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rebeccalm's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the back and forth of this book and how two stories were told interchangeably. The author was great at character development and I felt like I really got to know each of them in a very intimate way. I thought Shannon's story took a little too long to develop, and parts of it became mundane towards the end - that's why I feel I wouldn't rate it higher than 3 stars. I did enjoy the premise and appreciate that the characters weren't perfect, they were very flawed and felt real. I always like when literary characters aren't overly simplified - life doesn't leave room for static people.
readhikerepeat's review against another edition
4.0
Review from The Book Wheel
Y by Marjorie Celona is another one of those books that was recommended to me by Rebecca at Love at First Book, who read it upon the recommendation of Jennifer at The Relentless Reader. I was looking forward to reading it until I read on the back of the book that fans of White Oleander would love it. You see, White Oleander is the only book I have put down after reading 1/3 of it in the past decade. Call me crazy, but I hated that book. I tried to watch the movie and only made it in to about the same point that I made it into the book. So, when I read that comparison, I hesitated. As the third book blogger to come into possession of this exact copy, however, I felt that I should at least give it a chance. And I must say, Rebecca was right. The book was fantastic.
It centers around a girl named Shannon who is left as a newborn at the YMCA and follows her throughout her childhood and teenage years. From foster care to adoption, Shannon struggles to belong and her story is, at times, heartbreaking. I’m not sure whether the author was adopted, but she does a fantastic job of getting into the mind of a young girl searching for who she is and where she came from.
For the full review, click here.
Y by Marjorie Celona is another one of those books that was recommended to me by Rebecca at Love at First Book, who read it upon the recommendation of Jennifer at The Relentless Reader. I was looking forward to reading it until I read on the back of the book that fans of White Oleander would love it. You see, White Oleander is the only book I have put down after reading 1/3 of it in the past decade. Call me crazy, but I hated that book. I tried to watch the movie and only made it in to about the same point that I made it into the book. So, when I read that comparison, I hesitated. As the third book blogger to come into possession of this exact copy, however, I felt that I should at least give it a chance. And I must say, Rebecca was right. The book was fantastic.
It centers around a girl named Shannon who is left as a newborn at the YMCA and follows her throughout her childhood and teenage years. From foster care to adoption, Shannon struggles to belong and her story is, at times, heartbreaking. I’m not sure whether the author was adopted, but she does a fantastic job of getting into the mind of a young girl searching for who she is and where she came from.
For the full review, click here.
bmcfee's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
elliemcc11's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting story of a girl's search for her identity after being abandoned on a doorstep as a baby.
I didn't really like the character of the girl - she seemed to be wasting her life - but maybe you weren't meant to like her, maybe that was the point of the story that her lack of identity left her troubled. In the end I don't know.
I didn't really like the character of the girl - she seemed to be wasting her life - but maybe you weren't meant to like her, maybe that was the point of the story that her lack of identity left her troubled. In the end I don't know.
lori_loves_reading's review against another edition
1.0
Not even half way thru and it is a slog. This is a book club pick so I will finish it but I don't like any of the characters so far and I'm so bored! Actually didn't mind the last 40 pages or so. All in all would not recommend it.
liadra's review against another edition
4.0
Initially I wasn't sure what to make of this book. Some of the narrative workings gave me pause - in particular, I felt drawn out every time the narrator made some comment about how withdrawn and fearful she was. I can't actually place why this made me stop every time I would read these bits - perhaps it was the undercurrent of what wasn't said, things that become clearer as the story goes along. As far as stories about abuse and not fitting in go, this one is was relatively mild, even with the undercurrents, but rather well handled. I found the treatment of the older Shannon was dealt with much better, even if the resolution in the end wasn't all sunshine and roses. I appreciated that much more than the happy ending, though.
sweetpeppah's review against another edition
4.0
brilliant! in both the sense of being cleverly crafted and also the sense of shiny and sharp. she puts a ton of emotion into very crisp descriptions of characters and events. it's written in an immediate and blunt first person. half of the narrative voice evolves as a foster child grows from toddler to school age to teen, and the other half is told in her voice ("my mother") but with the understanding and depth of a much older and experienced person. they weave together perfectly and build suspense as the mother hurtles towards her decision to abandon her child. I also love the details of the city of Victoria and Vancouver, BC and especially the town of Sooke(which is where we spent all our family vacations). loved it, both story and craft.
sjklass's review against another edition
4.0
"Y. That perfect letter. The wishbone, fork in the road, empty wineglass. The question we ask over and over. Why?" Why was she abandoned,as an hours old newborn, on the front steps of the Y-MCA? An unsentimental novel chronicling Shannon's life in foster care and as a teenager and her search for her birth parents, interspersed with chapters of Yula and Harrison's life leading up to the birth of the abandoned protagonist. Set in downtown Victoria, BC, I found myself looking up the locations on Google maps but it was the characters Miranda and Lydia Rose, Quinn and Vaughn that made the book come alive. Fantastic! Can't wait to read this gifted writer's next book! When Marjorie, when?
ruthie_the_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
Read this to review for Whichbook.net and I thoroughly enjoyed it. All about families, what makes us what we are, who we are and why. Shannon, the main character, is really well portrayed and I really liked all the other misfit characters throughout the book too. Easy to read, and I felt a little bereft as I came to the end.