Men with Red Ties: Diary of an Emigre - Nastya Polikarpova

It just proves that every person, no matter their job, has a story.

Men with Red Ties: Diary of an Emigre follows the story of Alina, a stripper in a high-class New York strip club. While that fact alone isn't enough to create a grasping story, the specifics of her life leading to that job, as relayed by former fellow employee Alexa, are. Even so, though, the story seems like a small taste of a much larger dish.

Following Alina through her doomed-to-fail tumultuous relationship with married Pater would've made a compelling story with a little more elaboration, even though the majority of the book is focused on Alina's past. Still, the 183 pages aren't enough to truly immerse the reader, and being taken out every other chapter for some idle chit-chit between Alexa and newcomer Lena doesn't help. But Polikarpova is on the right track and did craft a fascinating story, even if it's a little lacking in areas.