family

Apr 23, 2013 Pinkie Pie rated it 2 of 5 stars

It pains me to have to write this review because for so long I have pined after this book, and all I feel is let down. When I first heard that there was a YA novel about the Manson family murders, I was totally intrigues. I've read Helter Skelter many, many times, and I've watched countless documentaries on Manson himself, and his 'family.' I even have a favorite Manson girl:

These murders were vicious and brutal and scary. Really, really scary. The cult dynamics of the Manson family were intrig...more It pains me to have to write this review because for so long I have pined after this book, and all I feel is let down. When I first heard that there was a YA novel about the Manson family murders, I was totally intrigues. I've read Helter Skelter many, many times, and I've watched countless documentaries on Manson himself, and his 'family.' I even have a favorite Manson girl:

These murders were vicious and brutal and scary. Really, really scary. The cult dynamics of the Manson family were intriguing at best, and horrifying at their worst. I've always wondered what kind of person you'd have to be to be so brainwashed, so wrapped up in another person that you would commit heinous acts of violence and call it 'love.' This has eluded me ever since I heard of Charles Manson, and with FAMILY, I thought I could gain some insights. I was wrong.

When I found out that FAMILY was written in verse, I hesitated. And I'm glad I did. The only books written in verse that I've read are by Francesca Lia Block, but we all know that she is the name in that style, the best at what she does. So I guess either I've go really high standards, or I haven't read enough books like this to totally grasp the why of writing in verse. It seemed so... stupid. It literally took two pages to tell the reader how much Mel loved doing laundry. I am not making this shit up. And - this happened more than once - I would turn the page only to read something literally copied and pasted from a previous chapter. Also, the wording was so, so, so repetitive and freaking redundant. I skipped so many pages of "always, never, His message, Henry, no ego" OVER AND OVER again. Seriously? I freaking get it.

I couldn't really connect well with any of the characters either. Mel is just a husk of a person by the time the book starts, so I don't really think there is anything to connect or relate to. I mean, I don't even know what she or Henry (aka Charlie) look like. I never figured out exactly what Henry did to make Mel believe in him so much. I mean, I could guess a bunch of theories as to why Mel fell for it all, but none of them would be concrete correct, because it was never touched on in the book. One day Mel runs away from home, and the next day she is sleeping with Henry in his van doing acid. There was so much disconnect between me and Mel that I just couldn't accept that she wanted to be there.

The only character that I really liked - loved - was Shelly. She was Mel's closest confidant, best friend, sister in the compound. She felt wholly real to me, entirely fleshed out. A story (even told in verse) from Shelly's point of view would have been dynamic and entertaining and captivating. Shelly actually goes through some character arcs throughout the novel that really made me feel something for her, made me feel close to her. Mel never actually changes or even makes decisions during the novel, so it was hard to tell if she grew or not. But Shelly was fascinating, and broken, and just plain old crazy. I loved her.

There were a few passages that were well written towards the end. When the climax hit, that is, the murders, I was frantically turning the page. But fuck did it take long to actually describe what was happening. The murders only took place for like five minutes, but it took a grand total of 120 pages to describe them. And THERE IS NO DETAIL at all. All it is is Mel having a heart attack over what she's doing. There is no gore, no violence, no chaos. Nothing. Just Mel saying "no never always infinity Henry His message shaking drowning premise promise" for fucking 120 pages.

The ending was a total letdown for me. It really sealed the deal for me as far as NOT buying into Mel's brainwashing and devotion to Henry. It was dumb. The synopsis says that this novel is 'loosely' based on the Manson murders, but it follows the entire story to a fault. So I really, really didn't understand why Ostow chose this ending.

In all, this book could have been something special. It could have really shown the violence and the horror of the Manson family freak show. It could have given us a glimpse inside the head of a brainwashed victim of a cult. With a better ending, and NOT being written in freaking verse, this book could have been phenomenal, but instead it was a let down. (less)

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Jan 05, 2012 Miz Lizzie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: abuse, california, community, history, murder, realistic-fiction, poetry, young-adult

