[.ca] Here Kitty Kitty (ISBN 0316010758)

The best writing I've read this year...:
Lee is an edgy artistic Cinderella presented in a series of images portraying various facets of her sensory existence. Like a visually satisfying movie, her life plays out in contrasts with pure moonlit swims in seas of memory. By page one I had laughed and cried. By page seven I loved Lee in all her vulnerability, so innocent at heart, yet so famililar with the urban life. Jardine Libaire's descriptive writing shows striking powers of observation beyond the normal recognition of life's complexity. Vertical pieces of thought paint in slivers as the story evolves like a montage of memories. The vibrancy of the portrait forming is cast in shades of lighting only an artist's sensibility could master. "Then he'd gotten the makings of Mexican hot chocolate at a deli. He managed to use three pots, a couple knives, and a few spoons. Left chocolate shavings on the counter, cinnamon and burned milk on the stove. The sun had vanished, and he cooked in the dark. The only light was the violet blossom of gas flame." ~pg. 167 Stream-of-consciousness writing unravels Lee in her beauty and rite of passage through emotional complexity. She is loveable and running from herself into pleasures. Lost in sensuality and moments, she evolves and awakens, captured in silky prose. Memories of Lee's mother are nostalgic in beauty and contrast with the life Lee throws herself into with abandon. Jardine Libaire's seductive writing style slips you into a calm solitude where splashes of images layer the story's canvas. ~The Rebecca Review

Lyrical Brooklyn:
Lee sparkles (and fizzles) and reminds you that you will never be half as interesting or dynamic as she is-like those beautiful girls you knew in high school, who inhabit your classes but not your world. When Lee falls and learns how to live on her own, she does it with such New York panache, you are almost jealous of her small, grimy apartment, her empty wallet, and her detoxification. Author Jardine Libaire made the wise choice to keep Lee's story small. Lee is self-centered even during her recovery, and a larger story would have betrayed the narcissism that makes you love and hate her. And, after all, the choice to live your life sharply is only ever the day to day business of recognizing your small world. I didn't need Lee to be influenced by the love of a mysterious man, nevertheless, I understood the author's choice. Jardine Libaire's prose is so lyrical, it's practically poetry. The book is a love letter to New York, its landscape, its debauchery, and its insufferable and beautiful people.

Striking, Beautiful:
This is a truly absorbing debut, in equal parts potent and bewitching. Libaire reads the filigree of New York City like someone who has intimately traced its edges and mapped each inviting curl. The best parts of the book, though, are maybe the more quiet episodes: the pure and clinging elegance of Libaire's prose comes out when she's writing about wet fields, cats, and wildflowers. The tremolo of the city relaxes into small private moments; summer is languid and heady, glimmering with wine and fireflies. I can't say enough about this author's talent. Libaire writes with a plangent, poignant thunder that would stun but for the subtle dexterity of her voice. This is a book to be read and then reread, held close.

Very nice, stylish:
I loved the style of this book. Definitely worthy competition for Candace Bushnell, although "Kitty" already has Bushnell beat in terms of poetic diction. To "A reader from Seattle, WA," it is 'despondent,' not 'dispondant.' You have indeed revealed your stupidity. Are you sure you understood the book? It is, after all, meant for adults.

Disappointing and Overrated:
The plot of this book is weak. Lee's character development is unbelievable and the book's writing is DULL. What disturbed me the most is that Lee's character is supposed to be suffering from mania but her reaction to life is so dull--if not dispondant. Also, Yves is supposed to be her "sugar daddy/fiancee" but if Lee is a druggie/alcholic/loser who can't get it together, I couldn't understand the attraction to her. It seemed to me that Yves should have been smarter and more controlling of Lee. Instead, he gives her a huge sum of money to pay off some of her debts which she ends up spending on drugs and flakes out on him when they become engaged. While the concept of this book could be interesting, Ms. Libaire doesn't take it anywhere. Her descriptions of New York and the New York scene are boring. Lee is boring. This book is boring. Need I say more? Let's hope that Jardine Libaire learns from all of her mistakes in this novel. I'm crossing my fingers that Ms. Libaire's future works will contain everything this one is missing.