What a Time to Be Alive

by Jade Chang

Internet fame, grief, and the search for meaning… in front of an audience.

ARC Review

Publisher: Ecco
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Format: Digital (via NetGalley)

The concept here is interesting and relevant. A woman dealing with the death of a close friend, caught in the ripple effects of a viral video suddenly finds herself as a kind of reluctant guru, even though she’s not sure what she meant in the first place.  There’s grief, accidental fame, internet commentary, and a lot of very online energy.  Making it smart, layered, and full of tension, especially around who gets to speak, who gets heard, and what happens when you become the message.

Lola Treasure Gold is the center of it all. She’s broke, stuck, grieving, and trying to figure out what comes next. Basically, she is a mess, but she’s trying. Then something unexpected happens, and her life tilts. The novel tracks that tilt through fame, backlash, performance, and something like self-discovery.

The characters worked for me.  They were flawed, reactive, sometimes contradictory, but they were all just trying to get by and that is what made them real.

There’s a stretch in the middle where the book leans deep into self-help speak and philosophical reflection. Some of it lands, some of it drags. The ideas are interesting, about belief, identity, agency, but the tone gets thick. That section slowed the pace for me, but didn’t break it.

The story has a satisfying arc (the frozen sperm moment was a bit odd..don’t ask). Glad to have read it.

Would I Recommend It?
Yes, especially for readers interested in internet fame, grief, and the blurry space between performance and truth. Just know it’s not all fast-paced commentary. Some parts ask you to sit with the mess a little longer.

Thank you to Ecco and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to read it early.

What a Time to Be Alive will be released September 30, 2025.

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