[Review] Barbara the Slut and Other People by Lauren Holmes

Barbara the Slut and Other People by Lauren Holmes
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Publishing Date: Aug. 4, 2015
Format: library, hardcover
272 Pages
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Goodreads Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis 

Fearless, candid, and incredibly funny, Lauren Holmes is a newcomer who writes like a master. She tackles eros and intimacy with a deceptively light touch, a keen awareness of how their nervous systems tangle and sometimes short-circuit, and a genius for revealing our most vulnerable, spirited selves.

In “Desert Hearts,” a woman takes a job selling sex toys in San Francisco rather than embark on the law career she pursued only for the sake of her father. In “Pearl and the Swiss Guy Fall in Love,” a woman realizes she much prefers the company of her pit bull—and herself—to the neurotic foreign fling who won’t decamp from her apartment. In “How Am I Supposed to Talk to You?” a daughter hauls a suitcase of lingerie to Mexico for her flighty, estranged mother to resell there, wondering whether her personal mission—to come out—is worth the same effort. And in “Barbara the Slut,” a young woman with an autistic brother, a Princeton acceptance letter, and a love of sex navigates her high school’s toxic, slut-shaming culture with open eyes.

With heart, sass, and pitch-perfect characters, Barbara the Slut is a head-turning debut from a writer with a limitless career before her.

My Review

I'm generally not one to read short stories; I've never been too interested in them. But I heard about this book and wanted to give it a chance because people were raving about it. It's a very interesting collection of stories from Holmes and I enjoyed most of them. I wasn't entirely impressed with the first few short stories because they didn't capture my attention. However, that being said, they were still full of honesty and humor. 

The last half of the book was much better for me. I really liked the stories and couldn't wait to keep reading more. I really think the one story told from the perspective of a dog was one of my favorites! Crazy, right?! I wasn't sure if I'd actually like that one because I've never read anything from an animal's perspective, but it was a lot of fun. The namesake of this book, Barbara the Slut, was another great story that I wish I had more of. I really liked her character and wish I knew how her life turned out! She's a fun girl! And the story about the law school graduate working at a sex toy store? So much fun. 

Even though the first few stories weren't my favorite, I really enjoyed this book. It makes me want to pick up some more short stories and start reading The Art of Racing in the Rain (a book from a dog's perspective that has been on my shelf for too long).