An Authentic and Nostalgic Look at the True College Experience
Thoughts on ‘The Bug Diary’ by Amber Fraley
The Bug Diary by Amber Fraley is exactly the kind of book I like to discover. It was released by Anamacara Press in 2021, and the Amazon listing has an impressive number of editorial reviews. It’s always exciting to see a small press going the extra distance to promote its authors.
Etymology provides the backdrop for this fun work about those awkward college days. I say “awkward’ with affection because this book provided me with a strong reminder of my own college experience. The only difference is that it’s the female perspective rather than the male perspective, so it was nice to have those blanks filled in.
There’s an entertaining scene early on where an RA calls a dorm meeting to lead an enthusiastic conversation about vibrators and birth control. The scene manages to capture the wide variety of characters that actually inhabit real life moments like these. Some of them are worldly enough that the meeting seems comical. Others think they’re worldly but they’re decidedly not. Others need the meeting but are too offended to hear it. Finally, there are a few who spend the meeting petting a taxidermied cat (no euphemism intended).
The book follows the adventures of Kymer Charvat, a freshman at KU and an unapologetic bug lover. She likes nerdy boys who wear Star Wars T-shirts and has a long-distance boyfriend that leaves her feeling sexually frustrated.
During an acid trip with some friends an apparent ghosts hands her a bug diary that contains a bee that is unknown to science. So, that provides a nice framework to hang a novel on.
The plot was of secondary interest to me. I was more engaged by the college nostalgia and the narrative voice. It seems like almost every example of American film or literature that deals with the college experience is just a rehash of Animal House, so it’s fun to come across something that’s unique.
The truth is that nobody feels as confident as they project in college. It’s the first time out of your small town and you spend most of your time sitting around wondering if the whole world is weird or you are. It’s not until later in life that you realize the world is horrible and boring, and yeah, you’re weird, but that’s the only thing that makes life bearable and interesting.
Fraley’s writing is light and engaging. There’s a kind of poetic rambling quality that gathers steam and creates an impression of strong authenticity. Sometimes it seems as if Kymer, or perhaps Fraley, is working up the courage to say something she feels is important but might be rejected and you can’t help but wait around for her to spit it out. I can’t say that I’ve seen that particular storytelling tactic employed before and I appreciated it.
There are a lot of people who will enjoy this book. If you are the parent of a child who has recently gone off to college, this book might provide a nice insight into the specific “adult” problems they might be struggling with. For boys, it will provide an insight into the things you never realized girls have to deal with. For girls, it will provide direction and reassurance.
Give it a read! I’d like to see a few more reviews of this one. We need more books like this.
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