Yet another in a long line of Cory Doctorow-recommended sci-fi. Unlike most of his recommendations, I actually liked this one quite a bit (which, in the long run, is probably a bad thing since it means I’ll be more inclined to read the next recommendation of his, even if his batting average with me is still around .185). The book’s not perfect; Lola’s descent into poverty and gang life is a little forced, but I suppose it gives the book a bit of Dickensian feel (in which an endless series of bad things happen to the protagonist to push him/her into more dire circumstances). The most interesting aspect to me was the gradual integration of slang, which was enough to get me to recommend the book to my dad (who tends to like that sort of thing).

I wish I could remember what inspired me to get this book from the library, if only so I could properly give credit and see what else they recommend. I fully intend to read more from Bolano, but what I really liked was the Borges-esque faux biography format. It inspired me to try to write my own, but that didn’t go very well at all. It’s clearly harder than it looks.