Crème Victoria by Justin Daab – Exploring Corporate Greed

In “Crème Victoria,” author Justin Daab delivers a sharp and satirical exploration of the beauty industry’s dark underbelly through the eyes of an unsuspecting protagonist. Set against the backdrop of corporate greed, this novel intertwines humor with poignant reflections on success, family, and self-worth.

Spoiler-free Summary

It should be no surprise to anyone that the beauty industry, whose primary marketing strategy involves preying on the self-esteem and aesthetic insecurities of its consumers, is worth billions of dollars. This industry isn’t worth such an eye-watering value for altruistic intentions, and so, what kind of characters do you think run these businesses…?

Crème Victoria explores the corporate greed of the cosmetic industry from the perspective of an average person. Kenny, a junior high school science teacher and assistant basketball coach, finds himself plucked from his average American life, and thrust into the savage corporate world of a global cosmetics conglomerate after the death of his long-lost father.

This story poses questions around how much money, influence, or power it takes to feel successful, but more importantly what the pursuit of these things can cost a person.

What is more important–making money (by making people feel terrible about themselves and then offering a solution with a price tag) and creating a business legacy? Or is leaving the world a better place a more fulfilling, if less profitable, heritage?

My Take on Crème Victoria

This is an enticing new approach to the rags-to-riches tale we all grew up with (I’m looking at you Cinderella). Crème Victoria has all the necessary elements: an evil half-sibling, an eclectic group of unlikely friends that help our unlikely hero, a truly indecent monetary fortune at risk, and an inspiring moment of self-realisation for our main character.

Kenny is taken on a whirl-wind journey across the Atlantic and thrust into the den of a collection of misogynistic, greedy, and elitist businessmen who don’t have an iota of compassion to share between them. Kenny has a great depth of character and relatability that makes you invested in his crazy journey and the personal outcome.

Alistair, Kenny’s long-lost half-brother, on the other hand, is completely and utterly unlikable. He can be summarised neatly into the package of a textbook chauvinistic pig. The absolute dichotomy between these two brothers is used to create a friction in a harsh fatherly lesson gone wrong. Is it vengeance or a man trying to teach a son humility from beyond the grave? You’ll have to decide for yourself.

The characters I loved most dearly in this story, though, were the cast of smaller characters that helped Kenny navigate the corporate chaos and reassess his personal priorities. Nelly, a fraudulently blind busker; Mrs. Bellingham, a pancake-obsessed widow; Helen, a Ukrainian I.T. mastermind; Thaddeus Wong, who provided necessary business expertise and resources; and Lily Watson, a chemistry genius with flawless skin, make up a part of Kenny’s collection of friends, inspirations, and guiding lights in London.

I adored this story, with eloquent witticisms enfolded throughout, the assortment of amusing characters, and the neatness of the ending was surprisingly satisfying.

I believe this is a must read, and readers who enjoy authors such as Graeme Simsion, Jonas Jonasson, and Maria Semple will appreciate this whimsical, character-driven narrative.

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