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heather01602to60660 's review for:
If You Come Softly
by Jacqueline Woodson
This book was recommended by Justine Larbalestier who wrote "Liar" in her recommendations for books "like" Liar. Um, I don't know what planet anyone who saw any similarities between these two books is from, beyond both being set in NYC. Seriously, that's all I can come up with, other than the race of one of the characters.
If You Come Softly is the most trite, simplistic love story about the love between a Jewish girl and a black boy - that perfect star crossed love that they both feel the moment they literally bump into each other up through the tragic death of one of them (no real spoiler here, that's all revealed within the first three pages).
There were so many places this story could have been a deep and challenging look at relationships - from relationships with parents to racial complexities to dealing with reactions to their relationship. But everything - until the untimely demise of one party, of course - was so ridiculously perfect. Both mentioned not liking the negative reactions of some to their relationship, but they never actually dealt with any outright hostility and they were able to know it was a perfect love able to sustain all those slings and arrows.
The ending - though it was obviously coming from the start - was so abrupt and again, perfectly tragically set up for biggest dramatic impact, just made me laugh.
I admit I'm well above the target age for this book, but the thing about good YA works is that doesn't matter. This did not fall into that category.
If You Come Softly is the most trite, simplistic love story about the love between a Jewish girl and a black boy - that perfect star crossed love that they both feel the moment they literally bump into each other up through the tragic death of one of them (no real spoiler here, that's all revealed within the first three pages).
There were so many places this story could have been a deep and challenging look at relationships - from relationships with parents to racial complexities to dealing with reactions to their relationship. But everything - until the untimely demise of one party, of course - was so ridiculously perfect. Both mentioned not liking the negative reactions of some to their relationship, but they never actually dealt with any outright hostility and they were able to know it was a perfect love able to sustain all those slings and arrows.
The ending - though it was obviously coming from the start - was so abrupt and again, perfectly tragically set up for biggest dramatic impact, just made me laugh.
I admit I'm well above the target age for this book, but the thing about good YA works is that doesn't matter. This did not fall into that category.