Girls in Trucks (2008)

SAD IN THE CITY Katie Crouch's Girls in Trucks is a somewhat somber but genuine tale of a woman not quite making her dreams come true in NYC

''Sometimes, looking back on things that have happened to me, I can pin down exact moments when certain situations began to unravel,'' reflects Sarah, the insightful protagonist of Katie Crouch's captivating novel Girls in Trucks. ''That's when I should have said something about Charlotte's drinking. That's when I should have stopped talking to my friend's husband.'' Sarah, a reluctant Southern debutante, moves to NYC postcollege in search of love and success — but she finds mostly failure and heartache. A tad somber, perhaps. But given all the predictable tales about young women, Sarah's genuine imperfection seems refreshing. A-