U Up? by Catie Disabato

 

Picture Meg Cabot's Mediator or Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas as written through the lens of a BuzzFeed article. Eve is a millennial woman attracted to women living in LA. She works for a start up and recreationally abuses substances while going to clubs and pursuing the latest health food trend. In many ways, she embodies the typical stereotype of the age 20-to-30-something woman except for one crucial way: she receives texts from ghosts.

This is almost an entirely character driven book as we watch Eve track down one of her missing friends, Ezra, when he disappears post-breakup to his girlfriend, Noz. Assisted by her dead best friend, Miggy, she attempts to track him down while dealing with a litany of personal issues. I thought the way that Los Angeles is portrayed here in all of its glittering, sleazy detail was one of the best parts of the book, to be honest. I've only been to LA a handful of times, but it is a city of contrasts, and I think Disabato really captured its highs and lows.

What makes this a three-star read for me is the pacing. The text bubbles were distracting because SO MUCH dialogue was repeated. It would have been better if only the new dialogue was shown instead of the old. There was also way too much wandering. Eve was also an unlikable character, which makes her flawed and realistic but also hard to root for. She also uses offensive language many might take issue with, such as the D-word, although since Eve is, herself, a lesbian, one could argue that she is being self-effacing and reclaiming the word on her own terms.

This was a fun, breezy read. I'd call it a beach read but I don't think many of us are spending much time on beaches right now. Anyone who enjoys books like SIRI, WHO AM I? by Sam Tschia will love this.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

3 out of 5 stars