Ravishing - by Eshani Surya (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A brilliant and compelling debut, Ravishing shines a light on the dark enticements of the beauty industry and how it capitalizes on our desire to be someone we are not

A provocative, darkly surreal novel of two Indian American siblings caught in the clutches of a beauty tech company, Ravishing is a searing portrait of the beauty industry's dangerous ability to change people's relationship to their bodies and the cult-like grip it has on youth.

For teenage Kashmira, it's painful to look in the mirror; she has her father's face, and every feature is a reminder of his abandonment. When a friend introduces her to Evolvoir, a beauty product that changes users' features, Kashmira is quickly hooked on how it allows her to erase the triggers of her grief. Meanwhile, at Evolvoir's corporate offices, Kashmira's estranged brother Nikhil first sees the product as an opportunity to make a difference and a name for himself, but is quickly mired in corporate complicity as reports surface of the product causing severe pain and persistent symptoms in some users. As chaos ensues, Kashmira is hospitalized and must negotiate the constraints of her new reality, while Nikhil uncovers a vicious truth that will force him to decide where his loyalties lie.

Perfect for readers of Gold Diggers and You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine, Ravishing is a visceral, yet immensely tender, coming-of-age story of two Indian American siblings caught in the clutches of a predatory beauty tech company, providing an illuminating portrait of the complexities of growing up brown, chronic illness, and our relationship to ourselves.

Review Quotes

Praise for Ravishing:

"How far will you go to keep running from yourself? Eshani Surya's Ravishing takes this question to new heights, conjuring a dazzling dystopia even as it points a hard finger at our present. You will never look in the mirror the same way again."--Mira Jacob, author of shortlisted National Book Critics Circle Award Good Talk

"Ravishing is a marvel of a debut that hums with the ache of becoming--a place where even the mirror is a battleground and every shimmer of beauty carries the weight of longing: for love, for a face we can call our own, and for a world less cruel. Surya expertly reminds us that even though the body remembers grief and abandonment, there can also be a chance to bloom."--Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of New York Times bestselling author of World of Wonders and Bite by Bite

"An ode to community that also excoriates so-called wellness companies that privilege growth above all, Ravishing is a deeply tender novel about the illness of wellness, familial love, and the power of communal care to withstand the most corrosive elements of capitalism. I couldn't look away."--Ling Ling Huang, author of Immaculate Conception

"As swift as the discourse, as deep as girlhood friendship, and as terrifying as beauty itself: Ravishing is a necessary novel for our times."--Meg Elison, author of Number One Fan

"A smart and assured debut, Surya delivers an intricate dissection of the beauty and wellness industries against the backdrop of late-stage capitalism. Plus, it's a damn good read."--Sara Novic, author of True Biz

"Eshani Surya's Ravishing is an incredible accomplishment. Surya writes a heartfelt and engaged novel of ideas that examines familial love, friendship, and complicated relationships to our bodies. There's so much to praise here, but nobody writes bodies--in sickness, in health, in love--with such empathy and care like Surya does. A brilliant debut."--Megan Giddings, author of Meet Me at the Crossroads

"For anyone who's ever looked in the mirror and wondered what lengths they'd go to change themselves, Ravishing is a poignant portrait of what it often feels like to be a woman in the world, up against impossible standards and a beauty industry determined to capitalize on them by any means necessary. I can't imagine a novel more perfect for the current moment we're in, or more important. In a time when it feels like the only acceptable option as a woman is ceaseless self-improvement, Ravishing is a much-needed moment to pause and remember exactly who benefits from ever-changing beauty trends and standards -- and who is hurt by them."--Olivia Muenter, author of Such a Bad Influence

About the Author

Eshani Surya is a chronically ill South Asian writer living in Philadelphia. She holds an MFA from the University of Arizona, and is a 2022 Asian Women Writer's Workshop mentee, a 2022 Kenyon Review Writer's Workshop scholarship recipient, and a 2021 Mae Fellowship recipient. Ravishing is her first book.