Books: Vapor By Amanda Filipacchi

Anna Graham, this novel’s sardonic narrator, wants nothing more than to be an actress, but is worried that her personality is too overpowering. So she sets about to obliterate it. Her efforts are soon joined by Damon Wetly, a scientist who magnanimously kidnaps Anna, reasoning that by breaking her will, he’ll help her become a better actress. Questions on the nature of identity–is it fixed or fungible?–arise throughout Anna’s captivity and its aftermath, but the amusingly absurd plot moves too swiftly to address them, opting instead for a tone that is rewardingly escapist.

–By Michele Orecklin