Am nearly halfway through, and this book just keeps getting better and better as I go, which conversely makes me more and more upset that this book’s success came as something of a surprise. It was a paperback original, meaning it had second-class status to normal hardcover books in the publishing world. It’s not a pleasing read by any means–the narrator is troubled, insecure, and at times off-putting. It is by no means commercial. But it is brilliant. I accept that this is the norm in my business, and most of the time, it makes sense. There is simply too much literary fiction out there for publishers to consistently risk their hides, especially now, on doling out high-budget hardcover deals. But, sometimes we get it wrong, and we almost miss out. In this case, big time. It begs the question: is a Cinderella story the most a literary author can hope for?
An excerpt:
…there’s something reassuring about Maggie—her unjaded enthusiasm. I like the wiry girl in the black dress. Dina is another case, though. After the laugh she has gone quiet, but not from shyness. She seems aloof and calculating. And her martini seems to be shutting her up rather than relaxing her—reinforcing her superiority. Booze does that sometimes, make you high and mighty, saucy and silent, while you avoid what is really happening—you’re scared, black, and young and you believe you can’t afford to make a mistake.
