But I'll only say a few things here, as I don't want to spoil it for everyone!I'd never come across Wasserman before, which really surprises me. She has an exquisite turn of phrase; her prose is almost syrupy (but not sweet!). In fact, she has written quite a few novels before which are fairly well read - where was I missing in all of this?
Anyway, Girls on Fire. It was one of those hard-to-rate books because, though wonderfully written, it wasn't exactly enjoyable. I don't think I'd recommend it to people, although if I did it would definitely come with a health warning. It's, just to be blatant, horrific. But it's also viscerally real. It's certainly an experience reading it; emotional engagement is a non-negotiable.
In a way, I loved it. It was an amazing portrayal of the potential destructiveness of female friendship: a subject I feel I can really understand. It was a girl moulded by another. Familial scars being saddled on children. Secrets begetting secrets.
But I just can't give it a higher rating, because it was so awful to read. Does that make any sense? Perhaps I get too emotionally involved in books...
All the same, I don't think this is the last novel I'll read by Wasserman; my feelers are out now, trying to see what I'll go for next.
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