The Girl In the Impossible Bottle

When a person reads a book, the hope is always to find something extraordinary. After reading The Girl In the Impossible Bottle, I'm delighted to say that's exactly what I found. Teri Cross Chetwood has a rare gift for bringing to life scenes full of emotional electricity. I can honestly say I was swept away to places I never dreamed I'd visit. And yet, the book is full of biting wit and charm as well. A gifted writer has achieved something wonderful, and I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed the story, and was hooked until I finished. Teri is great at writing all the juicy and scandalous bits. It can be a little corny at times and pulpy but that's part of it's charm. Genre-wise I'm not sure how to place it, it falls somewhere between erotica/romance and comedy maybe? I definitely recommend it for people who like a sexy story with a strong female protagonist.

I was introduced to this novel through the author's fictional blog, where the characters write posts about their lives. It's really awesome and hilarious. But even though I was familiar with the premise, the book surprised me by being altogether darker than the blog. The Pan drug is like something out of dystopian horror, but instead of Big Evil Brother there is smallness and greed and the altogether human capacity for exploitation. The humor was there, but it was there to disturb, not to entertain. I was especially chilled by the drawn-out build-up to a certain character's exposure to the drug. Her situation was so recognizable. If the drug really existed, it would be used in exactly that way, it was impossible to think otherwise.There were no good guys in this book, but enough of an honest struggle that I do want to keep up with the series, hoping that some of them eventually figure it out. I had not expected to be so engrossed or to come away asking the dark questions of the human condition.