The Knockoff

The Knockoff is an us-versus-them tale in which the “us “very much depends on the age of the person reading the novel. Readers’ reactions will also depend on the readers’ ages, for The Knockoff is all about ageism and the differences between generations. It is a fascinating presentation, and the discussions one could have among generations are endless.

Imogen will resonate with most Gen-Xers and Boomers. She is in her early forties, has a young family and must balance the demands of said family with a high-profile, upper management position in the fashion industry. More than proficient in industry knowledge and influence, she does not have time to learn the new technology or its lingo. More importantly, in the past she has not show more had to do so thanks to assistants assigned to do that work for her. However, after a six-month sabbatical for health reasons, she learns just how quickly life, thanks to technology, changes.

Eve is Imogen’s exact opposite. Young and eager and having grown up surrounded by technology, Eve is out to take over the world. She has no family to divert her attention and thanks to her beloved gadgets remains connected to her job 24/7. The previous way of doing business, any business, is as antiquated as the horse and buggy and anyone supporting those old methods should be set to pasture alongside the horse. Her energy is endless, and there is no such thing as bad publicity when it comes to social media.

To say that the two clash is an understatement. Imogen struggles to learn the new rules of doing business to capitalize on the available technology, while Eve just wants Imogen out of the way. The dynamic between the two is fraught with tension and frustration and achingly realistic. Talk to anyone in management above a certain age, and they will all have stories similar to Imogen’s. Then again, talk to anyone Eve’s age and her frustrations are their frustrations. The Knockoff captures the individual sides perfectly.

While The Knockoff does present some serious clashes in generational knowledge and expectations, it manages to do so with a lightness that will allow both sides to enjoy the story. Ms. Sykes and Ms. Piazza keep the story from being anything but an enjoyable experience for readers of all ages. The pacing is fast but engaging. Plus, they have a lot of fun with language and language differences that everyone will appreciate.

There is a lot to love in The Knockoff. Think of it as The Devil Wears Prada for the next generation. However, to expect the same story as Prada would be to seriously underestimate the twists and turns The Knockoff has in store for readers. Anyone who has ever been frustrated at work due to a genuine clash in personality and expectations should read The Knockoff. In fact, it would make a fantastic book club option, as it is quick, light, and humorous, and yet presents multiple situations and characters that are open to interpretation. show less

I am Imogen Tate!!!...In fact, entire generations of women will be screaming this sentiment, as she encompasses countless mature women who live on the cusp of real life experience and the explosion of virtual reality. Lucy & Jo are genius and I absolutely love this book!

Women beginning with Generation x, while enveloping its forerunners, will relate to the confusion and defiance of common sense and kindness when navigating the innumerable social media, and have often verbalized Imogen's thought, " Have we all become so desperate to share everything that we've stopped enjoying our lives? " The saga of Imogen's journey to integrate constant groundbreaking technology into her established career, norms and protocol makes for a hilarious show more and heartfelt ride that is timely and engaging.

As much as I love, and AM, Imogen Tate, her nemesis is just as possessing. Eve's character as an evil, sociopathic bitch, and technological prodigy is fabulous. Although I hated her, she drove the story and rounded out the cutthroat expedition of finding balance between the ages, experiences and technological dilemmas that are central to the story.
Lucy & Jo have created a modern Devil Wears Prada meets The Internship with both chic and
scornful characters and situations, which has fast become my favorite book of the season!
I LOVED IT, I show less

For anyone who is a fan of fashion-saavy books like the Devil Wears Prada, this entertianing book is sure to be at the top of their list this year. The authors' clear writing is at once humorous and critical in its view of the age-war between the traditionally-inclined Imgoen (a so called "dinosaur" of a fashion editor in chief for Glossy magazine) and the tech-saavy and modern Eve (her former assistant gone power hungry). The book comes off as much more than the typical flighty chic-lit, since the biggest theme of the novel is that of the changes in technology that have changed the workplace - especially in the realm of fashion - and therefore the dynamic between the old guard and the new. As someone who falls strictly on the side of show more technology, one would think that I would have more sympathy for Eve (who can be viewed as just wanting to shake things up and move into the future), but I honestly have no patience for her type of manipulation and catty behavior. She's the exact kind of person in my generation who has absolutely no respect or understanding of the value of tradition and careful planning, so I felt quite vindicated when she was kicked to the curb in the final pages of the novel! show less

Pure escapist fun -- dressed in Versace.

