FICTION

I'm Glad About You

Putnam. Mar. 2016. 384p. ISBN 9780399172885. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780698182967. F
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"You never get over your first love" seems to be the premise of this novel, which follows volatile high school sweethearts Alison and Kyle after they break up for the last time. Alison makes a beeline from the Midwest to New York City, determined to become a serious actress. Kyle, who had stubbornly clung to his Catholic virginity despite years of torment with Alison, sheds it without hesitation with the first woman to throw herself at him. Within months, he's married and locked in a loveless relationship. Meanwhile, Alison lands a plum acting role. But not all is rosy as she's faced with her own set of choices that similarly strain her integrity. Trips home for holidays give the two opportunities to cross paths, but it's one miss after another. Add in Dennis, a creepy hometown "friend" and the result is uneven. Kyle is supposed to be spiritual and wholesome, but mostly he's cold and vindictive.
VERDICT In her third novel (after Twelve Rooms with a View), Rebeck is strongest when portraying Alison's experiences in Hollywood after she's discovered in New York, no surprise given her screenwriting credentials as the creator of the television series Smash. [See Prepub Alert, 9/21/15.]
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