You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine

A Novel

By: Alexandra Kleeman

Narrated by: Kelly Pruner

An intelligent and madly entertaining debut novel reminiscent of The Crying of Lot 49, White Noise, and City of Glass that is at once a missing-person mystery, an exorcism of modern culture, and a wholly singular vision of contemporary womanhood from a terrifying and often funny voice of a new generation.

A woman known only by the letter A lives in an unnamed American city with her roommate, B, and boyfriend, C, who wants her to join him on a reality show called That’s My Partner! A eats (or doesn’t) the right things, watches endless amounts of television, often just for the commercials—particularly the recurring cartoon escapades of Kandy Kat, the mascot for an entirely chemical dessert—and models herself on a standard of beauty that only exists in such advertising. She fixates on the fifteen minutes of fame a news-celebrity named Michael has earned after buying up his local Wally Supermarket’s entire, and increasingly ample, supply of veal.

Meanwhile B is attempting to make herself a twin of A, who hungers for something to give meaning to her life, something aside from C’s pornography addiction, and becomes indoctrinated by a new religion spread throughout a web of corporate franchises, which moves her closer to the decoys that populate her television world, but no closer to her true nature.

Weird in the best way

I honestly loved this book. There were times it didn’t make sense and I had to stop and think what the true meaning of the story could be. It’s a story that has stuck with me since I’ve read it which makes me realize I liked it more than I thought.

My biggest advice is to stick with it even when you get lost because it comes full circle. You’ll be shocked by the ending.

Love love loved it.

loved it

the writing style spoke to me, the performance was exactly what this story needed. I felt kind of maddened while listening to this, & that's what I want from this genre.

So literary and psychological

I was SO impressed by Kleeman’s debut. The narrative spirals deeper and deeper into oblivion. Really makes you think.

Summary. Be unique or lose your identity

What was most disappointing about Alexandra Kleeman’s story?

Waste of time. Could have been summarized in a short story or article, not a novel.

Would you be willing to try another one of Kelly Pruner’s performances?

Maybe

Would NOT recommend

Any additional comments?

I bought this book because the description made it sound like it would be an interesting commentary of our society's obsession with body image, dieting, beauty, etc. That was not at all what I got. If I hadn't paid for it, I would've stopped listening after the first few chapters. It seemed like the author was trying really hard to be surreal and edgy and failing on both counts. There didn't seem to be much explanation at all for the main character's actions, even though it is written in first-person POV -- she would just do a crazy thing and I would have no idea why she'd decided on that course of action. The ending was also very predictable, which was disappointing. I would not recommend spending your money on this book.