The setting is a dreamlike version of 1980s LA. Weetzie Bat inherits a magical lamp from Fifi, the grandmother of her best friend Dirk. Her three wishes are "a Duck for Dirk, and My Secret Agent Lover Man for me, and a beautiful little house for us to live in happily ever after."

These wishes are granted quite literally in the events that follow, lending the book a fairytale air in its depiction of blissful, beautiful bohemian relationships, almost like a perfect 1980s version of "RENT" - until the second half, where conflicts and problems rear their heads. Can the world's issues really be forgotten in an artistic dreamlike existence, and will love ultimately conquer all?
The book has a beautiful flow, no doubt about it, but its style is hard to define.
Constant little details about food and decoration stick out in a plot that moves almost lightning fast. The style compliments the fantastical and almost psychedelic world of the characters. Just as they seem to be free from rigid structures, so is the work which depicts them.

This book is little over 100 pages in my edition, and it had me spellbound - so much so, I read it all in one sitting. A worthy winner of the Phoenix Award, I feel. It really is hard for me to describe my reading experience here, so all I can say is, please read it for yourself.

Fly free, like a bat in the night!