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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
Wow. I listened to this and man, it was tough at times.
Because Macy.
Macy.
Macy tells her story in a dictionary, starting with "a." She jumps around a bit in time, telling now but also giving glimpses of her past so you understand, a bit more, her now. Now: her father is in prison. Her mother moves from one "Mr. Guest" to another. Macy cannot stand these men, but she doesn't want her father to know. Her brother has been "kidnapped" by child services and Macy wants him back. Her best friend is mad at her because Macy doesn't want to go to her friend's big birthday party.
This is a look at people who have very few resources. Macy's mother became a mother at fifteen; her own mother had abandoned her, and while Macy hates many of the things her mother does, she also knows that her mother had no role model on how to be a mother.
That Macy's life is difficult is an understatement. Which is part of the reason I had a hard time reading it.
Macy's school calls her "disturbed" and they aren't wrong, in that Macy is headstrong, stubborn, often willing to bite off her nose to spite her face, more in the now than the future which means in the future she deals with consequences. She is also loyal, logical, cynical, loving, and smart. She can be her own worst enemy. But it's also clear that from her life, "now" is the only time you can rely on.
This is a snapshot of a year in her life, of what she will do to regain her brother; but also what she will do when her best friend is threatened.
A tough read; yes. But worth it.
Because Macy.
Macy.
Macy tells her story in a dictionary, starting with "a." She jumps around a bit in time, telling now but also giving glimpses of her past so you understand, a bit more, her now. Now: her father is in prison. Her mother moves from one "Mr. Guest" to another. Macy cannot stand these men, but she doesn't want her father to know. Her brother has been "kidnapped" by child services and Macy wants him back. Her best friend is mad at her because Macy doesn't want to go to her friend's big birthday party.
This is a look at people who have very few resources. Macy's mother became a mother at fifteen; her own mother had abandoned her, and while Macy hates many of the things her mother does, she also knows that her mother had no role model on how to be a mother.
That Macy's life is difficult is an understatement. Which is part of the reason I had a hard time reading it.
Macy's school calls her "disturbed" and they aren't wrong, in that Macy is headstrong, stubborn, often willing to bite off her nose to spite her face, more in the now than the future which means in the future she deals with consequences. She is also loyal, logical, cynical, loving, and smart. She can be her own worst enemy. But it's also clear that from her life, "now" is the only time you can rely on.
This is a snapshot of a year in her life, of what she will do to regain her brother; but also what she will do when her best friend is threatened.
A tough read; yes. But worth it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary is a work of young adult fiction about Macy, a teen tomboy of color who battles growing up lower class amidst a chaotic family setting but maintaining very loyal friendships with two of her school mates. It is written in Macy’s voice, complete with bad grammar, and has some very dark moments including prostitution and drug use; however, it is balanced with humor along with Macy’s endearment of music and writing. Although it is not entirely clear which ethnicity Macy belongs to it is clear she is a person of color and one of her best friends is Latina.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Not the book for someone aiming to be happy, but a good book all the same. The author obviously wants to open up eyes to challenges that not all children go through, but are the harsh realities for some. With no punches pulled, Ramos definitely poured a lot into this book to make it heart wrenching, compelling, and knit it in such a way you aren't totally sure what's coming next.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Definitely a controversial book because of the writing style. The first time I read this book 3 years ago, I didn't like it, as the writing was difficult to comprehend. But I gave it another chance, and I'm really happy I did. At this point in time, it's still one of my favorite books. Disturbed Girl's Dictionary paints a heartbreaking story about a girl, destroyed by her father's imprisonment, her mother's reluctance, and her brother's recent move. Macy's still one of the most interesting protagonists I've read about yet.
So many choices that the author applies to the story help drive the plot and character arcs. Though as many of the other reviews say, there is a lot of cursing. But even though this is an extremely emotional story.
So many choices that the author applies to the story help drive the plot and character arcs. Though as many of the other reviews say, there is a lot of cursing. But even though this is an extremely emotional story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical trauma
Interesting book. I picked it up on a whim and was immediately involved because of the strength of Macy’s voice. Horrible things happen in her world, and she reflects that horror back at the world with her inability to cope, or really with her inability to cope and “behave” at the same time. She copes by acting out and is told that she is the problem when really she’s just reacting to the world she lives in. Interesting format (dictionary). Wondering if I would recommend this to a teen because it is pretty intense but I don’t know what teens can handle.
I actually found this at my library and thought I’d try it. 20 pages in, I bought my own copy so I could annotate it. This book will hold the place of “my favorite book ever” until further notice. Keep you posted ;)
This book blew my heart right open. I loved the unique format of the book and how NoNieqa Ramos told Macy's story; it is so creative and invites the reader to flip back and forth and make connections between chapters that they may not make otherwise. This was a raw, gripping story, alternatively funny and horrifying.
Good book about mental health and showing the dangers some children face because of neglect. It had many dark themes that paired with lots of sarcasm and dark humor from the main character. I especially liked that in the end, Macey finally understood what being a best friend is like. It's taking care of someone even when they don't know they need it. Macey did that when she sliced Alma's face. She sacrificed her already dying friendship with Alma to save her.