
Member Reviews

I really enjoyed this book! I was not previously familiar with Gabrielle, but really enjoyed learning more about her story, especially as a queer woman in media. I found myself nodding along as she discussed her experience with her eating disorder as it was very relatable.

This is my favorite memoir that I've ever read. I didn't know who Gabrielle was before reading, I was just captivated by the title of the book, as well as the millennial success that she has harbored. I enjoyed her story, both professionally and personally, as she navigated the growth and media pressure she was under.

This is a great motivational and uplifting book. The essays are so transparent and very well written especially coming from a former magazine editor. I think anyone would appreciate the stories Korn relays in this book. Korn gives us insight into an extremely popular societal brand. A lot of us struggle and deal with imposter syndrome and its exhausting trying to be something in this fast paced world, Especially, a world that lacks empathy and humanity. Overall, I would recommend this book and grateful for the perspectives.

This was ok but not as good as I thought it was going to be. Some of the essays I felt were good but some were just lacking. I felt this was not on par as some of the other memoirs I have read this year. Liked the cover and overall idea but it was mediocre at best. Cannot recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley, Gabrielle Korn and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Already available: 1/26/21

"As a new generation of women, how do we recognize ourselves and each other without the pressure to be perfect - however that's currently being defined?"
This was the question Gabrielle Korn set out with in her new memoir "Everybody (Else) is Perfect," and I really loved how her ten essays weaved together her answer. As the former Editor in Chief at Nylon, Gabrielle has this insight into what it's like being the lowest on the totem poll in a digital newsroom, all the way to the top in just a matter of a few years. Along the way, she talks about hypocrisies in the fashion industry, feminism and coming out in college, navigating relationships in her 20s, and her struggles with food and body image.
I didn't know who Gabrielle was before this memoir, but I don't think you needed to to enjoy it. It is clearly evident that she is a super smart women, but the entire memoir comes off in a very relatable/non-superior tone.
Overall - really enjoyed this memoir! Thanks AtriaBooks + Netgalley for the chance to read early in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re a woman working in media, please buy Gabrielle’s new book Everybody Else Is Perfect. Her account of being a young (and queer!) woman leading Nylon Mag churned up so many memories for me of being promoted into leadership roles without mentorship or support, and the financial anxiety/guilt of being paid less than you deserve but more than your peers. There are great essays in here for anyone who has lived with an eating disorder, struggled with unhealthy relationships, been slow to discover their sexual identity, or has a fraught relationship with fashion. For me, it was the chapters about work, promotions and money that resonated.

I. Loved. This. Book.
I’m always down for a good memoir but the fact that I was obsessed with nylon as a teen made reading this even more interesting. Everything she wrote about was interesting and even the tough topics were so well written.
Loved it so so much

In this provocative and intimate collection of essays, #GabrielleKorn reveals exactly what it's truly like in the fashion world, trying to find love as a young lesbian, battling with anorexia, and trying not to lose herself in a mirage of women's empowerment and Instagram perfection.
#EverybodyElseIsPerfect tackles hot topics such as:
▪️ Homophobia
▪️ Sexisms
▪️ Internet feminism
▪️ Impossible beauty standards in social media
▪️ Shifting ideas about sexuality
▪️Queer Representation
◾Career women
◾Feminism
▪️Eating Disorders
◾The #MeToo Movement
◾Mental Health
◾Body Shaming
"In my self-righteous 24 years old words, I proclaimed that there was a difference between natural beauty and radical beauty. That the former is a privilege for those who fit the standards and the latter is about reclaiming the concept of beauty for identities that are usually excluded from it. "
Overall:
I appreciated Korn's criticism of the fashion industry and its criteria for models and the lengths these models would go to just to be accepted. Plus social media body positivity influencers. Do they practice what they preach? Are they spilling the tea on these issues and how they've achieved theirs?
This was a very quick read. So if you're looking for something to read while you're trying to unwind, why not give it a go?
Many thanks to @atriabooks for the eArc copy.
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Thank you to @atriabooks and Gabrielle Korn for my copy of Everybody (Else) is Perfect. This memoir is out now!
Gabrielle Korn starts her professional life with all the right credentials. Prestigious college degree? Check. A loving, accepting family? Check. Instagram-worthy offices and a tight-knit group of friends? Check, check. Gabrielle’s life seems to reach the crescendo of perfect when she gets named the youngest editor-in-chief in the history of one of fashion’s most influential publications. Suddenly she’s invited to the world’s most epic parties, comped beautiful clothes and shoes from trendy designers, and asked to weigh in on everything from gay rights to lip gloss on one of the most influential digital platforms.
But behind the scenes, things are far from perfect. In fact, just a few months before landing her dream job, Gabrielle’s health and wellbeing are on the line, and her promotion to editor-in-chief becomes the ultimate test of strength. In this collection of inspirational and searing essays, Gabrielle reveals exactly what it’s truly like in the fashion world, trying to find love as a young lesbian in New York City, battling with anorexia, and trying not to lose herself in a mirage of women’s empowerment and Instagram perfection. (Goodreads)
Korn is a beautiful storyteller. You can feel her passion come through in her writing, and it makes the book so easy to read. It feels like a conversation with a good friend over drinks. I appreciate the many times that Korn called out the beauty industry for its hypocrisy in its standards and ways of being. So often do they preach one thing in public, but practice another in their offices, and Korn draws attention to how that transpired in her life. Her journey to self-love was inspiring, and I hope it inspires other women and men with similar struggles.

