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J. T. LeRoy

Sarah: A Novel Paperback – June 9, 2001

by J. T. LeRoy (Author)

336 ratings

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The national bestselling first novel by a virtuosic young talent.

Cherry Vanilla, twelve years old with a penchant for short leather skirts and make-up, has one dream: to become the most famous 'lot lizard', or truck stop whore, in the business. With his blond curls and his naked ambition he is determined to be more woman than most, and to match his idol, rival, and mother, Sarah. Adopting her name and sex, he heads off into the dangerous and fantastic worlds pocketed away in the West Virginian wilds. On his journey for fame he meets with sinister pimps, luck-restoring Jack-a-lopes, superstitious prostitutes who take him for a saint, and a host of bizarre and beautiful outcasts that make up his unusual, heartbreaking world.

Print length

160 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Bloomsbury USA
Publication date

June 9, 2001
Dimensions

5.56 x 0.47 x 8.24 inches
ISBN-10

158234146X
ISBN-13

978-1582341460
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Editorial Reviews

Review

'A deft and imaginative first novel.' -The New York Times Book Review -- The New York Times Book Review

'[LeRoy is] a hungry writer with the instincts of a person who fishes to eat. Once he hooks the reader he doesn't let go...quick, lively, and fascinating.' -- Bookforum

'[an] edgy but thoroughly engaging first novel...larger than life...comically Dickensian.' --San Francisco Chronicle

About the Author

J.T. LeRoy was born in 1980. First published at the age of sixteen, he has since published articles and stories in Spin, Nerve, NY Press, and several anthologies, under the pseudonym Terminator. He lives in San Francisco.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury USA (June 9, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 158234146X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1582341460
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.56 x 0.47 x 8.24 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,531,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #23,046 in Coming of Age Fiction (Books)
- #45,908 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
- #197,718 in American Literature (Books)

Customer Reviews:
336 ratings

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Customer reviews

5 star		65%
4 star		17%
3 star		8%
2 star		6%
1 star		4%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Adam Hobbins

Subversive

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2016

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I realize that Sarah isn't a novel meant for every kind of reader, but no one can call it unoriginal. Sarah is a piece that transports you to a surreal dimension. There are moments that are sickening, moments that are tender, and moments that are both. Sarah does what the best kind of novel does by being subversive. It makes you empathize with despicable people and relate to horrifying circumstances. I'm very pleased to say that the book's characters and events consistently surprised me, albeit sometimes in disappointing ways. Sarah belongs to a genre of its own making. I would never say that it's perfect, but I will say that it does things that no book I've ever read does. For that, it's an indispensable book and one hell of a ride.

22 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kindle Customer

What’s the hype?

Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2021

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I, like many others, probably watched the documentary and wanted to read the books that caused the hype. I had high hopes and it carried through the first part of the book, then it just plain got weird. First of all, there are no “chapters”, rather, parsed by an extra line. Ok, not a big deal, I can look past that. But JT tends to just fly off into another world forgetting that you’re along for the ride.

I did like the quick read but didn’t like getting lost in the direction of the storyline. That’s why I gave it 3 stars.

Also, how anyone thought this was real, I’ll never know. Ok. Maybe if the author was truly 17, I might be more excited what comes out of them at 30 but this just fell flat to me. Seems a bit too far fetched…more like a fantasy.

I bought her other book at the same time. Had I read this first, I probably would’ve passed and maybe just watched the movie.

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2017

Verified Purchase

I read this because of the Documentary on Netflix about the JT Leroy scandal with Hollywood elites..
It's an ok novel that jumps around a bit in timeline with no clear motivation in some parts.
The cast of characters seem carnival like in their behavior/appearance and the closest thing that I could compare it to would be Oliver Twist.

As I recalled the Documentary it struck me as very odd that someone/anyone would think that this was written by a 14/15 year old that seemingly had no formal education.

8 people found this helpful

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fala_la

bad pimp". I want to snuggle into its sentences

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2018

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Ever look out the car window while passing through the Blue Ridge
Mountains and imagine an alternative life? SARAH paints a strange
nightmarish dreamscape far beyond what most could imagine. It has
spontaneity, deep empathy, and characters that you can smell, feel,
pinch – as well as a subject matter that balances between refreshingly
original and disturbingly taboo.

This book has powers, too. It can turn your judgment, a system that's
been curated for an entire life, upside down, transforming "All pimps
are evil" to "good pimp, bad pimp".

I want to snuggle into its sentences. They make the story flow like a
river, smooth at points, tumultuous at others. The prose is simple
where it needs to be, careful not to call attention to itself, but
rather used in the mission of telling a great American tale.

