A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Jena Lin plays the violin. She was once a child prodigy and now uses sex to fill the void left by fame. She's struggling a little. Her professional life comprises rehearsals, concerts, auditions and relentless practice; her personal life is spent managing the demands of her strict family and creative friends, and hooking up. And then she meets Mark - much older and worldly-wise - who consumes her. But at what cost to her dreams?
When Jena is awarded an internship with the New York Philharmonic, she thinks the life she has dreamed of is about to begin. But when Trump is elected, New York changes irrevocably and Jena along with it. Is the dream over? As Jena's life takes on echoes of Frances Ha, her favourite film, crucial truths are gradually revealed to her.
A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing explores female desire and the consequences of wanting too much and never getting it. It is about the awkwardness and pain of being human in an increasingly dislocated world - and how, in spite of all this, we still try to become the person we want to be. This is a dazzling and original debut from a young writer with a fierce, intelligent and audacious voice.
'I absolutely inhaled this book. Gutsy, bold and surprising, with a darkness that draws you in and keeps you hanging onto every word.' Bri Lee, author of Eggshell Skull
'Jessie Tu's writing is fierce and bold; I read this novel with escalating excitement, galvanised by the emergence of a powerful new voice.' Christos Tsiolkas, author of Damascus
'Searing, unflinching and unapologetic, Jessie Tu is a fearless talent.' Sophie Hardcastle, author of Below Deck
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Jessie Tu’s debut novel announces a daring new voice in Australian fiction. In this disarmingly audacious, semi-autobiographical book, Tu introduces us to Jena, a Chinese Australian child prodigy-turned-uninspired professional adult violinist combatting deep ennui with casual and sometimes self-destructive sex. Tu, herself a Chinese Australian ex-violinist, holds nothing back in capturing these encounters—consider this a warning—but the book has much more to it than provocative sex scenes designed to shock. It’s a skilful exploration of female empowerment, our desire to be desired and the bumpy quest for purpose in the modern world.
Customer Reviews
Loved it.
I loved the raw realism of it all. Straight to the punch early in. A great depiction of the angst and inadequacies we can feel even after our teenage years.
Loved It
An amazing debut novel. I can’t wait to re-read it and hope Jessie writes a sequel!