Books written about writers or aspiring writers are interesting. They either turn out full of clichés that readers easily spot, or they turn out to be amazingly good stories. Peeled falls into the latter category. Bauer nails the voice of her heroine, telling the story in a straightforward, easy to digest way, just as a journalist would. It's kind of like reading one really long newspaper article, but definitely not boring. The characters are all so interesting that even if pages upon pages aren't devoted to describing their every movement, they still take on three dimensions in your mind. (My favorite would be the owner of a local restaurant who also happens to have a family that rebelled against communist ideals in Eastern Europe.)

The novel also offers a bit of a crash course in journalism. Hildy is someone who has always wanted to be a star reporter, following in her father's footsteps, but she hasn't always gone about it correctly. She has to learn to be more observant, ask the right questions, and check her facts—all good qualities to have in a reporter. The meetings between her and the other Core staff members made me remember my own days on my high school paper, and I'm a little jealous of just how much freedom they had to go after stories. My paper was always pretty strictly controlled by the school administration. Hildy does find out what happens when the administration tries to take control, though, and it makes for a great part of the novel.

Yes, I will admit that bits of the book are kind of ridiculous. I can't really imagine some of the tactics Hildy uses working, but that's why it's called fiction. If you have an interest in writing, in journalism, or if you like a good mystery, pick up a copy of the book. You'll enjoy it.