Here are the basics …
Book: Office Girl
Author: Joe Meno
Site: http://www.joemeno.com/
Category: Adult - Fiction
Summary: Odile is a lovely 23-year-old art-school dropout, minor vandal, and hopeless dreamer. Jack is a 25-year-old who's most happy capturing the endless noises of the city on his out-of-date tape recorder. Together they decide to start their own art movement in defiance of a contemporary culture made dull by both the tedious and the obvious. Set in February 1999—Office Girl is the story of two people caught between the uncertainty of their futures and the all-too-brief moments of modern life. (Adapted from Goodreads)
[Note: ARC c/o BEA! Book officially available today!]
My thoughts…
The good & bad (easier to do together in this case!): After the first 100 pages, I was tempted to give up on this book and start reading something else. It reminded me of an indie movie trying too hard to come up with the most awkward characters possible. The first section of the book was from Odile's perspective, who seemed like a crazy person, followed by Jack's section, who seemed like an even crazier person. It was at this point that I was trying to decide if I should keep going or stop now. Then I looked at the heading for the final section of the book: Odile and Jack. The moment these two twenty-something nut cases would probably cross paths.
I'm glad I decided to keep going.
It's a weird book for sure. I don't relate to their characters and there's no one like them in my life but when they started spending time together, they just clicked for me. They got each other in a way that I found endearing (although still crazy) and I found myself enjoying all their little adventures together. The book is filled with random scribbles and Polaroids meant to depict their art, which is something they both love. They're these two lost souls who have no idea what they're doing with their lives but what they feel when they're together brings them this unexpected happiness. I really liked that.
Do I recommend?: It's a quick read and one that I think should be read in one sitting. If you're in the mood for a quirky book with really out-there characters, you might want to pick this up.
Happy reading!
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