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November-December 2016

REVIEW: New novel explores unusual family dynamic and commentary on grim realities

Lisa de Nikolits's The Nearly Girl follows Amelia and her family as she's forced to confront her issues

Maria Siassina @musingwithmasha

9781771333139The Nearly Girl
By Lisa de Nikolits
Inanna Publications, $22.95

The Nearly Girl by Lisa de Nikolits is many things, but predictable isn’t one of them. Broken into a few chapters, The Nearly Girl tells the story of an unusual family, including a daughter named Amelia, who inherited her father’s peculiarities and is confronted with a grim reality when she is forced to deal with her issues.

De Nikolits’ novel reads like a movie. It’s fast paced and full of colourful, loud characters, but Amelia is certainly the stand-out. Her fascination with the unusually beautiful fuels her need to prove that she, like her father, requires an unorthodox way of living to truly be happy.

The Nearly Girl is brimming with bright story lines and vivid themes. The story becomes a commentary on life through the artist’s mind and the impermanence of happiness.

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