Isn't It Pretty to Think So?

Book excerpt: Set in Los Angeles, the novel follows Jake Reed, a world-weary recent college graduate struggling to find use for his liberal arts degree amidst a waning workforce. He eventually lands a job in real estate as a "Social Media Manager," a role that requires the mindless pursuit of likes, tweets, and hits. After a death in the family and a surprise inheritance, Jake quits his job and meanders through lonely hotel rooms, quiet beach towns, and then, in a dramatic shift, stations himself in West Hollywood where disillusioned twenty-something lose themselves in the madness of drugs and sex. It is here that the only proof of memories is found in filtered photographs posted online from the night before.