Smile and Look Pretty by Amanda Pellegrino

What happens when four assistants risk everything to say enough is enough?

Best friends Cate, Lauren, Olivia and Max are overworked and underpaid assistants to some of the most powerful people in the entertainment industries. Like the assistants who came before them, the women know they have to pay their dues and abide the demeaning tasks and verbal abuse from their bosses in order to climb the ladders to their dream jobs.

But as they are passed over for promotions and the toxic office environments reach a breaking point, the women secretly start an anonymous blog detailing their experiences, which snowballs into hundreds of others coming forward with stories of their own. Confronted with newfound viral fame and the possibility of their identities being revealed, the assistants have to contend with the life-changing consequences of speaking out against those who refuse to share the power.


What I thought

A fabulous debut from Amanda Pellegrino.

Smile and Look Pretty is an accurate depiction of what assistants face on a day-to-day basis. Amanda managed to capture it with such accuracy, that at times I felt like she was writing about a day in my former life. 

This character driven novel is written with talent and passion. Pellegrino's prose is engaging, playful, and humorous. There were parts of the book that had me laughing so hard I thought I might choke on the overflowing glass of Riesling that will only compliment this wonderful novel. An Americano will do if you're on the clock enjoying this one at your desk.

On another note, if you and your book club pals are looking to get together to read this one, HarperCollins have put together a fantastic discussion guide, which I highly recommend checking out.

Courtesy of Amanda's website

Amanda Pellegrino is a TV writer and novelist living in New York City. Her writing has appeared in Refinery29 and Bustle. Most recently she was a writer on Showtime’s American Rust. 
Smile and Look Pretty is her debut novel.

Smile and Look Pretty is available for pre-order (releasing March 8th) in paperback format at Indigo and in e-book format on Kobo. Check HarperCollins Canada for additional retailers.