A novel in verse about the (fictionalized) Manson Family is not something I would choose for myself to read under any normal circumstances. The local mock Printz discussion has it on our list, however, so I forced myself into it. I am glad to have the experience finished with but the book was well-crafted. Though the idea of a true-crime novel in verse might seem a weird juxtaposition, the somewhat distancing effect that verse novels often have actually made it an easier, more palatable read. Me...more A novel in verse about the (fictionalized) Manson Family is not something I would choose for myself to read under any normal circumstances. The local mock Printz discussion has it on our list, however, so I forced myself into it. I am glad to have the experience finished with but the book was well-crafted. Though the idea of a true-crime novel in verse might seem a weird juxtaposition, the somewhat distancing effect that verse novels often have actually made it an easier, more palatable read. Mel is a broken soul who has been sexually abused by her "uncle" Jack since she was six. During the "Summer of Love" (1960s) she runs away to California where charismatic and psychotic Henry takes her under his wing and brings her into his "family" of other broken souls who blindly place all their trust, will, and love in Henry. The dirty underside of "free love" and "community" is revealed eventually even to Mel as Henry spirals out of control and sends his family out into the world to spread his "gospel" of murderous revenge. The story is told in first person from Mel's point of view. The verse format and the jumps back and forth in time illustrate her disjointed thought patterns. The text is entirely in lower-case except when referring directly to Henry (by name or pronoun), which very viscerally implies the godhood that Henry assumes for his family. There is some redemption to the ending but it is slight since it ends right at Mel's moment of truth. Whether Mel has what it takes to actually survive on her own (she has shown no indication of it up to now) is very much up for debate. Given the intended young adult audience, it would have been nice to have some sort of author's note about the 1960s and the Manson Family as I doubt many modern teens are going to recognize the historical references for what they are. I imagine the story stands on its own without that (if you like this kind of story to begin with) but I think it does itself and its readers an injustice not to put it in historical context.(less)

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Sep 02, 2011 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels-in-verse, ncbla

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Based loosely on the Manson family who committed brutal murders in 1969, this novel in verse uses vivid descriptive language to explain how one teen, Mel, joins the cult. Fleeing from an abusive stepfather, her "uncle" Jack, and a mother who looked the other way during the abuse, Mel heads for the streets seeking love, freedom, and acceptance. She happens to meet Henry, a charismatic man who fills her head with drugs and dreams, and takes her back to his compound. There are rules at the compound...more Based loosely on the Manson family who committed brutal murders in 1969, this novel in verse uses vivid descriptive language to explain how one teen, Mel, joins the cult. Fleeing from an abusive stepfather, her "uncle" Jack, and a mother who looked the other way during the abuse, Mel heads for the streets seeking love, freedom, and acceptance. She happens to meet Henry, a charismatic man who fills her head with drugs and dreams, and takes her back to his compound. There are rules at the compound, and Mel surrenders her driver's license and her will, beginnng her slow orbit around the sun that that Henry becomes for her. The author does a wonderful job of getting inside Mel's head as she describes how she finds comfort in the family that Henry has cobbled together. When family members must do degrading things such as begging or scavenging in the trash for food, she comforts herself by telling herself it's for the good of the family and at Henry's behest. Although she is drawn to one of the cult members, there are others who fill her with fear. Eventually, Henry's anger toward a man who promised him a recording contract rises, and some family members set out to wreak vengeance on the man. Here's where things went awry in my enjoyment of the book. Mel resists participating in the murders, even setting free one victim. While it's hard to understand how the victim could have managed to escape, given all the blood described in the book, it's even harder to understand how Mel could have summoned the courage or motivation to resist the commands of Henry. While the author provides passages that show her starting to question life on the compound, there is nothing to indicate that she would actually try to stop the brutality. The book left me with mixed feelings, stunned at some of the exquisite language, amazed at the author's ability to see into the heart of someone as broken as Mel, but ultimately disappointed by the ending. Still, this book certainly is worth reading and discussing, plumbing as it does the depths of loneliness of some and the predatory nature of others. It's certainly not for the faint-hearted. (less)

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Jul 24, 2011 Lee Anne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed-not-bought

What if the Manson Family murders had a (somewhat) happier ending?

As a reader of many, many books about Charles Manson and the family, I was VERY wary of this young adult novel, written in free verse, told from the point of view of a Linda Kasabian/Leslie Van Houten hybrid. Who wouldn't be; that description is chock-full of red flags. But the free verse style works well for both the time period and the self-involved romanticism of a teen girl, plus it makes for a quicker read. The liberties tak...more

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Jun 28, 2011 karen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: why-yes-i-ya

dear book, WHY ARE YOU POETRY??

yeah, this one is all on me. some wise customer had abandoned this book on one of my shelves at the store, and as i was walking it over the the resort cart, i read the flap, and i said to myself, "teen fiction about charles manson?? from a manson girl's perspective?? sign me up!!"

however.

it is not teen fiction about charles manson.
it is teen poetry about charles manson.

and even the most casual glance through the pages would have told me that. but i got ahead of mys...more

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Apr 30, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

The dust jacket says this was "loosely" based on the Manson family murders, but if you've read Helter Skelter or versed yourself in the grim tale of the murders, as I have, then you know this is nearly identical in detail to that frightening patch of sixties history.

