Eating the Cheshire Cat is a stunning debut from a young writer whose expert literary craftsmanship rivals that of the most seasoned novelists. With humor both clever and macabre, Helen Ellis lures us into a world of perfectly planned parties and steep social ladders. Soon, traditional rites of passage take unpredictable and horrifying turns as three girls and their overbearing mothers collide. Sarina Summers's mother believes that physical perfection is worth suffering for -- a lesson she faithfully teaches her daughter in the astonishing opening scene. In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, beauty is as beauty does, with axes and knives and in-your-face back-stabbing. Ruthless and vindictive, Sarina will stop at nothing to have it all. Lurking in Sarina's shadow is Nicole Hicks, Sarina's devoted friend with only a fragile grasp on reality, whose repeated blunders undermine Mrs. Hicks's ambitious goals. As Nicole's self-destructive obsession with Sarina worsens, Bitty Jack Carlson is caught in the crossfire. A nice girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Bitty Jack fights to prove that she can succeed outside the confines of this outrageous yet eerily familiar Southern community. From summer camp to the University of Alabama's race for the homecoming queen's throne, Southern stereotypes are challenged and wrestled to the ground. It's survival of the fittest. But which girl will come out on top? Readers will be guessing until the bitter end in this fast-paced and unforgettable first novel.
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Review:
A Quentin Tarantino meets Jackie Collins mix of blood, guts, sex and shopping (DAILY TELEGRAPH)
This is darkly Southern Gothic humour, both witty and disturbing, that throws into sharp relief the madness lurking beneath obsessive social rituals (DAILY MAIL)
With great verve and wit, Helen Ellis tackles head-on this fluffy pink corner of the American cliche ... A fine debut, and an immensely enjoyable read (THE TIMES)
Oh, the things these girls do to each other in the name of beauty, ambition, friendship and sisterhood! EATING THE CHESHIRE CAT is a wicked, funny, page-turner of a story (Dani Shapiro, author of SLOW MOTION)
Book Description:
* A brilliant and unnerving novel about the lives of three teenage girls and the Alabama society that twisted them
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- PublisherScribner
- Publication date2000
- ISBN 10 0684864401
- ISBN 13 9780684864402
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages288
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Rating