twelve sharp

Twelve Sharp

"Driving out of D.C. into Northern Virginia is like NASCAR …racing bumper to bumper, six wide twenty miles deep. And attached to that is another identical race going six wide in the opposite direction…We hurtled forward , capitulated down the chute and peeled off….." (127).
This, in my opinion, is a pretty accurate description of what it is to experience a Janet Evanovich novel. You move quickly, with little time to breathe. While you are being swept away with one aspect of the novel, there is, simultaneously, another equally fast paced storyline running concurrent with the one you are.
You are captivated by the love story (ies). Even though Stephanie describes herself as less than remarkable, physically as well as professionally, she is pursued and occasionally caught by two of the sexiest characters ever created with the stroke of a pen. Each is sexy in his own distinct way, but both men are equally as compelling as completely moral (even if Ranger's morality is rather self –defined) and decent. I love the way she describes them; "Morelli is the sexy guy with the toaster" (the base of the food pyramid) and Ranger is the desert; "milk chocolate on the outside…a delicious, tempting forbidden pleasure." Both pursue her but for substantially different reasons. One has to believe, despite Stephanie's humility, there must be more to her than meets her eye.
"Sometimes you just can't tell what's on the inside from looking at the outside"(1). This appears to be a central theme which runs through all of the Stephanie Plum novels. Twelve Sharp is an exellent case in point. Just as Scrogs isn't who he seems to be (Ranger), many of the characters you meet in Trenton are not who they appear to be on the surface. Evanovich creates characters who not only leap off the page at you, but for whom you begin to care deeply for. Although Grandma Mazur may look like an old "bat", she is progressive and accepting, always looking for new ways to add excitement to her life, as well as her families. Lulu is an ex-hooker who is street savvy and a little crazy but, at the same time, is caring and loyal and always has Stephanie's back. Throughout this series, Evanovich adds new characters to each book and they always turn out to be far more than they initially seem. Each of them, in many ways, becomes family. They are sometimes outrageous to the point of being unbelievable, but then she endows them with such true human qualities and characteristics that they become three dimensional.
Family is important in the Plum novels. Although at times, Stephanie may dread the interaction with her family members, she is never too far from the Burg. She and Morelli both left it but they didn't go too far. She always returns home for food, which in these novels, stands as a metaphor for comfort, whether it's doughnuts or pot roast.
Stephanie Plum, I believe, is a third wave feminist. She is tough, resilient and does not rely only on her femininity to be successful. She does not wear "plumber butt" leather pants but does occasionally swipe on a little mascara and throw some gel in her hair. In most cases, she relies on her own abilities to do a job for which she is, at times, completely ill-prepared but only calls for help from Morelli or Ranger only when in dire straits. She does not depend on men but will allow them to assist when it makes sense to do so, even welcoming their help. She seems to welcome her femininity and even use it when absolutely necessary but does not depend on it to get through life.
Stephanie Plum is one of my favorite protagonists. She is flawed to the point that we can all relate to her. She is scared as often as she is brave. She is feminine without being helpless. Family is essential for support and comfort and she does not apologize for that or her weaknesses. Evanovich may not be welcomed into the canon of literature but she sure knows how to take you on a wild ride. I think it's a shame that she is relegated to the genre of "chick lit". I would argue that if the canon typically excludes work that is a mirror in front of humanity, showing the good as well as the bad while maintaining a sense of humor throughout, maybe it is just a bunch of "old white guys" who should loosen up a little.