2025
Books
'The New Me' - Halle Butler
To me, "The New Me", by Halle Butler, reads almost like a capitalistic horror at times. Although the overarching theme is humorous, serial temp worker Millie's greatest fears and anxieties are brought to life slowly, and in ways she doesn't even realize herself. As she floats aimlessly through life, making terrible decision after decision, her descriptions of imagined scenarios become more and more ludicrous to the point you start to doubt the idea altogether. 'I'm sure it's fine, nobody even cares that much', you almost find yourself reassuring Millie subconsciously. As if conjuring up reality from her own mind, these anxieties become reality for her with an amusing amount of detail. Changing point of views periodically throughout the story give confirmation to Millies most ridiculous fears. Coworkers and neighbors plot against her in ways that seem almost trivial and mundane. All the while, Millie's absolutely terrible personality and delusional way of justifying her bad behavior make for an entertaining read (at least in my opinion). "The New Me" challenges the ideas put forth by a generation of self-help gurus and life-hacks. Suspense is brought on by the impending realization that just maybe, things might not ever change for Millie.