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A review by hortongr
Anna K by Jenny Lee
2.0
This book was my first book from Book of the Month Club and I was beyond excited when it came in the mail. I chose this book specifically because the two books I had read just before it were both extremely dense, difficult, and emotionally draining. I thought this sounded like it would be a nice change of pace and a break from the sadness. I was half right ‘:)
This book was definitely an easier read than my last two books. It seemed to be written at a lower level more palatable for readers of all ages, especially as the characters were in high school (I assume that was the target audience).
It’s content (for the most part lol) was also much lighter. I appreciated the diversity in race and sexual orientation included in the characters of this book. It’s something I feel we always need more of in literature. I also like the way it portrayed sex, as an idea, from a number of perspectives, all in an equally positive light. The ideas of having sex with a partner right away or waiting until the right moment were both presented as choices of equal value and validity which I appreciated bc if this book really is aimed at young people alleviating some of the stigma around being sexually active or not is important. I appreciated the emphasis on individual choice.
I was wrong, however, in assuming this book would not be emotionally draining. A gut-wrenching, almost horrifically dark twist came at the very end that I was not at all prepared for. My roommate was in the room with me when I got to that point and I’m pretty sure I gasped loudly and then nearly shouted “What the F***?!”. It was crazy.
All in all, I think I made a good first BoTM pick. Even though it wasn’t necessarily my favorite book ever and I wouldn’t be inclined to reread it, I found it super funny (audibly laughing at a number of scenes) and felt good enough about it to recommend it to a friend (with a number of content warnings, that is).
“Every happy teenage girl is the same, while every unhappy teenage girl is miserable in her own special way.”
This book was definitely an easier read than my last two books. It seemed to be written at a lower level more palatable for readers of all ages, especially as the characters were in high school (I assume that was the target audience).
It’s content (for the most part lol) was also much lighter. I appreciated the diversity in race and sexual orientation included in the characters of this book. It’s something I feel we always need more of in literature. I also like the way it portrayed sex, as an idea, from a number of perspectives, all in an equally positive light. The ideas of having sex with a partner right away or waiting until the right moment were both presented as choices of equal value and validity which I appreciated bc if this book really is aimed at young people alleviating some of the stigma around being sexually active or not is important. I appreciated the emphasis on individual choice.
I was wrong, however, in assuming this book would not be emotionally draining. A gut-wrenching, almost horrifically dark twist came at the very end that I was not at all prepared for. My roommate was in the room with me when I got to that point and I’m pretty sure I gasped loudly and then nearly shouted “What the F***?!”. It was crazy.
All in all, I think I made a good first BoTM pick. Even though it wasn’t necessarily my favorite book ever and I wouldn’t be inclined to reread it, I found it super funny (audibly laughing at a number of scenes) and felt good enough about it to recommend it to a friend (with a number of content warnings, that is).
“Every happy teenage girl is the same, while every unhappy teenage girl is miserable in her own special way.”