James Whorton, Jr. is renowned for the eccentric male protagonists he created in his novels Approximately Heaven
and Frankland
. The New York Times Book Review called Frankland, “Jauntily entertaining…an often funny exploration of slacker consciousness…works the same deadpan comic vein as the Coen brothers inFargo." So it comes as a surprise that Whorton’s third novel, ANGELA SLOAN
(Free Press; Paperback Original; August 2, 2011; $14.00), is told from the vantage point of a most unusual—and unforgettable—14 year-old girl.
and Frankland. The New York Times Book Review called Frankland, “Jauntily entertaining…an often funny exploration of slacker consciousness…works the same deadpan comic vein as the Coen brothers inFargo." So it comes as a surprise that Whorton’s third novel, ANGELA SLOAN (Free Press; Paperback Original; August 2, 2011; $14.00), is told from the vantage point of a most unusual—and unforgettable—14 year-old girl.Set in Watergate era Washington, DC, ANGELA SLOAN features a straight-faced innocent who is somehow both “wised-up and clueless.” When her father, a retired CIA agent, goes underground, she is left without answers. In lieu of instructions, she receives the keys to a Plymouth Scamp and a few sequentially numbered hundreds. Though Angela tries to stay under the radar, strangers keep attaching themselves to her. An undercover poet has lines he wants her to hear; a Chinese waitress won’t get out of her car; A colleague from her father’s Congo tour knows more than he’s telling. ANGELA SLOAN is her account, "truthful and explicit," of what happened while she waited. A bold and quirky comedy of stoic girls, broken men, and mean hippies, ANGELA SLOAN is a priceless coming-of-age story about stealing diner food and salvaging lost identities.
features a straight-faced innocent who is somehow both “wised-up and clueless.” When her father, a retired CIA agent, goes underground, she is left without answers. In lieu of instructions, she receives the keys to a Plymouth Scamp and a few sequentially numbered hundreds. Though Angela tries to stay under the radar, strangers keep attaching themselves to her. An undercover poet has lines he wants her to hear; a Chinese waitress won’t get out of her car; A colleague from her father’s Congo tour knows more than he’s telling. ANGELA SLOAN is her account, "truthful and explicit," of what happened while she waited. A bold and quirky comedy of stoic girls, broken men, and mean hippies, ANGELA SLOAN is a priceless coming-of-age story about stealing diner food and salvaging lost identities.My Take on the BookThis book was one that kept you guessing. You are drawn into a world of espionage where people live double lives for professional or personal reasons. Ray the main character is not the type of person that you would want to meet regularly (or at least I wouldn't). With the fact that he is a paranoid alcoholic who is a terrible parent. As you get further into the story you get to know Ray's character a bit more, and you might even start to feel concern and regret for his character, but I am not holding any pitty parties at least yet.
The author weaves a web of intricate plot that makes you think hard about the idea of deception as well as where the line between reality and lies intersect. You also come to find that the author is allowing the daughter (angela) to get to know more of the truth about Ray which helps her understand why he drinks and more about what makes his who he is.
The book was easy to read with short chapters which made the story flow. There were parts of the book itself that were slower and the end of the book was a bit slower that I though it could be though the ending was still satisfying. Overall this was a good book that I would recommend.
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