I think in this case the translation didn’t quite hit the way I think maybe the author intended.

The narrator is compelling but the content really weighed me down and I just didn’t quite feel like I was getting the scope of the story.

I appreciated the Other Profile for its exploration of influencer culture and its effect on the larger culture. I enjoyed the writing and it kept me engaged.

The older I get, the more books I read, and the more books I read, the easier it becomes to ID one that isn’t contributing anything original.

Let’s Blow Up Influencer Culture isn’t a new idea for a modern novel, nor is it one that is so worthy that anyone needs to read 20 different versions of it. The story here is fine and so is the writing, but it would
need to be exceptional to overcome the banal tropeyness of the material, and alas, it is not.

Without an original spin on the topic, a book like this needs either hugely lovable characters who get you on their side, or consistently exceptional humor. The characters here aren’t particularly likable, relatable, or fascinating, and while the humor shows up successfully here and there, it’s largely a miss.

Was not necessarily obsessed with the characters - but the relationship between the main character and what I'll call her employer was totally redeemable for the whole book.

I have never met a Europa I did not like. I don't even read the descriptions anymore, I just know if Europa published it , it will not only entertain but also challenge me. The Other Profile was no exception in its dealing with social media influencers and content creators. I found both main characters to be deeply dislikable, but I was fascinated by their actions.

With unremarkable characters and a confusing dual timeline, I’m left wondering what the point of this was. I didn’t feel I could relate to either main character and honestly just couldn’t make myself care.

This book was very engaging but a bit esoteric. However, the punch that it packed by the end of the story is something that I will think about for a long time. While the concept of a social media influencer putting on a fake personality has been done, I think this book really turned it on its head and made the message of the harms of influencer culture fresh. I loved the dynamic between Maia and Gloria, and loved the nuance of the themes at hand.

The Other Profile by Irena Graziosi is too Gen Z for me.

I am too old to be reading books about 18 year old influencers. It annoys me too much, I just have to accept it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

If you are an enthusiast of “sad girl books,” please put this one on your radar, coming out in English in February 2024!

This literary fiction, translated from the Italian, follows a young woman who is hired as an assistant to an extremely successful influencer, and focuses on the strange, unhealthy relationship they form. This subgenre of lit-fic can be hit or miss for me, but this one definitely hit; the characters were compelling in their dysfunction, the commentary on influencing was interesting and layered, and the prose was gorgeous (hats off to the translator!) and engaging. There were a few times where I wanted a little more depth or development from the characters, or felt like I didn't quite understand why they were making the choices they were making, but in general, really enjoyed.

Thank you so much to Europa Editions and Netgalley for the advance copy!

i have never really read italian literature but this was so beautifully written and i really enjoyed reading it

wasn't particularly enthralled by this one but it was an interesting premise. i feel like certain people will probably enjoy it though! probably just not my thing.

thanks net galley for the arc!

The sense of irony I feel typing a review to post on social media for this book that skewers influencer culture is *sharp*. This is a short book, but it's full of angsty musings, toxic relationships, obsessive friendships, and appalling mental health. I binged it in a couple of hours. I can see why people are unsure of it, it's definitely not a "feel good" book, and the narrator, Maia, is not exactly likable. But it was thought-provoking and I could not put it down--I had to see what happened next, even though I knew it was likely to be something bad.

Maia is 26 and doesn't care about much. She lives with her much older boyfriend who doesn't really know her at all, and her only joy in life is watching Law & Order SVU. Relatable. Through her talent for depicting exactly the person others want to see, she ends up with a job working for an 18-year-old Instagram influencer, Gloria. Gloria is her image, and nothing else. Until she and Maia form an obsessive friendship, that has both of them questioning where one begins and the other ends.

If you don't like literary fiction, unreliable narrators, satire, or dark stories, skip this one. If you like weird and kind of bleak books that explore our sense of self or lack of, pick it up. Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, & the author for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book isn’t exactly what I was expecting. Not my cup of tea but I’m sure others would love it.

I just reviewed The Other Profile by Irene Graziosi. #TheOtherProfile #NetGalley

Maria's character is quite sinister in the method of which she approaches people such as Eva and Gloria and the satisfaction she receives from behaving in such a way that the only results are hurt and emotional deprivation. Even though she observed social media as vacuous and full of promotional materials that even the influencer may not use, she herself often comes across as a shell of a human being. It is hard to determine what she actually cares about as her and Fillipo lacked any sort of connection and her source of happiness was Law & Order while eating gummy candy. There are parts of the book that are interesting in terms of her observations but the way I would describe it is very dark.

I struggled with this one, maybe because of the translation but it felt stiff, stilted and I wasn't sure what the point was. It was told in the first person which isn't my favorite. two women, struggling with their identity, an influencer and someone who works for her, and the relationship between them