very interesting memoir of a very interesting person that's definitely worth a read with its insightful analyses into the beauty-obsessed culture

“How to Make Herself Agreeable” by Cameron Russell is a captivating debut novel that explores the intricate dance of social expectations and personal identity. Russell’s sharp, insightful prose delves into the life of the protagonist as she navigates the pressures of conforming to societal norms while striving to stay true to herself. The narrative is both thought-provoking and relatable, offering a fresh perspective on the challenges women face in balancing authenticity with the desire to be liked.

Russell’s characters are richly developed and the story is peppered with wit and poignant moments that resonate deeply. The novel’s exploration of themes such as self-acceptance, societal pressure, and the complexities of human relationships makes it a compelling read. “How to Make Herself Agreeable” is a thought-provoking and engaging story that will leave readers reflecting on their own experiences long after they turn the final page.

I give it 5 stars for its incisive commentary, engaging plot, and the depth of its characters. Cameron Russell’s debut is a standout work that promises a bright future for this talented author.”

I didn’t know what I was getting in to picking up Cameron Russell’s memoir. I had only a vague recollection of who she is and no expectations. The memoir was uncomfortable to read and left me uneasy. I believe this is as designed. Russell creates art intended to make us think and feel and question the images we see in fashion. The images she spent many years creating. The memoir focuses on the dark and disturbing reality of the fashion industry. She shares her own experiences being complicit to “the way things are done” in the fashion industry, the expectations of her as a model. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that the way she was treated did not seem to improve much even as her fame grew. She even acknowledges that she does not include all the friends and people she enjoys working with. There’s little bright side to this memoir but then if there was, I wouldn’t feel so disturbed and conflicted. I have no doubt this was Russell’s intention. I recommend this book to fans of Russell’s and those interested in the fashion industry and #metoo movement.

Cameron Russell shares her story of development entrenched in the modeling industry from adolescence. Often at the mercy of unchecked power and greed, Russell navigates her vulnerability, toil, and acclaim. Amidst the turbulence of it all, Russell, sometimes with the help of trusted adults but mostly alone, is stalwart in her sense of what feels right and wrong, just and unjust. She critically investigates what it means to consent, model, desire, fantasize, harm, objectify, and curate bodies. Ever resilient, discerning, and thoughtful, Russell becomes as much thinker, activist, and organizer as she is model. She champions the rights and recognition of many communities, lands, and traditions and raises consciousness throughout the modeling and fashion industries. She does so effectively and realizes shifts in the treatment, representation, and respect for bodies and craft. She writes her story with earnestness, humor, pain, and lots of hope. Her famed appearance aside, this book is a window into the endless beauty and brilliance that abounds in Russell’s mind and heart.

Thank you to @penguinrandomhouse and @netgalley for the digital copy!

This book was difficult to read at times and so eye opening to the world of modeling/fashion. I appreciate the author's vulnerability in sharing her story. I was not familiar with Cameron Russell prior to reading this memoir, but I believe this will be a very powerful tool in helping others to advocate for themselves in a industry that we don't get to see this side of very often. All personal stories have a purpose, and I am grateful she has chosen to put hers out there. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy.

This story goes beyond a memoir. It shows the most vulnerable part of Cameron Russell, and even though I didn’t know anything about her going into this, I was still deeply affected by her words and stories. It is a look into the fashion industry, and taught me how one woman’s life story can be used to help boost the voices of thousands, without diminishing the power and importance of each individual story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this eARC!

An interesting and well written memoir about the underside of modeling. it might seem glamorous but it's not and Russell's perspective is honed from years of work in the industry, She never becomes shrill but she does shred. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This should be mandatory reading for teens with ambitions to model,

Asks compelling questions about the fashion industry that I think are applicable to us all - how do we participate in an industry what doesn’t follow our moral compass? We all have to work to survive and nothing we do is ethical. How do we grapple with that? I appreciate how candid she is about her experience.

Russell had the sort of trajectory that aspiring models dream of—fast, meteoric. But it was a career that she stumbled into rather than one that she sought out, and the longer she spent in front of cameras and in modelling agencies—to say nothing of being in bars with men twice her age, or in photographers' cars, or generally at the whim of men with some degree of power—the better she understood the unspoken costs and imbalances, and the more complicit she started to feel.

On the surface this is a book about modelling, but dig down a very thin layer and it becomes something about power, and abuse of power, and an industry—and society—hell-bent on keeping that power in the hands of White men. Throughout the book, as Russell learns more and more about the industry in which she has found herself, she is taught that innocence is so sexy that it must be destroyed, and she might be getting paid tens of thousands of dollars but her worth is such that she can be thrown away at any moment, and that the only things about her that matters are the ideals that men project upon her. And: that if you're successful enough, and smart enough, and keep your eyes open enough, you might be able to open some other eyes as well.

Russell has made waves before, and this book feels like something that will reverberate. She doesn't name names (although in some cases it's very easy to go run a quick search or two), but she's not pulling punches, either. "Photographers call me jailbait. One invites me to drinks. Eventually, I find my body in a bed next to him. Not myself: A lot of myself will be surprisingly gone by then." (loc. 112) She employs a number of structural choices that can easily fall flat (lists, sections addressed to certain real-life people), but she's more than enough of a writer to pull them off. I expect to hear this one talked about, to see it on a lot of lists this year.

Thanks to the author and publisher for inviting me to read an advance copy through NetGalley.

