Scan barcode
A review by xylem
Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert
3.0
Depressing and heavy, Ballads of Suburbia details Kara's life as she swoops into the spiral of high school life - home problems, drinking, drugs and bad boys. After her best friend Stacy left and moved, Kara's been lonely in her new high school life..until she meets Maya. Maya and Kara's friendship deepens as they enter Oak Park - the hangout for everyone after school; yet Oak Park brings on a new plethora of groups - the skater boys, the punk-rockers and the groups that Kara hangs out with. Acquainted with people like bad-boy Adrian, seemingly sweet Christian, and cool-headed Cass, Kara's new life of friendships begins. But in a small town suburb of high school kids, lives spiral out of control. With each moment, Ballads of Suburbia slowly dissects the life of each character - fleshing them out and revealing their inner struggles. An agonizing, difficult read, Ballads of Suburbia is a harsh depiction of what some teens struggle through under the high-partying facade.
Using a unique storytelling method, Ballads of Suburbia starts with Kara's entry, with ballad references on each chapters. All the characters have their own entry, their own moment to tell the truths behinds their lives - all in the title of a ballad. The individual chapters allow readers to grasp an understanding and backstory to each character without seeming exhausting and repetitive; plus plot lines are often broken up to allow for another character to explain the resulting conclusion. Each ballad offers a glimpse into other characters which speaks volumes on their actions.
Yet, Ballads of Suburbia is simply too dark and too depressing to go on. Each character has an awful side, a looming past, a terrible secret etc; and still all the characters seem to struggle against something that they can't win against. Some points there seem to be no conclusion for characters that have struggled so hard, and there seems to be no hope. Despite the fact that Ballads of Suburbia should be commended for its truthfulness with teenage drug use - the events depicted add an increased dose of drama, and a futile sense of unhappiness.
Ballads of Suburbia will break a reader's heart yes, for its stark bare-naked truths, but it doesn't seem to use another emotional tactics to win over the reader. It's just too depressing actually, which is the point of the novel - but still almost EVERY character struggles and the struggles are left unfinished.
Yet with pop culture references to bands, music, ballads, Ballads of Suburbia shines for being true to the teen scene. Addiction, overdose, and even death is common in reality, and so Ballads of Suburbia depicts this. Kuehnert's words are clear and able to show the depth of suffering and sorrow in teenage hearts, and do add the aura of gloominess.
Perhaps this just wasn't the book for me, but it's a powerful novel that doesn't shy away from things nobody wants to hear.
Using a unique storytelling method, Ballads of Suburbia starts with Kara's entry, with ballad references on each chapters. All the characters have their own entry, their own moment to tell the truths behinds their lives - all in the title of a ballad. The individual chapters allow readers to grasp an understanding and backstory to each character without seeming exhausting and repetitive; plus plot lines are often broken up to allow for another character to explain the resulting conclusion. Each ballad offers a glimpse into other characters which speaks volumes on their actions.
Yet, Ballads of Suburbia is simply too dark and too depressing to go on. Each character has an awful side, a looming past, a terrible secret etc; and still all the characters seem to struggle against something that they can't win against. Some points there seem to be no conclusion for characters that have struggled so hard, and there seems to be no hope. Despite the fact that Ballads of Suburbia should be commended for its truthfulness with teenage drug use - the events depicted add an increased dose of drama, and a futile sense of unhappiness.
Ballads of Suburbia will break a reader's heart yes, for its stark bare-naked truths, but it doesn't seem to use another emotional tactics to win over the reader. It's just too depressing actually, which is the point of the novel - but still almost EVERY character struggles and the struggles are left unfinished.
Yet with pop culture references to bands, music, ballads, Ballads of Suburbia shines for being true to the teen scene. Addiction, overdose, and even death is common in reality, and so Ballads of Suburbia depicts this. Kuehnert's words are clear and able to show the depth of suffering and sorrow in teenage hearts, and do add the aura of gloominess.
Perhaps this just wasn't the book for me, but it's a powerful novel that doesn't shy away from things nobody wants to hear.