Note: I received this book for free from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The thing about reading debut novels is that you never know what to expect. This abyss of the unknown is exacerbated when you have the privilege of reading a review copy. While not knowing can be disconcerting to some readers, I think it is precisely that which heightens the thrill of a book. In the case of Chop Chop, the element of surprise is crucial, so if my review comes off as vague, I apologize.

One of the main draws of Chop Chop for me was the protagonist's profile. He was in his early twenties, fresh out of university, trying to find his place in the world. Monocle, as I came to know him, had a strong voice that was uniquely his. After the first few pages alone, I already had a good sense of the kind of person he was. His expression contained so much snark, it stood out against his innocent demeanour. The crudeness of his co-workers in the kitchen offered an unlikely juxtaposition between them and this graduate chasing literary greatness, thereby combining a myriad of world views.

Chop Chop portrayed the very real struggles of someone desperately holding on to make ends meet. Too proud to return to his parents, Monocle rather faced impossible tasks that were thrown his way than admit defeat. It was the witty narration that hooked me, so that I even read portions of the book that had me squirm uncomfortably. That is the nature of black humour. No matter how twisted a situation, the discomfort of indulging it anyway is lessened because the humour seemingly removes you from the warpedness of it all.

Simon Wroe definitely knows how to spin a tale. His characters in Chop Chop were vivid and colourful despite the dark and dreary circumstances they were in. Wroe masterfully captured the complexity of personalities, constantly smashing stereotypes. I particularly appreciated the presence of Harmony. She asserted herself wonderfully amidst the testosterone-filled kitchen, existing not for the sake of romance but as an essential fixture in and of herself.

Readers looking for New Adult books that aren't confined to romance might just find what they are looking for in Chop Chop. This books fills the gap well, and I can only hope to find more books that deal with the plights of twenty-somethings today.

This review is also available on dudettereads.com.

Amazing. Nothing more can be said.

Most thoughts of mine are up at another thread, where smarter readers provide great comments and reactions.

In a nutshell, this is a good book. It gets four stars for its careful close attention to all of Godard's work, zeroing in on the intersections of production, influences (and the vast array of allusions and citations in each of JLG's films), and the final text.

I end up at three stars probably 'cause I wanted a book more fully committed to the films and their social/historical world, and less certain about (or less invested in) the way Godard's personal life works out in these films. That's not really fair, judging the book by some other imagined version, but Brody is so very good at reading the films that I wanted more.