Look at Me by Jennifer Egan

I was first introduced to Jennifer Egan's work via A Visit from the Goon Squad, which my husband read and recommended. Rightfully so. Now only did Goon Squad win the Pulitzer, it was my gateway drug to Egan's fabulous writing which focuses not on plot, but on the motivations of characters.

Look at Me centers on a young model who after a car accident must have her face (and thus her identity both inside and out) reconstructed.  Like all Egan books, though, you are introduced to a number of characters who are all struggling with who they are and how they are shaped by their experiences and  the people who surround them.

That sort of synopsis alone would not typically draw me to any book. It sounds too mystical for my liking. But this is a stunning look at how we are all made into the people we are. By following a host of very different characters in academic, fashion, and journalistic arenas we can't help but look to our own life and say, look at me.