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(You) Set Me on Fire

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 94 ratings · 27 reviews

This is a story about college, about fire and also about love.

Allison Lee is seventeen and off to college in the fall. So far, she's been in love once (total catastrophe) and on fire twice (also pretty bad). Both love and fire have left their scars.

Looking a little more burnt chicken and a little less radiant phoenix, Allison takes up residence in Dylan Hall (a.k.a. Dyke H...more

Paperback, 288 pages

Published September 4th 2012 by Penguin Canada

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Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

Canadian Lesbian Fiction and Memoirs

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Feb 07, 2013 Edie rated it 5 of 5 stars

UGH what even to say about this book? I loved it, it was real and dark and thrilling and twisted in a way that almost everyone has experienced. Allison's struggle with being alone and feeling lonely is one that I understand very well. The anger, as well, though I've never had the guts to do anything about it. Every single character in this book is heartbreaking and I feel like I understand where they're coming from even if it's a little twisted.

It is a beautiful, heartbreaking story about an ext...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Vikki VanSickle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian, ya, ya-crossover

Two things really struck me about this book. First, what a talent we have in Mariko Tamaki. Having read the graphic novel Skim, created with her cousin Jillian Tamaki, I knew I would be in good hands, but her first person narrative blew me away. Allison is an angry, wounded person and an excellent observer. I didn’t always agree with her, but I believed her, with one exception. I never really bought why Allison was drawn to Shar. I understand the allure of the aloof, beautiful, enigmatic friend,...more Two things really struck me about this book. First, what a talent we have in Mariko Tamaki. Having read the graphic novel Skim, created with her cousin Jillian Tamaki, I knew I would be in good hands, but her first person narrative blew me away. Allison is an angry, wounded person and an excellent observer. I didn’t always agree with her, but I believed her, with one exception. I never really bought why Allison was drawn to Shar. I understand the allure of the aloof, beautiful, enigmatic friend, but not enough time was spent developing their relationship or describing Shar’s intoxicating qualities for me to 100% believe that Allison would be as devoted to her as she was.

This brings me to the other thing I loved about this book, which was the theme of toxic friendships. Every girl I know has had one female friend in their life who was toxic. Maybe she was the queen bee of your group of friends, or someone you knew forever so you tolerated her behaviour because of your shared history. Whatever the reason these friends are usually fun, exciting and make you feel special and indestructible one moment and then are completely dismissive or cruel the next. She is the kind of friend who helps you get ready for a date and then flirts with the object of your affection in front of you to see if ‘he’s good enough for you.’ While Allison and Shar’s relationship has romantic overtones (at least on one side), I would argue their relationship is more an example of toxic girl friendships than a romantic relationship gone awry.

I’m so glad Tamaki went there- not a lot of YA writers do, or at least not with such authenticity and grit. I sometimes wonder if YA readers can relate to the endless romantic relationships they are fed through contemporary YA fiction, but I know for a fact that a lot of teen readers could benefit from reading about toxic friendships. Sometimes you need to read about something before you can identify it in your own life. (You) Set Me On Fire could go a long way in enlightening some girls on the subject of bad girl friendships.

This was an uncomfortable but addictive read. I found myself cringing inwardly at many moments and wanting to tell the protagonist that she would get through the upheaval of first year.The overall metaphor of being burned (romantically and literally) felt a bit forced, and the story was strong enough that it didn’t require an overarching metaphor to pull it all together.

Fans of older literary YA, such as Why We Broke Up, Speak, and Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone will appreciate this harsh but unforgettable narrative.(less)

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Sep 26, 2012 Miss rated it 3 of 5 stars

Oh goodness. Okay see I spent this morning catching up on my readings for International Issues in Human Rights. And while I really love the class and I feel like I learn a ton it deals with monumentally depressing subject matter. D: Seriously, spend a couple of hours reading about global neoliberal capitalism and see if you're not consumed with the helpless desire to find some way to burn the whole system down. (That would provide a neat segue into the book but I'm not done yet so hold that thou...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Moonlight Gleam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Allison was never the popular girl in school; in fact, she was one of the least popular students throughout her high school years. Although she did her best to keep to herself, there were two instances where Allison made her way into the spotlight. By spotlight, I mean Allison was nearly engulfed in flames. Allison was set on fire in both instances.

