Review of Auto-Erotica, written by Stacia Saint Owens

No, it's not porn.

It's a book of short stories that takes place in Los Angeles. The characters in Auto-Erotica are screwed up, which is nothing new in fiction. But they are screwed up in southern California, a place that attracts wannabe actors, screenwriters and various other artistic types.

This is not regular literary fiction. There is an edge to this book. By turns creepy, scary and disturbing, the book delves into the lives of newbies to L.A., hungry agents, college students turned ladies of the night, aspiring actors, rich kids. But this is also very much a book of place, and Los Angeles is on full display here.

Stacia Saint Owens's writing is solid and accessible. At times, it sounds like the author is speaking to you rather than writing a story.

A few of my favorite lines from the story Viv Thraves Goes Missing: "Our very first time. We've rehearsed for weeks. We're wearing short, tight green dresses that make us look like whores, but we're young enough to pull it off as UCLA girls who watch too much TV and don't know any better."

On a scale of 1 to 10, Just One Pink gives it a 7.5.