Customer Reviews

Crooked

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

To steal from the title of her first book, Louisa Luna is indeed a brave new girl. In her sophomore effort, Crooked, she proves beyond any doubt that she is a voice that will continue to sound for many years to come. In many ways, Crooked takes up where Brave New Girl left off. The characters are different, but the struggles remain. Ms. Luna's particular gift is to get directly to the grit of human existence, and its effects are sometimes appalling, sometimes hilarious, sometimes makes us clench our teeth and yell "no-no-no" -- much like life itself. But always, her accounts come across as infinitely true and brutally honest. At the core of her characters is a longing. Ms. Luna's ample talent requires us to see the despair in each and every character she has created, and yet also allows us to see/feel the universitality of the human experience. Ms. Luna is a literary gem.

This is a tightly written, sharply visualised novel -- really a work of literature, which might explain some of the disappointed reviews I've seen elsewhere from people who may have been expecting another link from the great sausage-factory of Music Television Books. Ms. Luna has created, in Melody Booth, a character whose inner essence is so coldly and clearly written that she actually suffuses the text with a luminous vitality. Despite what may appear to the prejudiced as a confusing or even pointless ending, I think it is ultimately a novel of redemption. Melody may well be a modern answer to Lermontov's 'Fatalist'.

If MTV wants to publish a second book by one of its authors, they should think twice. Perks was great and then Pieces was a piece. Brave New Girl was good and Crooked is just trifling. I've read all the MTV books and have found that the books that their writers write after they leave MTV (i guess it's like the minor leagues for novelists) are 1000 times better. Nersessian's Manhatten Loverboy after the F-Up, Goldberg's Living Dead Girl after Fake Liar Cheat, for instance, are both great adult novels. Maybe that's why MTV didn't publish them. Whatever. Crooked is decent reading if your 15, not so great if you're over 20.

I was skeptical of this book because I was afraid after reading so many of the other MTV books, they would all start to run together. But alas, MTV DOES know what variety is (off the air, that is...) Following 2001's Brave New Girl, Luna keeps me in my seat once again. The reason I think this is is the lack of larger, seemingly more important details, and the abundance of smaller, minute particulars. Scenes from the end come to mind here, and some of those tiny things she picks out and apart made me laugh out loud. The characters did not become cliche, as today cliches themselves are becoming cliche, and the plot was flowing, strong, and silently thrilling. Turning page after page, I goobled up this book entirely too quickly. Keep it coming, Louisa.

This is a great novel by one creative author. i am 16 and live in miami.. and my parents were [upset] because i wouldnt put this book down. i read this book during dinner, at the beach, in the car, at red lights, everywhere. i loved it. i never knew i could speed read until i read this book. this novel doesnt follow a typical motif or theme, as in other works of literature. Melody (the main character) acts like someone in the real world.. not just someone in a false pretense existence. i truly thank god for freedom of speech after reading this novel. i would definitely recommend this book.

Crooked is about Melody Booth, a young woman who has just finished a three year prison sentence for attempted murder. Melody moves in with her Mother, and she almost immediatly goes back to her old routine of binge drinking. She can't deal with all the freedom she has. Melody is a good narrator, with a raw and (sometimes brutally) honest voice. Throughout the novel, Melody has flashbacks from prison. The thing about this novel that wasn't so good was there was a lot of uneeded profanity and sex, that didn't really help the plot, it just helped the book sell better. It sometimes also got a little confusing because it would jump back and forth between what happened to Melody in prison and what was happening now. But overall an interesting, well written book!!

This book is one of the best books ever!
Louisa luna keeps you hooked on the book, and its really interesting!
Very good ending!

In other words,JUST READ THE FREAKING BOOK.
:)

I was so pleased when Louisa Luna released a new book after "Brave new Girl" which is by far one of my favorites. I kept reading "Crooked" because Luna has such a talented style that you have to know whats going to happen to the main character. unfortunatly nothing much happens and the ending leaves one asking "why.."? still worth reading if you are a large fan of "brave new Girl" but also a little disapointing. Rated 3 stars because Luna has wonderful talent and I have not lost hope.

i loved this book a great story about a girlfaced with jail, family, and life, i just loved it

This was an interesting book. I don't really know how I could be engaged enough to actually finish it. It was painful to read and it kind of brought feelings that I didn't want to feel while reading this book. You pity the main character for her experience in jail, then her work and release job... but later it seems as though all her actions are vindicated through her reasoning.. and you wonder if thats normal? I don't know, I wouldn't recommend this book.