In family, teenaged Mel runs away from her absuive family--the stepfather who rapes her and the disconnected mother who turns a blind eye--and straight into the arms of the charimsatic "Henry," who encourages Mel to join his famil...more The dust jacket says this was "loosely" based on the Manson family murders, but if you've read Helter Skelter or versed yourself in the grim tale of the murders, as I have, then you know this is nearly identical in detail to that frightening patch of sixties history.

In family, teenaged Mel runs away from her absuive family--the stepfather who rapes her and the disconnected mother who turns a blind eye--and straight into the arms of the charimsatic "Henry," who encourages Mel to join his family of hippies living on a ranch that used to be a Western movie set in Death Valley (exactly what the Manson family did.) Mel is swept into Henry's orbit; she is ripe for him--a broken, lost girl looking for love. And at first it's love she finds, communal caring. But the women aren't allowed to eat until the dogs do. The women sleep with all the men, and some of the women, if ordered. And everyone must turn over their IDs and money when they first enter the grounds. The signs are there, but Mel misses them, so obsessed is she with the man who promises to save her and be the father she never had. Father and lover, but so many boundaries begin to blur (and have already been blurred thanks to her stepfather) that Mel thinks little of the discrepancy in roles. She will do whatever Henry says, whenever he wants, and the reader knows from the beginning that Henry has ordered something dark and terrible. Mel says, "My hands are streaked with blood that is not my own. My hands are streaked with blood, and there is screaming." The rest of the novel tells of the downward spiral into helter-skelter, a night of blood and terror. Micol Ostow's gorgeous writing leads the reader there along with Mel, in free verse sinous and compelling, like Henry himself.

I almost gave this five stars, but the verse does tend to get ever-so-slightly repetitive. Often this is a tactic the author uses--certain phrases are repeated to underscore their importance, or conversely, to show how the meaning of those phrases twists as the story goes on. The repetition is also a kind of reinforcement of the cult mentality, the repetition of ideas drilled into the heads of the acolytes so many times that those acolytes can no longer remember any words but those they've heard again and again. I saw the purpose of the repetition, but it still began to grate on me, and in parts I wished the story would move a little faster. But mostly I loved this novel. Even those who tend to shy away from novels in verse will find themselves drawn into this story. Ostow's writing really is very engaging; she finds the perfect descriptions to make the reader understand how someone could fall so soundly under the influence of one charismatic man, especially if that person, and all her "sisters," are the broken, damaged people of this tale. The result is a novel both frightening and beautiful.

I'd like to say something about the end, but I can't without giving away important plot points, in fact, probably the most important plot point. If you have an interest in the Manson murders, cults, dark fiction, and broken people, this is the novel for you.(less)

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Apr 26, 2011 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is inspired by the Manson murders. It's not a strict retelling (although many details are still the same). Melinda is a runaway and is immediately captivated when she meets Henry. She quickly goes to the ranch where he lives with his family and soon feels like one of them. What seems fairly idyllic at first (she loves Henry and has a best friend for what seems like the first time ever, based on how she talks; everyone shares everything) soon turns creepy. Henry is angry that his music caree...more

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Apr 02, 2011 Leslie (That Chick That Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-s, review

Family by Micol Ostow was actually really good. I’ve always strayed away from verse type books just because they are sometimes very hard to understand but this one was actually very well written. When I got this in the mail, I immediately freaked out. I mean what was I supposed to make of a cover with a girl’s blank face on it and blood splatters along the book? We’re drawn into Mel’s story immediately when she talks about being broken. I guess this is a very important part to understand about h...more

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Jan 05, 2011 Charli rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, verse

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 15, 2011 Erin O'Riordan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adults-books, amazon-vine-picks

Several years ago I went to a performance of MacBeth at my alma mater, an all-women's college. The cast was composed entirely of women. As the director noted in the program, this was a deliberate choice, harking back to the Celtic matriarchal tradition, in which women used storytelling to pass on the culture's morals and values.

I imagine Family by Micol Ostow being read by a chorus of women for just such a purpose.

If you're younger than me, you may have read a book called Out Of The Dust, by K...more Several years ago I went to a performance of MacBeth at my alma mater, an all-women's college. The cast was composed entirely of women. As the director noted in the program, this was a deliberate choice, harking back to the Celtic matriarchal tradition, in which women used storytelling to pass on the culture's morals and values.

I imagine Family by Micol Ostow being read by a chorus of women for just such a purpose.

