Which is terrible, because I know that while Me & Emma is nowhere in the same literary ballpark as say, The Bluest Eye (Vintage International) , I know books like those offer a measure of escape and hope for teenagers and women in similar situations. Or, just because I hated The Secret Life of Bees doesn't mean it lacks merit.
But the glut of those books in my literary history will explain why I went into Such a Pretty Girl with trepidation. But Laura Wiess, in her debut novel, manages to create a page-turner that feels both original and horrifying.
Meredith is a 15-year-old whose father has been released, early, from prison after being convicted on several counts of pedophilia. Her mother is determined to put on a happy face and move forward, while her daughter lives in terror that her father is quickly going to resume molesting her. It will come as no surprise that Meredith quickly makes her exit from this house of hell. The entire novel never loses a tone of urgency as Meredith struggles to maintain her relationship with her paraplegic boyfriend and to make her mother understand her father has not changed.
It's not a book for the faint of heart, and I have mixed feelings about recommending this book for a young teenager, mostly because I finished it and couldn't fall asleep easily. There's no skating around the unpleasant details of Meredith's life, past and present, but Wiess shows some restraint in the gory details so that the book feels sensational but not exploitative. The portrayal of Sharon, Meredith's mother, also felt fresh to me, as she's arguably as equally horrifying as Meredith's father. Her constant betrayal of her daughter is heartrending, and all too true.
Recommended for older teenagers, teachers and parents. While Such a Pretty Girl is not an easy read, it's quick and can be finished in an evening. I look forward to reading more from Laura Wiess.
