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4th out of 55 books
—
37 voters
Wasteland
by
Francesca Lia Block (Goodreads Author)
An exquisite novel about the consequences of who we choose to love.
Lex and his sister, Marina, are inseparable. The air they share has always been light and boundless, but suddenly it's weighted down. And now Lex is gone. When the one relationship that cradled her turns out to shatter her sense of self, Marina needs her friend West to help put the pieces back together. But...more
Lex and his sister, Marina, are inseparable. The air they share has always been light and boundless, but suddenly it's weighted down. And now Lex is gone. When the one relationship that cradled her turns out to shatter her sense of self, Marina needs her friend West to help put the pieces back together. But...more
Paperback, 160 pages
Published
October 12th 2004
by HarperCollins
(first published November 4th 2003)
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"We keep burning in the brown smog pit. The girls swarm in their black moth dresses. Their scalps are shaved like concentration camp ladies. Rats click my head. Everything broken.".
This is how Wasteland begins. This is why I love love Francesca so much. She uses words good.
When I'm particularly down, I can pick up any of FLB's books and feel light again. Sometimes, that makes me feel icky and not so sure of my mental well being, seeing that her stories usually involve some sort of abuse, wheth...more
This is how Wasteland begins. This is why I love love Francesca so much. She uses words good.
When I'm particularly down, I can pick up any of FLB's books and feel light again. Sometimes, that makes me feel icky and not so sure of my mental well being, seeing that her stories usually involve some sort of abuse, wheth...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
6 likes · like · see review
For such a small book, this took me a while to finish. Shifting perspectives between three different points of view, the book reads like a dizzy, drunken dream. Images pop out and then vanish, scenes happen with minimal connection to what came before. As Marina grapples with the loss that is driving her mad, the story comes into focus.
Like most of Block's writing, this is as much an exercise in style as it is in story. If you want a great story, this isn't really it. If you like stretching bound...more
Like most of Block's writing, this is as much an exercise in style as it is in story. If you want a great story, this isn't really it. If you like stretching bound...more
This book was so gorgeous that it broke my heart.
"You were just a boy on a bed in a room, like a kaleidoscope is a tube full of bits of broken glass. But the way I saw you was pieces refracting the light, shifting into an infinite universe of flowers and rainbows and insects and planets, magical dividing cells, pictures no one else knew ... Your whole life you can be told something is wrong and so you believe it."
-Wasteland
"You were just a boy on a bed in a room, like a kaleidoscope is a tube full of bits of broken glass. But the way I saw you was pieces refracting the light, shifting into an infinite universe of flowers and rainbows and insects and planets, magical dividing cells, pictures no one else knew ... Your whole life you can be told something is wrong and so you believe it."
-Wasteland
5 likes · like · see review
This is one of the most beautiful and hauntingly sad love stories I've ever read. I have read it over fifteen times and still, I get the urge to pick it up and read all over again every day. It tells the story of Lex and Marina, a brother and sister with a deep bond that is both beautiful and frightening. Early on the reader can see that the bond proves to be harder and harder for Lex to deal with. Marina's world is turned upside down when her brother commits suicide. The bulk of the story revol...more
Woodthrush calling through the fog...
For me, this book was a life-saver. I first read it as a teenager, and for some reason of all the Francesca Lia Block books I've read and loved, this one resonated most. It shows just how crossed the stars can get sometimes. These are the kind of stars that are sharp enough to hem you in and cut you to pieces.
Ultimately though Wasteland is a book about the light at the end of the tunnel, about putting yourself back together again. This is probably the most r...more
For me, this book was a life-saver. I first read it as a teenager, and for some reason of all the Francesca Lia Block books I've read and loved, this one resonated most. It shows just how crossed the stars can get sometimes. These are the kind of stars that are sharp enough to hem you in and cut you to pieces.
Ultimately though Wasteland is a book about the light at the end of the tunnel, about putting yourself back together again. This is probably the most r...more
Reviewed by Jessica for Book Sake.
After reading The Weetzie Bat Series and some of Block’s stand alone books, I jumped to buy this book when I came upon it. At only 160 pages it is a short and quick read, as are some of her other books, but the ending in this one felt rushed and fell short of my expectations. The ending was predictable and way too easy for me. However, the journey there is what makes this book special.
