Eating the Cheshire Cat

Having lived in Tuscaloosa, attended "The" University, and been a member of a sorority, this novel hit very close to home. Ellis does an excellent job of exposing the pathos that is Southern womanhood. The author surely must have done her research, becuase her descriptions of Tuscaloosa (especially sorority rush) are right on target. I laughed till I cried - people like Sarina and her mother surely exist, and this is what's so frightening. Sure, it's rather violent, but the funny thing is, I could actually imagine it all happening. Her use of imagery is especially deft; like another reveiwer said, Tuscaloosa is an entire universe to itself. Ellis seems to capture the essence of this twisted world all too well.

Yes, its true, teen life CAN get scarier. If u read this book u will know what i mean! This book is absolutely AMAZING. How a writer can keep a girl turning pages as fast as that i have yet to learn. I happened to not find this book all together wonderful, but its so disturbing and unexpected, there is no possible way u will be able to put this book down. I guarantee it. The plot is almost absurd, the characters all the extremes, but i have to say it was almost fascinating. Just the first chapter flings u into their to-the-death popularity contest, with no turning back. Trust me, no matter who u are, no matter where u came from, this book will give u a blast- wether its fun or just plain breath-taking.

I used to read a lot when I was in grade school, but I dropped off the books and became more interested in other things. Around November of last year, I saw an article on this in Vogue magazine, and by the description, I decided to ask for it for Christmas. I got the book, and for about five minutes, looked at the cover alone: a goldfish swimming around unknowingly in a blender. What a very poetic and ascerbic application to the mood of the book. Read it and think about it. You'll love every word, every character, every event, and from the very beginning, this story will take such a hold of you that you'll hardly be able to pry yourself loose.

This is one of the most compelling books I have read this year. The characters immediately jump out to grab you and never let go. If you can guess this ending, kudos to you.