Spoiled Review

What do you get when you give the girls over at the Fug Nation
three-hundred and sixty blank pages with the potential for their
signature wit and satirical hilarity? Spoiled, the story following the
aftermath of what happens when blockbuster-movie sensation Brick
Berlin introduces his long-lost love-child to the smoothie-drinking,
designer-wearing, yoga goers of Los Angeles.

Sixteen year-old Molly Dix is thrown from lukewarm life in Indiana
following the loss of her mother to cancer, and plunged into the
Hills, where nothing is as it seems, and the most prominent two-face
appearance is held by her half-sister Brooke. It’s the ultimate war
between worlds and a refreshing take on the culture clash between a
humble home-grown girl and a trust-fund baby forced to meet common
ground, and with plenty of obstacles (including alleged alcoholism, a
Marc Jacobs wardrobe malfunction, all sorts of sly new allies and cute
but confusing boys) in the way.

What I loved about this book is that it wasn’t an imitation of the
ever-glmaourous and even more so melodramatic style of Cecily von
Ziegesar-like novels of the same calibre. There were no smouldering
eyes and pouty lips, or teenagers trying to exude sexiness whenever
the hormonal opportunity arose, there were no over-elaborate schemes,
no sensationalised scandal, it was a little less sex, drugs and rock
‘n roll, and a little more real. It was short, sweet, and I do admit
it had it’s terribly predictable bits, even for a book that you
already expected not to be even 60% original (if I had a penny for all
the books on my shelf dedicated to detailing the lives of country
bumpkins disrupting sophisticated civilian life, I’d be well on my way
to buying me some Christian Louboutins) there were some moments when I
did some dramatic, heavy-duty eye-rolling at the nauseatingly clichéd
situations and interactions, but not enough for me to mentally slit my
wrists and not nearly enough for those few moments to take away from
the overall brilliance.

And above all, the Fug Girls can write. Like, seriously, they can
really REALLY write. It has all their biting punchlines, it had the
witty deliverance, but it was also sincere in a way that I hadn’t
expected from mockers of celebrity fashion. It was heartfelt and
although the style is still cutesy and fun, it had a visceral quality
at times which was really great to see unfold.

Bottom line, if you want to read a hilarious, genuine, no-nonsense,
classic chick-novel  (my own little adaptation of chick-flick…*laughs
at own hilarity*) then Spoiled is it. As I said, do expect to roll
your eyes and stick a finger down your throat in a mock-gag from time
to time, but it wouldn’t reeeeally be a classic chick-novel without
the cheese-sauce, would it?


A review by the reviewer extraordinaire herself-Bu.