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thatlibrarynerd 's review for:
The Way the Light Bends
by Cordelia Jensen
Perhaps the most fitting word to describe this book is fine. It's fine. There are things it does well; it shows how a struggling student may genuinely need additional support, not just condemnation. Too many books go for the easy way out and show that a character can absolutely get straight-A's if they just have a Good Attitude(tm)! So I applaud the depiction of a character whose mind genuinely works a little differently. Its inclusion of Seneca Village, a little-known historical place, was also nice, and Linc's ties to history highlighted her sense of disconnectedness from her present in a poignant way.
What really bugs me, though, is how easily the narrative forgives Linc's mom. Look: you can't show me someone belittling their child on a weekly basis for failing to meet the standards she herself set, and say, "Well, I've struggled." So what? Literally so what? This is someone who *adopted a child*--actively sought out the opportunity to be a parent. (And that felt... a little weird, in truth, but I'm not really qualified to speak on that subject.) The point is, she wanted to be a parent, and showed that she could be understanding... if her child was acceptable to her. You cannot show me a character who never has a single kind word to say to her own child, and throw in a Freudian excuse.
What really bugs me, though, is how easily the narrative forgives Linc's mom. Look: you can't show me someone belittling their child on a weekly basis for failing to meet the standards she herself set, and say, "Well, I've struggled." So what? Literally so what? This is someone who *adopted a child*--actively sought out the opportunity to be a parent. (And that felt... a little weird, in truth, but I'm not really qualified to speak on that subject.) The point is, she wanted to be a parent, and showed that she could be understanding... if her child was acceptable to her. You cannot show me a character who never has a single kind word to say to her own child, and throw in a Freudian excuse.