Remembering Raquel
by Vivian Vande Velde
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Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
The facts as we know them: Raquel Falcone was fourteen years old. She was the class "fat girl." She loved her father, and her father loved her. Her best friend was Hayley Evenski. She died when a car hit her as she was leaving the movie theater.
The things we don't know: Pretty much everything else.
Told in alternating chapters that are more like the thoughts and ideas of those who knew her (and those who really didn't), REMEMBERING RAQUEL...more
The facts as we know them: Raquel Falcone was fourteen years old. She was the class "fat girl." She loved her father, and her father loved her. Her best friend was Hayley Evenski. She died when a car hit her as she was leaving the movie theater.
The things we don't know: Pretty much everything else.
Told in alternating chapters that are more like the thoughts and ideas of those who knew her (and those who really didn't), REMEMBERING RAQUEL...more
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Read in April, 2008
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Read in April, 2008
Raquel is the kind of girl who is invisible to the rest of her classmates in school. When she is hit by a car and killed, suddenly everybody has an opinion about Raquel. Told from the perspectives of her best friend, her parents, classmates and the woman who was driving the car that hit her, each chapter offers a brief look about how Raquel was viewed when she was alive.
I was eager to read this book because Vivian Vande Velde is one of my favorite authors. The story is told in an interesting...more
I was eager to read this book because Vivian Vande Velde is one of my favorite authors. The story is told in an interesting...more
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Read in November, 2007
The story is told from multiple perspectives: her best friend, her father, the people with her when she stepped off the curb in front of the car, the woman that actually hit her, and various students from school.
No one, except her best friend, really knew much about Raquel. She was shy, a little overweight, and someone that tended to be invisible. She didn't have any true friends at school, but you wouldn't know that after her death. Kids who never had anything nice to say about her weight,...more
No one, except her best friend, really knew much about Raquel. She was shy, a little overweight, and someone that tended to be invisible. She didn't have any true friends at school, but you wouldn't know that after her death. Kids who never had anything nice to say about her weight,...more
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Read in February, 2008
I liked this book just fine, until, suddenly, it just ended. Just like that night. It was going along just fine . . . and then it was over. No resolution. No building up to something. Just over. Just like that. And I was left wondering what the hell I just read. And why had I bothered.
I mean, I guess maybe that was the author's point. That that feeling I was feeling was the same feeling the father was left with now that his daughter was dead. But still . . . This just didn't work for me.
I mean, I guess maybe that was the author's point. That that feeling I was feeling was the same feeling the father was left with now that his daughter was dead. But still . . . This just didn't work for me.
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recommends it for:
Marisa, Mandie, Becky, Jennifer, and Tamara (and Megan...soul-shattering!)
I must say that I was very surprised by this book. When I got it, I thought it would be a quick, thought-provoking read. It was much more than it. It strikes the question "How would I be remembered?" into your head, and you can't get it out! It actually inspired me to write a story, because I was so intrigued by the concept. Maybe other people won't be as interested as me in this, but it is definitely a good read any time. It almost brought me to tears in the last few pages. Those are ...more
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Read in December, 2007
"How would YOU be remembered?"...
The question on the back of the book would make an interesting discussion starter. This novel tells the story of Raquel from the POV of many of people whose lives were touched by hers. Raquel is one of those students "who have a tendency to be 'invisible.'" After her death, friends and acquaintances find themselves trying to make sense of a seemingly senseless accident. An interesting look at the way that lives are interconnected.
The question on the back of the book would make an interesting discussion starter. This novel tells the story of Raquel from the POV of many of people whose lives were touched by hers. Raquel is one of those students "who have a tendency to be 'invisible.'" After her death, friends and acquaintances find themselves trying to make sense of a seemingly senseless accident. An interesting look at the way that lives are interconnected.
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Read in April, 2008
Remembering Raquel is a very short YA novel that experiments with the points of view of people recalling their memories with a teenager, Raquel, who dies. It's interesting as you never quite know what the truth is - did she fall? did she jump? was she pushed? and you never quite know her either... While the book captures some of the angst and politics of being a teen, it falls short of expectations. Still, an interesting premise and storytelling technique.
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Read in March, 2008
Raquel Falcone is, or was practically invisible. That is, until she's hit by a car and killed while walking home from the a late night showing of an annimated film. Now that she is dead, it seems that everyone noticed her as we hear about Raquel from her classmates, her best friend, her family and the woman who was driving the car that struck her. What many could not do while she was alive, hits home and causes each one to pause, and consider.
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Read in May, 2008
The chapters in the book are made up of different people, mostly high-school classmates, reflecting on a fifteen-year-old who died when she was hit by a car. Overall the chapters gradually form not so much a picture of Raquel but a picture of the fears of all the other characters. Raquel only speaks for herself in her blog, which her real-life classmates never read. This is a bit heavy-handed, but thought provoking.
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Read in February, 2008
Raquel Falcone was hit by a car and killed. This book is a compilation of the thoughts of her teacher, schoolmates, family members and friends after her death. Raquel wasn’t popular or well liked, but through the eyes of her peers, the reader sees that she actually had a lot to offer. Teens reading this short novel might be motivated to be a little bit kinder to someone they know who doesn’t fit the mold.
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
all teens, especially those dealing with loss
This was an original premise, and cleverly done. The only similar story I can think of is After the Death of Anna Gonzales by Terri Fields. In spite of the topic I did not find Remembering Raquel depressing or melodramatic. A wide variety of characters had their say, and I found all the reactions realistic and compelling. A good, solid, beef and barley sort of book.
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
Reluctant teen readers
After shy ninth-grader Raquel is hit by a car and killed, her classmates and teachers mourn the loss of a girl they never bothered to get to know. Each chapter is told from a different person's point of view. The idea isn't exactly original, but it was a good, quick read, and I really think that middle school and reluctant high school readers would do well with it.
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recommends it for:
death, point of view, high school
Raquel is hit by a car and killed while walking home from the movies. No one knows for sure if it was an accident, a suicide, or how exactly it happened. Each chapter focuses on how a friend, family member or classmate responds to Raquel's death.
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Read in May, 2008
Every part of this book felt so true. The style of the book was really interesting, and never felt gimmicky to me. The people telling stories were as honest about themselves as people ever are, and Ms Velde masters all the different voices. More questions are raised than answered, but that just felt true, not unsatisfying.
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This book, told in the aftermath of a 14-year-old girl's death through the voices of the many people who knew or were acquainted with her, is a very quick and engaging read. I like seeing inside the heads of people and enjoy the connections between them. It reminds me of a modern-day Spoon River Anthology.
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Read in February, 2008
This was a decent quick read and yes, I read YA and kids books still even though I'm almost 30 - leave me alone. I liked the story in this book even if it was a bit morbid. I would recommend it to the age groups it is recommended for and anyone who likes YA books that have an actual point beyond first love.
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Read in May, 2008
It was recommended that we recommend this to 'teens' but I didn't find anything special or compelling in this. It seemed like itd be an effective concept to have little chapters of various peoples perspective on the deceased Raquel. But I found it to be boring. Oh well.
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this book is about a girl who is ignored by everyone untill the one fateful day that she dies. A heartfelt book, Vivian Velde has made the book in a way that the average reader can feel the lose, and understand the pain. An awakening book.
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
Teens and Tweens, 12 and up
Remembering Raquel is a funny, touching, imaginative, and quick read. It is also a mystery a la the movie Rashoman has everyone is trying to figure out if Raquel's death was an accident, a murder, or suicide. Best YA book I read this year.
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