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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
4.5
Going into this, I was aware that this book was going to be about grief. But that was about it. The book jacket doesn't really give much more information than that. But thematically, this book is so strong in current teenage struggles in a phenomenally realistic way.
The teens in this novel are dealing with: the impact of the economic downturn and the insecurity that now pervades their lives and the lives of all who live in their town as a result, recreational drug use, drug addiction, drug overdose, reckless behavior and boundary testing, small-town expectations of success and the overwhelming pressure that can result, major life transitions as they move on to college, sexual agency/sexual promiscuity, new friends/old friends, unplanned pregnancy, adoption ... the list just continues to go on.
While it seems like a lot, the story is woven in such a way that it truly is realistic. I could see this playing out with some of the Teens that I work with at the library. I could see this playing out with people that I went to high school with 15-20 years ago. And I think it's positive to put a story like this in the hands of teens (who are ready for a story like this) because life doesn't play out dealing with only one issue at a time ... it's never just one thing, situations are always compound, and things are happening to you while other things are happening to those that you care about.
There is one thing that I do take major issue with ... and that's the decision to have Scarlett not disclose her situation to anyone but her roommate. She doesn't tell her friends, her family, or the boys whom she's been involved with. She goes in the opposite direction and attempts to actively hide the situation from everyone - from having her insurance forms sent to her school in Maine instead of her home in Colorado (and being a dependent, even of age, I am not certain how that would actually all play out) to purchasing body shaping undergarments for when she goes home for Winter break. I feel like the decision to wholly not disclose to any and everyone cheapens her experience and shows that she's so ashamed of her choices that she actively refuses to allow anyone to help or even comfort her. I feel this is a huge misstep for the author for a couple of reasons: 1. it is not congruent with the relationships that the author builds for Scarlet and her family throughout the story and 2. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH SITUATIONS LIKE THIS ALONE WHETHER THEY FEEL SHAME OR DISAPPOINTMENT OR GUILT OR GRIEF! And I think sending that message, that she's so unwilling to have ANY sort of help-seeking behavior (even from those she does disclose to - her roommate, one teacher - she begrudingly accepts help only because they begin to do things FOR HER instead of accepting the help they continuously offer).
Going into this, I was aware that this book was going to be about grief. But that was about it. The book jacket doesn't really give much more information than that. But thematically, this book is so strong in current teenage struggles in a phenomenally realistic way.
The teens in this novel are dealing with: the impact of the economic downturn and the insecurity that now pervades their lives and the lives of all who live in their town as a result, recreational drug use, drug addiction, drug overdose, reckless behavior and boundary testing, small-town expectations of success and the overwhelming pressure that can result, major life transitions as they move on to college, sexual agency/sexual promiscuity, new friends/old friends, unplanned pregnancy, adoption ... the list just continues to go on.
While it seems like a lot, the story is woven in such a way that it truly is realistic. I could see this playing out with some of the Teens that I work with at the library. I could see this playing out with people that I went to high school with 15-20 years ago. And I think it's positive to put a story like this in the hands of teens (who are ready for a story like this) because life doesn't play out dealing with only one issue at a time ... it's never just one thing, situations are always compound, and things are happening to you while other things are happening to those that you care about.
There is one thing that I do take major issue with ... and that's the decision to have Scarlett not disclose her situation to anyone but her roommate. She doesn't tell her friends, her family, or the boys whom she's been involved with. She goes in the opposite direction and attempts to actively hide the situation from everyone - from having her insurance forms sent to her school in Maine instead of her home in Colorado (and being a dependent, even of age, I am not certain how that would actually all play out) to purchasing body shaping undergarments for when she goes home for Winter break. I feel like the decision to wholly not disclose to any and everyone cheapens her experience and shows that she's so ashamed of her choices that she actively refuses to allow anyone to help or even comfort her. I feel this is a huge misstep for the author for a couple of reasons: 1. it is not congruent with the relationships that the author builds for Scarlet and her family throughout the story and 2. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH SITUATIONS LIKE THIS ALONE WHETHER THEY FEEL SHAME OR DISAPPOINTMENT OR GUILT OR GRIEF! And I think sending that message, that she's so unwilling to have ANY sort of help-seeking behavior (even from those she does disclose to - her roommate, one teacher - she begrudingly accepts help only because they begin to do things FOR HER instead of accepting the help they continuously offer).
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars
So this wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but there were some parts that really resonated with me.
So this wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but there were some parts that really resonated with me.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.5 stars. The positives are that this book dealt with the rough transition to college and how a woman's identity is crafted and questioned by her own decisions + other people's perceptions rather tastefully. The negatives were that this novel was really character-driven and the characters, other than her amazing roommate, were all pretty flat. Overall, a big old "meh" on this coming-of-age tale.
Hmmmm.........
So, this was not what I was expecting. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
My favorite part was the format. (That sounds kind of strange but stick with me.)
It's told in short chapters, jumping around in time. It was interesting and well made and enjoyable, but if you like your books in chronological order than be warned.
Also, this book is not your typical ya romance. In fact, it's not a romance at all. Not really. So if you're reading it for that, you might want to pick something else up.
However, this book was still quite good. When I got to the "twist" around the middle of the book, I was pretty wary, because I usually don't like books about that subject, but I thought it was handled pretty well.
In the end though, that is what brought the score down. This book has a case of false advertising, and it turned out to be not what I was looking for at the time. Combined with a topic I don't really like to read about, I couldn't give it a very high score. But, objectively, I can see that the book's pretty damn good.
So, this was not what I was expecting. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
My favorite part was the format. (That sounds kind of strange but stick with me.)
It's told in short chapters, jumping around in time. It was interesting and well made and enjoyable, but if you like your books in chronological order than be warned.
Also, this book is not your typical ya romance. In fact, it's not a romance at all. Not really. So if you're reading it for that, you might want to pick something else up.
However, this book was still quite good. When I got to the "twist" around the middle of the book, I was pretty wary, because I usually don't like books about that subject, but I thought it was handled pretty well.
In the end though, that is what brought the score down. This book has a case of false advertising, and it turned out to be not what I was looking for at the time. Combined with a topic I don't really like to read about, I couldn't give it a very high score. But, objectively, I can see that the book's pretty damn good.