Jia Tolentino

Jia Tolentino is the opinionated and eloquent writer and narrator of the novel. She is of Filipino descent and was raised in a Christian girls’ school in Houston, Texas. Tolentino initially embraced her religious upbringing with full and complete acceptance, but over time, she became increasingly disillusioned by the overwhelmingly white, male presence that dominates the church, noting the segregation in Houston. This development exposes Tolentino to the world of drugs and rap music. As a teenager, Tolentino participated in a Reality TV show called Boys vs. Girls and was portrayed as a witty, sarcastic, and opinionated girl. Her experience on TV encouraged her to recognize the inherent narcissism plaguing our culture, in which every individual lives as if there is an audience observing their every action. She was also an avid reader, identifying with popular literary characters and the ways in which they mature emotionally...