I Want Everything (Dominic Amerena, S&S)

An unnamed aspiring writer leaves a Melbourne hospital and, seeking distraction, swims laps at his local pool. There, he recognises an elderly woman as Brenda Shales, one of Australia’s best literary authors whose career was marred by a scandalous court case. Reputationally linked with Helen Garner, Germaine Greer and Janet Frame, Brenda is known for her two feminist novels and represents an opportunity for the ambitious but lazy young author to achieve the success he craves. But to unearth her secrets, he must weave a web of deception that threatens to consume him. I Want Everything, the tantalising debut novel by Dominic Amerena, is told through the disingenuous perspective of the male narrator, combined with revealing interviews with Brenda and other text modes that include a book review and foreword. By playing with these forms and points of view, Amerena builds tension and enhances the complexity of the plot. Foreboding permeates the narrative through themes of secrets and shame, exploring the tangled connections between storytellers, fabulists and liars. The novel also delves into the ethical complexities of gathering and using source material, questioning the fine line between inspiration and exploitation. Delectably deceptive and metafictive, I Want Everything is a tightly composed satirical and psychological literary mystery for those who relished R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface and Peter Carey’s My Life as a Fake.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Joy Lawn has worked for independent bookshops and blogs at Paperbark Words. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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