Meditations with Miya Blue

By: Gretchen Anthony

Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang, Kirby Heyborne

Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

Meditations with Miya Blue is an upbeat, irreverent story of a wellness influencer living her best (sponsored) life. That is, until a very un-Zen series of events threatens to pull the thread of Miya's calm and unravel her carefully woven world. 

Miya Blue was raised in the public eye as the darling child star on reality show Communal, a hit series that documented the joys and dramas of 36 people experimenting with communal living in rural California. Now in her late-20s, Miya has grown her fanbase and created a multimillion brand called “Bluem”, selling her philosophy, meditations, and lifestyle products to people all over the world. 

In a pivotal moment for the company, the launch of a new line of “nutritional” supplements goes horribly wrong when customers (and, worse: bloggers) complain that the products are making them sick. Then, one of Miya’s most loyal employees, April, abruptly quits, all while her big plans for the next phase of Bluem start to come undone. The whole brand - and Miya’s livelihood - is suddenly on shaky ground. And Miya will have to leverage both her spiritual strength and her killer business sense to save it. 

©2020 Gretchen Anthony (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.

Hard pass.

This story is about a narcissist who doesn’t realize she is a narcissist, and instead is convinced she’s enlightened. She’s entirely unlikable, and there’s nothing redeeming about her. Very “woe is me,” and it has no real conflict or satisfying ending. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Funny, entertaining, a great escape

The very un-Zen series of events propel the story forward and made me laugh and think about the power of social influencers. Funny and thought provoking.

Delightful listen

I’m always on the lookout for gems to listen to as I embark on my daily walks with the dog. This title was suggested to me, and I’m so glad I found it! It was the perfect companion for brightening up a few morning strolls this January week. Gretchen Anthony has a gift for her detailed descriptions of place. I was transported from my snowy streets of Minnesota to charming Northern Californian towns and rolling landscapes of wine country, along with almond fields and peaceful groves of walnuts. At first when introduced to the character of Miya Blue, I thought sure I wasn’t going to like her. She starts out full of herself, comically tone-deaf to the real world, and spoiled. Much like the “social media influencers” we love to vilify in this day and age. The magic of Ms. Anthony’s writing, though, is the way she so deftly develops her characters. Miya is revealed to be so much more than the one-dimensional character she starts out as. We learn throughout the story why Miya Blue is the way she is, and that there is more to her than meets the eye. I found myself rooting for her because of the way Ms. Anthony gently allows Miya to evolve. There were moments in the story where I laughed out loud, and there were also moments that made me teary. The fact that Ms. Anthony pulled that off within a short novella is testament to her skillful writing. I highly recommend this title!

Perfect for our social media heavy world

Great voice. The short talks of vulnerability, strength & redemption. Little meditations are a good reminder to focus & calm down.