Scan barcode
theteenidol's review
3.0
The punk rock aesthetic really carried this book for me. I’m not sure I like Beige even after her “transformation”. The book really lost me when Lake and Beige go on stage and perform together and Beige just naturally knows what to do, despite “not really listening to music” or liking music that much in general. However, there were only 20 or so pages left after that and I powered through it. It’s was a relatively quick read though.
lisamquinn's review
4.0
"Beige" is one of my favorites from Cecil. I think it's on the same level as "Boy proof" character wise, and it has deeper themes throughout.
Katy's mom goes to Peru without her for work, so she has to spend her summer in LA with her former rockstar father, The Rat.
Katy's mom goes to Peru without her for work, so she has to spend her summer in LA with her former rockstar father, The Rat.
snarkywench's review against another edition
Beige had been sitting on my shelf for awhile when I read an entry over at Stephanie Kuehnert's where she was absolutely raving about it. That was enough for me...Stephanie can write like a dream and turns out, can recommend like a dream too.
Beige tells the story of conservative and restrained Katy who is sent to stay with her father in LA for the summer. Katy is a complete fish out of water in the grimy world of punk rock, the smell of it particularly permeates through the pages and it allows you to feel as though you are in the world with her. Katy is completely buttoned down, rigid and shut off and as such The Rat's world doesn't really mesh with her standards. Katy is a completely relatable protagonist, she's never been cool or ever been all that into music. This is most likely influenced by her desire and fear of becoming like her parents, both recovered drug addicts. Her need for order and control can be a little distancing at times but it is always justified.
Every character that appears in Castellucci's novel is extreme - whether extreme in their prickliness, obviousness, softness, rigidity or kitschiness - they are all well formed and have unique and sparky interactions with one another. Lake is a character that works as a great foil for Katy, she's the "expected offspring" of a punk rocker but has missed out on the maternal care that Katy has taken for granted. Lake's a cactus wrapped around a pillow with a piece of coal battling her heart for position in her chest cavity. These two rocker babies with diametrically opposed personalities force one another to really confront who they are and their motivations. It's a friendship that is fun, sparky and organic - there are no false notes to be found.
The Rat is a character that really grabs the reader. He's forever trying too hard to win his daughter over. The author takes the great path of not making him compromise himself at any point in his efforts to ingratiate himself into his daughter's affections. He's an immensely flawed man but one with a huge heart and perhaps too sensitive to the world.
Beige is a fast read. You find yourself whipping through the pages to the most satisfying conclusion. It is a conclusion that rejects the need to tie everything up in a cliche ridden, predictable, pretty package. Instead, this coming of age story, which details Katy's personal growth, settles on a complete realistic and satisfying conclusion.
A fantastic start to a (hopefully) long Castellucci reading journey!
Beige tells the story of conservative and restrained Katy who is sent to stay with her father in LA for the summer. Katy is a complete fish out of water in the grimy world of punk rock, the smell of it particularly permeates through the pages and it allows you to feel as though you are in the world with her. Katy is completely buttoned down, rigid and shut off and as such The Rat's world doesn't really mesh with her standards. Katy is a completely relatable protagonist, she's never been cool or ever been all that into music. This is most likely influenced by her desire and fear of becoming like her parents, both recovered drug addicts. Her need for order and control can be a little distancing at times but it is always justified.
Every character that appears in Castellucci's novel is extreme - whether extreme in their prickliness, obviousness, softness, rigidity or kitschiness - they are all well formed and have unique and sparky interactions with one another. Lake is a character that works as a great foil for Katy, she's the "expected offspring" of a punk rocker but has missed out on the maternal care that Katy has taken for granted. Lake's a cactus wrapped around a pillow with a piece of coal battling her heart for position in her chest cavity. These two rocker babies with diametrically opposed personalities force one another to really confront who they are and their motivations. It's a friendship that is fun, sparky and organic - there are no false notes to be found.
The Rat is a character that really grabs the reader. He's forever trying too hard to win his daughter over. The author takes the great path of not making him compromise himself at any point in his efforts to ingratiate himself into his daughter's affections. He's an immensely flawed man but one with a huge heart and perhaps too sensitive to the world.
Beige is a fast read. You find yourself whipping through the pages to the most satisfying conclusion. It is a conclusion that rejects the need to tie everything up in a cliche ridden, predictable, pretty package. Instead, this coming of age story, which details Katy's personal growth, settles on a complete realistic and satisfying conclusion.
A fantastic start to a (hopefully) long Castellucci reading journey!
davidscrimshaw's review against another edition
4.0
I read this because the author wrote a sci-fi novel I enjoyed.
This is not sci-fi. It's about a girl from Montreal who gets sent to Los Angeles to stay with her punk rock dad for a while. She doesn't fit in and she hates it.
It was sort of predictable, but I enjoyed the trip. I'd actually like to know what happened in the next part of Katy's life.
This is not sci-fi. It's about a girl from Montreal who gets sent to Los Angeles to stay with her punk rock dad for a while. She doesn't fit in and she hates it.
It was sort of predictable, but I enjoyed the trip. I'd actually like to know what happened in the next part of Katy's life.
rovertoak's review against another edition
4.0
Katy's mom sends her to live with her father, The Rat, for a summer out in L.A. Rat was a drummer for a seminal punk band and during their touring years, met Katy's mom, resulting in, um, Katy. Anyway, this is her first real contact with her father and she's determined to hate every minute. Because she puts up this cold front and puts little of herself out there for others, the L.A. teens she meets label her "Beige" -- It's a good story of reconciliation, self-discovery, and tons of punk references. Castellucci is no poseur, and her writing is totally genuine throughout. This is for the punk-grrl counterparts to those metal guys who read Krovatin's Heavy Metal and You.
trieb's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't particularly like this book, but I recommended to at least two students who I believe will absolutely love it.
Beige/Katy doesn't know her father (punk musician The Rat) very well, but she does know that she doesn't want to live with him for two and a half weeks while her mother is working on an archeological dig. However, Katy is too nice and polite to complain.
Lake Suck (an aspiring musician who is bribed to be friends with Katy) and The Rat are far more interesting characters than Beige herself, but still somewhat unlikeable. In the end, I liked the way Beige developed, but I would have liked a little more interesting and funky Beige and a little less blah/bland/beige Beige.
This is a good book for a teen -- or mature pre-teen, but somewhat boring to an adult (even one who likes YA).
Beige/Katy doesn't know her father (punk musician The Rat) very well, but she does know that she doesn't want to live with him for two and a half weeks while her mother is working on an archeological dig. However, Katy is too nice and polite to complain.
Lake Suck (an aspiring musician who is bribed to be friends with Katy) and The Rat are far more interesting characters than Beige herself, but still somewhat unlikeable. In the end, I liked the way Beige developed, but I would have liked a little more interesting and funky Beige and a little less blah/bland/beige Beige.
This is a good book for a teen -- or mature pre-teen, but somewhat boring to an adult (even one who likes YA).
More...