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Jessica Z.

by Shawn Klomparens

Jessica Z. Cover

ISBN13: 9780385342001
ISBN10: 0385342004
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Welcome to Jessica's world...

When Jessica Zorich met a tall, charismatic artist at a San Francisco party, her life had been all about coping: with a baffling and dangerous world, with a mostly inane job, and with a sweet but meandering relationship with her upstairs neighbor. But Josh Hadden doesn't cope: he's a man of action, of big visions, and of relationships that span the globe; a man certain of his passions, politics, art, and desire. And what Josh desires most is Jessica — at a time when being desired might be the most desirable thing of all.

In this daring, mesmerizing debut, a novel that brilliantly captures the angst of a generation, Jessica gives herself over to an erotic, reckless relationship with a man guarding deep secrets — and to a perfect storm of lust, doubt, joy, and fear. Now, against her better judgment, she is following Josh into his mystifying life and brilliant, dizzying work — where she will find out how much she has been missing, how far she has yet to go, and what the price of this intoxicating adventure will be...

Review:

"Klomparens's novel about 28-year-old San Francisco career girl Jessica Zorich dips into the familiar worlds — corporate, dating, sex, family, art — found in many coming-of-age stories, and ups the ante with a few jolts of terrorism. Jessica is professionally and romantically lost: she has a faux-lationship with her upstairs neighbor Patrick, and a job as a copy writer that doesn't quite do it for her. So after a terrorist attack hits San Francisco and Patrick reveals he has a girlfriend, Jessica revamps her life and cozies up with Josh, a lithographer mysterious in every way except his good looks. The relationship develops fast, and while Jessica becomes the subject of his latest art project, terrorists strike again and Patrick is relegated to the past until another bomb goes off. The story moves swiftly, even if Jessica tends to micromanage the narrative. It's an unexpected move to drop suicide bombers into what is basically chick lit, but Klomparens's gamble mostly pays off. (June)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"Shawn Klomparens offers an intense and startling vision of the near future where a young woman struggles to find a roadmap for life beneath the thunderheads of terror, lust, and art. Perfectly capturing the ubiquitous sense of dread in a post-9/11 world dominated by violence and mass media, Jessica Z. is gripping, unsettling, and dreamlike. A dazzling debut that kept me anxiously turning the pages — and stayed with me long after the book was closed." Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Black Out

Synopsis:

From a new voice in fiction comes this riveting debut novel exploring love and self-perception in a time after American life has changed, and the future is no longer guaranteed.

About the Author

Shawn Klomparens lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with his wife and two children. He is currently at work on his next novel.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:

candiceleigh, July 17, 2008 (view all comments by candiceleigh)
Jessica Z, by Shawn Klomparens

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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Product Details

ISBN:
9780385342001
Author:
Klomparens, Shawn
Publisher:
Delta
Subject:
General
Subject:
Terrorism
Subject:
Single women
Subject:
Identity (psychology)
Subject:
Psychological fiction
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Copyright:
Edition Description:
Trade paper
Publication Date:
20080631
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
352
Dimensions:
8.20x5.28x.80 in. .58 lbs.

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Jessica Z. Used Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$5.95 In Stock
Product details 352 pages Delta - English 9780385342001 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Klomparens's novel about 28-year-old San Francisco career girl Jessica Zorich dips into the familiar worlds — corporate, dating, sex, family, art — found in many coming-of-age stories, and ups the ante with a few jolts of terrorism. Jessica is professionally and romantically lost: she has a faux-lationship with her upstairs neighbor Patrick, and a job as a copy writer that doesn't quite do it for her. So after a terrorist attack hits San Francisco and Patrick reveals he has a girlfriend, Jessica revamps her life and cozies up with Josh, a lithographer mysterious in every way except his good looks. The relationship develops fast, and while Jessica becomes the subject of his latest art project, terrorists strike again and Patrick is relegated to the past until another bomb goes off. The story moves swiftly, even if Jessica tends to micromanage the narrative. It's an unexpected move to drop suicide bombers into what is basically chick lit, but Klomparens's gamble mostly pays off. (June)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "Shawn Klomparens offers an intense and startling vision of the near future where a young woman struggles to find a roadmap for life beneath the thunderheads of terror, lust, and art. Perfectly capturing the ubiquitous sense of dread in a post-9/11 world dominated by violence and mass media, Jessica Z. is gripping, unsettling, and dreamlike. A dazzling debut that kept me anxiously turning the pages — and stayed with me long after the book was closed."
"Synopsis" by , From a new voice in fiction comes this riveting debut novel exploring love and self-perception in a time after American life has changed, and the future is no longer guaranteed.
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