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Book Review By Harriet Klausner
Loose Lips by Claire Berlinski



Ballantine, Jun 2004, 12.95, 272 pp,
ISBN: 0812967097

After a stint in India as a Sanskrist expert, Selena returns home to Manhattan to become a bored teacher until she reads a weird Internet ad and she surprises herself by responding. In the blink of a cyberspace eye, Selena is interviewed, tested and evaluated to determine whether she an "extraordinary individual".

The CIA hire Selena, who relocates to Virginia, where she receives top rate instruction at the “Farm"; Selena becomes an expert in hand combat, emergency medical care, and other needed skills for someone expected to work in the cold. She is considered a potential superstar except for a fear of flying that even Jung could not cure. Selena becomes friends with fellow student Iris and dates Stan, whose memory skills are incredible. However, problems happens leading to the CIA Internal Affairs investigating Selena as the evidence points to her being a traitor; Stan roots for her hanging, but Selena refuses to take the fall when she knows someone set her up.

LOOSE LIPS is an enjoyable chick lit takes the CIA tale that will leave the audience laughing fro start to finish. The tale is exceptional when Selena goes through her excellent training as a top gun while her relationships are shaky until Stan enters her life. The tale remains fun, but loses some of its oomph when Selena becomes the subject of an investigation of a seditious act although she remains Pollyanna at the Farm.

Harriet Klausner



Plot & Themes
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 2000+ (Present Day)
Life of a profession:
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Job/Profession/Status story Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Nationality

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status:
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Southeast

Writing Style
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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