To put everything behind her and get a fresh start, Allison decides to attend St. Joseph’s college, somewhere as far from her high school as possible...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Melissa (YA Book Shelf) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian-ya

I really loved this novel about college, fire, and love. The voice of Allison Lee, who has fallen in love once and been set on fire twice before ever making it to college, is great. I found myself laughing out loud frequently. That said, the further along into the novel I got, the clearer it became that this wasn't merely a light read. For Allison, adjusting to life in college isn't easy, and there were times that I was really upset for her because she deals with some pretty manipulative persona...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone looking for a good ol' college tale

Shelves: college, fiction, girly-books, canadian

How I Came To Read This Book: it was a freebie via the blog.

The Plot: Meet Allison Lee; terminal loser, somewhat reluctant lesbian, victim of two somewhat self-inflicted fires, and college-bound at age 17. Once there, Allison is drawn in by an enigmatic and bitterly cool girl named Shar. As Allison enjoys a sense of belonging for the first time, the world around her seems to be withdrawn, bringing up questions about Shars real motives and persona.

The Good & The Bad: this is, generally speak...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Sonia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-i-own, serious-issues

I wanted to love this book for a number of reasons. It's a Canadian read. The author seems pretty great. There's girl/girl romance. When I first started the book, I was immediately captured. Personally, I love distinct narration in a voice that actually resembles what goes on in my own head and that's exactly what I found in Allison's. It's dramatic and chaotic, with exclamation points and capitals galore. The narration was easily one of my favourite things about the novel. I really felt it gave...more I wanted to love this book for a number of reasons. It's a Canadian read. The author seems pretty great. There's girl/girl romance. When I first started the book, I was immediately captured. Personally, I love distinct narration in a voice that actually resembles what goes on in my own head and that's exactly what I found in Allison's. It's dramatic and chaotic, with exclamation points and capitals galore. The narration was easily one of my favourite things about the novel. I really felt it gave me a personal look at Allison's journey and it just felt comfortable, like reading a diary or something.

But while I liked Allison's voice, there was something about her actual character that just didn't click with me. I completely understood where she was coming from for most of the book -- her past experiences in high school and beyond provide a less than solid foundation for college and the struggles that she faces with her new-found freedom are realistic and believable. But I just didn't like her at all. While that's not necessary for me to enjoy a book, I do like to connect with my characters and that didn't happen with Allison.

A large part of that reason was Shar. Allison, for reasons beyond my comprehension, is utterly enchanted by Shar and they quickly form a very dependant relationship with one another. Then when things start getting kind of dangerous and unpredictable, it just keeps going. Allison doesn't seem to change anything she's doing despite the fact that Shar is clearly not who she thought she was and that there are actually (REALLY NICE) people that keep offering their kindness and friendship to Allison. I just felt like Allison had choices and she ignored them.

With some more character development for Allison, I think I would have enjoyed this one a lot more. It was definitely an interesting change to read about a college setting and the writing was quite nice. While it wasn't a favourite book of mine, I didn't dislike it, and I hope that anyone giving it a try will find it more to their tastes!

Cover Comments: I think it's an okay cover. It matches the story pretty well but I don't love the look of it.(less)

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Nov 22, 2012 Kaleton rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who has ever felt like a screw up

Mariko Tamaki's (You) Set Me on Fire is a fantastic, quick read.

The novel follows a university freshman named Allison Lee, a young woman who could perhaps best be described as, well... a screw up.

In addition to being one of her high school's most unpopular students, in the past school year Allison has had her heart broken and caught on fire. Twice.

Deciding that university might be a great way to reinvent herself she leaves for St. Joesph's, a school that is both far from her hometown AND no one...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Teena in Toronto rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian

Allison is leaving home for the first time to go to university. She hasn't had a happy time at school so far so she sees it as a chance to start over and make friends ... which she does until she meets Shar. Shar is mean and rude to everyone (she's a bitch!) and Allison is drawn to her. They hang out, skip school, and become friends.

