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FindingJane
Dec 22, 2014FindingJane rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Set within the context of a single day’s social interaction and mental scrutiny, we are given one Gemma Beasley, who must find out who she is instead of who she wishes she could be. It’s preposterous to think that anyone can come to deep inner revelations in the space of 24 hours, but Mr. Shaw coaxes us with insouciance and charm into following Gemma’s journey. Gemma’s deepening revelation that a movie star’s life is not all it’s cracked up to be, on or off the big screen, is believable as is her interior (and sometimes exterior) monologues. It’s your typical coming-of-age story about growing up, finding true love, learning who your real friends are, etc., etc. But the author manages to raise it just a smidge above its trite after-school taint as Gemma finally realizes that her heroine, Holly Golightly, wasn’t the glamorous star but a lonely, miserable lost child and that Gemma is in danger of repeating her mistakes. The ending isn’t quite what you would expect from the Audrey Hepburn movie from which Gemma takes much of her inspiration. But somehow it all ties neatly together and makes you believe in itself and its lonely protagonist.