Alexandra Kleeman’s haunting debut novel is reminiscent of the works of authors such as Douglas Coupland, Don DeLillo and David Foster Wallace – though with a decidedly feminist viewpoint. A scathing satire ofconsumerism and conformity, You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine is largely concerned with what happens to the female body in a society that’s obsessed with achieving the twin pinnacles of ‘health’ and ‘beauty’.

As our narrator, a young woman known only as ‘A’ observes: ‘A woman’s body never really belongs to herself.’

Set in an unnamed American city, the story opens with detailed descriptions of A’s life and her mind-numbing daily routines for ‘self-care’. A lives with her roommate, ‘B’, and the two women are as dependant on one another as they are wary. A is convinced that B is trying to steal her identity, a fear her boyfriend, ‘C’, dismisses. Together, the couple eat tinned food, watch endless television; C wants them to appear on a reality-TV show together called That’s My Partner! in which contestants must distinguish their partner’s body parts from decoys. A is resistant to the proposal as she struggles to retain a grasp over her identity.

Meanwhile, whole families are abandoning their homes in the night, strange messages are appearing on walls, and a single man is on a mission to ‘rescue’ every last piece of veal from his local supermarket. Running through the narrative is a collection of surreal TV commercials that star a cartoon figure. Kandy Kat is the mascot of Kandy Kakes and his love for these mysterious treats spurs him on to ever more elaborate chases, each failing in ever more awful ways.

It’s obvious that Kleeman had a heck of a lot of fun writing this book, and her biting commentary on modern life ranges from sardonic to hilarious in a heartbeat. If you loved the gleeful rage of Sarai Walker’s subversive debut, Dietland, then You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine is an ideal addition to your bookshelf.

Bronte Coates