Georgie is heading into the final year of her university fashion degree and vows that this year will be different, both in work and in love. Admittedly things don't get off to the best of starts. Negotiating family, friends, flatmates, fashion and flings, this is the crazy, quirky world of a twenty-something fashion design student. The thing that immediately strikes you on reading this book is the author's inimitable style. Flowery and sophisticated, she uses language wonderfully (tendresse and cognoscenti, enough said) to create a very strong and authentic voice. For some, this may tend towards the verbose, but there's nothing showy about it, it is the reflection of the sassy, smart heroine. In terms of plot, the novel is somewhat sparse and there's a lot that goes on off-stage as it were. The driving force behind this novel is instead very much the character and voice of Georgie and as such some of the storylines don't really emerge as you might expect. There's also a certain profligacy to the story, in terms of drugs and sex that may not appeal to all readers. But I loved the fact that in her acknowledgements, Elizabeth Aaron concedes that that's the only page her grandparents are allowed to read, which pretty much says it all in terms of the content. Strongly humorous, unashamedly raunchy and refreshingly grandiose, this is a bold and emphatic debut. (JC)
