When I set out to write a book about the natural history of breasts, I knew I'd have to answer some awkward questions about my book topic. At a...
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Art and eroticism against a taut background of fear and uncertainty. A smart, original, and compelling debut.
In a trenchant view of the near-future, Jessica’s story unfolds easily against the charged backdrop of terrorist-besieged San Francisco. Adrift in an ambiguous relationship with sweet but safe Patrick, who lives upstairs, Jessica seems to want something more. Before long she meets Josh, a mysterious and seductive artist, who becomes a central and unsettling force in her life. Her erotic awakening begins when she finds herself drawn into his world. Caught between these two men, Jessica explores the boundaries of love and lust and opens up to a fuller knowledge of herself.
In Jessica Z, Klomparens creates not a portrait of a woman, but a woman – fleshy and real. Through smart dialogue and beautifully rendered insecurities, we come to know Jessica intimately, and we see shades of ourselves reflected in her. Her story is well written and easily told.
The narrative is taut with the heightened anxiety of terrorist threats, as well as the mystery and danger of Jessica’s new relationship. Yet it skillfully layers this raw emotion with a counterpoint of clarity and tenderness. Jessica’s moments of real insight, when they come, are arresting in their stillness and simplicity, and they stand in stark contrast to the overall tone of the book. And just like in real life, they are fleeting.
Klomparens gives us a tightly-constructed plot full of great dialogue and incisive wit. It’s smart, funny, and impossible to put down. Bravo!
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Jessica Z. by Shawn Klomparens
candiceleigh, July 17, 2008
Jessica Z, by Shawn KlomparensArt and eroticism against a taut background of fear and uncertainty. A smart, original, and compelling debut.
In a trenchant view of the near-future, Jessica’s story unfolds easily against the charged backdrop of terrorist-besieged San Francisco. Adrift in an ambiguous relationship with sweet but safe Patrick, who lives upstairs, Jessica seems to want something more. Before long she meets Josh, a mysterious and seductive artist, who becomes a central and unsettling force in her life. Her erotic awakening begins when she finds herself drawn into his world. Caught between these two men, Jessica explores the boundaries of love and lust and opens up to a fuller knowledge of herself.
In Jessica Z, Klomparens creates not a portrait of a woman, but a woman – fleshy and real. Through smart dialogue and beautifully rendered insecurities, we come to know Jessica intimately, and we see shades of ourselves reflected in her. Her story is well written and easily told.
The narrative is taut with the heightened anxiety of terrorist threats, as well as the mystery and danger of Jessica’s new relationship. Yet it skillfully layers this raw emotion with a counterpoint of clarity and tenderness. Jessica’s moments of real insight, when they come, are arresting in their stillness and simplicity, and they stand in stark contrast to the overall tone of the book. And just like in real life, they are fleeting.
Klomparens gives us a tightly-constructed plot full of great dialogue and incisive wit. It’s smart, funny, and impossible to put down. Bravo!
(13 of 16 readers found this comment helpful)