What a book! Well, collection of essays. I LOVED IT!
I throughly enjoyed that Korn gives us a diverse view on my different areas of life in general. I was drawn initially to the title due to the bothersome nature of being a mid-thirties female. I went hoping for some new views on how to accept myself in this digital age.
I feel like what I gained far surpassed my expectations. I enjoyed learning how Korn navigates her life as a women, a fashionista, and a lesbian.
This is a book I will continue to think about for a while yet. Thank you @atria and @netgalley for the advanced copy.

This collection of essays was just what I needed. As a 40-something mom to a 13 year old daughter- it really helped me get back into a mental place I'd somewhat lost touch with, while also updating me on where things stand now. Such a powerful, emotional riveting read. Highly recommend!!

A fascinating and impactful collection of essays from Gabrielle Korn, former EIC of Nylon magazine. Touching on topics including the beauty and fashion industries, mental health, mysogyny, feminism, sexuality, racism, and body dysmorphia, Korn is brutally honest about her experiences in a way that forces you to examine your own more closely and shares insight that makes you want to be a catalyst for change.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy to review.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for this ARC. I am surprised that I am enjoyed this book so much as I am not from the fashion world. But this book is not just that - Korn, the former editor-in-chief of 𝘕𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘯 comes with a provocative and intimate collection of personal and cultural essays featuring eye-opening explorations. Her definition of modern women, the idea of feminism (or the delusion of it) resonated with me as often I keep thinking about it too. In the Instagram generation, it is hard to match beauty standards, and I find myself buying unnecessary things to fill up my social media that always has people ten steps ahead anyways. Korn's open and honest essays shed a bright light on this along with other topics like queerness and gender roles which were brushed under the carpet until a few years ago, and still are in many parts of the world.
Her life, her thoughts and her extraordinary achievements of being the youngest EIC, take the readers through the paces of dealing with so much more than just ambition, as she writes honestly about life in a natural seamless tone that makes me feel like her best friend! I have high hopes for this writer turned editor turned author. ♥️

Everybody (Else) Is Perfect by Gabrielle Korn is a memoir that shares the authors story who feels on the top of the world when she is joins Nylon as the editor-in-chief early in her career. The book is set up in a series of essays with each addressing a variety of topics such as feeling undermined or under-appreciated in the workplace due to ageism, the pressure to be thin and the cost of trying to be thin, and the weaponization of "empowerment" to justify beliefs and behaviors. Gabrielle is someone who recognizes the importance of visibility for underrepresented groups and how important inclusive messaging is for our generation which is illustrated
in every essay she writes. We see Gabrielle from her best to her worst, through good and bad relationships, no topic is avoided.
I also found it very interesting how she explores intersectionality in her different identities. For example, she explores how the desire to be thin is still incredibly common for lesbian women despite heterosexual women making comments to her falsely believing it's not something she is affected by based on her sexual orientation. However it is important to note that weight, thinness, and eating disorders I discussed in many of these essays so for individuals who may be sensitive to those topics may need to skip certain essays. Despite this, I found the topics explored in this memoir very interesting and the author's worldview definitely led me to think more about issues I did not previously consider. Overall I enjoyed and recommend this book!
Many thanks to the publisher Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

An interesting and honest behind-the-scenes look from the former editor-in-chief of Nylon. Through a series of personal essays, Gabrielle shares her personal struggles with her sexuality, eating disorders, and more, while simultaneously working at a fashion magazine.
This book has something different for everyone. For me, it has opened my eyes to take a more critical look at magazines and fashion blogs that scream positive body image but still promote the “ideal body”. To see if they talk the talk, but actually walk the catwalk. Do they promote body positivity, do their walls and corporate culture reflect those ideals as well?

This was one of the books that I initially picked up almost entirely because of the amazing title. I mean, who hasn't felt this way before?! It doesn't matter what stage of life you are in...it is quite easy to fall into the trap of feeling less than and thinking everyone else has a better understanding of how to do it all. Now imaging navigating this feeling while working in women's media..in the beauty department.
Shared through essay format, Everbody (Else) is Perfect takes us through Gabrielle Korn's experience as a white, Jewish lesbian in her 20s, working in women's digital media. From imposter syndrome to body dysmorphia to the mixed messages society sends us daily, this was just such a timely and important read. Her perspective was refreshing, and the insider look at the beauty and fashion media empire was fascinating and illuminating. The underbelly of the media that touts self-love also shares a whole other level of hypocrisy and Korn showed up.
While the focus on the beauty and fashion industry was a large part of these essays, Korn also shared candidly about many other important topics, including sexuality, feminism, mental health, racism, eating disorders/body dysmorphia, and misogyny. Like many essay collections, some of them were 5-star reads for me while others were not quite as impactful but overall this was a very solid read that had the perfect mix of being totally readable while also being a powerful call for change.
Thank you to Atria Books for my advanced copy. My full review will be posted on gentehbookworm.com on the book's publication date.

