Bad Words
Of all the women Parker Navarro could fall for, Selina Chan should be the last. Four years ago, as lead critic at City Magazine (a clear stand-in for The New Yorker), she panned his much-hyped debut, and the book, big advance and all, tanked. Now City, short on cash and subscribers, hands her his second novel, High and Dry. Shocker: she doesn’t like that one either.
When Parker runs into her at a publishing party, he tells her exactly what he thinks of her and her brutal prose. Someone films their spat, the video spreads, and, whoa, is the attention good for business. Parker’s preorders climb and City picks up readers. Everyone around them, from their publishers to their old friends, is happy to keep the feud going because, well, it sells.
None of this is a joke to Parker, since Selina’s first review nearly ended his career. But as the two argue in public and talk in private, they discover, to their shock, that they might be soulmates. They loved the same extremely obscure novel as teenagers, and each has parents they’ve never managed to please. They also both hide in their writing. Parker writes what he thinks readers want, and Selina’s reviews keep anyone from seeing much of her. If they want more from each other—and the world—Parker will have to stop writing to please and Selina will have to let someone see her, and neither finds that easy.
Ríoghnach Robinson tells some of Bad Words through reviews, articles, social media posts, and samples of Parker’s and Selina’s own writing, including a short story Parker publishes about a critic he can’t stand (guess who). Together, these show how a literary feud turns into something other people can profit from and something very hard to control. The book is set squarely in our world, where our viral internet gives criticism, and words in general, power that deserves questioning. Unsurprisingly, Parker and Selina see that power differently, and the tension between them is riveting.
If you love watching two smart people who hide behind their words argue their way into love, you’ll love Bad Words. It’s the best romance I’ve read this year, and my review, unlike Selina’s, is a rave.