Exquisite Corpse

Bestselling French cartoonist Bagieu makes her English-language debut with this absorbing, fast-paced erotic literary drama. Twenty-something Zoe is frustrated by her unfulfilling relationship and her demeaning job as a product representative for trade shows, where she is routinely objectified by men. On a break, she spots a man in a window nearby and ends up entering his home. Because she's never even set foot in a bookstore, she doesn't recognize world-famous author Thomas Rocher. As her relationship with Rocher deepens, another woman who is still in his life (for mysterious reasons) complicates matters%E2%80%94and then the story takes an unexpected yet satisfying twist. Bagieu's character designs are brilliant, reflecting the emotions and energy of all the players, with a color scheme that highlights the mood in a loose, lively style. Though the ending comes out of left field, what comes before%E2%80%94a funny and fresh exploration of authorship and a writer's relationship to fame%E2%80%94is utterly charming.[em] (May) [/em]