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If you were to ask me about my preferred genre of literature, I would likely mention works crafted by poets. Therefore, when I learned about Aria Aber’s debut novel, Hard Damage, I eagerly placed a preorder. When it arrived, packaged among a collection of boxes, I found myself absorbed in its pages, often running out of sticky flags to mark my favorite excerpts.
Good Girl by Aria Aber
Set in Berlin, the narrative follows 19-year-old Nilab Haddadi, or Nila, who has just completed her studies at an esteemed boarding school in Rosenwald. The story explores her life as the daughter of Afghan refugees, depicting her modest home where she resides with her father and a few unwelcome housemates, such as beetles and silverfish. Nila’s social life leads her to the “Bunker” nightclub, where she crosses paths with Marlowe Woods, a writer significantly older than herself who captivates her attention. Amidst nights filled with techno music, drugs, and intimate conversations, Nila balances her fledgling studies in art history and philosophy, her job at a jazz café, and her passion for photography. However, as a series of chilling murders resurfaces across Germany, she conceals her true identity and background from her peers.
This poignant coming-of-age tale navigates themes of longing, loss, memory, and personal rebellion, portraying the evolution of an aspiring artist. We are introduced to Nila’s journey as a photographer, witnessing her burgeoning obsession with capturing her life from the age of fourteen: “To take a picture was a way to control the narrative, to frame only what you wanted to see.” The book also highlights Nila’s admiration for various artists and literary figures, including Nan Goldin, Roland Barthes, and Virginia Woolf. A Goethe quote decorates her room: “I couldn’t paint now, not a single stroke, yet I’ve never been a bigger painter than in this moment,” reflecting her internal struggles and ambitions.
As I immersed myself in this compelling narrative, I found myself intrigued by the contrasts of personal spaces—how both outward appearances and intimate details play a significant role in the characters’ lives. Nila’s tendency to lie adds a layer of complexity to her interactions, revealing her fixation on aesthetics. She observes the environments of those around her with keen interest, noting the finer points of their homes, which ultimately reveal much about their personalities and places within the story.
This novel resonates deeply with anyone who has felt isolated, whether in a sea of faces or amidst trusted friends. For those who savor rich, descriptive prose filled with emotional tension, this book is an exceptional addition to the lineage of novels penned by poets. It holds its place alongside remarkable works like Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, and others. The narrative concludes with a striking sentence that encapsulates Nila’s angst: “I had been lifted out of the low-income district of hopelessness and sent to one of the best schools in the country, and yet here I was, my mother was dead, soon the city would be covered in snow again, and I was ravaged by the hunger to ruin my life.”
Source
bookriot.com