ARC Review: Delia Suits Up by Amanda Aksel

“Whether you read this on vacation, or binge it on the coach, you can’t help but be happy after reading about Delia’s crazy experiences.”
~ Under the Covers

Recommended Read!

Following in the vein of Twelfth Night, 13 Going on 30, and She’s the Man, Delia Suits Up is a funny story exploring sexism, confidence, and getting what you want.

Delia Reese is sick of getting rejected after countless interviews despite having a great resume. After a particularly disappointing interview, she spends time commiserating and drinking with her roommates and she wishes that she had the benefits of being a man. The next morning, she’s surprised to find a man’s face looking back at her in the mirror! She decides to take advantage of her new appearance and take a big gamble to make it on Wall Street.

To start out with, this book has an interesting premise that promises to be both amusing and allow for some real social commentary. We definitely get at least some of that. Overall, this book leans more towards being light-hearted over truly reflective. It has much the same vibe as 13 Going on 30 and She’s the Man, so I totally understand the comparisons given in the blurb. In fact, the pacing and story contents would make it very easily adaptable into a movie. Hollywood take note!

The one thing that kept this book from getting 5 stars is that maybe it was too focused on fun. I think there were a few places where there were opportunities to really explore sexism in finance (and other male dominated fields). The main conclusion from this story is that women don’t have sufficient confidence and that’s why we don’t make it in these challenging industries. Not really the most satisfying conclusion to draw. We also spent a lot of time hearing about Delia’s dick. Is it weird for her that she has one? Yes. Is it annoying to hear about how she can’t control an erection basically every 5 pages? Also yes. A bit more focus on how she experienced the world differently/the world treated her differently and a few less on anatomy would have been much appreciated.

Overall, I definitely recommend you check this book out. It’s fun and fast-paced. Now is the perfect time for beach read vibes, and this entertaining story delivers. Whether you read this on vacation, or binge it on the coach, you can’t help but be happy after reading about Delia’s crazy experiences.