List Books Toward A Girl Named Charlie Lester
| Original Title: | A Girl Named Charlie Lester |
| ISBN: | 061516546X (ISBN13: 9780615165462) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | New York Book Festival (2008) |
Carissa Halston
Paperback | Pages: 224 pages Rating: 4.2 | 10 Users | 3 Reviews
Description To Books A Girl Named Charlie Lester
"The razory hip Charlie sallies forth from a hateful adolescence to find sex, self-awareness and then, in its many guises, the thing called love.Early in Halston's tale, Charlie has a black sheep tattooed on her back, but that's more a wish than a reality. Living with an abusive aunt after the death of her parents, she is a smart, reflective creature--post-Goth, baleful and brooding with a long streak of bookish bohemianism--though she displays little smarts when she falls for the tattoo artist. The emotional pain that Charlie experiences is beveled as Halston seesaws the chapters, touching down at the aunt's house, then eight years later when Charlie has her own bookstore, and between, the now charged, now dolorous years. The author keeps the scale intimate so readers see the events of Charlie's life up close, from the slap of her aunt reddening her cheek to raw, yet fruitful, discussions with her friends regarding her sexual orientation: "What a gentlemanly feminist you've become," chides one, as Charlie explores her lesbian leanings. The air of the book is sweet but not saccharine, emotionally generous, allowing Charlie to be uncompromising and independent and then tyrannized by her love life, idiosyncratic in her brainy verve, then willing to step back and look at the effluvia of her suburban existence. Halston lets the characters' actions speak for them and, as a result, well-rounded personalities emerge. Charlie is a gem--a hard-bitten gem for sure--if calculatingly available.
A lovely piece of female confessional." --Kirkus Reviews, February 2008
Mention Of Books A Girl Named Charlie Lester
| Title | : | A Girl Named Charlie Lester |
| Author | : | Carissa Halston |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 224 pages |
| Published | : | September 19th 2007 by Aforementioned Productions |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Literary Fiction. LGBT |
Rating Of Books A Girl Named Charlie Lester
Ratings: 4.2 From 10 Users | 3 ReviewsJudge Of Books A Girl Named Charlie Lester
An absolutely brilliant novel about identity, sexuality, gender, and growing up. In the novel Halston explores the ways in which "what do I want to do with my life?" frequently belies the deeper question of "who am I?" The flashback framework shows us Charlie as a well-rounded adult in contrast to Charlie the messed-up, angst-ridden post-teen. Charlie's not always easy to love in these flashbacks, and she doesn't always make the wisest choices. But these mistakes shape her, and in the end everyCarissa Halston is a fiction writer. Her award-winning stories have appeared in The Massachusetts Review, Fourteen Hills, Willow Springs, and elsewhere. She currently lives in Boston where she runs a small press called Aforementioned, edits a literary journal called apt, and is currently at work on a novel.
A really enjoyable read--got through it in a sitting. The bookstore stuff was pretty priceless. The flashback structure works well. Only complaint was that the refrains about Charlie's acting didn't seem developed earlier so the allusions to that skill sometimes felt like something retained from an earlier draft. That's a relatively small complaint--this was a lot of fun.
This story is both compelling and uncomfortable. The title character's life decisions are fascinatingly human. Her story reads with the honesty of a personal diary; sex, confusion, and emotions intact. The pacing is intentionally designed to keep your happiness level in-check, and holds back any real sense of relaxation until the last possible moment.
An absolutely brilliant novel about identity, sexuality, gender, and growing up. In the novel Halston explores the ways in which "what do I want to do with my life?" frequently belies the deeper question of "who am I?" The flashback framework shows us Charlie as a well-rounded adult in contrast to Charlie the messed-up, angst-ridden post-teen. Charlie's not always easy to love in these flashbacks, and she doesn't always make the wisest choices. But these mistakes shape her, and in the end every
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