I feel I should apologize for the dearth of posts in the past month. I’ve been reading a ton, but when it comes to writing a short review, work gets in the way. Why not blog at night, you might ask? Well, I live on the third floor and it’s generally about 90 degrees in there at the moment. Spending a night with a hot laptop on my legs is not exactly refreshing. So what is a gal to do? Write a few short reviews in spare moments! Expect some reviews throughout the week.

The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan: Fagan’s debut, described as “fierce” by none other than Michiko Kakutani follows teenage Anais as she navigates the Scottish foster care system. Her biological mother gave birth to her in a psychiatric ward then disappeared. She moves from place to place until she finds a foster mother Teresa, a prostitute that she finds murdered one day, forcing her back into the system. Now she’s under suspicion of having assaulted a policewoman who is still in a coma. The system moves Anais into The Panopticon, a home for chronic offenders. She’s living amongst a motley crew of misfits. Anais possesses a punk spirit and a fuck-you attitude that I found oddly endearing. She’s wise enough to know that it’s not her fault but she has no control over her own destiny. Heartfelt and wonderful writing make this first novel a real treat.