A review by notedbynnenna
Smile and Look Pretty by Amanda Pellegrino

4.0

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

This was good! I was looking for a book that would be a quick read, that I wouldn’t want to put down, and this book fit the bill.

It’s about four young assistants living and working in NYC. They are abused and mistreated and harassed by their bosses, until finally they’ve had enough. They decide to create a website where people can anonymously share their horrible work experiences and in doing so, hopefully feel a little less alone.

I was intrigued by the premise and I liked how it focused on several different jobs: publishing, comedy, news, and acting. This book brought to mind the #MeToo movement, along with the TV series The Morning Show and the IG page @diet_prada. It reminded me of being at the bottom of the ladder during my entry-level days in my first job out of college, and how limited your power is at that stage. How you can sometimes feel trapped.

I found this book relatable, even though I haven’t had the same experiences as these young women. I felt for them as they tried to convince themselves that their experiences were “not that bad,” when really, in fact, they were. All the gaslighting, self-doubt, being told to suck it up and keep quiet- when will it stop? 

This is a book that is easy to get sucked into and I’m glad I picked it up on a whim!