In each essay, Tolentino writes about a cultural prism: the rise of the nightmare social internet the advent of scamming as the definitive millennial ethos the literary heroine’s journey from brave to blank to bitter the punitive dream of optimization, which insists that everything, including our bodies, should become more efficient and beautiful until we die. This is a book about the incentives that shape us, and about how hard it is to see ourselves clearly through a culture that revolves around the self. Trick Mirror is an enlightening, unforgettable trip through the river of self-delusion that surges just beneath the surface of our lives. Now, in this dazzling collection of nine entirely original essays, written with a rare combination of give and sharpness, wit and fearlessness, she delves into the forces that warp our vision, demonstrating an unparalleled stylistic potency and critical dexterity.

Jia Tolentino is a peerless voice of her generation, tackling the conflicts, contradictions, and sea changes that define us and our time. NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY AND HARVARD CRIMSON AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review.“Jia Tolentino could be the Joan Didion of our time.” -VultureįINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE’S JOHN LEONARD PRIZE FOR BEST FIRST BOOK.“A whip-smart, challenging book.”-Zadie Smith.“From The New Yorker’s beloved cultural critic comes a bold, unflinching collection of essays about self-deception, examining everything from scammer culture to reality television.” -Esquireīook Club Pick for Now Read This, from PBS NewsHour and The New York Times.

The trick mirror