Debut novelist Yen’s years of working with multiple tech companies provide a real insider’s peek at the craziness of the industry while still keeping it light. This is Silicon Valley chick lit with a smart and smart-ass heroine trying to 'have it all,' and readers of books like Elisabeth Egan’s A Window Opens (2015) and Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It (2002) will enjoy this modern take.
...an entertaining and humorous read set in the world of Silicon Valley startups, featuring a fun female protagonist. Fans of The Devil Wears Prada will love the similar vibe and working-girl-rises-to-the-top theme of the story ... While it is not perfect in execution, Yen’s story is definitely unique and readers will enjoy Sophia’s story.
Sophia of Silicon Valley is a moving ode ... The problem is, Yen plays it safe ... What’s lacking is any sort of critique of a culture that we know to be rife with bias (unconscious and otherwise), to say nothing of gross misconduct. Sexist, racist comments fly by our heroine without her giving so much as a glance in their direction ... And without a sense of what she wants (or, at least, doesn’t want), we’re left with a book that can be delightful, but ultimately only skims the surface.
While the plot takes the occasional off-kilter jag, this is a much-needed professional coming-of-age story; one only wishes it were a slightly more insightful one ... Like so many startups, glossy, fun, and ambitious if not particularly deep.
...[a] disappointing debut ... The author, whose background includes working at Pixar and Tesla, obviously knows the terrain but can’t breathe life into the novel. Unfortunately, this familiar story of a woman coming into her own while working for a demanding boss falls flat.
