Reader Review: "How 'Naked Lunch' should have closed."

Is that good?

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What do you say about a book whose traumatic story you initially turned away from, but then it became something you couldn’t put down?

I’d been anticipating the release of this gripping, evocative novel after devouring several chapters that were published as standalone stories. An odyssey that’s more colorful, chaotic, and sometimes terrifying than any I’ve read before … and then beyond. A story that will stay with me.

What a voice. There is a lot of humor in this book. Carlie isn’t a noble or long-suffering heroine; she is more of a kick-ass and break things until she figures it out type — which make for a way better read.

Hall’s lush writing gives us a vivid portrait of a backpacker’s life in a pre-internet era where the main source of information was The Lonely Planet travel guide. Having traveled in these parts of the world during that era, I was pulled back into a world of spontaneity, constant assessment of whether someone is trustworthy, stunning sights, and encounters with people from all walks of life.

The author totally nailed the bulimia and addiction behaviors of a survivor, with compassion and wisdom — I recommended it to my graduate students in psychology.

The author’s treatment of eating disorders, the challenge of “normal” sex (not to mention love) as a survivor, and the tragedy of suicide is exceptionally well done. The author’s voice is trenchant, moving, and funny. You don’t have to be a survivor of childhood sexual abuse to be uplifted by this book.

As the author says on her website, “Expect the miracle.”