Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier

Star rating: 4/5

"I think some people are just born broken. I think about life as one big Laundromat and some people just have one little bag to do -- it'll only take them a quick cycle to get through -- but others, they have bags and bags of it, and it's just so much that it's overwhelming to even think about starting." 

Summary:

Our protagonist is nameless until the end of the novel, called "Pizza Girl" because she delivers pizzas. She is eighteen, pregnant, and depressed. Her father was an alcoholic and has died recently, and she herself is drinking far more than she should. She is feeling despondent towards her mom and boyfriend, avoiding them as much as possible. When a woman named Jenny calls and orders a pizza with pickles on it, our Pizza Girl finds her so interesting, she quickly becomes obsessed with befriending her. Jenny has given her something to look forward to. Jenny is a parent who can understand what she's dealing with, being pregnant and scared. Join Pizza Girl on her tough journey through addiction, towards parenthood, adulthood and self-discovery. 

Review:

I did not expect this book to hit me as hard as it did. It seemed like it would be a pretty light-hearted read, but it is anything but. This story is SAD. Sad, and real, and raw, and unapologetic. I could feel the weight of this girl's depression without the word "depression" ever being used. I could relate to her complicated grief and anger around her father and his death. Her despondence towards her loved ones, her confusion about life and who she is, who she is going to be, who her child will be. Frazier did an amazing job creating a character who was lovable even at her worst, even as she made poor choices. My biggest issue with the story is that I ultimately don't understand the obsession with Jenny, and that was basically the whole focus of the book. That said, I think part of the point was that it wasn't supposed to make sense. Overall, this is a fantastic, unique debut novel.