Antéchrista - Amélie Nothomb

Antéchrista is one of the more recent books by the Belgium author Amélie Nothomb. Published in 2003, it comes after some popular publications such as Stupeur et Tremblements in 2001 and Métaphysique des Tubes in 2002. The story is rather simple, it concerns the lives of two teenage girls Blanche and Christa, the one naive, prude and just breaking out of her shell; the other sexy, popular and a malicious source of destruction. Christa manages to wangle her way into living with Blanche and her parents on the premise that she comes from a modest family making term-time lodging a burden her family cannot support. Blanches parent's are rapt by Christa's seductive yet ingeniously cunning charm and invite her into their home. From then on in its a recipe for how to abuse the generosity of others or how to abuse others in general - antechrista - antichrist - anarchist...whatever it may be it is a very fast-paced 'enjoyable' read.