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A review by debi_g
Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker
4.0
PRO
pop culture references GALORE, and I caught every allusion!
CON
the setting is 12 years ago, which, for the YA crowd, might seem like historical fiction
PRO
questioning: authority, morality, religion, parental pasts, self-hood, sexuality, friendships, existence...
CON
the resulting narrative can feel scattered and a bit tough to track at times...just like the moods of a teen (so maybe it's intentional?)
PRO
Skewers the sameness of suburban strip malls, the hypocrisy of teens assumed to be righteous, and the closed minds of certain educators
CON
The POV benefits from hindsight.
PRO
I read it in two sittings.
CON
It's over. I very much enjoyed the company of the characters. Black Daria! Be still, my heart.
Lines that resonate:
"Isn't it weird what gets trapped in your head like a splinter?" (30).
"It's weird that something that other people celebrate, find comfort in, can make me so traumatized and fearful" (54).
"Sometimes, in our white oasis, it's hard to tell what year it is, exactly how far America has come or not come" (116).
"Congratulations. One day this will all just be an anecdote" (272, and the acknowledgements).
"It gets better, but then it doesn't, and then it does again. That's the thing about living...it's actually not so bad. Anyway, you'll see" (317)
pop culture references GALORE, and I caught every allusion!
CON
the setting is 12 years ago, which, for the YA crowd, might seem like historical fiction
PRO
questioning: authority, morality, religion, parental pasts, self-hood, sexuality, friendships, existence...
CON
the resulting narrative can feel scattered and a bit tough to track at times...just like the moods of a teen (so maybe it's intentional?)
PRO
Skewers the sameness of suburban strip malls, the hypocrisy of teens assumed to be righteous, and the closed minds of certain educators
CON
The POV benefits from hindsight.
PRO
I read it in two sittings.
CON
It's over. I very much enjoyed the company of the characters. Black Daria! Be still, my heart.
Lines that resonate:
"Isn't it weird what gets trapped in your head like a splinter?" (30).
"It's weird that something that other people celebrate, find comfort in, can make me so traumatized and fearful" (54).
"Sometimes, in our white oasis, it's hard to tell what year it is, exactly how far America has come or not come" (116).
"Congratulations. One day this will all just be an anecdote" (272, and the acknowledgements).
"It gets better, but then it doesn't, and then it does again. That's the thing about living...it's actually not so bad. Anyway, you'll see" (317)