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A Lonely Girl Is a Dangerous Thing

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A Lonely Girl Is a Dangerous Thing

By: Jessie Tu
Narrated by: Aileen Huynh
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About this listen

My father gave me all the relationship advice he thought I’d need: ‘Find someone who likes you more than you like them,’ and ‘Don’t be easy. Men don’t like easy girls.’ At the time I was 17 and sleeping with three different boys, none of whom knew about the others. My father knew nothing of them either.

Jena Chung plays the violin. She was once a child prodigy and now uses sex to fill the void left by fame. She's struggling a little. Her professional life comprises rehearsals, concerts, auditions and relentless practice; her personal life is spent managing the demands of her strict family and those of her creative friends, and hooking up. And then she meets Mark - much older and worldly wise - who consumes her. But at what cost to her dreams?

When Jena is awarded an internship with the New York Philharmonic, she thinks the life she has dreamed of is about to begin. But when Trump is elected, New York changes irrevocably, and Jena along with it. Is the dream over? As Jena’s life takes on echoes of Frances Ha, her favourite film, crucial truths are gradually revealed to her.

A Lonely Girl Is a Dangerous Thing explores female desire and the consequences of wanting too much and never getting it. It is about the awkwardness and pain of being human in an increasingly dislocated world - and how, in spite of all this, we still try to become the person we want to be. This is a dazzling, daring and original debut.

©2020 Jessie Tu (P)2020 W. F. Howes Ltd
Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Dream

Critic Reviews

"I absolutely inhaled this book. Gutsy, bold and surprising, with a darkness that draws you in and keeps you hanging onto every word." (Bri Lee, author of Eggshell Skull)

"This novel knocked me out." (Christos Tsiolkas, author of Damascus)

"A truly bold and audacious new voice." (Alice Pung, author of Laurinda)

All stars
Most relevant
In an age where violence against women especially sexual violence is at epidemic proportions this book is dangerous & disturbing. The lead character needs psychological help, she is messed up!

Sad, messed up & dangerous!

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I struggled to finish this book. I appreciated the realness and believability of the book’s story but found the writing style incredibly jarring. Like a child who tries to sound “grown up”. The narrator also left a lot to be desired. Their tone sounded incredibly forced and didn’t do the story any justice.

Realistic, but missed the mark

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I had to listen to this at 1.3 speed as the narration was very slow!

Slow narration.

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Enjoyed the storyline of friendships, family, career and ambition. Although should have had a trigger for sexual violence, found it difficult to listen to and put off listening at times due to this.

Interesting storyline

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Well written but not much really happens. Thoroughly unlikeable protagonist. Overtly sexual. I was underwhelmed.

Meh. Well written. Not worth the hype.

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