Author Description

<p><i>Trauma Is the New Personality</i> is a darkly satirical psychological drama that follows Sasha Novak, a 29-year-old woman who becomes a reluctant influencer in the booming culture of emotional commodification. After a minor car accident leaves her physically unscathed but subtly shaken, Sasha discovers the social and professional perks of being perceived as "traumatized." What begins as a genuine exploration of her feelings quickly evolves into a carefully constructed identity, built from therapy jargon, aestheticized sadness, and algorithm-friendly vulnerability. As her following grows, so does the disconnect between her curated self and the woman she used to be.</p><p>The novel is a sharp critique of modern self-branding, especially in the wellness and self-help spaces where oversharing becomes strategy and pain is packaged for public consumption. Sasha becomes a symbol-first of empowerment, then of exploitation-as the internet turns her healing journey into a template, a meme, and eventually a cautionary tale. Along the way, she loses her voice, her boundaries, and any sense of what's real. The book explores how trauma, when rewarded with likes, sponsorships, and reverence, can morph into performance art-blurring the lines between confession and content, self-awareness and self-marketing.</p><p>Ultimately, <i>Trauma Is the New Personality</i> is a story about reclamation. When the internet moves on and the culture it created begins to cannibalize itself, Sasha steps out of the spotlight she once desperately fed. Through silence, slowness, and solitude, she rediscovers a version of herself untethered from audience approval. It's not a redemption arc-it's something quieter, more subversive: a woman choosing a life that doesn't need to be seen to be real.</p>