The Savage Girl is the first novel by American author Alex Shakar. It was published in 2001.
Plot summary
Main character Ursula Van Urden is introduced arriving in Middle City, a fictional American metropolis built around a volcano. She plans to care for her younger sister Ivy, a model who has recently suffered a much-publicized schizophrenic meltdown. After arriving in Middle City, Ursula begins working for Ivy's former boyfriend, Chas Lacouture, at the trendspotting firm Tomorrow, Ltd. She is trained as a trendspotter by both Chas and a new coworker, Javier Delreal.
Javier, a manic optimist, takes Ursula on rollerblading and party-crashing expeditions, predicting a new megatrend he calls the "Light Age," a "renaissance of self-creation," which he believes will coincide with the defeat of irony. By contrast, Chas, a cynical ex-philosophy professor, takes her to skulk in supermarkets and spy on customers, and introduces her to the concept of "paradessence," the "broken soul" at the center of every product, consisting of two opposing desires that it will promise to satisfy simultaneously.
As Ivy resumes her modeling activities, Ursula's trendspotting work focuses on a homeless girl who lives in a city park, makes her own clothing, and hunts pigeons for food. This eponymous "savage girl" forms the basis of a marketing campaign for a new product, "Diet Water," and serves as a harbinger for Chas and Javier alike, of the new age to come.
Characters
Ursula Van Urden – Protagonist
Ivy Van Urden – Ursula's younger sister, a schizophrenic fashion model
Chas Lacouture – Ursula's boss, a trendspotter
Javier Delreal – Ursula's coworker, a trendspotter
The Savage Girl – a homeless girl, the basis for Ursula's marketing campaign
Gwennan – Ursula's and Ivy's mother, a retired plastic surgeon
James T. Couch – Ursula's coworker, über-ironist and trendspotter
Ed Cabaj – head of marketing for General Foods' New Beverage division
Camille Stypnick – art director for the ad agency Mitchell and Chennault
Eeven – an inner-city boy for whom Javier becomes a Big Brother
.jpg)
