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By CategoryThe Savage Girl
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The Savage GirlFinding the Future
2005-12-01
Article Written by: Jillian Smith
Alex Shakar's first novel, The Savage Girl , is exactly the type of genre straddling novel that turns fiction fans into science fiction fans by being both extreme and believable. For example, the setting of the story is both familiar and fantastic. Middle City reminds the reader of the likes of NYC, but it is built on the slopes of a volcano called the Black Tower , with the most prestigious buildings situated directly on the volcano's rim.
Set in the not-so-distant future, The Savage Girl is a story about the world of marketing and the effect that it has, specifically on the lives of two remarkably different sisters named Ursula and Ivy Van Urden. Ursula, who is the older of the two women, moves to the fictional Middle City after Ivy, who is a schizophrenic supermodel, publicly attempts suicide and as is consequently committed. In her attempt to find out what drove her sister to the point of madness, she seeks out Ivy's former boyfriend, Chas Lacouture. Chas happens to be the president and founder of a company called Tomorrow Ltd., and he decides to hire Ursula as a trend-spotter. Though she has no experience, her job is to observe and note street fashion in an attempt to predict fads for savvy companies and advertising firms can exploit them. She is literally supposed to "find the future."
The title of the book comes from Ursula's first discovery as a trend-spotter, a young homeless street urchin who hunts all of her own food and wears the skins of the various animals that she has killed. Ursula is a naive idealist who truly believes that this look could inspire a return to nature and purity, but when she turns her ideas over to Chas, he hauls Ivy out of the mental hospital to become the spokes model for the savage look.
Along the way, the reader is given plenty of glimpses into the truly fascinating world of marketing and advertising. One of my favorite ideas from the book is the concept of a paradoxical essence of all products. Coffee, for example, is a stimulant that will make you more alert, but at the same time drinking coffee is seen as a calming and relaxing activity. Ice cream is a sinful treat but it also reminds buyers of childhood innocence. Even Ivy, as a schizophrenic, shares these qualities, so perhaps in this future world, people themselves are nothing more than products! The portrait Shakar paints shows us what the world of tomorrow might look like if we continue down our current path of consumerism and commercialism.
At just under three hundred pages, this book is well worth the time it takes to read. Even if the story and/or character development are somewhat lacking in certain areas, the ideas presented and the manner in which the author does so make this book very interesting and entertaining. Besides, I'm always impressed when a man can convincingly write female character, and Shakar goes beyond that by accurately portraying the relationship between sisters. Check it out for yourself.
