The God of Good Looks

Phenomenal! A book worthy of a standing ovation. I will never forget how this novel made me feel. It's effortlessly beautiful * Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, author of Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? * A dazzling delight of a debut. The God of Good Looks is a captivating portrait of contemporary Trinidiadian culture, a canny exploration of makeup's power as artifice and art, and a tender celebration of unexpected connections and the human need to love and be loved. I gasped, I laughed, I cried-I didn't want it to end! * Coco Mellors, author of Cleopatra and Frankenstein * A glittering will-they, won't-they Bridget Jones re-boot * Nikki May, author of Wahala * Full of characters whose struggles you feel to your bones-and will be rooting for all the way through. Bianca might just be one of my all-time favourite heroines. Fresh, smart, and packed with razor-sharp social commentary-a perfect blend of page-turning and thought-provoking * Caroline Mackenzie, author of One Year of Ugly * Part feminist tract, part love letter to an island, The God of Good Looks takes a look at Caribbean island life and culture rarely seen in books, that of its bristling, competitive carnival culture and beauty world. McIvor writes with wit and confidence of a world where female beauty is celebrated and monetized. Her heroine, an outsider tarnished by scandal, navigates both with skill and satire. Every page we wince and smirk. A self-aware, modern, female-centered novel out of Trinidad which breaks new ground. * Monique Roffey, author of Costa Book of the Year, The Mermaid of Black Conch * McIvor shines in this pitch-perfect narrative of power imbalances ... McIvor combines tight plotting and strong character development as Bianca-empowered by her late mother's lessons of strength-gets the last word with those who've wronged her. This makes for a winning story of comeuppance * Publishers Weekly * Mc Ivor's debut novel, set in her home country of Trinidad and Tobago and rich in social commentary, presents aspiring writer Bianca Bridge, who rather reluctantly accepts notoriously bossy entrepreneur Obadiah Cortland's offer of a position with a beauty magazine. In the alternating voices of Bianca and Obadiah, Mc Ivor effectively captures a surprising and evolving relationship in a mix of humor and drama. Along the way, she innovatively expands the established tropes of Caribbean literature, cleverly using the beauty industry to challenge conventional notions of womanhood and attractiveness. Trinidad's current social and political reality forms a provocative backdrop as Bianca struggles at her lowest point, professionally and personally, then slowly gains confidence in a tale that tracks the universal theme of female agency in familial, professional, and social settings. Obadiah's character arc, though different, also captures the growing self-awareness of a person who has tackled social hierarchies by concealing his true self. Memorable characters, evocative descriptions, and a well-paced story make this an eminently enjoyable novel. * Booklist *