All The Way

A powerful, hilarious and achingly honest story about a young French girl discovering her sexuality.

Solange wants to have sex. Will it be with one of the boys at school? The exchange student? The fireman she meets at the disco when she sneaks out one night? Or with Arnaud, the coolest boy she knows?

She’d like to see more of her father, even though he’s so embarrassing. As for her mother, she’s too depressed. Something to do with the photo of the dead boy on the mantelpiece.

Monsieur Bihotz, her neighbour who lives alone now his mother has died, is supposed to be her babysitter but Solange has other ideas. There’s really not much scope in her boring village, Cleves. But who cares, Solange will get to do it, go all the way, whatever it takes.

Marie Darrieussecq’s All the Way is a brilliant and hilarious picture of an adolescent girl.