THE PLOT:
Twenty-two-year-old fashion model Courtney Suveau was born with a rare neurological disorder called Venusagnosia that prevents her from seeing beauty—and yes, she’s aware of the irony. Blind to the very quality that has defined her success, she must fake her way through New York City’s cutthroat fashion empire, hiding the truth that even the brightest rainbow is no more alluring to her than a sewer grate.
When Courtney is invited to audition for the starring role of an upcoming film, she moves to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, hoping to provide a better life for her ailing mother and prove that she is talented as well as beautiful. Desperate to earn the respect of a ruthless casting director, Courtney begins to rehearse with Gwen Bressly, another young aspiring actress whose short physique, geeky persona, and Ivy League education makes her the opposite of Courtney in almost every way.
After a near-fatal collapse forces Gwen to visit a hospital, Courtney discovers that her new friend has been starving herself to be seen as beautiful. Gwen’s fading health exposes Courtney to the harmful effects of Hollywood’s beauty standards, and she fears that taking part in this industry will bring more harm to others as a price for her own success. Now, Courtney must decide if she will abandon the role of a lifetime to support her friend and discover if she can learn to value herself no matter how the world chooses to see her.
This Book Is Not Yet Published!
The Laws of Vanity
The Laws of Vanity was loosely based on a true story.
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Meet the Characters
COURTNEY SUVEAU was born with a rare neurological disorder called Venusagnosia that prevents her from seeing beauty. At twenty-two years old, she has, ironically, forged a budding career as a fashion model in New York City, gaining widespread recognition for her beauty which she cannot perceive on her own. She has kept her disorder a secret from her agent and other colleagues in the fashion industry, worried her career may be in jeopardy if her diagnosis was made common knowledge. She relies on the admiration of others to define her sense of self worth, but wishes people would see her as talented as well as beautiful. Her desire to be respected by others compels her to transition to an acting career, and hopes that one day people will see what she has to offer beyond her appearance.
GWEN BRESSLY grew up in Sacramento, California. As a lover of theater, film, and TV, she has dreamed of becoming an actress for as long as she can remember. She is deeply insecure about her appearance, but has used her anxieties to fuel her drive to become a performer to be a positive role model for young women with underrepresented body types. In high school, she graduated at the top of her class and went on to study performing arts and marketing at Brown University. Despite her Ivy League background, she has chosen to work as a waitress at the popular Vietnamese restaurant Phō Trang to bide time until she gets her big break. In her free time, she enjoys watching documentaries and taking care of her pet chicken, Mark.