Review: The Default World – Naomi Kanakia

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A trans woman sets out to exploit a group of wealthy roommates, only to fall under the spell of their glamorous, hedonistic lifestyle in tech-bubble San Francisco.

Years after fleeing San Francisco and getting sober, Jhanvi has made a life for herself working at a grocery co-op and saving for her surgeries. But when her friend (and sometimes more) Henry mentions that he and his techie festival-goer friends spent $100,000 to transform a warehouse basement into a sex dungeon, Jhanvi starts wondering if there’s a way to exploit these gullible idiots. She returns to San Francisco, hatching a plan to marry Henry for his company’s generous healthcare benefits.

Jhanvi enters a world of beautiful, decadent fire-eaters and their lavish sex parties. But as her pretensions to cynicism and control start to fade, she develops a Gatsbyesque attraction to these happy young people and their bold claims of unconditional love. But do any of her privileged new friends really like or accept her? Her financial needs expose the limits of a community built on limitless self-expression, and soon she has to choose between doing what’s right, and doing what’s right for her.

This darkly funny novel skewers privileged leftist millennial tech culture, and asks whether "found family" is just another of the twenty-first century's broken promises.

The Default World by Naomi Kanakia plunges readers into the heart of tech-bubble San Francisco, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the elusive nature of self-acceptance. The novel follows Jhanvi, a trans woman who returns to the city with a plan to exploit the excesses of her wealthy, hedonistic friends. What begins as a cynical scheme to secure healthcare benefits by marrying her friend Henry gradually evolves into a complex, introspective journey. As Jhanvi immerses herself in the opulent world of fire-eaters and lavish sex parties, her initial detachment is challenged by a growing attachment to these seemingly carefree individuals. Kanakia deftly captures the allure and contradictions of a community that promises unconditional love but is limited by its own privilege and superficiality.

The Default World is a darkly humorous critique of millennial tech culture, where the façade of boundless self-expression often conceals a deeper struggle for genuine connection and acceptance. Kanakia’s sharp prose and keen observations bring to life a San Francisco that is both dazzling and disillusioning. As Jhanvi navigates her financial and emotional needs, she confronts the harsh reality that even in a world of proclaimed inclusivity, true acceptance can be elusive. This novel is a poignant reminder of the precarious balance between doing what is right and what is necessary for survival, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in the intersection of identity, culture, and community.

Reviewed by: Orsayor

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