![]() ![]() More than a substantial improvement, in fact. OK! Having read all of the other I Am A Stranger Here Myself and not only hating it, but also wondering how on earth anyone, let alone Liz, could have recommended that to me, I have finally read the I Am A Stranger Here Myself that was actually recommended to me. It is a lovely novel, complex enough to demand attention, sweet enough to be heartwarming, and touching enough to be moving. The pull of the big city life is juxtaposed against the uniquely Oregonian way of life west of the Cascades. An added bonus, the book is set in Oregon in places I am familiar with and love. The miscommunications and lost opportunities to connect ring true and bring heartaches, only some of which can ever be healed. Early in the book, a character dies, setting up a backdrop of fragility as characters move in and out of grief and deal with it in different ways. While the story moves into the world of high end modeling and photography, the young adult struggle to find meaning in work transcends age. The protagonist is a gender bending model, awkward in their body, but in such a way that others see them as compelling and intriguing. It is poignant, with richly developed characters and plotting that weaves themes through the story in ways that allow the emotional complexity of life to come through. This YA romance-ish novel is just the best of what that genre has to offer. ![]()
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