{"product_id":"natural-beauty-5","title":"Natural Beauty","description":"'A meditation on how horror can lurk beneath the surface of even the most poreless skin' \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWinner of the Lambda Literary Award for Best Bisexual Novel 2024\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA WIRED Best Book of 2023\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn Audible Best Horror Book of 2023\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFor fans of \u003ci\u003eThe Substance\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOur narrator\u003c\/b\u003e produces a wondrous sound from the piano learned from her mother and father, who fled China in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. But when an accident leaves her parents debilitated, she abandons her future for a job at a high-end beauty and wellness store.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHolistik is known for its remarkable products and procedures, and her new job affords her entry into an unimagined world of privilege. She becomes transfixed by \u003cb\u003eHelen\u003c\/b\u003e, the niece of Holistik's charismatic owner, and the two strike up a friendship that hazily veers into more.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll the while, our narrator is plied with products that slim her thighs, smooth her skin and lighten her hair. But beneath these creams and tinctures lies something much darker...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA piercing, darkly funny debut, \u003ci\u003eNatural Beauty\u003c\/i\u003e explores questions of consumerism, self-worth, race, and identity  and leaves readers with a shocking and unsettling truth.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eNatural Beauty\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e'A darkly absurd and hilarious skewering of the luxury beauty industry, as well as a heart-wrenching story of a woman left alone in the world' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBuzzfeed\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'The novel seamlessly blends sf, literary fiction, suspense, and body horror while also exploring the oppression of the beauty industry and the Chinese immigrant experience in America' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Alternatingly poignant and deeply unsettling, this is an outstanding first outing for an immensely talented author' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A propulsive, captivating read, \u003ci\u003eNatural Beauty\u003c\/i\u003e pulled me into its world like a fever dream' \u003cb\u003eConstance Wu\u003c\/b\u003e, star of \u003ci\u003eCrazy Rich Asians\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Precise, unflinching, and utterly unforgettable, \u003ci\u003eNatural Beauty\u003c\/i\u003e is both a razor-sharp critique of the beauty industry and a startlingly tender story of family and sacrifice. This book will swallow you whole' \u003cb\u003eGrace D. Li\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003ePortrait of a Thief\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A modern-day \u003ci\u003ePortrait of Dorian Gray\u003c\/i\u003e shot through a Cronenburgian lens' \u003cb\u003eNick Cutter\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Troop\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Canelo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54258573410648,"sku":"9781804369876","price":17.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781804369876.jpg?v=1780484410","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/natural-beauty-5","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}