Read Sept 25, 2013
YA
thriller. Perry Stormaire is trying to live his life. His overbearing
high-power-lawyer father is trying to control his choices, his band, his
swimming, his college options. His mother is trying to recreate her
own childhood, and that's where Gobi comes in. Mom's lifelong
friendship with her own foreign exchange student means that she has high
expectations of Gobi and Perry. Sadly, Gobi is sallow, shy, and quiet.
A wallflower. Now, on her last night in America (also Perry's prom,
also Perry's band's first gig in New York) she's decided that she wants a
taste of the American life, and Perry has to take Gobi to the prom. On
the plus side, Dad sweetens the deal with the Jag!
Sadly, no one in the family has quite realized just
how world-changing Gobi's visit will be, and it will all take place on
this one last night.
The story is told with
chapter-headings taken from college-application essay-questions, which
is a fun quirk. Perry's "voice" is wry, self-deprecatory, and
ironically aware. Gobi is almost a force of nature in contrast: the
perfect la femme nikita, goddess of vengeance, the incarnation of Death.
Lots of standard YA ground is covered; the family
scandal, the father-son conflict, seeing beyond the physical, social
awareness, revenge vs vengeance, but they're all dealt with in tiny
little flashes between violence and thrills and car-chases.
Nifty read, totally implausible, lots of fun.
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