“All The Dirty Parts” by Daniel Handler ( also known as Lemony Snicker) allows us to drop into the constant stream of thought of 17-year-old Cole, known lothario ( look it up) of his high school, until he meets Grisaille, who completely flips his usual script.
The title is real – there are A LOT of dirty parts but this short novel offers more. At first, you will ask yourself, “So what’s the point? Is the narrator just gloating about the amount of sex he has?” Just as you are considering putting the book down, Handler hits us with a beautiful and gut-wrenching plot twist.
The book explores the idea of sexual reputation, and the role gender plays in how we view said reputations. It is not so often in literature, or life, that we see a young woman have “rep” and still come out on top. What begins as the sexual escapades of a boy turns into the sexual freedom of a girl.
If you want a short, fun read, I highly recommend this book. I got mine from Booksmith SF; if you order yours through them it will be signed by the author.
