This book was like a strange, not-entirely-enjoyable yet addictive roller coaster ride. There were parts where I felt like I was floating in a haze of poetic writing and parts where I felt as if the author had completely given up on making sense. The book itself was almost pure description, of the love story between two young women who meet and fall in to a heady, delicious love, punctuated by information about the protagonist's past.

I don't want to define About a Girl as a novel. It was an eclectic mix of everything to do with prose, but because of this the plot was almost non existent. It cannot be denied, this novel was certainly different, if only because of the fact that the love story revolved around a gay relationship. Somehow, it didn't seem very close to reality. The fact that a book about two women in love could be written, set in the early 2000s, and that the book hardly addresses the fact that homosexuality is still considered taboo in certain places; something about that didn't ring true. And yet, it was idyllic, it was potent, it was passionate. I can't understand this book and maybe that's a good thing.

Let me further explain the plot. Anna is in her early twenties, and she is working at a bookstore in Lismore. She sees Flynn performing with her guitar at a gig and falls into a kind love which can only be described as insane. Does it sound cheesy? When I was reading it, it was like flowing poetry. The first part of the book is stunning. The story charts their dysfunctional relationship and also talks about how Anna's history has formed the person she is today, an interesting aspect, which could have definitely have been written in a better way.

The plot twist comes much further down than you expect and I am absolutely furious about it. It's uninventive, disappointing and frankly lets the entire story down. I'd rather read a shortened version of the story as an essay without that "secret" coming out because it's utterly disconnected and in no way could it be called a fitting end to an incredible story.

In fact, read the book, please do. Just skip the last few chapters.

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