Claire Messud has another compelling read – The
Burning Girl. I really liked The Woman Upstairs, so when I
saw she had a new book I got on the library waitlist. It was worthy being in a
queue.
This is a coming of age book. Julia and Cassie have been
friends forever, but the dynamics change in adolescence – friendship, goals,
and actions. From the cover blurb – The Burning Girl is a complex
examination of the stories we tell ourselves about youth and friendship, and
straddles, expertly, childhood’s imaginary worlds and painful adult reality –
crafting a true, immediate portrait of female adolescence.
The author captures the ups and downs of girls, the
struggles and competition when boys enter the picture, and the issue of family.
Julia’s family is solid and caring. Cassie’s changes with a new stepfather. I
enjoyed this story and felt the pain and heartache of lost and found
friendship, deep history and concern even when paths diverge. Claire Messud’s
writing is very smooth and her characters and story flow will keep you
interested. Thumbs up on The Burning Girl.