If you're younger than me, you may have read a book called Out Of The Dust, by Karen Hesse, in school. It's a novel in episodic verse, a series of linked poems that tell the story of a teenager named Billie Joe living through the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Family is written in a similar style.

Like Billie Joe, the 17-year-old narrator of Family is a young woman. Her name is Mel. Mel is one of those tragic young adult characters, the likes of which inspired Meghan Cox Gurdon to write her controversial Wall Street Journal essay "Darkness Too Visible." Mel lives with her mother and her mother's boyfriend, whom Mel calls Uncle Jack. "Uncle" Jack is an alcoholic who sexually abuses Mel. Mel's mother knows about the abuse and does nothing. In Mel's mind, her mother offers her up as a sacrifice.

Mel decides to run away from home. Now the historical context becomes important: the book is set in the late 1960s, the era of free love, hippies, beautiful people and Haight-Ashbury. With the vague sense that she'll be able to survive there, Mel heads for San Francisco. Instead of a utopia, she finds a park bench, where Mel sits down and is overcome with inertia. She doesn't have a clue what to do or how to take care of herself.

Along comes Henry. Henry is loosely based on Charles Manson, and as Mel as drawn into his inner circle there is a terrible sense of foreboding. Younger readers may not be aware of the historical events on which the book is based, but will probably not find them terribly shocking compared to crimes that routinely play on the evening news. Still, readers young and not-so-much, those familiar with the Manson Family and those just learning of the crimes, must wonder the same thing: what causes a seemingly "normal" young woman to participate in something like that? This is precisely the territory Ostow's poetry explores.

It's all very well done. The reader is aware of Mel's "brokeness," as Mel frequently calls it. She often refers to being full of empty, hollow places, places inside her she longs to fill, fears to have filled. She always feels as if she's drowning, treading water, caught in the undertow. Henry offers her a lifeline, though Mel soon comes to realize that not even Henry can hold back the tide. Henry, who at first seems so godlike, has his own broken, hollow, empty and drowning places, places that will have terrible consequences for an innocent couple.

The subject matter is chilling. Yet the ending, remarkably, is a hopeful one. It's enough to keep the reader from drowning in the book's darkness, enough to keep Mel from descending into utter despair. There is a spark at the end that makes this narrative-in-verse seem redemptive, a cautionary tale, a morality play that makes it ideal to be read as poetry traditionally was, by a chorus in front of a large audience.

Family is told in the first person, entirely from Mel's point of view. It seems like a tale told collectively because of the historical aspect, the sense that Mel speaks for an important time and place in American culture. It seems like a collective tale because of the way the "family" absorbs Mel and makes her part of it. It seems like a collective tale because there are at least two versions of Mel, including one who seems trapped in a mirror, helpless. I'm sure it will be absolutely stunning to hear as an audiobook, even without a chorus of women's voices.

Still, read the print version first. Micol Ostow's writing style includes short words and phrases set apart from the rest of the text by italics and braces. Some of the words that appear set apart like this are "static" and "white noise." In my head, the words that are set apart, sometimes complementing and other times contradicting Mel's narrative, sound like they're coming from a radio, not quite tuned to the right frequency. I imagine them as the words of mirror-Mel, the other, left-behind self who struggles to break through to Henry's Mel, but can't.

All in all, it's a remarkable achievement for Micol Ostow, one that's sure to be much talked about and debated among fans of young adults books, parents, librarians and book bloggers.(less)

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Mar 26, 2012 Shellie Foltz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Micol Ostow's novel in verse, Family, is a wild ride. Gruesome, tragic, and difficult subject matter conveyed through sometimes fragmented, sometimes repetitive, nearly always surprising stanzas, the book, loosely based on the Manson family, is charged with the charisma of Henry, the father-husband-brother-messiah of the commune.

This is not the type of book I typically go for, though in my adolescence I would have swallowed it whole. As an adult reader, I had to set it aside a few times to rega...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Courtney rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, mental-illness, realistic-fiction, horror-thriller, teen-fiction, novel-in-verse

Told in verse, this novel follows the journey of one girl who leaves an abusive home only to be discovered by a cult leader. It's loosely based on the Manson family, which is a topic that I've personally never come across in teen lit. Melinda is immediately taken with Henry (the Charles-like character) and appears willing to follow him anywhere. She joins the family with few reservations and has no trouble joining in the free sex and drugs. Even as she realizes that something might be amiss, she...more

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May 25, 2011 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, age-ya

As someone who's read Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders, I was interested in the idea of a YA book "loosely based" on the Manson family. Seeing that it was written in poetry form made me pick this up, thinking it would be a quick read.

