A Lonely Girl Is A Dangerous thing by Jessie Tu ( book review)

 

Chimamanda Adiche's character, Ifemelu thinks that a book isn't only about one thing and the question :What a book is about? shouldn't be asked as if it is only one thing. I agree with her.

  If you ask me what Jessie Tu's debut novel, A lonely girl is a Dangerous thing about? I would say it is about a lot of things, Love, sex ,racism, politics, feminism, music,friendship and psychological mentality.

 Jena was famous as a child ,"A child prodigy." 

But then she slipped one day and that was all of it, the fame ended and she became an ordinary child and violinist, who knew nothing but the violin, she had been playing since she was little. Jena feels empty,worthless. She knows that she is nothing without the violin, no identity, no abilities. She isn't the stereotypical pretty Asian girl,she is dark sometimes mistaken for a native American. To feel the emptiness inside, she throws herself at boys and men.

I think Jena is a unique character, even though she is not a "goody two shoes" , which is what I like. I like books with protagonists who aren't perfect, or very pretty or handsome or very innocent. I feel drawn to such characters, there is something intriguing about such characters.

Jena is a porn addict, sex addict, selfish,  sans-love,imperfect she has small boobs like limes ( she said so herself). She loves the music and writing to some extent, even though she only writes about her sexual escapades. 

The book is  dark and gripping. Every single word, every single sentence. It was a fast read for me. I read it three hours, 60 short fast paced chapters, 251 pages. 

It is not a typical romance book ,or romcom or adventure or young adult. I don't know what to call it ,but it is a story of a girl, a story of a girl that has been told. I can't fathom how Tu was able to write something so gripping. Dark, yet humorous and entertaining to read. 

I know this question might seem unrelated, but do you remember the Disney movie ,Little Mermaid?

Why didn't the Prince ask for fins , so he could join Ariel in the sea?

Jena asked that question.

Published, 2020

Allen & Unwin

Australia