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A review by laurenl5876
Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman
2.0
WHO'S READY FOR ANOTHER UNPOPULAR OPINION? I SURE AM!
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I am really surprised by how high the rating is on this book, because it seemed to integrate every trope it could in the plot, and I don't think I am saying that in a positive way to be honest. This book was filled with bad parents, stereotypical mean girls, and the misunderstood sibling. It had it all. Before I rant about this topic for ages, I'll get into the actual review, because that's what you are here for, not for me ranting about one topic. Maybe you are, I don't know.
Backlash begins with a fairly strong start. Our main character, Lara, is found in a bathtub with pill bottles around her. She had been talking to a boy named Christian on Facebook, and he led her on then told her that life would be better without her in it and that she's a loser. Yada yada yada. The story develops from there, and it really was fairly slow paced.
For one, I really hated most of the characters. They were all disgusting, to the point it really isn't even realistic, especially Bree's mom and Lara's mom. Both were so self-centered and didn't even seem to care that Lara almost KILLED herself. I really hate how in books and movies they think it adds to the plot to make the parents horrible people. Can I actually read about a parent who isn't a total jerk for once? That would be nice!
Syd also seemed to be very selfish, and I found her character completely unrealistic. Syd was happy that she got the bathroom to herself when her sister was in a hospital and in a very fragile state. All she thought about was how, " it's always Lara who gets attention!" If I was Syd, I would have been crying and worried sick for my sister. I wouldn't care if I had to miss auditions for a play because my sister matters a heck of a lot more. She was just a very whiny character, and I found that extrememly irritating.
Don't get me started on Bree. I can't say why I hate her, but lets just say she never feels any remorse for anything.![]()
I felt like no character went beyond one dimensional, they were more of an idea than an actual character that was supposed to jump out of the page. This made the plot suffer immensely. With bland characters, the pace of the plot was slow. It was lots of whining and not much really seemed to happen. I feel like the novel could have been explained in ten pages or so and I still would have got the same amount out of it. There wasn't enough, and it didn't do justice for the issue it was trying to get across.
I know this book has an important message, but it wasn't executed well enough. If you are going to write a book about suicide, try to understand depression or at least explain more about the character's past with it. I want more from this. I don't want a little measley explanation of why Lara is the way she is. It seems the author didn't have much of an understanding of depression, but maybe I'm just crazy. I just really don't feel like this was a realistic take on depression and suicide at all.
For this, I had to give this two stars because of suicide and depression not being handled properly.
I am really surprised by how high the rating is on this book, because it seemed to integrate every trope it could in the plot, and I don't think I am saying that in a positive way to be honest. This book was filled with bad parents, stereotypical mean girls, and the misunderstood sibling. It had it all. Before I rant about this topic for ages, I'll get into the actual review, because that's what you are here for, not for me ranting about one topic. Maybe you are, I don't know.
Backlash begins with a fairly strong start. Our main character, Lara, is found in a bathtub with pill bottles around her. She had been talking to a boy named Christian on Facebook, and he led her on then told her that life would be better without her in it and that she's a loser. Yada yada yada. The story develops from there, and it really was fairly slow paced.
For one, I really hated most of the characters. They were all disgusting, to the point it really isn't even realistic, especially Bree's mom and Lara's mom. Both were so self-centered and didn't even seem to care that Lara almost KILLED herself. I really hate how in books and movies they think it adds to the plot to make the parents horrible people. Can I actually read about a parent who isn't a total jerk for once? That would be nice!
Syd also seemed to be very selfish, and I found her character completely unrealistic. Syd was happy that she got the bathroom to herself when her sister was in a hospital and in a very fragile state. All she thought about was how, " it's always Lara who gets attention!" If I was Syd, I would have been crying and worried sick for my sister. I wouldn't care if I had to miss auditions for a play because my sister matters a heck of a lot more. She was just a very whiny character, and I found that extrememly irritating.
Don't get me started on Bree. I can't say why I hate her, but lets just say she never feels any remorse for anything.
I felt like no character went beyond one dimensional, they were more of an idea than an actual character that was supposed to jump out of the page. This made the plot suffer immensely. With bland characters, the pace of the plot was slow. It was lots of whining and not much really seemed to happen. I feel like the novel could have been explained in ten pages or so and I still would have got the same amount out of it. There wasn't enough, and it didn't do justice for the issue it was trying to get across.
I know this book has an important message, but it wasn't executed well enough. If you are going to write a book about suicide, try to understand depression or at least explain more about the character's past with it. I want more from this. I don't want a little measley explanation of why Lara is the way she is. It seems the author didn't have much of an understanding of depression, but maybe I'm just crazy. I just really don't feel like this was a realistic take on depression and suicide at all.
For this, I had to give this two stars because of suicide and depression not being handled properly.