Anthropology of an American Girl - Hilary Thayer Hamann

This big book about the life and relationships of an American girl carried a review quote comparing it to crack, which I didn't initially give too much thought to beyond thinking that it meant the book was hard to put down. The more I read, the more seriously I took the claim, however - in a way I can't quite put my finger on, I found this novel both compulsive and disturbing, even a little unsavoury. If the aim of the book was to convey the powerful irrationality of love and longing, then I suppose it did so effectively, but despite my total immersion in the book while I was reading it, I didn't feel very connected to any of the characters, or really believe in their relationships or situations.