Sunday, January 07, 2007

Witch Doctor's Daughter

Van Brenhauer. Daughter of famed plastic surgeon, Dr. Alfred Brenhauer. She is sixteen years old and has grown up around the fame and fortune of Beverly Hills plastic surgery. She has also experience the hauntingly unrealistic beauty of these men and women. Her mother (now divorced from Van's father) lives in the California hills, in her own little town away from the glitz and glamour. Natalie Brenhauer does not want her daughter to end up a slave to the machine like all the other little girls. Nor does Van herself. She knows the dangerous road of plastic surgery. She's seen the terrible things, the surreality it's caused and doesn't want that. After suffering from anorexia, becoming suicidal, bi-polar, nearly having a psychotic break, injecting silicone and collagen into herself, almost performing liposuction on herself, both her parents decided it would be best if Van went to live with her mother. But there's a problem. Juat as she's slipping out of the grip of Beverly Hills and having a happy life with her mother, her father calls and asks if she'd like to spend summer breakwith him in Beverly Hills. Van is terrified she'll slip into her old habits. Also, she has a happy life in the suburbs of San Fransisco, goes to a nice school (although school's out, duh), has a girlfriend that she loves, and has friends that love her for who she is. But she decides to go, to overcome her past once and for all.

Arriving at her father's posh house in the Bel Air neighborhood, she meets her father's new fiance Isabelle, a snake of a woman with a horse's face. Van can smell the gold-digger from miles away and takes an immediate disliking of her. The feeling is mutual. Trying to get her feet on the ground, Van meets up with her old friends, who suddenly have nothing in common with her. For the first couple weeks, she just kind of wanders around her old hometown, readjusting herself to life. She visits and art gallery for a contemporary art exhibit, and starts up a conversation with a charming british woman, who she finds out is the actual artist. they find they have much in common and enjoy each other's company. Van promises to come back the next day, only to find out she has to spend the day with her father in the office. Lollygagging in the waiting room, Van spots a beautiful girl reading a newspaper and strikes up a conversation with her. She finds out her name's Ally, she's eighteen and she's there for breast augmentation consultation. Van personally sees nothing wrong with them, but feels that it would be rude to say so.

After her visit with her father, Van rushes back to the gallery just in time to catch the artist leaving. afraid she might've offended her, Van starts apologizing profusely before the artist insists it's okay. they finally introduce themselves. Van finds out the artist's name is Nann, with two n's. As time progresses, they become friends. Also, Van keeps running into Ally and begins to fall in love with her. Ally is the daughter of another plastic surgeon, but Van's father specializes in breat augmentation. Still, there is something fishy about it. That's about as much as i've figured out right now. I realize that's a small bit of the book, but I just now came up with the idea. i know that she falls in love with Ally, only to realize that Ally's dragging into the abyss that she only just escaped from. She breaks away, realizing she is really in love with Nann, but is afraid that Nann doesn't want her anymore.

Anywho, here are some of the characters:


Van-

"I'm naturally tall and really thin, but somehow I wished I could be thinner. Before I figured out I needed help, I used to stand in front of my mirror, hair all loose and in my face, watching as the light changed it from that deep, dark brown to a lighter color. Then I'd cry and count my ribs. I think I've changed a little since then. Oh I still work out and everything, but I don't lie about eating now..."




Dr. Brenhauer-

"My father's not a tall man, but he is a big man. An almost hulking figure in a white lab coat, he looks like a lumberjack lost in a doctor's office. Especially since he decided to grow that little baby-beard. But he's trustworthy, and his patients enjoy his good humor and kind voice. I think the ladies enjoy him a little more than the boys do...my father is a rather good looking man, with his curly brown hair and baby blues, as mother has often said..."



Nann-

"She was pretty, really pretty. Cute smile and perky little nose. Curves in all the right places. I liked her t-shirt, it looked authentic, and who doesn't love the Rolling Stones? Grinning and tugging at a strand of honey blonde hair, she cocked her head and gave me the once-over. It seemed I was all right in her book. She stepped closer and turned to look at the piece I'd been ogling over. I wanted to keep looking at the art, it really was good. But something about her, kept my eyes drifting to her. The fine hairs on the nape of her neck were the same soft shade of blue as the lights above, giving her an unearthly look."




Ally-

"She grinned at me, and I felt my knees pooling at my feet. She was hot. Incredibly hot. Blonde hair. Brown eyes. What more could you ask for?"




that's all for right now...but i'll be back...

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