Name: How to Get Into the Twin Palms
ISBN: 9780983247180

Karolina Waclawiak

Desperate to assimilate into the Russian neighborhood where she lives, Polish immigrant Anya tries to get into an exclusive nightclub in town and date one of its regular patrons.

A Novel

How to Get Into the Twin Palms

Trever

God, this thing got good hype but when I tried to read it it was so boring.

Jeff Brown 

I had recently read a couple of deep, thought-provoking books, so I thought that a short book about a girl that will do anything to get into a club would probably be quirky and lighthearted.

This was a very depressing book. I did think that it was accurate in its portrayal of a good percentage of non-native Los Angelenos: people who move to a place with nice weather, with no money or skills, living either off welfare or others or both, and do nothing to improve themselves but sink deeper into despair with their neighbors.

But, the story. I give the author credit for writing a book with a handful of repetitive topics in a variety of ways that does keep you reading.

The girl in the story:
1) Is a Polish immigrant living in a mostly Russian neighborhood;
2) She repetitively sleeps with a man in hopes that he will get her into the club. She alternately deeply desires him, then when he leaves, tries to scrub away the stench he leaves behind (which also makes her longingly remember home);
3) Her monthly check goes for rent, so she occasionally earns money calling bingo games at the local church;
4) With this money, she buys cigarettes and hair dye;
5) When she does eat, it is disgusting-sounding soups with bits of meat or beans in them. It both disgusts her and reminds her of home;
6) The 20-somethings that look like 40-somethings that serve the food, or are in the neighborhood, both remind her fondly of home, and makes herself believe that she won’t turn out like that.
7) She is obsessed with a large forest fire that JUST ISN’T CLOSE ENOUGH to her.
8) Repeat.

Oh, and she seems to sink deeper and deeper into mental issues as the story goes on.

As I said above, the different ways the author approaches these plot points is well done. But so depressing. It makes you want to jump into the book and shake some sense into the girl.

But, that is a sign of a good book, isn’t it? That it makes you feel something?

It just wasn’t the feeling I was looking for.

How to Get Into the Twin Palms A Novel

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