Haunted

Every so often I'll read a book outside of my favorite genres. I rarely read literary fiction, but I'd bought "Prep" at a book sale six months ago and when I finished the WIP, I needed something to read. I dug it out of my nightstand and set off on quite an adventure. When you're haunted by the story twelve hours after you finish it, you've found something special.

I'd picked up the book because the main character, Lee, was from my old home town. It gave me an immediate connection. After I finished the book last night, I realized I connected with Lee in other ways. "Prep" is more than a story about a Midwestern girl who goes off to an elite east coast boarding school. It is more than a story about being the fish out of water. It really is an examination of how we think, perceive ourselves and function in our worlds. It is a story about relationships and their often very transitory nature. It is a story about choices and the power we have to define ourselves and the struggle we face in using that power.

The writing was wonderful, borderline beautiful in some scenes. Sittenfeld knew when to lay it on and when to be sparse. I guess going to the Iowa Writer's Workshop will teach you a thing or two.

This isn't a light and fun ready, but it is a really good book and a really well told story. Maybe I need to step outside my reading zone more often.