I begged my dad to buy me this book because of the cover and the review on the back that called Gale Zoe Garnett, the book's author, "a female Salinger." While Roanne is not exactly Holden Caulfield in a bra, I could totally relate to what she was going through.

Roanne Chappell is a 14-year old Canadian girl who feels suffocated by her artist mother. She wants to be known by something other than "Del's daughter." She hungers for a world of her own, an existence entirely separate from her mother's. Roanne runs away to the home of D.D.A.(Didi), a renowned cartoonist whom she idolizes, and who turns out to be a lovable, gay, French dwarf.

As Roanne continues her adventure, travelling to California and even swinging by Mexico, Roanne meets quite a number of unusual characters, including Pascal, Didi's photographer brother, Gabe, an old friend from "clown school," and Gilbey Tarr, a gorgeous, Southern "teenage goddess from outer space," who soon becomes Roanne's best friend. These people all help Roanne learn important life lessons, as well as find the wonderful individual hidden from beneath her mother's shadow.

Roanne is unlike any character ever written. I think it is wrong to liken her to Holden Caulfield, for she does not possess Holden's jaded view of the world. Roanne truly is "visibly amazed" by everything she sees.

Although the book's ending was quite abrupt, and the period in which the book is set was not clearly illustrated, I still consider this one of my favorite books. Like Roanne, I often feel the need to run away and forge a world that I can truly call my own. Roanne is not afraid to explore unknown territories, such as her sexuality. You'll be glad the book is written in first person, for Roanne's original blend of coined expressions and Canadian jargon will have you laughing out loud.

Read the book. It will truly amaze you.

This book was amazing. I suggest to anyone who wants to take an adventure, to take it with this 14 year old girl. She is incredible and the way the story was written was in a way that you don't want to put it down. It took me only a few days to read because all I did was keep my nose in the book. If you put it down, you want to know what's going to happen next and you never want it to end.

I thought it was an insightful book about relationships and I was amazed by Garnett's development of Roanne's character in the midst of a circus-like collection of characters. As the novel progresses and Roanne matures, the author subtly alters the character's voice and the reader experiences what's happening as though you were there. It is not your usual "coming of age" novel by a long shot. All the characters are risk-takers and it's how they interact that makes this novel adventurous, erotic, scary at times, but essentially life-affirming. I eagerly await Ms. Garnett's next novel.