52 books in 52 weeks
I reviewed this book here.
An Australian teen comes to the U.S. as an exchange student and consistently sabotages her big chance at a new life. Even as Louise self-destructs in all the cliche ways American kids do, Hyland manages to keep her fresh and endearing - the true strength of this novel. I can't remember how the story ends, but I'm sure Lou's going to be alright.
This novel takes place in the 44 days David Blaine starved himself in a suspended plastic box above the Thames. It was sort of fascinating to read a book that was almost designed to be immediately dated. Barker is not quite as successful at keeping her narrator endearing, but the story is entertaining and has all the quirk Barker is known for.
Both Clear and Novel About My Wife deserve praise for female authors writing surprisingly convincing male voices. At times in both books, I was startled to recall the gender of the writer. I was very excited to pick up Novel About My Wife after it won this year's Believer Book Award, but I wish that it had been tighter in its plot and pacing. The premise and characters are compelling, but there are too many superfluous sentences.
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