This book was written in the first person in Allison's voice. The style of the writing at times is like she is talking to you. Depending on what's going on, the sent...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Kira Butler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Excellent read, though perhaps stylistically it's not a book I'd be initially drawn to because it's lacking prose in a big way. Very straight foward, solid writing, however -- the kind that grabs you by the intestines and swings you into the deep end, leaving you to drown.

It's a painfully sincere book, and has dredged a bunch of emotions from my college years that I've been happily ignoring. All that awkwardness and discontent, and that crazy malaise remembering the people who touched my life wh...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Kat rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, contemporary, ya, arc, glbt, canadian

This book had a couple things we don't see often in YA - college experiences and an abusive relationship where the relationship is platonic. Usually it's all about romance and while there is a bit of that, largely Allison's relationship with Shar is platonic.

I liked the characterization of Shar a lot. She's the kind of girl that is slightly unhinged and she set off warning bells for me immediately which is why it was a bit hard to buy that Allison was so drawn into her. I wish that I could have...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Chapter by Chapter rated it 3 of 5 stars

What is one way that you can start all over? Try erase the pain of high school and try to reclaim a whole new life where people don’t know you and your past? College… (You) Set Me On Fire by Mariko Tamaki is a story of trying to rediscover yourself while trying to escape your past.

Set in a college environment, Allison has just graduated high school and is looking forward to a new life at St. Joseph’s College. Her high school career is one that she doesn’t want to remember…her first love (Anne) a...more What is one way that you can start all over? Try erase the pain of high school and try to reclaim a whole new life where people don’t know you and your past? College… (You) Set Me On Fire by Mariko Tamaki is a story of trying to rediscover yourself while trying to escape your past.

Set in a college environment, Allison has just graduated high school and is looking forward to a new life at St. Joseph’s College. Her high school career is one that she doesn’t want to remember…her first love (Anne) and the horrid rumors that arise due to a night of firsts.

Her tendency to set herself on fire has left her with scars, both inside and out. Allison hopes that this new chapter in her life at St. Joseph’s will erase the pain that Anne has left in her heart, and find happiness. Enter Shar. A strong, beautiful, independent girl who decides to take Allison under her wing (who I pictured as Angelina Jolie’s character in Girl Interrupted – Lisa Rowe).

After a life of bliss, Shar’s personality starts to change…for the not so good…leaving Allison’s world spinning. Angry, bullying, aggressive…Shar’s personality is in need of a major make over. Not listening to her other friends, Allison learns just how much of a friend Shar really is, and learns the hard way what kind of person Shar really is.

(You) Set Me On Fire by Mariko Tamaki is a story of self-discovery. I felt the character of Allison to be a pushover when it came to Shar. Could it be because of Shar’s domineering personality? Absolutely. I was disappointed that Allison didn’t stand up for herself more instead of constantly agreeing to do whatever Shar wanted. And I guess it’s because of this toxic relationship that I couldn’t tear myself away from the pages.

I knew from the get go that friendship was a terrible idea. That nothing good would come out of it…but I was hoping that perhaps something would turn things around, and something good would come out of this. And perhaps something good did.

Author, Mariko Tamaki, does a great job depicting life in college. She also does a great job getting the reader into the head of the main character, Allison. To be able to feel her emotions as she’s experiencing the different events. Is Shar good? Or is she bad? Mariko Tamaki has a way of holding the reader’s attention so that they continue to watch this potential train wreck of a friendship and see exactly who Shar is, and what the cards hold for Allison.

Not only do we get to read about Allison and Shar, but we are also introduced to other characters in the book that are also looking to start anew. For example, Jonathan. Aside from his really bad skin, and his odd personality, I found him endearing. I wanted to read more about him and his life at the college. Not only does bullying occur in high school (as we all know), but it seems to have crossed over to the college life as well. I found that to be a very interesting angle in the book. When I think of bullying, the picture of teens in junior/high school come to mind. I didn’t even stop to think that that sort of thing could carry over to college. That was a true eye opener to me, and my heart was aching for him. Sometimes, your past just seems to never disappear, no matter how much you want to start over.

