In "Social Creature" by Tara Isabella Burton, the story revolves around Louise, a struggling young woman in New York City who becomes entangled in the glamorous and hedonistic world of Lavinia, a wealthy and daring socialite. As Louise is drawn into Lavinia's extravagant lifestyle filled with parties, drugs, and social media, their toxic friendship takes unexpected turns. The narrative explores themes of envy, deception, and the darker side of social media influence, leading to a shocking and unpredictable conclusion. Burton's writing style captures the essence of the characters and their actions, drawing readers into a world of privilege and manipulation.

Characters:

The characters are intentionally unlikeable, filled with narcissism and manipulation, reflecting the toxic social environment.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is complex, featuring stream of consciousness, frequent literary allusions, and direct reader engagement that some readers found off-putting.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative explores the toxic relationship between two women, leading up to a murder and its cover-up, encapsulated in themes of envy and obsession.

Setting:

The setting is modern-day New York City, characterized by extravagant nightlife and social media influence.

Pacing:

The pacing is uneven, starting slow but accelerating towards a gripping conclusion, maintaining reader interest.

“Anyway, the second I saw it—Christ! I wanted to—oh, I just wanted to genuflect, you know? Kiss the ground—do Catholics kiss the ground, or is that just sailors? Anyway, I wanted to put my mouth right...

Notes:

The protagonist, Louise, is a struggling writer in her late 20s working multiple jobs in New York City.

Lavinia, a wealthy socialite, introduces Louise to a glamorous, party-filled lifestyle through social media.

The novel explores themes of toxic friendships and manipulation, with Lavinia discarding friends every six months.

The story foreshadows Lavinia's death early on, leading to suspense about how it will affect Louise.

Characters generally lack likability, embodying traits like narcissism and self-absorption.

Social media plays a significant role in both the plot and character dynamics, impacting perceptions of reality.

The writing style is described as raw and stream of consciousness, with lengthy sentences and literary allusions.

There are references to classic literary figures, suggesting a critique of pretentiousness in literary circles.

The novel satirizes society's obsession with social media validation and idealized online personas.

Louise's choices lead her to questionable relationships, highlighting her character flaws alongside Lavinia's.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of murder, manipulation, drug and alcohol use, mental health issues, and troubling friendships.

From The Publisher:

'A Ripleyesque exploration of female insecurity set among the socialites of Manhattan' Guardian, Books of the Year

'An irresistible novel about a toxic friendship taken to the extreme' Elle

Louise is struggling to survive in New York; juggling a series of poorly paid jobs, renting a shabby flat, being catcalled by her creepy neighbour, she dreams of being a writer. And then one day she meets Lavinia. Lavinia who has everything - looks, money, clothes, friends, an amazing apartment…

Lavinia invites Louise into her charmed circle, takes her to the best underground speakeasies, the opera, shares her clothes, her drugs, her Uber account. Louise knows that this can't last for ever, but just how far is she prepared to go to have this life? Or rather, to have Lavinia's life?

Ratings (8)

Incredible (1)
Loved It (2)
Liked It (2)
It Was OK (1)
Did Not Like (2)

Reader Stats (44):

Read It (8)
Want To Read (25)
Did Not Finish (1)
Not Interested (10)

1 comment(s)

ColorfulLeo92

Did Not Like

2 months

I don't remember if I've ever read a female friendship goin sour and obsseive that I've actually have enjoyed. Not my cup of tea, but not sure why that is. I wanted to give this book a try though but even if the writing was good I didn't enjoy the plot. But I would want to try another book by Tara Isabella Burton in the future if the blurb sounds interesting

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About the Author:

TARA ISABELLA BURTON is a writer of fiction and non-fiction. Winner of the Shiva Naipaul Memorial Prize for Travel Writing, she completed her doctorate in 19th century French literature and theology at the University of Oxford and is a prodigious travel…

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Social Creature

Tara Isabella Burton