Electric-sharp and disconnected, sprinkled through with unusual turns of phrase ('Trapped between this white envelope or for everybody to be the way they used to be'). Figurative speech blurs all over with rhythms that suggest meaning which may or may not exist ('In here it's a greasy intergalactic mission); it's all wrapped up in a first person present tense (my old favourite) affect that's diminished or odd or both ('This is good, this is working').
Convincing seediness, contemporary art-making, drugs. Chinatown blues, lots of food and a teenage narrator. I went to the book launch a little while back and the author said something like she wanted it to be like the actual experience of a teenager and teenagers don't go around noticing things and being empathetic with others; she's tapped something here. Excellent.
Convincing seediness, contemporary art-making, drugs. Chinatown blues, lots of food and a teenage narrator. I went to the book launch a little while back and the author said something like she wanted it to be like the actual experience of a teenager and teenagers don't go around noticing things and being empathetic with others; she's tapped something here. Excellent.
