The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa KeilMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
After spending a while floundering in a sea of New Adult angst, this whimsical, feel-good YA was exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it. Also, another brilliant Aussie writer! Either I'm only getting the very best of what Australia produces, or we must be missing out on some amazing fiction over here on the opposite side of the world.
Alba was all kinds of brilliant. It was refreshing to find a girl character who isn't obsessed with body image, is reassuringly quirky, but also has no idea what she wants. She know what she's supposed to want, what everyone assumes she wants, but deep down she's just so confused. We tag along as Alba finds her own mind, in the midst of a possible apocalypse. Just a normal day in small-town Australia, obviously.
Keil's festival-like take-over of Alba's little town provided a great deal of entertainment, and the perfect backdrop for Alba's troubles. It made what could have been boring and ordinary, diverting and extraordinary. Super-high points for location and minor characters there, Ms Kiel. It's like a literary comic book, full of outlandish scenes which Kiel paints with words that worm their way into your head and disperse to create a scene so complete it's like you're there, sitting with Alba and her friends, puzzling over the riotous and ridiculous events of the summer.
I can't say enough good things about this book. It really lifted me up and reminded me why I love reading so much. Five joyful stars and an urge to read it again.
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