I wouldn’t really say that (You) Set Me On Fire is a book for young readers. There is much drinking, much swearing, and much sexual innuendo’s. But there is also much that a reader will walk away with once they’ve read the book.(less)

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Aug 26, 2012 Marilyn Belsham rated it 3 of 5 stars

The writing style is what kept it from being a winner for me. The story was fine, the characters were good, but the (constant) talking to the reader (usually using parentheses) was annoying. I was able to ignore (most) of them after awhile (but I'm sure you can see how it can bug a reader after awhile). The entire book was written almost in the style of a blog post. And as much as I love blogs, reading 300 pages of that style of writing at once grated...though I would bet that the target market...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadiana, lgbtq, feminist-ish-books, college-students, young-adult, realistic-fiction, favorites

After winding up on fire two times over the summer and being metaphorically burned by a failed romance, Allison is ready to reinvent herself as she starts college. One of the first people she meets is Shar — an enigmatic and manipulative girl who may leave Allison burned yet again.

I’ve been a fan of Mariko Tamaki ever since, more than four years ago, I saw her at a writer’s festival reading a poem about Facebook statuses. Shortly after that, I got hooked on her graphic novels, her personal essay...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Sam Marchello rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-books

2.5

Review coming soon. Short version: loved the not "in your face" lesbian heroine, with a great voice. Really disliked a lot of the cliches about having a college experience.

Edit: 01/23/13

All right, now that I have had time to think about the book I still feel like the score stands. I think it started out strong, fizzed in the middle and ended decently. Allison is a great heroine and she definitely got a lot of personality. I like that she is a lesbian protagonist, but she is not an "in your fa...more 2.5

Review coming soon. Short version: loved the not "in your face" lesbian heroine, with a great voice. Really disliked a lot of the cliches about having a college experience.

Edit: 01/23/13

All right, now that I have had time to think about the book I still feel like the score stands. I think it started out strong, fizzed in the middle and ended decently. Allison is a great heroine and she definitely got a lot of personality. I like that she is a lesbian protagonist, but she is not an "in your face" lesbian. She's oddly humble, although her sexual orientation comes up quite frequently. I think what I like about Allison the most is that she's honest, her flaw though is that she struggles to communicate a lot of her feelings, which is fine and dandy.

What I didn't like about this book was the amount of cliches this book plays on in terms of how people behave in college. Yes, college folks love to party, get drunk, and experiment, and Allison's experiences are suppose to revolve around these cliches and those situations were simply boring to read about. Allison as a character is so much more of an observer, so when she was participating in this activities, her voice changed in a way where it seemed a lot more forced -- I suppose that's the point to show her adventuring and new found wild side, but it just didn't work for me. Perhaps I'm also just sick of these college stereotype stories where everyone is a drunkin' party animal.

The other issue I had was the love interest. Shar was just awful as a character, and her personality was mostly being a bitch to people. May be I just don't see the attraction of a bitchy, inconsiderate, self-absorbed person, I dunno. She really is the source and drive of the drama in this book and it was just irritating and stupid half the time. The whole Shar/Allison relationship didn't jive with me at all.

I always love finding interesting GLBT literature, especially in the YA stream. Lesbian novels in particular are always harder to find because a lot of authors love creating these female characters who are rude, nasty and plan dreadful, with the protagonists often being doormats who then finally have to have a breaking point. I wish that wasn't the case in this type of fiction. As much as I loved Allison's character, she really struggled to carry the novel and a lot of the plot was mostly silly melodrama. I think the writing is excellent and a ton of fun, I just wish the story itself was a lot stronger. (less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Nora rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really liked this one! It's set in college, which is unusual for YA. It's been a while since I was in college, but it all rang very true to me--the way the first years clump together and form shallow friendships very quickly, the depressing and excessive drinking, boys peeing all over the place, stupid parties, the way some people are studying really hard and other people aren't at all and the two groups can hardly understand each other, the way hanging out with your friends is much more importa...more Really liked this one! It's set in college, which is unusual for YA. It's been a while since I was in college, but it all rang very true to me--the way the first years clump together and form shallow friendships very quickly, the depressing and excessive drinking, boys peeing all over the place, stupid parties, the way some people are studying really hard and other people aren't at all and the two groups can hardly understand each other, the way hanging out with your friends is much more important than your classes. The way you are willing to toss your life down the toilet in a codependent frenzy to take care of seriously damaged people.

