Literally

Author: Lucy Keating Publisher: Harper Teen ISBN: 9780062380050

WE KNOW that fiction is often inspired by real life. But what if your very life itself is the centre of a story being written by someone?

This is the rather strange – but somehow intriguing – premise of this book.

Annabelle’s life has always been perfect. And she discovers why one day when bestselling young adult author Lucy Keating (yes, she makes a cameo in her own book) visits her English fiction writing class.

Keating announces that she is writing a new novel, and it’s going to have a happy ending as opposed to her usual tragedies.

And guess what? Annabelle is the main character that Keating has created. And Will, the new boy in class who seems perfect for her, is actually literally made for her by Keating.

But Annabelle is still sceptical. After all, Keating alway has love triangles in her stories.

Enter Elliot, her brother’s best friend who used to be an irritant at best. But suddenly, he seems different and Annabelle is caught in one such love triangle.

It seems Keating does have a plan for her, but what if Annabelle doesn’t want to live a life where everything is plotted out for her? What if she wants to write her own story?

Literally is a rather quirky love story that can grow on you. If nothing else, the reader definitely wants to find out how things are going to end. And if the process itself is interesting enough, well and good.

Personally, the ending does not quite gel for me. Is Annabelle a real person, or is she a fictional character? If she’s real, how can an author manipulate her life? If she’s fictional, can she still exist if the author stops writing about her?

Food for thought. – K.K. Wong