700 women (and some of their partners) flocked to Brooklyn last night, covered in purple, yellow, pink and glitter. The line to get in wrapped all the way around the block; unity was evident, in a way that has only been seen otherwise for the Eras Tour.
Eli Rallo is one of the internet’s favorite stars. Based in New York City and Houston, Rallo’s content creates a space where women aged 18-29 see themselves. She posts advice columns, reviews of new albums, recommendations – she’s the internet’s Dear Abby of our generation…if Abby wore heels and wrote books.
Rallo’s first book I Didn’t Know I Needed This which came out in December of 2023 follows closely on dating in your early twenties and all the advice you could imagine. Her new book, Does Anyone Else Feel This Way? expands the horizon, zeroing in more on the changes that come with adulthood and how even when we may feel alone, we’re not.
In collaboration with Books Are Magic, a small independent Brooklyn based bookstore, Rallo kicked off her book tour for her sophomore novel at the St. Ann & Holy Trinity Church in conversation with British popstar Maisie Peters. Each ticket included admission to the hour-long event and a signed copy of the book. Additional copies were also available for purchase as well as signed copies of her first novel.
Throughout the night, Rallo shared details of her writing process, her relationship with herself and the most important people in her life, how she navigated career confusions and the battles she had with this book versus the first. Rallo and Peters’ banter felt like two longtime friends sitting down for a chat – it was authentic and they fed off each other’s answers. They related on both being writers in their own realm and how they both may be at different points in their life but can still find things they see in themselves in each other at all points.
There was something so intimate about this event compared to other book tours, part of which may be due to the intimate topics discussed in the book, but it can also be chalked up to Rallo’s inherent girl’s girl energy – she makes everybody feel like somebody. Peters’ excited energy clearly showed that she had done her homework; she may have been just as excited for the crowd to read this book as Rallo, showing that the perfect person was selected to commentate.
In the final question of the night, Rallo was asked to select three songs she felt would fit a playlist for this book. She chose “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac, “Vienna” by Billy Joel (but more specifically the Ben Platt version) and “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home” by Hannah Montana aka Miley Cyrus. These three songs perfectly encapsulate the energy of this novel: the fears and understanding of growing up, even when you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing at all.
Heading out of the event and into the crisp October air, taking the subway alone at night felt safe, for everywhere you turned there was purple, yellow, pink, glitter and a copy of Does Anyone Feel This Way? in hand. Beginning the book on the 37-minute commute home felt like the only option, and when reading this line in the introduction, it felt clear that we made the right person famous.
Eli Rallo’s sophomore novel Does Anyone Else Feel This Way? can be purchased wherever you buy your books, but if you’re based in the city, buy small and visit Books Are Magic in Brooklyn.
