Valley Verified

By: Kyla Zhao

Narrated by: Louisa Zhu

When a fashion writer dives headfirst into the cutthroat Silicon Valley tech world, her future threatens to unravel in this addictive novel by Kyla Zhao, author of The Fraud Squad.

On paper, Zoe Zeng has made it in New York’s fashion world. After a string of unpaid internships, she’s now a fashion columnist at Chic, lives in a quaint apartment in Manhattan, and gets invited to exclusive industry events.

But life in New York City isn’t as chic as Zoe imagined. Her editor wants her to censor her opinions to please the big brands; she shares her “quaint” (read: small) apartment with three roommates who never let her store kimchi in the fridge; and how is she supposed to afford the designer clothes expected for those parties on her meager salary?

Then one day, Zoe receives a job offer at FitPick, an app startup based in Silicon Valley. The tech salary and office perks are sweet, but moving across the country and switching to a totally new industry? Not so much. However, with her current career at a dead end, Zoe accepts the offer and swaps high fashion for high tech, haute couture for HTML. But she soon realizes that in an industry claiming to change the world for the better, not everyone’s intentions are pure. With an eight-figure investment on the line, Zoe must find a way to revamp FitPick's image despite Silicon Valley’s elitism and her icy colleagues. Or the company’s future will go up in smoke—and hers with it.

Critic reviews

"Sharp and incisive yet brimming with heart, Valley Verified establishes Kyla Zhao as one of our brightest chroniclers of Gen Z ambition, idealism, and passion. A riveting, satisfying read.”—Kirstin Chen, New York Times bestselling author of Counterfeit

"Kyla Zhao's Valley Verified captures the experiences of a young woman navigating the hierarchies and prejudices of her Silicon Valley company while staying true to herself and carving out the place she deserves in the world. A page-turner that brims with humour, snappy dialogue, and sharp observations of an industry."—Balli Kaur Jaswal, author of international bestseller and Reese's Book Club pick Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

“This book instantly sucked me in, and I was rooting hard for Zoe from the very start! With its sly insights into Silicon Valley start-up culture, Valley Verified is a propulsive look at the multitude of challenges that women face in a male-dominated world. A fast-paced, thought-provoking read.”—Sophie Wan, author of Women of Good Fortune

“Kyla Zhao captures, with zing, brightness, and humor—how harrowing it is to be young and ambitious in the workplace. Valley Verified is lively and entertaining; I found myself chuckling throughout.”—Vanessa Chan, author of The Storm We Made

“Endearing and reaffirming. Valley Verified is an anthem for young women who aren’t afraid to push themselves out of their comfort zone. In a world of bots, this book is as authentic as Zhao.”—Carolyn Huynh, author of The Fortunes of Jaded Women

"Charming, compelling, and unapologetically fun, Valley Verified is the tech world story we need right now! Zhao strikes the perfect balance between humor and heart. The novel’s irresistible heroine, Zoe, as well as a dynamic cast of supporting characters, make Valley Verified compulsively readable. Zhao’s savvy observations on Silicon Valley—its elitism, sexism, idiosyncrasies, and infatuation with Patagonia vests—will have readers rooting for Zoe until the very last page."—Amanda Brown, author of Legally Blonde

"Tech, but make it fashion… A lively juxtaposition of two distinct and self-serious worlds.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Brimming with necessary discussion on sexism and gender bias in the tech industry, and with a character that many readers will relate to, Zhao’s latest is a contemporary novel that will appeal to STEM and fashion girlies alike. Add in the cute office love story and romance readers will be satisfied too."—Booklist