Fly On The Wall is one of my favourite YA books, and just about the only one of E Lockhart's novels that we haven't reviewed! The subtitle, How One Girl Saw Everything, gives a clue that the title might actually be literal - and it is. Gretchen is studying Franz Kafka's classic story of alienation, The Metamorphosis, for her English class and thinking that it might not be so bad to be a bug for a while and get a different perspective on her boring (yet typically teenage-angsty) life. Her wish is granted, and she gets the chance to be a LITERAL fly on the wall of the boys' locker room. Where yes, she does see everything... and learns a lot about the opposite sex, and about the things she appreciates about her life in the process.
It takes a great author to carry off such a far-fetched storyline, and E Lockhart is that author. I liked this book even more than her 'earthbound' novels, with its echoes of Kafka, myths and superhero storylines as well as the realistic portrayal of the daughter of separated parents. This is another book that both teenagers and adults will love - and you don't have to be a fly on the wall to see that.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Like this? Try The Boyfriend List by E Lockhart.
