Fashion - Lady Gaga

From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant

Author: Alex Gilvarry
Pages: 302
Review Copy Acquired from: Viking

Brief Summary:
Boy Hernandez has been interested in women's fashion since he was a young boy. His dream was to move to New York and take part in fashion week, then selling his incredibly successful line to the best stores in the world. He moved from his home in the Philippines to New York City and, after five years of struggle, he achieved his dream. Unfortunately, his backer was a shady guy and Boy got taken to Guantanamo Bay under suspicion of being a terrorist.

Review:
If you're a regular reader of my blog, you probably know that this is a bit out of my normal range of reading. This is not just because I have been reading so much YA literature, but also because I generally try to avoid anything political. However, when I got an offer to review this book, I took it, since who doesn't love a free book. Besides, it's always (note: this is hyperbole) good to push your boundaries and leave your comfort zone. I am so glad I did.

From the first, I loved this book. Boy has such a clear strong voice and a wonderful sense of humor, despite the darkness of many sections of the story. The bulk of the book is his confession to his interrogators, alternating between his current thoughts at the time and his memories of events in roughly chronological order. There are also humorous footnotes here and there that contain a fashion magazine writer's notes on what Boy got wrong in his statement.

From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant is like Ugly Betty meets Little Brother. What makes everything in this book so painful, and not just because you're laughing so hard at the dark humor, is that it is believable. I can totally imagine our government mistakenly ruining an innocent man's life and never owning up to their errors.

This is a most excellent read that I recommend highly to those who fear our country may be turning into a dystopia, who love black comedy, or adore high fashion. Also, the Gilvarry is adorable:

"J'adore Vivienne, La Vie et Moi
Gucci, Fendi, et Prada. Valentino, Armani too.
Merde I love them Jimmy Choo"