The Life and Death of Sophie Stark

March 30, 2015
The ending of North’s (America Pacifica) provocative new novel is a foregone conclusion; it is the journey there, revealed by the intimates in Sophie Stark’s life, that draws the reader in. The difficult and tenacious filmmaker Sophie inhabits the same world as the rest of us, but she doesn’t really live in it. Her intensity informs her filmmaking, which in turn conveys her vision and emotions. A by-product of her hyperfocus is that she manipulates people to achieve her art. Those in her orbit come to understand this too late to have a happy relationship with her. As such, the book’s narrators—among them a college basketball player, a musician, and a movie producer—disappear and reappear years later, interrupting the narrative flow. Mitigating that flaw is the character of a film critic, whose writings about Sophie’s films are a constant for the reader. The other constant is Sophie’s talent. Though derived from her existence as an outsider, it is the vehicle that allows her to bring an uncanny emotional depth to her work. North’s nuanced prose and emphasis on characterization result in a thoughtful, moving read that explores the creative process and its effects on relationships. Agent: Julie Barer, Barer Literary.

March 15, 2015
When love and art collide in Sophie Stark's life, art always wins. Sophie, a filmmaker, is elusive in the way we're told only true geniuses can be. From a precocious age, she flits in and out of people's lives, as her career moves from that of a cult favorite to the highest levels of fame. Though she's the book's focal point, her voice is never part of the story; instead, the reader only comes to know her from the perspectives of those who love and watch her, one person and one chapter at a time. Tragedy haunts each section as Sophie keeps choosing to put her art ahead of everybody she loves, whether it's her college girlfriend, her ex-husband, or the people she crashes with in between relationships. With every betrayal, Sophie's art improves, and her mental health crumbles further. The novel builds slowly, and, though its denouement is promised by the book's title, it unfolds with a surprising depth of feeling. Articles by journalist Benjamin Martin appear between most of the chapters; his growth lends a quiet parallel to the growth of Sophie's career, which fleshes out the book nicely. North's writing is assured and engrossing, though the voices of those who love Sophie are fairly similar, creating the effect of a Greek chorus rather than separate narrators. If we're to accept the cliche that human kindness is the price of great art, it's a welcome change to see a woman play the role of tortured artist and to hear instead from those who are left behind in her pursuit. An engaging exploration of what it takes to make art and, more importantly, what it takes to love those who make it.

Starred review from May 15, 2015

Sophie Stark, an eccentric and gifted filmmaker, uses people during her rise from obscurity to award-winning artist. Allison's story of her white trash family becomes Sophie's film Marianne, but Sophie's version causes a rift in their romantic relationship. Robbie, Sophie's brother, always protective, even attends the same college where Sophie stalks Daniel, a star basketball player, with her camera. The result is a sensational documentary conveying this experience of obsession. While producing a music video of Sophie's first movie, Jacob tells her about his mother's death, only to find these intimate details in Sophie's next film. Jacob and Sophie later marry, but it is not a happy union. George, a successful screenwriter, hopes Sophie will direct his new script, Isabella. She accepts the project only to take advantage of his influential film industry contacts. Film critic Ben Martin reviews Sophie's works over the course of her career, but when Isabella is not reviewed well, Sophie performs one last shocking creative act, entirely in keeping with her unconventional and self-absorbed nature. VERDICT North's engrossing second novel (after her futuristic America Pacifica) portrays with painful clarity the life of a flawed but highly talented artist. An essential choice for literary fiction readers.--Donna Bettencourt, Mesa Cty. P.L., Palisade, CO

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2015
Movies are how I get to know people, explains student filmmaker Sophie Stark, as she seduces West Virginia waitress Allison Mieskowski, convincing her to become the lead actress in her low-budget indie (and her offscreen romantic partner). Allison soon comes to admire Sophie's fierce creativity, and to dread the way that she borrows and manipulates the true stories of those around her in order to make her films. As Sophie and her unflinchingly honest films begin to capture the admiration of Hollywood, they also exact an increasing emotional toll on her loved ones. Allison's first-person account of Sophie's rise and fall is interwoven with testimonies of others in Sophie's circle: her brother, her producer, her husband, her documentary subject, and her most ardent critic, each reflecting on the impact and impossibility of Sophie and her work. As taut and artistically ambitious as its title character, North's novel upends the trope of the lone, tortured genius, considering instead the deeply human consequences of one person's uncompromising vision.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)