn't much filler upfront which means we get to the retreat quickly, which I appreciated, but I found the plot to stagnate after that. The characters, especially Jane, are honestly pretty annoying and dislikable (and hard to relate to 95% of the time) and I really struggled to get into this book. I ended up giving up properly reading ~30% and skimming the remainder (I was curious about how it would all end, the answer for me was disappointingly).

The writing, however, was not bad, and I would pick up other books by this author.