Block has a way of writing that is different from any other author I’ve read....more
After reading The Weetzie Bat Series and some of Block’s stand alone books, I jumped to buy this book when I came upon it. At only 160 pages it is a short and quick read, as are some of her other books, but the ending in this one felt rushed and fell short of my expectations. The ending was predictable and way too easy for me. However, the journey there is what makes this book special.
Block has a way of writing that is different from any other author I’ve read....more
This book was given to me to read by one of the youth I work with. She really liked the book and recommended it. It is a very quick read as it is short and, even at 150 some pages, the text on each page does not fill the full page. The writing style borders on poetic which can be hard to follow. I frequently was not exactly sure whose perspective we were following (who was talking) in each chapter. I did have to re-read sections because of this. But, it also had a mysterious and beautiful tone t...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Like most Francesca Lia Block books, I can see why people enjoy it and love it and want to get deep into it. And like most Francesca Lia Block books, this just goes straight over my head.
It's beautiful, yes, and it approaches incest in such a delicate way it could almost be seen as not being incest. Everything between Marina and Lex is unsaid. The only time incest is mentioned is when one girl constantly taunts the mourning Marina by saying 'incest is best.'
It's a very small book, my copy only 1...more
It's beautiful, yes, and it approaches incest in such a delicate way it could almost be seen as not being incest. Everything between Marina and Lex is unsaid. The only time incest is mentioned is when one girl constantly taunts the mourning Marina by saying 'incest is best.'
It's a very small book, my copy only 1...more
This is the story of what happens when a brother and sister are too close for societal standards, which of course then makes it not for everyone. Then again, well-written books and engaging stories are not for everyone. Block describes her characters with transcendent compassion and portrays the grief of a sixteen-year-old girl with certain realism, despite the overall dreaminess of the lyrical paragraphs. This is a haunting story, but so beautifully written I read it in an hour.
I loved this book. The subject matter is intense and a little icky; but definately worth checking out if you're not scared off by anything VC Andrews or FLB can put out there. This book will really toss you out of your comfort zone if you let it.
It's told in three shifting perspectives: Lex, his sister Mariana, and their mutual friend West. The time also moves around a bit, going from flashbacks to present day. It's a little confusing at first but I felt it gave the novel a lot of depth and let...more
It's told in three shifting perspectives: Lex, his sister Mariana, and their mutual friend West. The time also moves around a bit, going from flashbacks to present day. It's a little confusing at first but I felt it gave the novel a lot of depth and let...more
Short but sweet. I think I just loved everything about it. The writing is amazing, poetic, romantic. The story is good: told through three POVs. I think I hoped for things to turn out the way they did (which is super twisted) and it's interesting to see what the author did with the story. I'll have to read it again for a more detailed review. But yeah, I loved it.
1 like · like · see review
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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"When you were a baby I sat very still to hold you. I could see the veins through your skin like a map to inside you. I stopped breathing so you wouldn't."
OMG. This was the saddest, most beautiful and hauntingly heartbreaking love story. Full of poetic prose this was a compelling read that has left me feeling sad and empty (in a good way). Page 19 'YOU' was a total shock, but page 145 broke my heart. Secrets can be fatal. And in this story, their 'secrets' were just that. I could go on about thi...more
OMG. This was the saddest, most beautiful and hauntingly heartbreaking love story. Full of poetic prose this was a compelling read that has left me feeling sad and empty (in a good way). Page 19 'YOU' was a total shock, but page 145 broke my heart. Secrets can be fatal. And in this story, their 'secrets' were just that. I could go on about thi...more
Lex and Marina are in love, but their love is forbidden. Lex and Mariana are brother and sister, and know what they are doing is wrong, but can they deny their feelings for one another. This is the story of two siblings in an incestuous relationship. The older brother Lex is unable to cope with his actions and how they effect his sister Marina and commits suicide. Marina is left to confront her demons and attempt to make sense of her life. The author made an overzealous attempt to write a book w...more
Quick-to-read treat from Block.
I really liked the book. In the center of the story are siblings Marina and Lex and Marina's friend West. It's a story of forbidden love. The language is beautiful and poetic, and I can see if someone finds the book a bit confusing because of it, but I think it was easy enough and very pretty.
Story can be slightly hard to follow at times because it's not told in linear but I recommend just reading on, you'll catch it. I wanted to know more about Lex but because maj...more
I really liked the book. In the center of the story are siblings Marina and Lex and Marina's friend West. It's a story of forbidden love. The language is beautiful and poetic, and I can see if someone finds the book a bit confusing because of it, but I think it was easy enough and very pretty.
