This complaex nivel by the author of the amazing The Invisible Circus starts out strong. It's the story of a model, Charlotte Swenson, whose face is irrevocable altered in a car accident. Since her face is her identity, she must start her life again virtually from scratch. Intertwined are the stories of another, plainer Charlotte in Rockford, Ill., and hwer search for meaning and identity, and the story of a shadowy character called Z who works for something that isn't called al-Quaeda but resembles it in every other detail.
Did I lose you there? Model with ruined face--check. Identity crisis engendered by accident--check. Doppelganger Charlotte in model's hometown searches for love, identity, truth--check. Ties established between Charlottes 1 and 2--naturally. Enter al-Quaeda guy bent on destruction of Western ideals who sleeps with both Charlottes--things get a little weird.
Though Z does fit in with the identity motif. I liked this book, but in the end I felt that its grasp exceeded its reach a little. I lost interest in some of the characters, namely Moose. Finicky me. I'll still read her next one though; she's really vastly talented.
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