The main character, Allison Lee, who's literally been burned twice, falls in with a beautiful, fascinating, temperamental, mean girl named Shar. I liked how at the start of the book Allison is not super-excited about the fact that she's into girls, because it seemed very contemporary and realistic. Like, not some angsty 1950s "filled with shame and fear" kind of thing, just a touch of "eh, it's hard to get away from homophobia, internalized and otherwise, when you are seventeen." This is the kind of book where you are allowed right into the head of a tortured but funny character. Would love to read more of Tamaki's work. I also loved the textured book cover. I notice that Razorbill often has terrific covers.

Okay, criticism time. One weird thing: in the back cover copy it says, "Allison takes up residence in Dylan Hall (aka Dyke Hall) at St. Joseph's College. . ." I can't remember a single reference in the book to the dorm being called Dyke Hall. Am I really such a poor reader that I missed this? Or did it never happen, and if so, why is it on the back of the book? Surely there's a better way to indicate gay content than to write about random stuff that's not in the book? Also, a big unresolved thing is Shar's sister and the whole question of why Shar is the way she is. One character tries to wrap it up by saying that people are strange, and maybe Allison will never know. I get it, that's often true. But this is a novel, not real life, so it'd be nice to get some kind of hint at the least. (less)

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Sep 08, 2012 Steven R. McEvoy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-best-of, read-2012

I read a lot of books, averaging over a hundred a year this past ten years. There are a very few books I cannot put down. This was one of them. From the beginning you could see Allison Lee's life heading towards a train wreck and yet could not stop watching as events unfolded. Mariko Tamaki has written an amazing novel and though being published towards the Young Adult audience will likely garner a much wider following.

This story follows Allison Lee through her first year in a women's residence...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Lindsay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, blog-tour, canadian, young-adult, own, college, contemporary, friendship, romance, secrets, reviewed

Allison Lee is seventeen and off to college in the fall. So far, she's been in love once (a total catastrophe) and on fire twice (also pretty bad). Both have left their scars on her. Looking more like burnt chicken than a radiant and reborn phoenix, Allison heads off to live in residence at St. Joseph's College, where she discovers the true gift of being a freshman: the gift of reinventing yourself. Miles away from home and high school, the all-girls dorm is a strange new world to her, a place o...more Allison Lee is seventeen and off to college in the fall. So far, she's been in love once (a total catastrophe) and on fire twice (also pretty bad). Both have left their scars on her. Looking more like burnt chicken than a radiant and reborn phoenix, Allison heads off to live in residence at St. Joseph's College, where she discovers the true gift of being a freshman: the gift of reinventing yourself. Miles away from home and high school, the all-girls dorm is a strange new world to her, a place of new social circles and challenges. She still feels like the odd man out, until Shar appears. Shar quickly becomes the centre of Allison's world, drawing her in with her dangerous allure. Will Allison get burned again? And if she does, what scars will she earn this time?

(You) Set Me on Fire is a rather honest and blunt look at a girl's first year at college and all she comes across, be they class subject matter, social situations, parties, drinking, family, or romance. It's very much a coming-of-age story for Allison, her first foray into the world, or that sub-adult world that occurs between high school and after college. It's also an intriguing comparison between love and fire, how they leave scars on our bodies, how they impact our lives, how they change us for better or for worse. It certainly leans towards the darker side of college, the drinking and the possibly dangerous situations, but at the end it is all about Allison, about her journey to figure out what kind of person she is, scars and all.

At the beginning, Allison is really damaged, apart from the scars. She's ready to leave high school behind, all the people she knew and cared about and didn't care about, and she's ready to find new social circles to be a part of. But one of Allison's big flaws is how anti-social she is, and once she's alone at college she's pulled into a world that contains a lot of making friends and partying. Is that what college really is about? There are times when she goes to her classes, times when she does homework and exams, but not as much as I expected.