Thanks @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Wow. I had no idea what I was getting into when I requested this ARC but I’m so glad I got to experience it. As a whole the book ended up a bit clunky in its transition from a poetically unique voice into a well-researched documentary style piece which was a bit jarring for me looking at the book as a whole. But that didn’t stop me from being thoroughly impressed by the artistic voice Cameron has, and the nuanced complex and knowingly hypocritical story she tells. I polished this one off in a single day.

A compelling look at the seamy underside of the fashion industry, told from the perspective of a vulnerable young person who had more of a backbone than most right from the beginning but was still manipulated and abused. Instead of letting herself remain a victim, she used her visibility became an advocate for others in order to help change the system. This book will also go a long way in doing that. Thank you, Cameron Russell, for sharing your experiences in what must have been a very painful memoir to write.

Cameron Russell's memoir was very relatable for me. Although I was never anywhere close to being as successful a model as she, I do know first hand how toxic and predatory the fashion and modeling industry can be. I am thankful that I was able to avoid working with the types of people she mentions in the book. She is raw and vulnerable in the way she tells her story. I applaud her for taking her experiences as a super model and calling for action against the predatory nature of the industry. A lot of aspiring and young models should be made aware of and learn how to protect themselves against the "people in power".

Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the invite to read How To Make Herself Agreeable To Everyone.

Wow. An incredible memoir of growing up as a model in perhaps the most toxic period of time there could have been — taking a deep look at what it means to accept certain truths, while not compromising yourself. Becoming agreeable, Cameron Russell implies, is much deeper and more difficult than you can imagine.

This is a fascinating, moving, and thought-provoking memoir that explores the commodification of beauty and the dark side of the fashion industry (e.g., how models and factory workers are treated). Though it was difficult to read what the author went through, I appreciated her sharing her story and having the courage and vulnerability to do so. I really enjoyed her writing style and point of view and highly recommend this.

Thank you very much to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

I loved this book.

I have never really wanted to be a model, but after reading this, I definitely would not want that job.

The author immerges herself into the book and it flows so well because she knows what she is talking about. You can feel, through the words that this subject is something she knows about and more to the point, that she has lived - there is nothing like reading a story from someone who co-mingles, firsthand experience on the subject matter.

What a mess that world is and that comes through pretty clearly here. The writing was raw and this book should be read by everyone who thinks being a model is a piece of cake.

I read that the author continues her quest for equality in this business. More power to her.

I think most people would assume that being a model is nothing but glamourous. In How to Make Herself Agreeable to Everyone, Cameron Russell, who was scouted when she was just 16, shows us what it's really like. She shares how it feels, to try to set boundaries and have them stepped over again and again. She likens it to finding oil in the backyard, and knowing you're going to be a millionaire, but knowing you really shouldn't be selling what you're selling.

In the first part of the book we see her rise in modeling and her awareness of its issues. She delves into its issues from its objectification of women's bodies to cheap and wasteful fashion empires built upon the backs of poor workers. We also see how she is treated like her body is separate from her mind and nothing but a product. Over and over again, we see how she is asked to step over her own moral lines because she shouldn't have a say about what happens to her body.

As the book progresses Russell begins to widen her scope, reading memoirs from other models and turning to activism. She discusses sexual assault and the intersection of #MeToo by asking her fellow models to send her her stories about exploitation.

I found some of the structure of the book to be a little confusing as it was written in second person "You" format, with the "You" switching throughout the book. I enjoyed the earlier sections and found them easier to follow since they provided more insight into Russell's experience. The later sections relied on external sources and were broken up into larger sections that I found a bit hard to follow and a bit abrupt.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reading well-written memoirs is something I love, and they are even more appealing to me. Russell's new book is an excellent story of how she navigated life as a model and what happened to her along the way. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. It was well-written, interesting, and thought-provoking. I've heard that the modeling/fashion industry is dark, and I have read many memoirs on this topic, but I loved how Cameron wrote as if it were letters to certain characters in her story.

I definitely recommend this!!

I don't remember Cameron Russell from her supermodel fame, nor is it an industry I've been particularly keen to learn about. When I received the offer to read this NetGalley, I wasn't sure what I'd think. And yet, this book grabbed me.

Russell started modeling during high school. The industry immediately sexualizes and fetishizes her. And it's not at all shocking, yet entirely shocking, and left me feeling disappointed in humanity. Mostly in the men, but also in the many women that are accomplices to the countless acts of abuse and harassment.

Russell details in intelligent, beautiful prose, her experiences over many years of modeling. She explains how often her boundaries were pushed, the frequently made and broken promises, and above all the desire to make money, gain power, and be successful. And how to survive all of this, Russell had to learn to shut off parts of her brain and spirit. I was struck by Russell's description of how literally and figuratively cold modeling is - how she has had to do shoot after shoot wearing nothing in the bitter cold, with a fan blowing back her hair, and seemingly no care for her well-being. Again, disappointed in humanity.

Russell's seemingly intuitive business savvy, paired with her sense of how to please photographers, made her hugely successful. And so it was great to hear about Russell's involvement in activism and how she's used the platform she earned to amplify voices that need to be heard.

The ending felt sudden to me, and that there was a ton of content in the last ~20% of the book that was crammed together. I hope in the final version, some of this will be improved.

Trigger warnings for sexual assault, among other oppression against women.

Highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.