Valley Verified took me by surprise. Don’t get me wrong, this isn't a mystery with a surprising twist. No, this is a typical “women's lit” read with strong female characters, but it was so much more. The more are the many messages that spelled out on the pages and illustrated in the characters's actions. Women must build each other up to be the best they can be in no matter what industry and that we are more than the image men in male dominated industries portray us to be. Most importantly, we are not our careers or jobs, but rather women with families, friends and colleagues who can support us in the good and bad times.

I highly recommend this read and thank you for the advanced copy.

It's a sweet story about a fashion writer who takes a job at a Silicon Valley startup. Hey, it's a romance, so overlook the parts that don't ring true about how easy it is to come out ahead from cutthroat competition and sabotage. The friendships are wonderful and the romance parts are understated and special.

This was a nightmare to read.
Sure, writing about tech is tricky because whatever you said becomes obsolete the moment you say it. And the industry really is full of vapid people who only care about money and fame. Like every other industry. Startups really are pyramid schemes and their sole existence is perpetuated by people who don’t have lives.
But shitty writing is shitty writing. None of these characters had depth. Maybe a third of potential questions about their motivations could be answered for the main characters, the side characters were mostly one dimensional. “Memories surfacing” was so annoying I couldn’t tell when the memory would end and the plot would continue but even then, the flashback never provided anything to drive the narrative. The romance? So wildly unnecessary, predictable and cringe, you could have left it out.
It’s at best a frantically written vignette to process the cultural shock of working in a startup and at worst an attempt to make Sex in the Silicon Valley Just Kidding Software Engineers Don’t Have Sex into a Hallmark movie. Bleurgh!

Quick Synopsis:
Zoe Zheng, the main character, is a fashionista combatting not only her boss but also the stereotypical adoration of petite sizes in today’s fashion world. As a writer for a fledgling magazine, Zoe strives to challenge archaic narratives. When met with constant opposition, her values eventually lead her into the tech industry, where she hopes she can be heard and make a change through a newly invented fashion app. What follows is a coming-of-age story detailing Zoe’s battles with size shaming, sexual harassment, and blaring ignorance.

Characters:
Zoe and her friends strengthen the story. Kyla Zhao makes it so easy to root for Zoe. Her fortitude kept me turning pages, hoping for her eventual triumph. I empathized with Zoe the entire story and loved her relentless spirit.

Storyline/Pacing:
My only issue with Valley Verified was that the storyline lacked velocity periodically.

Author:
Kyla Zhao’s background in Silicon Valley and magazine editorials lends itself perfectly to this book. At times, I wondered if any of it was autobiographical.

Overall:
I recommend this to lovers of The Devil Wears Prada, Legally Blonde, or Working Girl. If you’re into fashion or tech or just want to read women’s fiction with a YA vibe, pick this one up. - 3.5 stars

Disclosure:
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Press for the Digital Review Copy of Valley Verified. All opinions are my own.

Work trauma is about the friends we made along the way!

Update: wait, was this like Spotify Wrapped- making collecting and profiting from your data seem fun?

Predictable, unrealistic at times, with an unlikable main character.