"My entire life revolves around this site, and now that I'm all alone, I need it more than ever."
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My Life on Craigslist by Alexandra Ares Create Space
book review by Michael Radon
When the life of Emily Thompson gets thrown into total chaos, she turns to a modern-day comfort to give her some degree of normalcy. With her friends all having lost their jobs and leaving New York City, Emily's job at an art gallery also comes to an end, coinciding with her boyfriend's decision to see somebody else. Poor, alone, and unemployed, Emily spends her days on Craigslist looking for romance, roommates, and gainful employment. On such a free, anonymous, anything-goes site however, Emily winds up with more than she bargains for. In just a short amount of time, she must contend with awkward dates, morally opposite roommates, life as a high-class escort, an unwanted pregnancy, and the paparazzi, not to mention what could be lurking in the dozens of emails she ignores from the site.
Written cleverly and on par with a top Hollywood screenplay, this is a great story about city life, trying to find an identity among the online anonymous, and maintaining a positive outlook. In a lot of ways, Emily is a realistic, relatable character: She takes anti-depressants, she often defers to high standards that she has to compromise in the name of everyday life, and she's prone to moments of weakness and poor decision-making. While her constant search for romance may make it seem like she's not independently-minded, many of us have been in similar situations where we can be fine on our own but have a need to get out and connect with somebody, and this makes her character ultimately easy to like. The chaos that evolves from seemingly harmless decisions in Emily's life is very true-to-life, serving as entertainment to the skeptical and a downright cautionary tale to those who take it to heart.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review