2.5 Stars.
With a killer title and a great first paragraph I was hoping to find myself grinning darkly through every page. Instead I was entertained less than expected and sort of felt, "meh" more than I would have hoped.
Don't get me wrong, the premise of this book is great and there is some great dialogue, but I didn't fall in love with the book as I did the title.
Basically the main character Fiona Yu, in a deranged attempt to destroy her family's honor (she's a 28 year old virgin) used a latex sex toy to break her hymen only to discover she wasn't born with one. So what's an over payed San Francisco lawyer to do but go to a plastic surgeon to get one put in so she can destroy it herself all over. The doctor, however turns out to be Sean, an old friend from Catholic School who was sent to juvie for setting a girl's hair on fire. Sean is also a serial killer, and Fiona has a fascination with serial killers. Sean has a fascination with Fiona and their friendship is rekindled. While no conventional romance develops between these two peas in a pod, Fiona's father is determined to marry her off to a nice Chinese Boy, even if Fiona tells her "fiance" to his face that she never wants to marry him of have his children.
Honestly as soon as Fiona's first date "disappeared" and Sean showed up in his car it was pretty obvious what had happened. In fact Sean's "hobby" was obvious as soon as we find out that pretty much everyone from his former life is dead and gone.
Fiona, though she claimed to feel "sick" a few times when Sean hints at what he does seemed a little flat. I believe her coldness can be chalked up to a psychiatric illness but it was sort of hard to connect with her let alone like her fully. Maybe that was the point. She was funny but unlikable. Her family was, I guess supposed to be a stereotypical Chinese family, though I have had quite a few friends from Asian families or from Asia themselves, I wonder HOW accurate her account was. I knew some customs she mentioned were true, but then Fiona refers to "karaoke" and Japanese for "tone deaf". I'm not Asian but even I know that the definition is an Urban Legend (it roughly translates to empty orchestra) so it sort of sullied the credibility of the author and her tales of Asian craziness for me. Also, though I liked Fiona's reasoning for referring to complacent Asian American girls as "Hello Kitties" I wonder if she has seen any of Hello Kitty's recent incarnations. She DOES have fangs and attitude and sometimes even bat wings! Just go to Hot Topic, she's not always so sweet and innocent, though she is always cutesy even when edgy.
The end was unexpected, and I do feel this book will appeal to many. Especially all the crazy girls out there who are craving a female version of "Fight Club". If anyone is out to fill those shoes it is Angela S. Choi. This book just didn't do it for me. I guess I should have expected that from the account of Fiona's attempt at sex. Maybe next time?