Cha-Ching!

I gobbled up Cha-Ching! by Ali Liebegott in a couple of days. This is a wonderful novel set in San Francisco and NYC in the 90s, following Theo, a big-hearted neurotic who is so wonderfully easy to relate to, as she tries to start her life over during the last few months before turning 30.

Theo possesses a sensitivity to those around her, and an acute, sometimes painful, consciousness of self. Her reflections on and interactions with the people around her are alternately and simultaneously hilarious and poignant.

Liebegott does a great job depicting that stage of waywardness in life, when you don't have direction and are floating around, worrying and coping. As I said, Theo is very relatable. Even though I am in very different circumstances than the character, I identified strongly with her internal state. A scene that resonated in particular was when she had a meltdown in the dentist's office. I recently went to the dentist without a Xanax, and ended up trembling and crying in the chair!

Cha-Ching! is a fast, engaging, entertaining read. I was disappointed when it ended, as I felt a sense of loss. I already miss the companionship I felt with Theo.