Reviews with content warning for Medical content - Aesthetica

This book is a lot in a very small package. I went into it thinking it would be more of a sci-fi medical horror title, but there was very little focus on the Aesthetica procedure itself. Rather, the focus of the story was on Anna's descent into social media addiction, body alteration and abuse. Aesthetica was an off-screen plot device, a method by which to press a magical reset button.

Something I appreciated about this title was how realistic the portrayal of social media addiction was, specifically the slide into seeing everything — no matter how personal — as something to be exploited for internet points. I've never gone for instagram, but I've experienced enough dopamine hits on other platforms to recognize the danger there. She was also spot-on when describing diet culture, particularly how it's passed inter-generationally from mother to daughter. The way this was written was chilling enough that it could be a source of horror to some, though it was a little too close to my own experiences growing up for it to land that way for me.

I don't think that I agree with what appears to be the author's message, that women can't be truly empowered when under misogynistic influences — which is all of us, everywhere, all the time. But this argument winds up removing agency from the oppressed even as it claims to protect it, as it merely replaces those harmful influences with a different set of boilerplate rules for "how to be empowered," which might not be a good fit for every individual! I think the concerns raised in this book are good to be aware of, as it certainly is a thing that happens, but there's no clear answer here with regard to what to actually do to fight this effect.

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jaimee_reads's review against another edition

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dark sad slow-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

2.75

I feel like the book box I got this from mis-represented the book. This book is not about the procedure. The procedure is covered in a single paragraph about 2/3 of the way through the book. This is about a very specific 6 month or so period of Anna's life that is supposed to give the reader an idea of why she wanted this procedure. It seemed very tech dystopian when I was reading the summary, but it's not. It's very literary and sad. I love the author's writing, but this isn't what I expected.

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mondovertigo's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

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nooneshouldbereadingthis's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

If your interested in beauty and influencer culture this fictional book is worth a read.

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spaceseagull321's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense fast-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

4.25

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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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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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