Jessica Z by Shawn Klomparens will be a good read for those who like chick lit with a bit of edge to the story. Jessica Zorich is a twenty-eight year old living in San Francisco, and the plot follows the chick lit pattern for a few chapters. She is trying to find love with her upstairs neighbor, trying to be happy with her job as a copy-writer, and trying to please her family, especially her mother and sister. But the plot takes a thrilling twist when terrorism is introduced, and the intensity is heightened.
When downstairs neighbor Patrick announces he has a girlfriend, Jessica finds herself a new potential suitor. Josh is a dark character, a lithographer with a passion for art, and the relationship between Jessica and Josh is fast-paced and borderline confusing. Hints are sprinkled along the way that Josh may actually be involved with the terrorism that is sweeping the US, and the conclusion is unsettling. There were times during the reading that I couldn’t take my eyes away from the pages, I had to keep reading to see what happened next. But there were also times where I didn’t even want to pick up the book, the plot was too confusing and spotty that I began to lose interest. I appreciate the edgy chick lit, and that a male author could write about the heroine with seemingly ease. An engaging plot, but not enough consistency to keep my attention throughout.
Rating: 3.5/5
