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I leapt into the story of LOOKING FOR MR. GOODFROG from the very first italicized "Frog anecdote" --- With such a wide variety of frogs it's safe to assume that out there, somewhere, is a frog with just about any pattern you could imagine. With this line I jumped, quite literally, into Karrie Kline's marsh of frogs, tadpoles and potential princes. You see, each chapter in Laurie Graff's novel is punctuated by similarly quirky anecdotes that describe the habits of frogs, and each quote sets the tone and prefaces the themes of the upcoming chapter. This first quote works nicely both in that capacity and also as a foreshadowing of the book's tone --- smart, ironic, wry with just a touch of romantic optimism.
These same adjectives, and a touch of fairy tale optimism, perfectly describe Karrie Kline herself --- the charming, keenly observed heroine of both LOOKING FOR MR. GOODFROG and Graff's previous work, YOU HAVE TO KISS A LOT OF FROGS. Karrie kisses many a frog hoping to discover her prince, and each time she finds herself up against some pretty daunting character flaws. Whether it's the criminally attractive non-caller who charms but never follows through, the man who only communicates between the sheets, or the neurotic health nut who brings his own muffin to Starbucks, Karrie has seen it all. Even if there is a frog out there whose spots match hers, she's starting to think that she'll never find him.
However, Karrie is not one to wallow, nor is she a complainer. She may be something of a kvetcher, but that makes her all the more charming a narrator; she's relatable, flawed, and never boring or self-indulgently dramatic. Everything she does, from swing dancing to scooping her friend's mozzarella onto her pizza, is engaging and distinctive. Graff has the lovely (and rare) ability to unveil Karrie's persona without ever having Karrie make any self-revealing exclamations. Never do readers have to endure Karrie making trite declarations of her own adventurous nature, her wit, or her love of dogs. Instead we see these aspects of her immediately in Graff's well-rendered scenes of Karrie alone, on dates, and with her equally charismatic and compelling group of friends. Making Karrie likable and relatable suits Graff's literary purposes --- we stand on the sidelines cheering for Karrie, through her trials and tribulations with online dating and her excruciating run-in with her high school boyfriend in yellow tights. We want her to find a frog worthy of becoming her prince.
When Karrie decides to put to good use all those awkward first dates, hope-dashing second dates and "I can't take this anymore" third dates (not to mention the disillusioning and maddening relationships that follow) by using them as fodder for a one-woman show, readers will find themselves wishing they could buy tickets. The show takes off, and we are right there with Karrie at her first photo shoot. Just as readers will relate to Karrie's dating foibles, mishaps and calamities, they also will be drawn into her bringing those experiences to the stage. It is to Graff's credit as a writer that she is able to paint Karrie's dual performances --- both in life (on dates and with her friends) and on stage --- with equally strong strokes. There is something brave and cathartic in Karrie's decision to perform, and Graff --- an actress herself --- excels at describing the one-woman renegade that is Karrie's play, "Forgaphobia." Readers who have never picked up a script or stood in a black-box theater will relate to Karrie's anxiety and ultimate triumph with the same gusto with which they related to her dating woes.
LOOKING FOR MR. GOODFROG is peppered with keen insights into the strange rituals and maddening games women and men play as they dance around each other, hoping to spark. "We were not looking for a bonafide prince," Karrie muses of her and her vivacious friend Anne. "Just our very own good frog. So where did it all go astray? What were you supposed to do with the encounters and the dates, the liaisons and the relationships? Where did they all go? And if they didn't go anywhere, where were you supposed to put them?" Smart and insightful, LOOKING FOR MR. GOODFROG elevates the Chick Lit genre to a level above Manolos, money and men with themes that are utterly relatable, presented by a narrator who is perfectly engaging.
Like its heroine, LOOKING FOR MR. GOODFROG is witty, incisive and touchingly real. In the end, readers will feel the pain of Karrie's various disappointments, be thrilled by her triumphs and take heart in her unbreakable optimism that maybe --- just maybe --- out there somewhere, our very own frog prince is hopping about, waiting patiently for us to find him.
--- Reviewed by Jennifer Krieger
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