I had high hopes for this book. I am seriously obsessed with the dysfunctional construct that is French multiculturalism. I read a lot of Franco-Maghrebi literature in college. I am deeply interested in the narratives of immigrant youth. On all fronts, I should have loved Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow.
False logic. I was disappointed because Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow is really just another story about life in the projects. I use the word "story" very loosely here because nothing happens over the course of the book. Doria lives in the suburbs of Paris with her mother. Her alcoholic father returned to Morocco to marry someone else in hopes of having a son. Doria fails out of school, her mother is underemployed, the neighbors have it rough, cousin goes to prison, the social workers just don't understand, etc. Mom learns to read, Doria goes to hairdressing school and gets over her crush on the drug-addict neighbor, optimism replaces some of her cynicism. Fin.
Guène, raised in the projects she writes about, was only 19 when she wrote Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow. Girl keeps it real, which I admire. The narrative voice is sarcastic and has a young feel to it-- I'll bet it's delightful to read in French. That said, I found the story itself uninspiring and uninspired. I can't say how many books there are like this in France, but I can see why it got a lot of attention if there is nothing richer to compare it to.
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