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gigiatthelibrary 's review for:
Noggin
by John Corey Whaley
3.5 stars if I could. I appreciate how painfully realistic Travis is; a lot of being a teenager is acting like an ass and knowing it but having trouble stopping. The author manages to create empathy in the reader for Travis without excusing his actions (harassment, invasion of privacy, etc.) and the people around him get appropriately upset and angry.
I do wish Kate's reactions to Travis were stronger and less apologetic and understanding. However, as Kate is 21 and Travis is 16, it certainly makes sense for her to be more forgiving; there is a reason that, as a society, we don't place the same burdens of responsibility on adolescents as on adults. Still, I think the narrative might have benefitted from concluding the Kate arc earlier so more focus could be given to the many other concerns plaguing Travis.
In the end, this novel is wonderful for its message of "it's okay to fuck up, but it's also okay for people to be pissed at you for it." I do wish it concluded the issue in a stronger manner, with less vagueness.
I do wish Kate's reactions to Travis were stronger and less apologetic and understanding. However, as Kate is 21 and Travis is 16, it certainly makes sense for her to be more forgiving; there is a reason that, as a society, we don't place the same burdens of responsibility on adolescents as on adults. Still, I think the narrative might have benefitted from concluding the Kate arc earlier so more focus could be given to the many other concerns plaguing Travis.
In the end, this novel is wonderful for its message of "it's okay to fuck up, but it's also okay for people to be pissed at you for it." I do wish it concluded the issue in a stronger manner, with less vagueness.