Tashjian (The Gospel According to Larry) undertakes the issue of relationship abuse with mixed results in this novel narrated by a 17-year-0ld stand-up comic in San Francisco. When Becky meets Kip (who write his bits on paper towels) at a comedy club at which they are both performing, she is instantly attracted to him. They quickly become inseparable and Becky becomes "someone whose conversation was sprinkled with 'My boyfriend and I did this' and 'My boyfriend and I did that.' " But Kip's constant attention borders on obsessive, and he is controlling of her hair, her clothes, her time—even her comedy routines. He also bullies her physically, and the abuse continues even after Becky begins to see the situation for what it is. Becky's growing awareness that her relationship isn't "intense" but, instead, unhealthy is developed well; readers will appreciate that Kip isn't completely demonized. The comedy angle provides a compelling backdrop; not only does it nicely counterbalance the book's weighty themes, but readers learn a lot about Becky through her perseverance and her routines. Unfortunately, the narrative at times swerves into exposition ("It seemed like my relationship with Kip was fueling something negative and bitter inside me"), and Kip's occasional entries (under the head "from the Bounty Dialogues of Kip Costello") feel intrusive. These drawbacks plus a few overly quirky details (e.g., Becky begins carrying stuffed creatures around in her bag), undercut the novel's impact. Ages 14-17. (Sept.)