Of course, everything takes a back seat when she meets Shar. It's such a spectacularly complicated relationship, Allison and Shar. She appears like a flash, quickly becomes the centre of everything, and takes over. It's messy, it's harsh, it's a semi-pseudo-romance, it's impossible to define, and it leaves Allison struggling to figure it all out.

College does give you the change to reinvent yourself, especially if you move away and live in a dorm. Odds are, no one will know anything from your past, none of the bad sides and the rumours. It's a chance for Allison to start over, which, given her hangups and social issues.

Love and fire and college, all three have their similarities. They can be harsh, painful, dangerous. They can be cleansing, a new experience. They can scar you for life and wipe away the past so you can focus on the future. Life-changing events happen. You just have to be able to come out on the other side, no matter if you've gained a new scar or two. Allison's story is an honest one, a very honest one, and hopefully readers will appreciate that.(less)

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Dec 18, 2012 Caseythecanadianlesbrarian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian, coming-of-age, fiction, young-adult, toronto, queer, bisexual, asian, lesbian

So here’s the short version of this review: I loved queer Toronto-based author Mariko Tamaki’s latest book, (You) Set Me on Fire. If you’re not convinced by the awesome title alone that this young adult novel is worth checking out, then I don’t know—something is weird there. Please read it. Especially if you’re a teenager. But even if you’re not. Tamaki is so talented at channeling and representing the voice of a seventeen-year-old girl. Seriously. The entire book, told from the main character A...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Sabrina marked it as to-read

Shelves: pure-coverlust, own-mine

So this turned out to be a random purchase. I bought it thinking it was a graphic novel (online obviously...I'm not that far gone. Yet) and so imagine my shock when I got this today and opened it up to find WORDS. Lesson in this is either never judge a book by its cover, which is rubbish, OR do not trust online book store categories. But the story seems interesting so fingers crossed....

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Sep 05, 2012 Clare rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian, young-adult, eden-mills

Mariko Tamaki totally nails the voices in this book. I see these characters on campus daily, and some of them live in my home. (You) Set Me on Fire is a frank and humorous, yet tender, addition to the YA genre and recommended for anyone who thinks in alternating moments that they (or everyone else) are an alien species. Which is another way to say everyone should read it.

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Mar 14, 2013 Brent rated it 2 of 5 stars

Not my first book about the l-word and the premise was interesting, but why must all the male characters be OTT stereotypes like "frat boy predator" and "intelligent geeky boy with bad skin"? Honestly, men and lesbians can be friends, no caricatures necessary

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Jan 03, 2013 Stacey rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book fell really short for me. The story line never had the punch I needed to really stay interested. I kept reading in hopes that it would get more interesting. I found it hard to appreciate the main character....

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Dec 12, 2012 Caelie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I loved this book. I wish I would have had something like this to read as a teenager. The characters are complicated and the book pulls you in. I highly recommend the book for teens, especially young queer women.

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Nov 12, 2012 Yolie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This kept me reading well into the night. I thought it was funny and sad and quite frankly, slightly disturbing. I believe this is marketed as YA, but I haven't been a young adult for some time and thoroughly enjoyed Allison's narrative voice.

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Feb 14, 2013 Alexis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

Excellent new book about a 17-year old gay college student and a toxic friendship. I liked the voice, the story and the characters and could relate to it.

There was lots of humour in this too.

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Jul 01, 2012 Shannon Ozirny added it

Shelves: canadian, youngadult

Rating to come after Quill & Quire review.

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May 01, 2013 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian, kobo, ya, 2012

My favourite book of 2012.

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May 19, 2013 Livy rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 18, 2013 Melanie added it

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About Mariko Tamaki

Mariko Tamaki is a Toronto writer, playwright, activist and performer. She works and performs with fat activists Pretty Porky and Pissed Off and the theatre troupe TOA, whose recent play, A vs. B, was staged at the 2004 Rhubarb Festival at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Her well-received novel, Cover Me (McGilligan Books) was followed by a short fiction collection, True Lies: The Book of Bad Advice...more

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