Linda Yablonsky

Yablonsky's novel is a thinly veiled memoir about bad old Downtown NYC in the early 1980s when drugs were everywhere. The writing is fantastic but I would complain that the last chapter of the book does not have the same pacing as the rest of the book and feels a bit rushed and overly abbreviated. If not for the ending, I would have given the book five stars.

Anyone with memories or second-hand knowledge of the art/music/literary scene of the time will recognize many of the characters either directly or by type.… (mer)

Devoid of the stream-of-consciousness rambling that accompanies many stories in which drugs are at the forefront, Yablonsky's narrator gives us the straight dope (pun intended) about how a regular girl might come to use heroin, begin dealing, become a junkie, and get busted. The book is fascinating and realistic, which leads me to believe Yablonsky might either be very close to her story or be extremely skilled at research. The writing is very matter-of-fact, and our unnamed narrator could be anyone. The reader identifies and empathizes with her. The consequences of her use are neither minimized or exaggerated. Very well-written and engaging.… (mer)