The title says it all, really. When I first read Wendy's blog post on This One Summer, I was actually pretty excited to read it. Maybe it's just because Wendy is a poet, and she wrote so convincingly about the time "before womanhood upset and beset" and all that. It sounded beautiful. It turned out to be boring. Maybe I didn't appreciate it because I was never a girl on the cusp of puberty. Or maybe it was the almost entire absence of any real plot. Or the fact that the girl (I've already forgotten her name - that memorable) spent her summer in love with the biggest loser working at the video store. Barb agreed with that point last night - surely this girl could find a better object for her affections. In any case, a few nice pictures aside, this would be a big "skip" for me.
I read We Were Liars prior to the start of Smackdown, and while it definitely wasn't my favorite read, it did keep me coming back. The mystery surrounding the island and the pack of snobbish, self-destructive people that inhabit it, make for interesting reading. I wouldn't say that this book is anything revelatory. In fact, it's really just so-so in my mind. But it's not hard to be better than This One Summer, so We Were Liars has my vote to move forward.
PS - How did so many people actually enjoy Belzhar?
Ohhhhhhh-- thems fightin words Mr. McBean. To tell the truth, I have no courage of my convictions-- I have been embarrassed by that choice ever since. I even browbeat Nancy into following my absurd lead. Who knew that the book I so frivolously axed was that of the "Queen of kids' lit"??? --except everyone else. I'm just get so booooored with kids' literature.
ReplyDeleteSo McBean-- I refuse to throw my gauntlet after your gauntlet. (also am so delighted by your interpretation of my overblown prose as poetry I will forgive you anything!)