I am floored by some of the 1 star reviews that claim the characters
are one-dimensional. The narrator – aka Cherry Vanilla aka Sarah aka
She-rah aka Saint Sarah aka Sam – evolved before the first page was
even written. Ancillary people are lightly sketched, but the ones
closer in are so real, silky, bristly, damp, odoriferous, creepy.

I re-read SARAH after coming across the documentary "Author: The JT
LeRoy Story". I had read it many years before, and like so many people
was intrigued by this gender-fluid it-lit boy.

When the NY Times story broke that the author was probably a much
older woman, I was exuberant. Not knowing the backstory, I empathized
with the need to hide behind a male persona. After all, whenever I had
a dispute with a bill or bank or landlord, and I wasn't getting
anywhere, I'd have my elderly father call. Problems were solved in
minutes.

Regardless of how SARAH was created, it is a gem and one of the best
books I will ever read. I highly recommend it for voracious or
occasional readers, and especially for aspiring writers. I'm looking
forward to this author's future works, under any pen name or persona.

9 people found this helpful

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Erin Pierce

This is a beautifully written, gritty yet touching

Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2017

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This is a beautifully written, gritty yet touching, disturbing yet moving story that is hard to put down. I read it in one sitting and felt like I knew the characters and could almost feel what they felt because of the intricate details and masterful descriptions spelled out by the incredibly gifted, literary genius Laura Albert, under the pen name JT LeRoy. It is tough subject matter but the sad reality of many young people forced into such a dark world. Albert's ability to so convincingly create a view into this life is nothing short of brilliant.

3 people found this helpful

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Pen Name

Amazing Novel

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2017

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This is an amazing fiction story about a naive underage male sex worker looking to build a reputation for himself in a world he doesn't fully understand. The author writes in clear language that makes for a very easy read. Even though the subject matter puts the main character in compromising situations, the author is able to paint a mental picture of what's happening without being too graphic. Smart and funny dialogue between characters when conflict in the story is high also makes for a super interesting experience. This was, hands down, one of the best novels I've had the pleasure of reading. I'm actually mad at myself for not knowing about it earlier.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer

Underwhelming

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2018

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Pretty underwhelming. How anyone believed this was based on a true story I don’t know. I could accept it as a fantasy written by someone who had some similar experiences, but it lacks any kind of depth. It is not all bad, this lack of depth does lend itself to the idea of a teenage novice writer and there are moments where the writer appears to relate at least to the emotions of the circumstances. However i feel if it were a teenage novice writer who had written this it would have a rawer rougher more authentic feel. It would most likely be good. This is not good, the writer is not skilled enough (in my opinion) to take on this character and convey them with anything other than superficial voyeuristic engagement. It reads like something that is neither experienced Nor more importantly researched by the author.

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

The reader will then be rewarded with a book which reads like a modern western

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2017

Verified Purchase

It’s fair to say that a subject matter of rent boys, pimps, parking lots and racoon penis bones SHOULD sit uncomfortably with the reader, but that should be your weakest reason for not giving this book a try.

I’m not going to give a run through of the characters or aspects of the story, as approaching this novel with a clear mind is perhaps more beneficial. The reader will then be rewarded with a book which reads like a modern western, as the characters are deep and broken, the locations dirty and unforgiving and the dialogue is honest and brief. People only say what needs to be said.

The moral I took from this book, is that regardless of how low a fellow human’s life appears to be, or actually is, the desire to prove ourselves or achieve something lies within us all.

Angharad Stephens

Controversial topic, but a great read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

I was presented this book as part of a reading list for one of my modules that I am taking. Our lecturer allowed us to continue with it after reading the extract she gave us, if we do wished to due to the topic of the book.

I am so happy I did. The story manages to envoke so many different emotion throughout reading, whilst still engaging the audience with the wonderfully written characters! It is a real page turner, and I did not realise how the time flew whilst reading it, as I got so engrossed with the narrative and characters!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who was to branch out into a different style and genre of reading. Although Sarah is shocking at times, it is well worth a read!

Alexandra Moore

Really cool read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2019

Verified Purchase

A superb writer. Behind the Holywood facade of JT Leroy is a brilliant author...and with thanks to 'JT Leroy' her books are here with us today. Be sure to check out Laura Albert's other books too! They provide an unique reading experience with an interesting style of language use!
Also, watch the documentary with Laura Dern as Laura Albert, such an intriguing story.

One person found this helpful

Steven Kilmartin

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 21, 2017

Verified Purchase

All Good.

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Sarah: A Novel Paperback – June 9, 2001

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