Reviews with content warning for Drug use - Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion

Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino

33 reviews

amyvl93's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

Essay collections are a tricky beast - as with any collection of writing there will be some that resonate, and some that hit a little less closer to home.

Jia Tolentino is a super talented writer, whose work I've read numerous times over the years, and I was excited to finally become the last millennial on earth to pick up this book. Trick Mirror has essays that cover reality TV, scamming, thoughts on weddings and broader internet culture.

Strangely enough as someone who loves a bit of pop culture criticism, Tolentino's essays on pop culture were less engaging for me, perhaps as this collection is a few years old, many of her thoughts have been reflected, shared and adapted elsewhere.

The two essays that were highlights for me were 'Ecstasy' - about Tolentino's relationship with religion and drug use and in particular, 'We Come from Old Virginia' - an essay that looks at the aftermath of the infamous Rolling Stone article about the young woman who claimed she was gang raped, a story that was later found to be false, but Tolentino's sensitive telling of a culture of covering up and/or acceptance of sexual harassment and assault is excellent. It is probably worth reading the collection for those two essays alone - and for the very honest & cringey reflections on Tolentino's brief moment of teenage reality TV stardom.

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aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

I listened to this pretty quickly. Liked some parts much more than others. Some of the writing got a little drag-y, and I noticed I zoned out in some parts because of it. I don't think I would've liked it if I physically read it instead of listening to it.

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gellyreads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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tabear's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

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stargirlmolly's review

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informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

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saskiahill's review against another edition

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challenging funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

The first 4 essays were brilliant and I understood and found their content engaging and intriguing. I got lost in the essay about ecstasy and religion and never fully recovered from there (though the final essay on marriage was interesting). I tend to read books as a whole, but perhaps this is better digested as a series of one-offs, and if I'd chosen the essays based on my mood and interest in the subject matter I might have enjoyed them all as much as the first 4!

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grutsb's review

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challenging funny informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

I was excited to read this, but it ended up taking a long time to get through. Although there were shining moments that felt thought provoking and affirming in some way (The I in Internet, Ecstasy, The Story of a Generation in Seven Scams), topics seemed bloviated - ones that are already generously discussed - without adding anything new or pertinent.

Reading this, albeit different than I expected, was still reflective and engaging at times. I think I’ll better screen the next book of essays I attempt.

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