Imogen Tate, well-respected 42-year old Editor in Chief of Glossy magazine, returns from a 6 month medical leave to find that her former assistant (and newly minted Harvard MBA) Eve has convinced the magazine publishers to cease the printed magazine and turn the entire operation into an e-commerce app. Imogen struggles to understand the rapidly changing technology and her relevance in the new corporate structure, while Eve is determined to turn the staff against Imogen and do whatever it takes to push her out of the company.

The two characters are foils. Imogen is Oscar de la Renta -- classic, polished, and timeless, no matter what the latest tech craze of the day might be. Eve is Forever 21 -- show more bold, eye-catching, but at the end of the day just too cheap and tawdry.

We all know how this is going to end, right? But that's okay. We don't read books like "The Knockoff" because they're the next "To Kill a Mockingbird". We read them because they're just plain enjoyable.

Do I have quibbles? Sure. Imogen is portrayed as an absolute tech neophyte upon her return to work after a 6 month absence. As the Editor in Chief of a major magazine, she would undoubtedly have to have known the basics such as Instagram, Gmail, etc. Eve is a one-note character that rhymes with "witch". However, she was formerly Imogen's trustworthy assistant, and in that role they each had each other's backs. Eve becomes such a sociopath after getting her MBA,and it's totally incongruous with who she was before. This abrupt change in character really doesn't make much sense.

Quibbles aside, "The Knockoff" is an entertaining read, particularly for those whose guilty pleasure is fashion. Grab your Kate Spade sunglasses, your favorite drink, and read on!

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. show less

Imogen was at the top of her game as editor-in-chief of a prestigious women's fashion magazine when breast cancer compelled a six-month hiatus. When she returns to work, she discovers that her former assistant Eve has been appointed editor and has turned her beloved Glossy magazine into a digital app, laying off senior personnel to hire dozens of lower-cost "content providers." Senior offices have now become nap rooms, because in Eve's world, the only work style that matters is a 24-7 one. As Imogen stumbles to find her place in a work culture that now embraces Instagram likes over high-end, champagne-fueled photo shoots, can she save Glossy from her knockoff? By framing this story within the context of old- versus new-media, the show more authors show a world where success is measured in clicks, not quality, and ask their readers to consider what they really want from media outlets. Recommended. (197) show less

I am not a fashion maven but I loved this book. The story is about Imogene Tate who after recovering from breast cancer surgery returns to her job as a magazine editor only to find that her magazine has now been turned into an app and the digital content is being directed by her much younger, former assistant, Eve. Imogene is left scrambling to catch up to the digital age before she is declared extinct.

I am exactly the age of Imogene Tate so I found her struggles with technology highly relatable, although I would like to think that I am not quite as clueless as she was at the start of the story. Imogene can't even initially grasp facebook, twitter, or instagram, all of which I think are pretty main stream. Being of a certain age show more however I do have to admit to asking my teen age daughter for technical advice on a pretty much daily basis. But just because you know the latest social platform it doesn't mean that you can read people. I like how the authors show that technical wizardy is not the be all end all of success. Good people skills are still important and that is where Imogene really shines. Her reputation in the fashion world is something Eve cannot tarnish no matter how much she tries. Like a certain other Eve who schemes to transplant her older rival, this Eve gets her just desserts in the end. I highly recommend this very entertaining read. As Imogene would say, it's fabulous darling! show less

The Knockoff tells the tale of inter-office and inter-generational rivalry in the fashion magazine industry. Editor-in-Chief Imogen Tate returns from sick leave for breast cancer to find her magazine, Glossy, transformed into a website & app now called Glossy.com. Her sociopathic former assistant, Eve Morton, now back with a Harvard MBA, is in charge of the revamped Glossy. 42-year-old Imogen, ridiculously tech-hopeless, flounders badly while she tries to learn enough to keep control of her mag and keep her job. The 40-somethings didn't come across as any less entitled than the 20-something special snowflakes. Expecting your company to pay for every imaginable luxury because you put out a fashion mag? Getting your company to co-sign the show more mortgage on your $7M NYC townhouse, anyone?

But the times are changing, and the corporate honchos - flint-eyed money-grubbing males instead of visionary fashionistas - now want it quick, cheap and dirty. Enter the techbitches! The explanation for Evil Eve - her football-coach father found her a life-long disappointment; he wanted a son. Imogen's tech-cluelessness is over the top, e.g. she uses the same password for everything, a combination of her children's names: johnny-annabelle1234. Really? There are senior citizens who know more about ID theft than that. Exaggerate and then exaggerate some more, but there is a manic energy about The Knockoff that carries it through. Read it for the fun and don't look at it too seriously. show less