Book Summary and Reviews of What You Make of Me by Sophie Madeline Dess

Book Summary

In this mesmerizing debut from a bright new talent, two enigmatic and unforgettable siblings confront what – and who – they're willing to sacrifice for their art.

On the eve of her first solo show, Ava is feeling defiant. The art gallery acolytes have insisted on writing 'explanations' of her paintings for an accompanying catalog, but what do they know of her work? What do they know of her brother, Demetri, whose face echoes across every canvas?

After all, Ava and Demetri have only ever had each other. Abandoned first by their mother, who drowned off the Long Island Sound, and then again by their father, who couldn't see beyond his grief, each had always been the other's most ardent supporter: Demetri encouraged Ava's raw talent as a painter, while Ava pushed Demetri to pursue filmmaking. But as they make their way in New York, the codependency that once sustained them soon threatens to be their undoing. Betrayals mount, fueled by Ava's reckless acts and her disdain for Demetri's last ditch efforts to make something of consequence, but what ultimately and irreversibly tips the scales won't be found on canvas or film. Because now, at 31, Demetri is dying.

As Ava reckons with the meaning of her portraits, what soon emerges from her intimate, offhanded, and mischievous meditations is a stunning and unsettling confession of secrets, epiphanies, rivalry, and infidelity. Vaulting between childhood and the days leading up to Demetri's death, here is a searing portrait of two remarkable siblings reckoning with the limits of loyalty in the face of ambition. Heralding the arrival of an impressive new talent, What You Make of Me exposes just how swiftly affection twists into exploitation, and lays bare the thin line between success and sacrifice.