As a Latina girl, with brown skin, brown hair and brown eyes.. born in Mexico, and raised in the United States.. I never (or hardly ever) saw a representation of myself in American media, like television, or magazines. It was tough to love myself, I grew up hating my beauty marks, or the way I felt black nail polish looked odd against my brown skin.
Today, I cherish my caramel skin color, and wear black nail polish with pride. I LOVE myself.
This book made me appreciate the hard work that some amazing human beings go to great lengths to help represent women like me. All the good and the bad.
We get to know Gabrielle, her triumphs, her struggles… HER. In this collection of essays, I was inspired more then a few times, and I couldn’t stop reading about her determination, and defiance at times to do good onto others. Her heartbreaking story, and how she came back from a condition that’s unfortunately too common in this world.
I admire her, I celebrate her, and I’m so glad I read this book.
The honesty within these pages, and the passion behind her writing, and topics that are talked about are a few of many good reasons to read this book.
I strongly feel like it will be an incredible audiobook as well, if it’s narrated by the author I will definitely give it a listen.

“Under the guidance of 29-year-old Gabrielle Korn, an out lesbian who lives in Brooklyn with her musician girlfriend, Nylon has become one of the most politically-aware, racially diverse, LGBTQ-inclusive, and feminist-forward digital magazines out there since Korn was appointed editor-in-chief in September 2017 (the same time the outlet’s print edition folded).”
Women! We empower one another to live life to the fullest, love who we want to love, feel confident in our bodies and demand equality in our everyday lives. But the bottom line is…are we ever 100% happy within our own skin? How can we get to a place of peace and acceptance of our most wonderful selves, especially when we are promoting this to those around us? Sometimes a deep dive into the roots of these issues is more telling than a one size fits all answer. Gabrielle Korn, a digital media expert, former editor at Refinery29 and former editor-in-chief of Nylon shares in her new memoir, personal essays relating to this very issue. Her story is an eye-opening, contemporary account of how damaging the fashion and beauty industries have been (and still can be) to women. Her writing is fresh and alive and pretty much blew me away. I hope you will read her book and find wisdom and courage in her words.
Gabrielle Korn’s memoir was a deep-seated read. I was beguiled with how she shared her most private moments in her life in a way that felt like she was talking in confidence with a close friend. As a forty something year old straight woman who has never worked in the fashion industry, I could still relate to so much of what she revealed. I have lived through my fair share of fashion/body trends and unreachable beauty standards and of course…sexism at its finest. I can’t say that it was all bad (excluding sexism…that is always never welcomed here), but looking back now I wonder if some of it was even worth it. Some trends worked in my favor, while others had me scrambling or left feeling pretty low. Through the decades, I have witnessed media, fashion, diets and beauty products make strides towards diversity and inclusion of all shapes, sizes and even genders…at least from my perspective as a consumer. But is society moving in the right direction to meet the needs of our diverse and beautiful world? Hopefully. Do I still feel like I am reaching for the stars sometimes? Absolutely. But my one take away from Korn is that there are so many outside factors that influence our lives and we can’t change everything, especially all at once. What we can change though, is our reaction to the cultural influences around us and how we let it seep into our minds and relationships. We do not have to be a slave to our image. We can just be who we are and love ourselves, flaws and all. 2021 continues to be an uphill battle. But as the steepness slowly decreases, our strength is increasing. Our bodies are our vessels that carry us through life. I am focussing more on loving my vessel than hating it. How about you?

This book is a fascinating collection of essays written by the former editor-in-chief of Nylon, a lifestyle magazine known for its focus on pop culture and fashion. A highly respected gig as Gabrielle Korn was responsible for shaping the magazine's content. Invites to every industry related party, and free access to clothing from all the hottest designers are other pretty cool perks of the job. She was living the dream! Except we all know things are never as they seem. These essays are raw, honest, and powerful and make for a thought-provoking read.
There are so many subjects explored in her writing and each reader has the potential to take away something different. I personally was drawn more to her stories of working in the publishing industry rather than her personal life although they were all good reads. It kinda is mindboggling that so many publications attempt to promote body positivity but yet frequently miss the mark. And it's sad although not too surprising that most female industry professionals still strive for that size 2 body.
A must read if you enjoy reading nonfiction that explores the topic of feminism and many other worthwhile subjects.
Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.

Everybody (else) is perfect seemed like a compelling book. A memoir that looks at at so many womens and queer issues as well as eating disorders and navigating success at a young age. Although well written, the book quickly felt repetitious - at times it felt like she was beating a dead horse in writing about some of the book's themes. At 38 I am probably outside the target age group for this book, but I found Korn harder to relate too as the book continued. This book is probably better suited to the 18-30 age range, perhaps younger people will better connect with the author.