LIZ: BOOK #41

Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity by Kerry Cohen

224 pages

Completed 11/16/10

This sad tale of a girl who realizes far-too young her power as a female over men was deep. Cohen's young what-the-hell attitude is both freeing and terrifying at the same time. As her promiscuos ways continue throughout high school and college, the tales - told tastefully, not raunchily as I had expected - grow sadder. Her own self-reflections cannot help but allow the reader to feel for this woman.

With her dysfunctional family proving what could possibly be deemed one of the best memoir-featured ones, Kerry attempts to use her physical beingness as means to escape, but when finding herself in the process, is haunted by what she sees. With actual relationships thrown in along with cross-country moves, this memoir is a must-read.

LIZ: Book #2

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

213 pages

Completed 1/2/10

Being sick and stuck at home for almost a week now, I have been flying through books, and this was no exception; this was an incredibly quick read. I literally finished this diary-like novel in 3 hours. Revolving around socially awkward high school freshman Charlie in the 90s, these entries are being written to an unknown receiver and focus on his happiness, struggles, and confusion about coming into his own.

I am a memoir lover, so I am surprised that I have so many fiction books waiting for me on my bookshelf. This book, however, read much more like a memoir. Coming of age is hard for any teenager, let alone one who is dealing with loss, depression, and the ups and downs of making new friends. When Charlie started forging bonds with upperclassmen, I was reminded of one of my favorite movies, Almost Famous. His love of music, tendency to question the outside world, and inner conflicts, the comparison was only reinforced for me with Charlie's announcement one night that he "feels infinite."

This book is definitely more suited to a young adult audience, but considering it has been on my books-to-read list for a few years now, I just had to get to it. I felt more could be provided in the ending; what is presented as a sort of epilogue left me with more questions than closure to the story. But, if you are stuck at home sick (like me!), this is a good quick read.