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Bennett Madison takes a detour from his Lulu Dark mystery books to write a black comedy about two high school girls who shoplift. Val, the quiet, mousy-brown narrator, never thought Francie, the popular blonde, even knew her name. Imagine her surprise when Francie not only reveals that she knows Val's name but invites her to hang out with her at the mall. Little does Val know that Francie's not too interested in paying for the great things she finds at the mall.
The Blonde of the Joke is an odd book. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting, which was a light and funny story about what happens when a popular girl befriends someone much beneath her on the social ladder. While that's a backbone of the plot, there's a lot more going on in this book than just that.
The Blonde of the Joke isn’t the type of book that one can just skim and be done with in a matter of hours. It’s more like an investment in time, an investment that seems as though it may not pay off in the end because, while Cal is an interesting narrator, Francie is a hard person to like. She’s true to life as a person who believes she's being deep and existential when it’s all a mask for narcissism, but though her character rings true for me, she’s not the type of person you’d want to spend time with.
Though I do concede that The Blonde of the Joke is a thought-provoking story and is at times humorous, it wasn't very enjoyable for me. Those looking for a more serious read, however, may enjoy this more.
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Jilian Vallade/2009 for curled
up with a good kid's book |
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For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews,
visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)
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The Blonde of the Joke