The outline and plot are given in the publisher’s blurb and I wouldn’t want to give more away; frankly, the idea of another book about adolescent students at a flashy American school and a charismatic, unorthodox teacher sounds thoroughly unprepossessing, but I was hooked from the start by the narrative voice of Blue, a geeky daughter of a political science lecturer who is incredibly charismatic but never stays anywhere for more than a year or so. I found her utterly engaging and her voice managed to make inner life and external events wonderfully convincing with her slightly eccentric but completely relatable view of things. There are also some profound observations about relationships, plus politics and other things as Blue consistently cites both real and imaginary authors and works – a quirk which I enjoyed very much.
I found the plot, which is very slow to develop, secondary to all this but Marisha Pessl is a very skilled storyteller so it held my attention very well and I was surprised by how engaged I was. I think she struggled a little with a plausible ending, but I liked the ambiguity with which she left it.
I suspect that this is a book which you will either love or dislike intensely, and that you will know which within a couple of chapters. I loved it and personally I can recommend it very warmly indeed.
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