Kim Reads Books About Things

Sweet merciful crap.

(For the record, I mean that Simpsons quote in the best way possible-- if a book leaves me saying that, it's a REALLY good book.)

I like verse novels, but my usual complaint with them is that for all of their (general) beauty and good usage of language, they don't really read like poetry. So, naturally, this one comes along and blows that out of the water. By far one of the heaviest books I've ever read (probably about as heart-shreddingly, mind-blowingly disturbing as Living Dead Girl, though not quite as graphic), it's also got a lot of smart commentary about the way that the most particularly gross members of society continually devalue and debase women, especially young women and most especially young women who got pulled into the sex trade. It's fascinating, beautifully written, infuriating, literary (the integration of Paradise Lost quotes is truly splendid), and overall powerful. And that ending, perfect.

Not for the faint of heart, but immensely rewarding, and somehow even better than Leavitt's Heck Superhero (one of my favorite books when I was a teen). This one's going on my shelf of honor.