"I'm on the toilet at the 9:30 Club, and I'm wondering how mermaids pee."
From the moment I opened this book to the moment I closed the back cover, I could not stop smiling. First of all, Molly Peskin-Suso is one of the most relatable main characters I have ever encountered, and I felt happy and sad and proud of her through every twist and turn of her journey. Albertalli perfectly captures the personality of a socially anxious girl who is afraid to do everything she believes being a teenager entails. Never before have I seen social anxiety written so well--Albertalli's experience as a psychologist definitely shines in her work.
The humor is quite endearing (though at some points a little overkill, but it fits the characters and the story), and I loved the pop culture references. Allusions always make a story feel so much more REAL.
I also adored the relationship that Molly has with her sister. It's heartwarming and so, so authentic. I was nearly reduced to tears when they eventually came to the conclusion that, yes, eventually all siblings grow apart and find new people to be their confidants. It's a depressing subject, but the real, raw emotion expressed in her simplistic writing style is beautiful and poignant.
The one aspect of this book that I didn't enjoy so much is its political side. I'm always a supporter of writers making political statements through their storytelling, but Albertalli went a bit overboard with this one. It was too much at once and she made her opinions far too obvious. The best way to make a good, thought-provoking statement in a novel is not to state it outright or drag it out of the characters' mouths, but rather to weave it seamlessly into the story. Show, not tell.
Other than that, though, this book was lovely. I highly recommend it to any contemporary YA reader who enjoys the work of John Green, David Levithan, and the like. Definitely a full five stars!
"Because that's the thing about change. It's so painfully normal. It's the most basic of all tragedies...and it's weird how I can know this, but it doesn't make it hurt less."
From the moment I opened this book to the moment I closed the back cover, I could not stop smiling. First of all, Molly Peskin-Suso is one of the most relatable main characters I have ever encountered, and I felt happy and sad and proud of her through every twist and turn of her journey. Albertalli perfectly captures the personality of a socially anxious girl who is afraid to do everything she believes being a teenager entails. Never before have I seen social anxiety written so well--Albertalli's experience as a psychologist definitely shines in her work.
The humor is quite endearing (though at some points a little overkill, but it fits the characters and the story), and I loved the pop culture references. Allusions always make a story feel so much more REAL.
I also adored the relationship that Molly has with her sister. It's heartwarming and so, so authentic. I was nearly reduced to tears when they eventually came to the conclusion that, yes, eventually all siblings grow apart and find new people to be their confidants. It's a depressing subject, but the real, raw emotion expressed in her simplistic writing style is beautiful and poignant.
The one aspect of this book that I didn't enjoy so much is its political side. I'm always a supporter of writers making political statements through their storytelling, but Albertalli went a bit overboard with this one. It was too much at once and she made her opinions far too obvious. The best way to make a good, thought-provoking statement in a novel is not to state it outright or drag it out of the characters' mouths, but rather to weave it seamlessly into the story. Show, not tell.
Other than that, though, this book was lovely. I highly recommend it to any contemporary YA reader who enjoys the work of John Green, David Levithan, and the like. Definitely a full five stars!
"Because that's the thing about change. It's so painfully normal. It's the most basic of all tragedies...and it's weird how I can know this, but it doesn't make it hurt less."
No comments:
Post a Comment