With the beauty industry peddling Wegovy injections, vampire facials, and stem cell treatments, it’s not hard to imagine Faustian bargains for eternal youth. Kim Kardashian recently told the New York Times that she would “eat poop every day” if it meant looking younger.
Inspired by her own descent into the rabbit hole of YouTube “skinfluencers,” Mona Awad takes our efforts toward beauty as the theme of her new novel, Red. Presented as a cross between snow White And Eyes wide closed, Redlike Awad’s previous work, draws inspiration from fairy tales to confront contemporary issues.
It centers on Mirabelle “Belle” Nour, a saleswoman in her thirties who returns to California after the sudden death of her mother in suspicious circumstances.