Reviews with content warning for Terminal illness - Aesthetica

Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom

7 reviews

brianareads's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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wichbich's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Mom death

. This is a huge theme of the book that is not hinted at at all in the description so please proceed with caution as it could be quite triggering. I was not expecting to encounter this at all but I would say it encompasses the bulk of the story.

This was an interesting book with an interesting idea. I would say the experience of the narrator is very specific and I don't agree with her a lot of the time. That doesn't make her wrong but her voice is often sort of grandiose as she discusses ideas of universal morals so it does feel a but like being fed a worldview.

Overall this book feels like less of a narrative and more like a reflection on loss, trauma, and image in the midst of an attempt to realign oneself through even more trauma (and some light stalking).

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lowbrowhighart's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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marpaige's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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amobrien's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

Aesthetica is an incredibly provocative and poignant commentary on influencer culture, plastic surgery, and the way body types go in and out of "style." This novel touches on mother/daughter relationships, friendship, addiction, abuse of power, self-image, feminism, illness, social media... the list can go on. I was so impressed with how it tackled so many subjects in such a compelling way. Aesthetica is the type of story that's a bit difficult when you're first getting into it but you soon find yourself unable to turn away. If you were a fan of My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Aesthetica has a very similar narrative voice that I think you'll enjoy!

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dclazygirl's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-paced

3.75

I started this book on my lunch break and I HATED the first page. I didn't like the writing style, I didn't like the stress on looks, but I said I would give myself a chapter to get into it. Next thing I know, I put off doing work to finish this book. I mostly choose books based on the cover. So I went into this one not knowing the plot and it was fully focused on looks and body image, which threw me off at the beginning. I grew to like the writing style, or maybe it was just a bad first impression, but it grew on me. Which is interesting because this book is all about that good first impression on instagram. I liked the different POVs, it added depth to the story. I also really liked how things weren't gone into full details. And by that I mean, you never really got deep into Josh and Anna's relationship, they had sex, he paid for things, the end. It was just glossing over things, a little more character development and getting into their thoughts and feelings may have added to the book, but I also appreciate that they didn't do that because it could have become a really heavy book very quickly with that added layer. Overall I really enjoyed this one, it is super relevant, and I'm excited to read more by this author in the future.

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angelicgay's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-paced

3.5

"Every mirror is an illusion. The only one I want is the one my mother offered, a vision of myself through her eyes."

Aesthetica is disturbing, not because it's unrealistic but instead because of how real it is. Rowbottom obviously has thorough understanding of influencer culture, beauty standards, and the damaging pulse of social media obsession. While the writing isn't brilliant, its compulsively readable, and there are moments that really stand out in it's effectiveness.

The blurb of Aesthetica describing it's focus on the Me Too movement (and taking down a man in power) is not entirely accurate, or at least it's not as much a focus in the novel as it's implied. While there is definitely the painful account of abuse at the hands of powerful men (and especially their exploitation of a young girl hungry for love and acceptance), ultimately what pushes the story forward is the protagonists account of the damage social media, beauty standards, and what the pressures on women will do to someone young and hungry.

I think the discussions on trauma from this sexual exploitation she faces could have been further developed - her survival after sexual abuse is quickly brushed over in its hurry to wrap up the past. There are moments, however, that are painfully realistic (burning showers to peel of a layer off her skin, could a man break in here?). Perhaps too many issues were covered for them all to truly be explored, but this storyline feels too big for it to not have a much larger impact on her choices, and the peace she eventually seeks. Though... I suppose the argument could be made that even as she plans to undo all the surgery, she is still so effected by her body dysmorphia that she believes changing the way she looks again will be what finally helps everything in her life for the better. Whether this is ultimately true, I think, is up to the reader to interpret.

What I found most arresting about Aesthetica was the protagonists relationship with her mother, how her descent into obsession and internet validation (and its painful realities) counteracts her

slowly losing her mother

and the love from her she was realises she was ultimately searching for. This felt, to me, the most fleshed out aspect of the novel. Simple moments of the protagonist attempting to use her mothers pain for her own benefit (reaching for her phone - perhaps a photo with her sick mother will get her that sponsorship? Perhaps this will dull the hurt?) were the most painfully affective.
Devastating, but this story was never going to be a happy one.

I received a arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

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