Drift

Starred review from April 27, 2009
Patterson illustrates how deceiving initial impressions can be in her dark debut, a collection of 13 interconnected stories. At first glance, the characters seem to be blessed, living in tony Newport Beach, Calif., but Patterson quickly scrapes off the glitter, examining the complicated lives of Rosie, a confused teenage girl; John Wayne, a brain-damaged, homeless stoner; Anne, a lesbian psychologist in love with Rosie's mother; Melody, a trophy wife cheating on her husband, Henry Wilson, who has a secret of his own; and Joe/Christina, a transvestite. The majority of the stories feature Rosie, a nerdy teenager whose attempts to make sense of her life lead her down increasingly self-destructive paths, though she remains touchingly aware of others' suffering. In “Winter Formal: A Night of Magic,” Rosie and a seemingly perfect blonde princess have a nightmare evening; in “The First and Second Time,” Rosie violently loses her virginity. Later, in “Joe/Christina,” Rosie, now an alcoholic community college student, finds an unlikely savior in the local transvestite. Patterson's unflinching account of the seedy side of a real-life Xanadu is frightening, immersive and wonderfully realized.

May 15, 2009
Set against the affluence of Newport Beach, Pattersons debut collection often focuses on the enclaves outcastswaitstaff, divorc'es, alcoholics, and drug addictsas her characters confront personal battles, the limits of friendship, and the bleary anticipation of a different life. In Castaways, a newly separated father resists coming to terms with his impending divorce, especially when it comes to the changing relationship with his young son. In Holloways: Part One, a waitress risks her job to help one of the restaurants pseudoproprietors, self-destructive Willy, the only way she knows how. Many of Pattersonsloosely linked stories follow the introspective Rosie as she growsfrom an insecure, lonely child struggling with her parents divorce and mothers adultery to an adolescent exploring the bounds of sexuality and friendship and, eventually, to a hard-partying community college student living in a seedy apartment complex. Her only constant in life is a homeless skateboarder named John Wayne, who offers quiet companionship in the face of Rosies isolation. Pattersons 13 engaging tales offer keen perspectives on life lived on the fringe.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)