Jamey and Elise were never meant to be together.
And yet, the universe seems to have orchestrated a collision between the Yale-attending heir to a sizeable fortune and the mysterious vagrant with disheveled braids and thickly-lined eyes, all while equally-powerful forces attempt to rip them from their hard-won bliss. A Reagan-era, adrenaline and sex-fueled Romeo and Juliet, White Fur brings the heat and asks big questions about class, power, and worth in a provocative and beautiful tale.
Elise flits from house to house, attempting to escape the despairing world of neglected siblings and impoverished abuse from which she came. She has an odd nobility to her, something that attracts Jamey, the tortured silver spooner. A possible answer to his existential crisis, Elise is an enigma to Jamey- at once something to delight in and be revolted by. Is it possible for two people so diametrically opposed in station, appearance, and mindset to have any sort of future together? Or is it an exercise in futility?
Libaire’s juxtaposition of the decadent and opulent with the tawdry and vile is brilliant. She includes many short, descriptive sections to illuminate the feel of the time, the pulse of the city. Whether describing a back-alley rendezvous or a tour of the family estate, her prose is second to none. Still, I found myself holding both main characters at a distance, aware of their deep flaws, unsure of whom or what to root for. Elise is a badass, except when it comes to Jamey, and Jamey is a black hole of apathy, except when it comes to Elise. Do they deserve each other? Is this divine retribution of sorts? Only time, and a reading by you, will tell.
*- I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Click the cover to order your copy of White Fur!
bookworm_shawn 