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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
4/ Compulsively readable, it brought me back to high school in so many odd ways. Lee's voice is so strong; I understand why people don't like the character, much like you wouldn't like most teenagers, but Sittenfeld writes her to perfection. I liked the structure of the novel and how it unfolded, propelled by Lee's angst and unsureness and juxtaposed with what she perceives as her all-together and better off classmates. She often moves in and out of events not learning the obvious lesson or takeaway, and isn't that true to youth-- the lessons don't come in the moments that forge us, but in later reflection. Coming of age ain't easy.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This remains one of my favorite books of all time, 16 years after I read it for the first time. I've read it several times since and, even in my thirties, the trials and tribulations of private high school feel as real to me as ever.
Man, I did not want to finish this book. In some ways, I still wish I hadn't spend as much time as I did with this book and feel ambivalent about it overall. Did I like it? It’s genuinely hard to say. Sittenfeld did a commendable job at portraying the inner world of a quiet, awkward, angsty teen who feels like an alien in a world she can’t quite find her place in. I agree with many of the reviews that Lee is for the most part unlikable and infuriating (does she care about literally anything else other than what people think of her and Cross?), but I left thinking that perhaps that was the point? Arn't we all frustrated by our teenage selves looking back? Her self loathing and self consciousness are painful to sit with and there’s not much of a sense of compassion from her future-self as narrator. I would have liked to know a bit more about what happened to her after Ault, some culmination of all that reflection and self analysis. Oh well - between this and Sweetbitter, I think I’ve had my fill of adolescent / young adult angst for a while. Back to my dystopian hell-scapes!
(3.5 stars) A great, achingly real story about a Midwestern girl at an elite boarding school. I felt like it could've been edited down as it gets a little repetitive. Overall, I quite enjoyed it.
I read this when it first came out, and recalled kinda liking it. Just re-read it, and I found it quite entertaining. And you know, I was surprised by the overall low rating, and reading some of the one star reviews I found myself not agreeing with them at all. This is rare for me, even if I like a book I can usually understand why someone else didn't. I mean I could find fault with it if I tried hard enough, but overall, it's about a teenage girl who is stupid sometimes. I was a teenager once, I remember how stupid and horrible teenagers are, present company included. Didn't bother me that she didn't "learn her lesson" or whatever the complaints are. I kinda liked it again.
Barely finishable: devoid of sympathetic characters, a semblance of plot, or compelling setting, the author failed to make me give a damn about anything in this book.
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
needed something engrossing so i thought i would reread this.
And it's just as good as the first time I read it. Though I'm much more reflective on why this resonate so much with me. Sittenfeld really hits upon teenage girl neuroses in such a true way. I loved it even though it made me so uncomfortable. I miss this kind of writing from her.
And it's just as good as the first time I read it. Though I'm much more reflective on why this resonate so much with me. Sittenfeld really hits upon teenage girl neuroses in such a true way. I loved it even though it made me so uncomfortable. I miss this kind of writing from her.
I did not like this book much at all, I'm afraid. I don't think I needed to be reminded with such detail how weird and terrible it is to be an anxious teen, and while I can usually sympathize with unlikable narrators, Lee frustrated me more than most. It was a slog and I'm glad I'm done.