Story can be slightly hard to follow at times because it's not told in linear but I recommend just reading on, you'll catch it. I wanted to know more about Lex but because maj...more
As always Francesca Lia Block, you are entirely serviceable.
I love how you manage to make every single word on every single page sensually charged. In this case, of course, it's a bit dark (woo, incest!) but you manage to make it a thing..that..happens...and is hard and sad, and gets confused with familial love.
Of course you think your siblings are beautiful and fascinating! And then she captures the downward spiral of that fairly well, though...probably could have stood a little bit more FLB g...more
I love how you manage to make every single word on every single page sensually charged. In this case, of course, it's a bit dark (woo, incest!) but you manage to make it a thing..that..happens...and is hard and sad, and gets confused with familial love.
Of course you think your siblings are beautiful and fascinating! And then she captures the downward spiral of that fairly well, though...probably could have stood a little bit more FLB g...more
I can't begin to describe how much i adore this book. The language is so delicate and descriptive, i find it utterly absorbing. There's something really haunting in the combination of the controversial theme, (incest), and the way Francesca Lia Block writes. Which i find strangely childlike, yet so vivid and intricate. The sentances all weave into each other. Perfect. Parts of it just read like a song to me. The ending completely broke my heart too
'You were just a boy on a bed in a room, like a...more
'You were just a boy on a bed in a room, like a...more
When I first picked up this book from the library I thought that it would be somewhat like a trashy love story between a brother and sister. But after reading it, it changed into something not quite like anything I've ever read. Beautifully written with poetry that grips you, I actually had to read this book twice. Its a short story with a lot of impact but switches between characters and half way through the story I realized that there were 3 characters actions I needed to account for, not just...more
I've had this book on my shelf for ages. I feel like I may have started reading it a while back but was too confused to go on with it. I had no idea what it was about and it was hard for me to follow in the beginning, so I had given up on it years ago. Then yesterday I found it and decided to give it another go. I'm glad I did. It's actually written really well. And the topic is so controversal and taboo, I was hooked instantly. Once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. And the words...I don't...more
Hands down Block's best writing. Really love this at the level of reading from word to the next, one sentence to the next, one image to the next. Love the portrayal of complex emotions. Love that the edgy characters are more "real" than in some of Block's work. Love the blending of T.S. Eliot.
If I could take off a half star I would, though. 1/4 star b/c my current mood isn't allowing me to endorse pseudo-salacious content as the surface driver of a story. (Though. I think there's a different pri...more
If I could take off a half star I would, though. 1/4 star b/c my current mood isn't allowing me to endorse pseudo-salacious content as the surface driver of a story. (Though. I think there's a different pri...more
This book was recommended to me because the main character's name is Marina. At first I found the three different points of view difficult to navigate. However once I got used to which voice belonged to which point of view this device became less cumbersome. I was unsure how the love story between siblings would unfold but found that it was rendered with care and not for shock value. This was a very quick read at 150 fifty pages. Some of the chapters are just a paragraph. I found the writing sty...more
I love Francesca Lia Block's way with words - it flows more like poetry than prose, and it's absolutely beautiful. I love the way that she switches through three differeing perspectives throughout the story - not many writers do this, but I always appreciate getting to see the story from a variety of angles. It lends a little more depth to the story, to be able to see it as different characters see it, and it allows us to know those characters more intimately.
The story itself is heartbreaking, b...more
The story itself is heartbreaking, b...more
I picked this book up at a thrift store because I recognized the author's name. It was good, definitely, but it really seemed like it was trying very hard to be poetic. Sometimes the story was so bogged down with it that it was difficult to figure out where it was going. Whether or not that's a bad thing is up to the reader. There were also about three different tenses and perspectives and I'm not sure it benefited from that style. But, it was very short, almost poetry, and clearly alludes to T....more
Apr 27, 2010
Lea
added it
I really liked this book. It was told by at least three different people and at first was a bit difficult
to understand. At first everything seems ok and the lives of the teens in this book are going
well. But then the brother dies and to his sister he is everything. The book is the story of the girl trying to find out exactly what happened and why. And although she is constantly
put down she continues and in the end her search for what happened ends in a shocking surprise. I found this book fun an...more
to understand. At first everything seems ok and the lives of the teens in this book are going
well. But then the brother dies and to his sister he is everything. The book is the story of the girl trying to find out exactly what happened and why. And although she is constantly
put down she continues and in the end her search for what happened ends in a shocking surprise. I found this book fun an...more
It took me quite a while to finish this book because, honestly, I never wanted to pick it up.
