SPIN [Harper Collins] - Book Review

The idea of celebrity is most times used for the angle of fodder and interrelation to the banality of personal gratification but other times can serve as a portal for a kind of morality play that can placate for those for which there are no rules."Spin" [Catherine McKenzie/Harper Collins/432pgs] takes it notion of the headlines and turns it on its ear using the idea of tabloids versus the internalization of the celebs themselves with a too perceived bout of self awareness. Katie, the stalwart at play, parties with abandon trying to elongate the statute of her existence as a writer when nothing seems to be panning out. Being an indie band writer, the ability of free booze and never ending parties that while not the bastion of civilization are nevertheless not high ranking moves her to pursue a higher presenting (or at least higher paying) block of the journalistic food chain but after screwing up her interview (because she is still drunk and pukes in that company's bathroom) is given a second chance to redeem herself precisely because she believes she doesn't have a problem.She is sent undercover into one of those celebrity get-sober clinics (like Promises) which charge $1000 a day to be cut off from the universe to get clean (which works half of the time). The idea becomes one of redemption without too much boring self awareness (though that does come into play) but rather a jokingly half-cocked perception that something is actually wrong. The goal for Katie here is to get some dirt on Amber, the hot "Girl Next Door" who has a severe crack problem. The bulk of the book covers the 30-day 12-step program and does so with a modicum of humor and drama though the ulterior motive of the pieces lies beneath the surface. Add in the would-be ex-boyfriend of The Girl Next Door who himself is a nihilistic drug addict and his manager (who gets to come into the place as well -- which would never happen in real life) completes the circle. The idea is that the manager is the first level headed guy that Katie has met while sober for more than a day speaking to the length of her commitment issuesThe resolution is not one if not expected but does so in a "college cool" sort of way which allows both redemption, self awareness and a little bit of romance that reflects completely textures in a 20s sort of way bringing the necessity of awareness in the trajectory of maturity full circle.C+