Book review: Charlotte Roche's 'Feuchtgebiete'

If I would have to say something about this book in only one sentence, it would be 'refreshing, funny and a bit disgusting, with a disappointing ending'.

The protagonist of Charlotte Roche's first novel 'Feuchtgebiete', which could be translated into moist, soft, or sweaty parts/areas, is an 18 year old girl called Helen, who is in the hospital waiting for an operation. The story is written from her perspective, showing the reader her every thought on many aspects in a (young) women's life.
At first I was very enthusiastic about this book; the way Roche is handling topics like sexuality, the female body, society's obesession with hygiene and the way it dictates our appearances, is honest, funny and refreshing. Helen's sexual experiences and how the author is describing them, actually reminded me of novels written by Dutch male authors from the fifties/sixties/seventies, like Jan Wolkers, Remco Campert and Jan Cremer; it's open, naughty (or dirty if you like), and somehow raw and manly, like from a male's point of view. I like it, especially because it shows the reader that female sexuality, essentially, is not about candlelight dinner and romantic chit chat. Helen is a horny girl who goes straight after what and who she wants, who masturbates whenever she feels like it, exploring new sexual possibilities, and most importantly: who is not ashamed of it. She is proud of how she handles herself sexually, which makes her a good role model for girls and women in our current society.

The disappointment concerning this book is the second story that is woven into it: the story of Helen's divorced parents, who she wants to bring back together at almost all costs. To me it seems like an attempt to give the novel more depth; maybe to provide a psychological explanation for Helen's sexual behaviour, or to give the book the 'feel' of literature. It does not work though. It probably would have if the author had gone deeper, explaining more about what had happened between the parents and the consequences of their actions on Helen's upbringing and psychological development. Now this part of the novel is floating on the surface, leaving the reader with a lose end. That, in my opinion, also explains the poor ending of the book. It feels like Roche had no clue anymore and just wrote something to get it over with. She either should have written more about Helen's background or leave the whole family story out, concentrating mainly on Helen as a young woman dealing with the (sexual) taboos of modern society, the second option being my preference.