A Field Guide to the North American Family by Garth Risk Hallberg

How to even describe this book…? It’s the story of two families – the Hungates and the Harrisons – who live side by side in Long Island, New York. They lead charmed lives: good jobs in the city, weekends by the pool, cheer leading practice after school and backyard barbecues in the summer. But behind the white picket fences lie hundreds of little deceptions.

The story is told through a mix of photographs, words, and cross-referenced pages. You can ‘navigate’ the story a number of ways (a bit like an ‘American-Dream-choose-your-own-adventure’, although every outcome is grim) – read the book sequentially (organised alphabetically by ‘guide words’, beginning with adolescence and then adulthood, and finishing with whatever and youth); OR read the book by following the cross-references (for example, boredom is linked with entries on angst, depression, sibling rivalry, and whatever); OR move through the narrative by looking at the illustrations and the captions (each nuggety and thought-provoking).

Though often identified with FREEDOM, the wild ADOLESCENCE more closely resembles a SEARCH FOR MEANING.

If you’re into experimental publishing, you’re probably all over this but Hallberg’s work was new to me. I read the book sequentially, the story (which is tragic, and so ‘real’ that in many respects, it’s unremarkable) and was astounded by the creativity and the impact of the format.

As odd as it sounds, this story would make a great movie (and I’m sure it would have a killer soundtrack).

4/5

Idol Burning by Rin Usami

The story of Akari, a Japanese school girl, obsessed with ‘oshi‘ Masaki Ueno, a member of a popular J-Pop group. Akari writes a blog devoted to him, spends hours scrolling for information about him and his life, and pours all of her money into Masaki merch. When rumors surface that Masaki assaulted a female fan, social media explodes, and Akari shares all the details on her blog, including Masaki’s denials and pleas to his fans.

This novella had me researching the idea of an ‘oshi’ – sure, I had my share of Boy George and Spandau Ballet posters on my wall as a teen, but there was never one that was central above all others, that I would support exclusively and obsessively. For that reason, it was a little difficult to fully invest in Akari’s actions, however, what I do understand is the single-mindedness of teenagers (that sense that the whole world will end if X happens, and the intense frustration directed toward parents who don’t see the importance of your endeavors).

The story also provided an interesting perspective on cancel culture, and through Akari (her actions but predominantly her thoughts) we see the contrast between how we present to the world via social media, and who we truly are, a gap that will no doubt continue to widen.

3/5