Book Review: The Continuity Girl is a Wonderfully Rare Style of Fiction

con-ti-nu-i-ty girl:

1. A detailed script assistant or supervisor responsible for avoiding discrepancies from shot to shot in a film, allowing the various scenes to be shot out of order.
   
2. A person, a woman, focusing on uninterrupted succession or flow of storylines; a coherent whole.
   
3. The title of Canadian writer, Leah McLaren’s debut novel.
   

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Digital Journal — It took just a few days to read Leah McLaren’s novel The Continuity Girl. Full of cynical dialogue, bits of romance, rage and reckless relationships, it’s a bizarre yet refreshing read.

Beginning with the leading lady: Women everywhere will fall in love with Meredith Moore. Part hysteric, part dreamer and part desperate, she embodies the characteristics of many women but she’s too afraid to admit it.

In the novel, she, the continuity supervisor, has just turned 35 years old and has made it her mission to find the perfect male to impregnate her. To hell with a husband, she just wants the sperm. She epitomizes her own self-proclaimed title: “Sperm Bandit”.

With a saucy vibe running throughout this 335-page novel, McLaren has adopted a unique style of writing to make this genre her own. And despite the fact that this is her debut novel, McLaren is no secret to the Canadian writing scene — her popular weekly column in the Globe and Mail‘s Style section has earned rave reviews and is read by millions each week.

The book is new territory for McLaren, but she charms the reader quite effectively. For example, set mostly in London, England, the book carries many mentions of Toronto landmarks. Her careful positioning of setting and particular references of distinct attractions welcomes Canadian readers directly to the story while introducing other readers to Canada’s largest city. Adding personality and character to these landmarks, McLaren created female characters — albeit very sarcastic and thinly-worn — who remain cohesive and smart. Unlike other standard chick-lit femmes, McLaren’s do not spend their fortunes at Gucci or Saks in one afternoon.

Throughout the novel, the storyline is told through numerous uncanny conversations and ridiculous situations and experiences. McLaren’s writing is familiarly unique. She is a mixture of Manhattan’s Candace Bushnell, the UK’s Sophie Kinsella and Helen Fielding, only McLaren is wrapped up in a maple leaf strolling down Bloor West. It’s chick-lit revamped. And best of all, it’s home grown.

In fact, hers is a style of Can Lit that young Canadian women rarely see. Unlike the undoubtedly fantastic fiction of famed Canucks Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje, McLaren’s novel speaks to a generation of young-ish Canadians looking to find themselves. It’s refreshing and youthful, but remains meaningful and intelligent.

In person, McLaren is just as charming and gleaming as the characters in her writing. At the recent book launch for The Continuity Girl, held at Toronto’s Ultra Supper Club, McLaren’s exuberance and charisma penetrated the entire room.

“I’ve always wanted to write a novel,” she told me. “But I never really had the right story, until this one came along.”

Well this is certainly the right story for her, and one that will surely generate huge responses through the Canadian and International book scene.

The Continuity Girl is published by HarperCollins and is now available in all bookstores.
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