What a Time to Be Alive by Jade Chang was a unique and powerful read that left a lasting impression on me. The story follows Lola Treasure Gold, a woman grappling with grief, unemployment, and the return to her crumbling childhood home—until an unexpected viral video turns her into an internet folk hero and accidental self-help guru. As she navigates sudden fame, she also confronts questions about her identity, the commodification of belief, and her painful past, including the mysterious disappearance of her deported mother.
Chang masterfully balances humor and heartbreak, creating a kaleidoscopic narrative that explores grief, identity, fame, and the often blurry line between authenticity and performance. I felt a full spectrum of emotions while reading—it's both deeply moving and sharply observant. This book is absolutely worth the read.

This book started off really slow for me and I definitely felt the temptation to DNF a couple of times as I found the protagonist so annoying but more importantly completely uninteresting. The book started to pick up around the halfway mark and slowly redeemed itself but there were some tangents in the story that remained loose ends.