Fifteen-year-old Monk drifts through a monotonous existence in a grimy Chinatown apartment with her “grumpy brown couch” of a dad, until she meets high school senior Santa Coy online. For a moment, it looks like he might be her boyfriend. But when Monk’s dad becomes obsessed with Santa Coy’s artwork, Monk finds herself shunted to the sidelines as her father and the object of her affections begin to hatch a scheme of their own. To keep up, Monk must navigate a combustible cocktail of odd assignments, peculiar places, and murky underworld connections.
In Jamie Marina Lau’s debut novel, shortlisted for Australia’s prestigious Stella Prize when she was nineteen years old, hazily surreal vignettes conjure a multifaceted world of philosophical angst and lackadaisical violence.
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“Emily Woo Zeller hypnotically mingles edgy tones with sultriness in this noir-style debut novel…Zeller brings out the intensity of visceral descriptions that capture the teen’s experiences of both warmth and disquieting disappointment…Zeller’s powerful performance adds texture to the story, making for an absorbing listening experience for those who enjoy coming-of-age narratives. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
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