Allison Burnett | Undiscovered Gyrl (Vintage)

In an instant, the book becomes something to reread, reinterpret and rethink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s the premise: Taking a year off before college, Katie Kampenfelt, a precocious and provocative 18-year-old girl, starts a tell-all blog. She’s very openly—and frequently—sexual, capturing all her flirting, conquests and repercussions. As the book progresses, so do Katie’s indiscretions.

It’s easy to see where the teenager’s acting out comes from. Her mother and her boyfriend are about to get married, which will leave Katie without a place to live. Her father’s an alcoholic, leaving his daughter in the unenviable position of having no real role models to speak of, and no support or consideration for her life’s choices.

Friends-wise, she starts the book with one best friend and one boyfriend; said best friend and said boyfriend end up betraying Katie, leaving her even further alone. Katie’s poor decisions compound, snowballing until everything is set to boil over.

The book often feels voyeuristic, and rightly so. It often feels like the rantings of an immature, undeveloped adolescent, also rightly so. But what does all of this mean? Why bother reading it in a book when you can find countless examples on the world wide web every day?

Then Undiscovered Gyrl takes a turn you’ll never see coming. In an instant, the book becomes something to reread, reinterpret and rethink. It’s all so deep, crying for explanation. And that’s where Allison Burnett commits the ultimate act of selflessness: she lets you figure it out for yourself. | Laura Hamlett