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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
"Whatever decisions Mama weighed, whatever history she lost, never learned, or plan ignored, that morning she trained her eyes to the promise of the sun rising over the Pacific and gave me a glimpse of the potential that Holmes, via willful ignorance or a simple lack of psychotropic drugs, could never see to believe: how short the distance is between the haves and the have-nots, the cans and cannots, how where you're born is sometimes all that separates a sure thing from a long shot."
"Whatever decisions Mama weighed, whatever history she lost, never learned, or plan ignored, that morning she trained her eyes to the promise of the sun rising over the Pacific and gave me a glimpse of the potential that Holmes, via willful ignorance or a simple lack of psychotropic drugs, could never see to believe: how short the distance is between the haves and the have-nots, the cans and cannots, how where you're born is sometimes all that separates a sure thing from a long shot."
very sad, very innovative, very hopeful, and very sad.
Boy, oh boy. Such an interesting form to tell a pretty devastating story. The short-burst chapters were sometimes a bit disjointed. That said, it's beautifully crafted and extremely creative. Delivers lots of gut punches along the way.
Brilliant. This isn't an easy book to read but worth it. Sad and hopeful at the same time. Amazing testament to a girlchild's inner strength.
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book and I was pleasantly surprised. The prose is both gritty and ghostly. The language comes across as refreshingly feminine. Some might use the term to diminish or slur; I use it as high praise. At any rate, Hassman does weave a haunting human tale that's accessible and impactful for men and women alike. Translation: This is not women's lit (if that's, to controversy, even a thing), it's anyone lit.
In general, I was enthralled by the lyricism even as I was repelled by the events that unfolded throughout the story. Still, at times Hassman seemed drawn in by her own prose to the detriment of a particular scene or image. Then again, not everyone writes like this and other authors have gotten away with more. Maybe there's something to those choices that deserves a closer look.
In general, I was enthralled by the lyricism even as I was repelled by the events that unfolded throughout the story. Still, at times Hassman seemed drawn in by her own prose to the detriment of a particular scene or image. Then again, not everyone writes like this and other authors have gotten away with more. Maybe there's something to those choices that deserves a closer look.
The writing style was really unique and clearly takes a lot of skill, but it also made for a choppy reading experience. I don't know that the ending was as uplifting as the book makes it out to be, there's no indication that Rory is going to move on to have a significantly better life.
It's been a while since I've hated a book as much as I hate this one. First problem: there is no discernible plot. When I read fiction, I want a story line. I want to be able to tell others what the basic plot is when I review or recommend the book, and I can't do that with this one. This is just the life of a girl born in a nowhere town to a low-income family. The end. She's not trying to do anything in particular. No one new appears in her life. Nada. Even her obsession with the Girl Scouts, which is mentioned in the synopsis, is barely talked about at the beginning of the book, while later on it becomes an obnoxious obsession. Blech. I do not understand why this book won an award.
Also, a warning to rape/abuse survivors: the girl is raped by the hardware store owner. Multiple times. When I got to this part of the book, I actually had to put the book down and find other things to occupy my mind for a while until I was calm enough to sleep.
Also, a warning to rape/abuse survivors: the girl is raped by the hardware store owner. Multiple times. When I got to this part of the book, I actually had to put the book down and find other things to occupy my mind for a while until I was calm enough to sleep.