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sephlav 's review for:
White Oleander
by Janet Fitch
This is one of the best books I've ever read and one that I immediately recommend when asked. White Oleander is gorgeous prose that takes us through extremely heavy subjects in a dark and complex coming of age story. The series of events is absolutely insane in that it's hard to image these dark corners of the world, but they are described in such detail and ease that it is absolutely captivating. Every single time I read this book, it punches me in the stomach in a brand new way
Astrid is a great protagonist in that she's a regular girl with a hard life. She's not overly moralistic or driven in the cookie cutter way young female main characters can become. She's a morally complicated survivalist with very raw and real emotions, and it is interesting to see how they skew in relation to her experiences. The other characters, including her mother, her mother's boyfriend, and the people she meets through her foster houses are so vivid and unique that they really become fully formed characters regardless of how much of the book they take up. And the ending was not necessarily happy or wrapped everything up, it just brought the story to a close with Astrid's visit to her mom, her feelings towards her and relationships in general, and her adult life beginning. It fit well with the rest of the novel, and it left me feeling very unsettled (in the best way -in a way I want art to do).
What I love most about this book is that it kept me engaged and compelled, even through all the darkness, and the way that Fitch writes is brilliant because she doesn't say almost as much as she does say with her words. I give credit where credit is due, and Janet Fitch is an artist, this book a complete work of art.
Astrid is a great protagonist in that she's a regular girl with a hard life. She's not overly moralistic or driven in the cookie cutter way young female main characters can become. She's a morally complicated survivalist with very raw and real emotions, and it is interesting to see how they skew in relation to her experiences. The other characters, including her mother, her mother's boyfriend, and the people she meets through her foster houses are so vivid and unique that they really become fully formed characters regardless of how much of the book they take up. And the ending was not necessarily happy or wrapped everything up, it just brought the story to a close with Astrid's visit to her mom, her feelings towards her and relationships in general, and her adult life beginning. It fit well with the rest of the novel, and it left me feeling very unsettled (in the best way -in a way I want art to do).
What I love most about this book is that it kept me engaged and compelled, even through all the darkness, and the way that Fitch writes is brilliant because she doesn't say almost as much as she does say with her words. I give credit where credit is due, and Janet Fitch is an artist, this book a complete work of art.