Media Queen

The biggest strength of this novel is getting to see what it’s like to work in media over the span of two decades.  The distribution and consumption of media changed so rapidly in such a seemingly short amount of time.  Jordyn adapts with the times, moving from magazines to newspapers to other forms of media as they emerge.  It’s quite interesting to see how she takes lessons learned in the magazine business and applies them to later forms of media.   It was absolutely fascinating to see th

The biggest strength of this novel is getting to see what it’s like to work in media over the span of two decades.  The distribution and consumption of media changed so rapidly in such a seemingly short amount of time.  Jordyn adapts with the times, moving from magazines to newspapers to other forms of media as they emerge.  It’s quite interesting to see how she takes lessons learned in the magazine business and applies them to later forms of media.   It was absolutely fascinating to see the differences between working for different media. The slow newsroom in Beddo is starkly contrasted against working at a popular youth magazine in Sydney.  

Jordyn is a fascinating protagonist. She’s very driven from the young age of sixteen. She has no intention of graduating from high school, and plans to move to Sydney immediately to start her career in magazines.  While she’s clearly a picture of the working woman in the nineties and early 2000s, her lifestyle is far from balanced. She is so focused on her career and climbing up the ladder that her personal life suffers.  And to be honest, it doesn’t seem like she cares much about the relationships that disintegrate because of her inability (and unwillingness) to put time and effort into maintaining them. 

Jordyn is a textbook narcissist, which can either make or break this novel for you. She’s  self-centred, and she doesn't hesitate to do whatever it takes to succeed, even if she ends up hurting her friends. I found it quite interesting how she never seems to understand or recognize that what she’s doing is wrong, though she does have some character development in that area as the years go on.  She also doesn’t seem to appreciate what she has until it’s gone, but even then, she doesn’t have regrets. It’s refreshing to read a book where the main character is driven and successful, yet isn’t perfect. She has flaws, and these are clearly demonstrated through her actions and the way that she treats her friends, family, and coworkers.

Scattered throughout the narrative are news items regarding Jordyn and her successes (or failures) in media. While the rest of the book is written in third person, it’s still undoubtedly from Jordyn’s perspective.  What we're told is happening is somewhat unreliable, because it's coloured by Jordyn's view of herself and what she's doing. These little snippets, however,  show us what’s really going on, and the picture isn’t quite as pretty as Jordyn would let everyone believe.  This adds a further level of depth to the novel, that makes this book and intriguing and more satisfying read.
*I received an ebook from the author*

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