New Review! Placid Girl by Brenna Ehrlich, 4 Cranky Stars

Placid Girl by Brenna Ehrlich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**** 4 Cranky Stars ****



Right from the start, the staccato prose of Placid Girl is almost an assault on the senses. Part mystery, part social commentary the work combines two contemporary issues: social media and hero worship.



Hallie, aka Placid Girl, is a drummer in a band. She’s timid, gripped by stage fright, and over shadowed by her more confident friend, Sarah. Obsessed with a mysterious musician, Haze, who is reclusive and been missing for years, Hallie’s chance meeting with a blogger sets in motion a chain of events.



Haze, is not the voice of a generation, but of misfits and outcasts, who have been force-fed a diet of sugary pop stars and auto tune. He wears a mask, is a philosopher-artist, and suddenly, he’s texting Hallie.



Setting out to meet Haze, Hallie and her friends embark on a road trip, but unravel more than one mystery. When reality meets obsession, masks drop, truths are held up to clarity, and priorities realigned.



This story is disaffected youth, on the verge of adulthood but not quite there yet. They’re looking for something authentic, something to believe in a world full of fakes, and unsatisfactory home lives.



Placid Girl has some great lines in it and gives a wry nod to youthful narcissism.



I’d recommend this book to anyone who is interested in realistic-YA and also, alternative music lovers.





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