The New Me

I'm convinced Halle Butler skimmed Eileen and tried to copy it while completely misunderstanding why people liked it. That's the only way this boring, disdainful little monstrosity makes sense.

Maybe one day I’ll stop reading sad girl lit fic books that feel like a personal attack on me

I'm pretty sure many people can relate to Mildred, or Millie. Her negative thoughts, her constant worries about what other think of her, and her depression for not being able to secure a permanent job, hence feeling a complete failure in her thirties, not to mention the envy and jealousy she has to face from her self-centered friends because Millie has parents who could support her financially, despite her being not able to stand on her own feet. It's a chick-lit, but not really. I like this book, but unfortunately, the content is too basic to be excited about.

Humans being humans

eeeeh idk some parts were relatable, i do get the general disentchament with work & adulthood, but most of it felt like pretentious apathetic wank so im torn. it was a fast read and the writing was good, but it also felt unfinished. or maybe i don’t feel strongly about books that don’t really lead anywhere. again idk. probably a 2.5

interesting at first, but felt flat all throughout. maybe that's the whole point of the book tho. this is a relatable book tho, however i didn't really enjoy reading it. if the writing was more interesting, i would have probably enjoyed it!

when she said, "I try to cry and think about the things that I'll be grateful for in the future, once I have my life together a little bit more" - I felt that lol. i was pleasantly surprised by the slow burn developed in such a short novel.

what a bitter pill of malaise.

The New Me is a satirical view on female rage and the obligatory fulfillment (but also impending doom) of landing a full time job. As she tries to transform herself, Millie reveals her personal flaws and conflicts. I could find myself relating to Millie, her attitude, and her thoughts on transformation and social constructs. I enjoyed her shitty, pessimistic views and feelings. And although they were the main highlight of the book, I kept expecting something more. I understand that the book is focused on work and jobs, mainly office jobs, which isn't the most exciting matter, but I found myself feeling disinterested at certain parts of the book. Certain parts of the book seemed like they were dragging on or simply unneeded. Overall, I mainly enjoyed this book due to the relatability. Butler does a great job of encapsulating the intense feeling of rage and capturing that turmoil of the need between steadiness and freedom, the longing for change and the strifes that come with that. Due to the number of pages, I would suggest this book if you're looking for a short, simple read and enjoy themes such as pessimism and minute (feminine) rage.

It's kind of a whole lot of nothing. The prose is pretty flat and uninteresting and it doesn't help that the narrative is the same. You could say it's the literary equivalent to eating raw potato.

yeah i sort of relate to millie

Good that I love books about bored women but I wanted more it was a bit anticlimactic

I usually love character-driven novels, and I really wanted to love this one as well. It had its nice moments but, overall, it did not work for me. I found myself uninterested and pretty bored throughout most of it.

There were so many points where this book was trying to be profound about life but it just didn’t hit the mark, for me. This character was so unbelievably unlikeable and had the worst outlook on life. I personally did not enjoy this book and I would not read it again.

So boring. I think the author intended it to be boring since Millie's life is, too. Well, it was very effective making me feel what Millie feels I feel like this deserves 5 stars. But it is just so frustrating I rate her life 2 stars.

i thought it was fine - i like how halle butler writes, i think i'm just kind of getting sick of this genre of disillusioned young white woman. so many books just do that genre better than this one lol. at least it's a short one that's fairly readable, although the many subplots/minor characters were a little annoying

Relatable and comforting in that way. The style choice of alternating points of view kept the storyline exciting and fast paced, while the narrator Millie was convincing and so human to the point where it was almost impossible to not identify with and want the best for her. The only downside was that it was so short—I would love another novel with this narrator/character.

This was incredibly boring.

I thought that this book was exceptional. It has an interesting vein of commentary running through it, and I felt really seen throughout the musings of the main character. Millie is a great character who engages while staying interesting throughout the novel. The plot is very simple, but it's executed with a lot of grace and care. I found myself very interested in the novel but believed that there were certain aspects (i.e. the changing perspectives) that weren't as fleshed out as I would have liked. It sits pretty easily at a four star for me, but maybe more accurately three point nine.

I’m waffling between 4 and 5 stars on this one. I now have a word for this genre thanks to Vulture - repulsive realism. The New Me is in the same vein as My Year of Rest and Relaxation and Severance, two other books I really liked. The New Me follows Millie. A young woman working in a temp to perm job at a design firm. She has two friends who aren’t really friends, she is bored by her job, and she still receives financial support from her parents. Millie is experiencing some serious malaise and thinks it will be fixed by consuming, a better job, a good apartment clean, and working out. Part of me loathes these characters who are wrapped in their own privilege yet another part of me relates so hard to their struggles, which seem to stem from capitalism, burn out, and an unhealthy mental state. I cried when I finished this book, because it brought up so many of her struggles and insecurities. Butler is a brilliant writer. She made me laugh, cry, and hold the book close to my chest. I will probably read anything she writes. So yes, this book is not intersectional and a bit self-absorbed. But you also need to put on your own life mask before helping others. I think there’s a place for repulsive realism, and it’s on my TBR (and probably book shelf).

I don't know if the main character needs a hug or a spirited talk lmao

"We're so much in our minds, waiting for something to happen, acting it out, that the body and the outer world might as well not exist, for all it concerns us." This one goes out to all my depressed girlies