The book is written in a beautiful and poetic manner, and for a lot of people, I'm sure that's what they enjoy about the book. But for me, it was like the author was trying way too hard to make every. little. thing sound poetic that she fell short on creating plot and character depth. I mean seriously, the only things I caught from the book were the poetic writing and a very vague sad story of incest. Se...more
The book is written in a beautiful and poetic manner, and for a lot of people, I'm sure that's what they enjoy about the book. But for me, it was like the author was trying way too hard to make every. little. thing sound poetic that she fell short on creating plot and character depth. I mean seriously, the only things I caught from the book were the poetic writing and a very vague sad story of incest. Se...more
Francesca Lia Block is well known for her cult book, Weetzie Bat. Wasteland is written with the same magic, but it’s far more grounded in reality.
Trigger warning: this book is about incest, but then, not really. It’s about a boy and a girl who’re in love with each other, a heartbreaking, tragic form of love. It’s deep and intense and dangerous to read. It’s sad and depressing. But it’s beautiful.
I admit, I have a soft spot for “forbidden romances” and this kind of fits the bill. Lex and his sist...more
Trigger warning: this book is about incest, but then, not really. It’s about a boy and a girl who’re in love with each other, a heartbreaking, tragic form of love. It’s deep and intense and dangerous to read. It’s sad and depressing. But it’s beautiful.
I admit, I have a soft spot for “forbidden romances” and this kind of fits the bill. Lex and his sist...more
This book definitely has its flaws, but the emotional response it elicits make it hard to give anything other than five stars. I've always liked Block's lyrical writing, but find with some of her other works that the disconnect from reality and lack of concrete plot leave me wanting a bit more. Wasteland is a bit different in this aspect and seems much more rooted.
I had to re-read this book after finishing it the first time. I love how it just unfolds and confuses and lets you piece together wh...more
I had to re-read this book after finishing it the first time. I love how it just unfolds and confuses and lets you piece together wh...more
"The garden was combing her hair and putting on her earrings. The house was full of dancing creatures, not male not female but both, two lovers in one body. The books downstairs were reciting their poetry to each other, rubbing together, whispering through the leather covers."- from Wasteland
I'm heads over heals in love with Francesca Lia Block's writing. She just has this way with words; her writing flows smoothly and poetically, and in such a way that the characters live both on the pages and...more
I'm heads over heals in love with Francesca Lia Block's writing. She just has this way with words; her writing flows smoothly and poetically, and in such a way that the characters live both on the pages and...more
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Francesca Lia Block was born in Los Angeles to a poet and a painter, their creativity an obvious influence on her writing. Another influence was her childhood love of Greek mythology and fairy tales.
She has lived in the city all her life, and still resides there with her daughter, Jasmine Angelina (about whom she wrote her book Guarding the Moon), her son Samuel Alexander, and her two dogs: a spr...more
More about Francesca Lia Block...
She has lived in the city all her life, and still resides there with her daughter, Jasmine Angelina (about whom she wrote her book Guarding the Moon), her son Samuel Alexander, and her two dogs: a spr...more
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“Nothing happened. And everything did. Your whole life you can be told something is wrong and so you believe it. Why should you question it? But then slowly seeds are planted inside of you, one by one, by a touch or a look or a day skateboarding in a park, and they start to burst out of old hulls shells and they start to sprout. And pretty soon there are so many of them. They are named Love and Trust and Kindness and Joy and Desire and Wonder and Spirit and Soulmate. They grow into a garden so dense and thick that it starts to invade your brain where the old things you were once told are dying. ”
—
109 people liked it
“You asked me who I thought I was before. I said maybe I was a fish because I love water and you said, you thought a mermaid, maybe.
If you were a mermaid, you said, if you were a mermaid, I was the sea.”
—
81 people liked it
More quotes…
If you were a mermaid, you said, if you were a mermaid, I was the sea.”
Jan 19, 2011 05:03pm
Jan 27, 2011 05:09pm