Girls in Trucks

While the voice of Katie Crouch is present in every word of this first novel, is she the best person to narrate this story of a rebellious child of the South? Sarah Walters has been taught since she was at a very young age to play by the rules of the South Carolina Camellia Society--like the one about how good girls don't ride in pickup trucks with boys. Crouch's intonation barely modulates as Sarah drifts from one unsuccessful relationship to the next, and, while there are surprises at the end of the novel, the listener is long past caring how the story of this whiny character ends. Crouch has a distinct authorial voice, but there's no question that another narrator's voice might have done a better job of driving GIRLS IN TRUCKS. R.O. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

January 28, 2008
An unenthusiastic Southern debutante copes with the cruelties of postcollege New York life in Crouch's amusing debut. Sarah Walters is neither a misfit nor the queen of the Camellia Society cotillion scene growing up in Charleston, S.C. But when she and her fellow Camellias try to make a life in New York City, they find themselves coping in unexpectedly dangerous ways—from standard substance addictions to Sarah's fixation on preppy ex-boyfriend Max, a smooth and sadistic child of wealth. While the formula of young women in the big city seems destined for cliché, Crouch subverts most expectations; Sarah almost purposely misses an opportunity for happiness and stability with the gentle lover she met in Europe, and her ploy to ignite sparks with a college friend goes painfully awry. When Sarah goes back to Charleston and faces a perhaps too over-the-top family crisis (it involves suicide and lesbianism), the reader's left with the hope that the worst is over. Though this feels almost like a collection—each chapter its own story with its own narrative technique—Crouch's portrayal of a young woman's self-sabotage and the pitfalls facing young women in a cold world is wise, wry and heartbreaking.

March 15, 2008
Crouch's debut novel-in-linked-stories chronicles the life of Charleston debutante Sarah Walters from her learning the fox trot in grade school to her finding out family secrets in her mid-thirties. The narrative is as raw, frank, and underdeveloped as the characters within, each of whom makes decisions that are difficult to understand. For example, when Sarah's relationship with an abusive man ends and he starts dating someone else months later, she stalks him. She also plunges into excessive alcohol and drug use, which only further clouds her judgment. Unfortunately, Sarah does not have any Southern "sisters" in whom she can confide, as she and her "Camellias" talk more out of Camellia Society obligation than from any actual affinity; they, too, struggle with unhealthy relationships and addictions. In the end, Crouch's portrait of a lady lacks a distinct Southern charm and does not show contemporary women in a positive light. Stylistically, the book resembles Melissa Bank's "The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing", but the unexpectedly abrupt ending may confuse readers and leave them wanting more. For larger fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 12/07.]Anne M. Miskewitch, Chicago P.L.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2008
Crouchs debut novel follows southern debutante Sarah Walters as she comes of age in Charleston, South Carolina, and eventually leaves homefor a new life in New York City. Yet, as Sarah struggles to find love in Manhattan, she realizes her southern roots run deep. Through heartbreak and disappointment, she keeps in touch with an eclectic set of childhood friends from the Camellia Society, her debutante group, and tries to recover from an abusive relationship. Her quest for love leads her from the streets of New York to Peru, as she reconnects with men from her past. But suddenly Sarah is forced to return to Charleston after a family tragedy occurs. There, she begins to truly understand the importance of the Camellia bonds she once dismissed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)