Carrie Pilby by Caren Lissner

Title/Author: Carrie Pilby by Caren Lissner
Publisher/Publication date: July 1sth 2010 by Harlequin
How I got it: I received it from the publisher through
NetGalley.
Why I read it: it sounded interesting.

Goodreads summary: "Carrie Pilby doesn't fit in -- and she's pretty much given up trying. A year out of college and settling in to life in the big city, this nineteen-year-old genius believes everyone she meets is immoral, sex obsessed and hypocritical, and the only person she sees on a regular basis is her therapist. When he comes up with a five-point plan to help her discover the "positive aspects of social interaction," Carrie, who would rather stay home in bed, is forced to view the world in a new light."

This five point plan includes:
1. List 10 things you love
2. Join a club
3. Go on a date
4. Tell someone you care (your therapist doesn't count)
5. Celebrate New Year’s

Carrie doesn't really have any reason to get out of bed in the morning. She thinks people are mostly stupid and she doesn't have to pay the rent. So, why bother?
At first, she isn't too keen on the plan her therapist starts her on, but gradually warms up to it. Or at least starts on it to proove him he's wrong, that it won't help her at all.

The book centers around the sometimes weird philosophies that enter Carries mind and the things she comes up with are very funny. In this she reminds me of conversations my best friend and I have in which we come up with all kinds of conspiracy theories and plots to take over the world. Carrie reminds me of myself, not neccesarily in my good moments.
She got me thinking, while I do believe that because I'm a college student I belong to the better educated part of the population, I don't think it's true people are unintelligent if they haven't read a whole lot of books like she does. Carrie overgeneralizes and likes to put a label on someone, even though she doesn't like it when people do it to her.

The plot is more character-driven than action-driven, there's not a whole lot going on outside Carrie's head. Which is fine, but I'd like to have seen more actual things taking place. The ending left me a bit hanging and I feel like I was waiting for some kind of grand finale that never came.

All in all, I liked this book, Carrie is a likable character and the things she comes up with are sometimes hilarious.

My rating: 3 stars