Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Iodine: A Novel by Haven Kimmel
meredith
From Bookmarks Magazine
Known particularly for the humor, wit, and charming characters that are perhaps best illustrated in A Girl Named Zippy (2002), Haven Kimmel abandons these trademarks almost entirely in Iodine, much to the general disappointment of her followers. Instead, she has crafted a dark and complex tale of duel personalities that confuses, rather than clarifies, the condition of the psychologically troubled. An unreliable narrator who reveals her story through fragmented dream journals, combined with a twisted plot line, contributes to the confusion. Yet the novel remains grounded in its striking prose, its unique portrayal of mental illness, and, most important, its captivating main character, Trace Pennington.
