It's time to get serious and have a good look at how we present ourselves. And how we really are. Look is a can't-miss gem of a novel that you desperately need to be reading.


Look
by Zan Romanoff 

Things Lulu Shapiro's 10,000 Flash followers don't know about her:
* That the video of her with another girl was never supposed to go public.
* That Owen definitely wasn't supposed to break up with her because of it.
* That behind the carefully crafted selfies and scenes Lulu projects onto people's screens, her life feels like a terrible, uncertain mess.

Then Lulu meets Cass. Cass isn't interested in looking at Lulu's life, only in living in it. And The Hotel—a gorgeous space with an intriguing, Old Hollywood history and a trust-fund kid to restore it—seems like the perfect, secret place for them to get to know each other. But just because Lulu has stepped out of the spotlight doesn't mean it'll stop following her every move.

It's a story about what you present vs. who you really are, about real intimacy and manufactured intimacy and the blurring of that line. It's a deceptively glamorous, feminist, emotionally complex, utterly compelling, queer coming-of-age novel about falling in love and taking ownership of your own self—your whole self—in the age of social media.

 
As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my participation in the blog tour/my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. 

The fact that so few people are discussing their anticipation for Look is positively criminal. There are many topics tackled and the core message of Look is of great importance. This is such a special book and another to add to the best of lists. Truly, Zan Romanoff created something incredibly relevant, witty, heartfelt and intimate within these pages. Look is one of the most sincere and breath-taking contemporary novels of the year--and deserves all the hype in the world.

(And, yes, as a matter of fact, I will be yelling about Look all year.)

We live in a very peculiar time. With all the opportunities and pros of social media, there are just as many, if not more, cons. Often, how we portray ourselves online doesn't reflect who we are. And, in all the right ways  Look portrays what it really means to grow up in the spotlight as a social media influencer. 

At its core, Look is a typical coming of age story; updated for our modern life.

Coming of age stories must be realistic to work. They must hold the very soul of the characters who exist within. And  Look is, perhaps, one of the most organic one in recent memories. Romanoff is a force to be reckoned with and the way she weaves this tale of growth, love, and honesty. Tackling very serious issues and risks that come with social media influence, the novel's real heart comes directly from its main character and the relationships she forms.

Look takes familiar tropes and develops them into something fresh, lively, and romantic. Undeniably modern and realistic, Look follows up on issues that are very relevant in the modern age. Every page is sparkling and intelligent; Romanoff never takes subtle digs at the way we approach social media and treats her audience with respect.

Further, the conscious effort in exploring teenage life felt entirely real. Not once did I feel as though Look was fiction: these are well rounded and developed characters who act and sound their age. At the end of the day, I can only applaud Romanoff for how she wrote this story--watching Lulu's journey to herself, her budding relationship with Cass, etc.

Look captures uncertainty of youth in the realest way possible. You cannot miss this novel. AT. ALL.