What can I say? I love a good dysfunctional lesbian book. The IHOP Papers chronicles the life of Francesca, a nineteen-year-old lesbian virgin who moves to San Francisco because she's obsessed with her Philosophy teacher.

Irene, the Philosophy teacher in question, is a real piece of work. She wants to "live simply and responsibly" but she is completely bonkers, leading a controlling and emotionally uneven polyamorous relationship with three of her former students. She favors Gustavo, the only male out of the three. Gustavo is violent and abusive.

Francesca's over-emotional crushes dominate the majority of her life decisions. She has the hots for her AA sponsor and routinely fantasizes about a TV actress from Days of Our Lives. At times I felt like I was reading the thoughts of a fifteen-year-old boy. She is so obsessed with sex and women, and it's unfortunate. She has a lot of potential but is always thinking with the wrong part of her body.

I think everyone has that trainwreck friend who makes a lot of irresponsible decisions. Francesca is that trainwreck friend. I cared about her, but at times I wished she exercised more critical thinking skills. At the same time, if she did, we probably wouldn't have as interesting of a book to read. I was glad to see some character development by the end of the book. Finally, she grew a backbone. Finally, she stood up for herself. Thank god.

I liked this book, and I would recommend it to others. It wasn't my favorite book in the world, but it was a fun trip. ( )

This funny book is about a depressed twenty-year-old who is seeking life and love while working at the IHOP in San Francisco.

http://nicolewbrown.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-ihop-papers-by-ali-liebegott.html

I think there is an indisputable link between freaks and a bottomless coffee cup.
-Ali Liebegott (The IHOP Papers p 7)
I love Irene. I’ve never been so in love in my life. The kind of love where you believe if you can have the other person, everything will be perfect. Life will be fine. Every drop of pain scrubbed free from life’s ink.
-Ali Liebegott (The IHOP Papers p 26)
“Your father and I wouldn’t charge you a thing to talk about your problems.” I felt guilty for making my mom feel excluded, but I certainly couldn’t hire her as my therapist. I wasn’t that unhealthy yet.
-Alit Liebegott (The IHOP Papers p 176)
The weirdest thing anyone has ever said to me while I was waitressing was from this man who used to come in and eat buckwheat pancakes and read Tai Chi books. He said, “Never cook rice while listening to rock music, because the negative energy from the rice will lodge in your lower chakras and cause mental anguish and sexual frustration.” I said, “Oh, I was sexually frustrated and mentally anguished long before I ever listened to rock music while cooking rice.” Who were these freaks—and if they were concerned with right livelihood and health, what were they doing eating at IHOP?
-Ali Liebegott (The IHOP papers p 201) ( )

Francesca is a disgrntled 20 yr. old lesbian IHOP waitress who follows her first love (her philosophy teacher) to San Francisco. She is a lonely and frustrated virgin and disgruntled writer. The characters and situations she finds herself experiencing are often humous and as scattered as she is. ah! young love,discovering sex and heartbreak!!!!!!!!! ( )

I have a special fondness in my heart for this book. The narrative is a bit random, but I find the randomness, the heartfelt honest observations of the main character, Francesca, and the emotional truths about finding your way when you’re in love with your hippy community college professor, working at IHOP and cutting yourself, all wonderful. Oddly the emotional truths Frannie experiences resonated with me (despite not having any of the above said troubles). It’s a novel about growing up, finding your way, and barely hanging onto sanity while doing it. I think we can all relate to that. I wish I had this book when I was painfully coming out in college.
Plus Francesca is down right hilarious. The scene with the baby deer is priceless. ( )

I was slightly confused by the seeming lack of plot-line, but I enjoyed how the main character was a very believable young woman who is trying to grow into what she wants, except she doesn't know quite what she wants yet. ( )