Mel has run away from home (and her sexually abusive "Uncle Jack") and is living on the streets in Haight-Ashbury when she meets "Henry" (aka Charles Manson). Henry feeds her and gives her drugs and has sex with her in his van for three days, the...more As someone who's read Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders, I was interested in the idea of a YA book "loosely based" on the Manson family. Seeing that it was written in poetry form made me pick this up, thinking it would be a quick read.

Mel has run away from home (and her sexually abusive "Uncle Jack") and is living on the streets in Haight-Ashbury when she meets "Henry" (aka Charles Manson). Henry feeds her and gives her drugs and has sex with her in his van for three days, then brings Mel back to the ranch Henry and his "family" call home. After a life where Mel has often felt adrift and alone, she welcomes the idea of family, even if it means sharing "free love" with all the male members of this "family" whether she wants to or not. Mel worships Henry, although she's a little unsure when he starts carrying a knife around and talking about "helter skelter."

There is the "before" and the "now" and the "after" - all jumbled together, but if the reader knows anything about the Manson family murders they will be able to figure out that the "after" is the infamous killing spree. I'm not sure exactly why the names of the characters were changed, but nothing - and I mean NOTHING - else was, except the END! (view spoiler)This strange altering of the truth made no sense to me. Either make it all true, or all false, but none of this halfway crap. It's ridiculous to call the cult leader "Henry" and still give him Charles Manson's philosophy of "helter skelter." Hence all the quotation marks in my summary...

For that matter, there is very little about the Helter Skelter here. I would have liked for there to be some Beatles reference, but instead Mel just says, Okay, Helter Skelter, don't know what it means but I'll go along with it. Also, a lot of what I found fascinating about Helter Skelter was the craziness of the trial, with the girls shaving their heads and carving X's on their foreheads, etc. I barely got to know "Henry" at all except through Mel's rosy-colored worship glasses. I would have preferred the author to have taken this character of Mel and instead of redeeming her, showed her descent into full-on cult worshipper.(less)

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Nov 10, 2011 Kellie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Seventeen year old Melinda Jenson runs away from her abusive “uncle Jack” as soon as she gets the chance. While sleeping on the beach, she encounters a charismatic and kind man named Henry. Before even the audience can tell what is happening, Mel is lured in Henry’s “family,” but it is turns out that what Mel imagined is not true at all.
The “family” shares everything with one another. There is no “I” and no before. There is only the now and the undying belief in the “word” of their leader. Fa...more Seventeen year old Melinda Jenson runs away from her abusive “uncle Jack” as soon as she gets the chance. While sleeping on the beach, she encounters a charismatic and kind man named Henry. Before even the audience can tell what is happening, Mel is lured in Henry’s “family,” but it is turns out that what Mel imagined is not true at all.
The “family” shares everything with one another. There is no “I” and no before. There is only the now and the undying belief in the “word” of their leader. Family is the story of a girl who is looking to become whole again after her life has been torn from her. Mel never felt that she belonged anywhere. She has been sexually abused since the age of seven and is looking for a place where she can finally belong.
Ostow depicts the cult dynamic in a brutally honest and haunting way. There is no way to get around the idea that cults are scary, but through this novel in verse, she portrays the “family” in a way that allows you to really feel for the different people who have been pulled in.
Before reading, I learned that the book was loosely based on the Manson Family cult and murders that occurred in 1969. This book obviously covers a lot of unsettling subject matters. The cult, abuse, drugs, sex, and murder are all topics that are discussed throughout the story, but the part that I connected with the most was the teenage girl and how she got herself mixed up into something like this. Throughout the story, the reader watches as she ponders the morality of what she notices going on around her. Mel is constantly having an internal debate between right and wrong, and I was truly devastated when she decided that belonging to anything at all (even something that involved hurting innocent people) was better than being alone.
This book does deal with some disturbing subject matter, but it was done in a way that does not seem excessive. The details and material seemed to be necessary to the storyline and was not there just for show. ¬I found Family to be a unique story that kept me thinking and consumed with worry, even after I finished the last page.
(less)

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Aug 21, 2011 Temoca rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was interested in the idea of this book and that it is written in verse. I think YA needs more verse novels to help address the needs of a diverse YA population.

I'm thinking for the whole "hippie", free-flowing lifestyle of the sixties, this verse is very choppy. The constant periods and punctuation made this novel hard for me to flow with and read. Maybe that's the intent? The intense feelings need the abrupt stops???

I need more from Mel, the main character. I get she's broken; Uncle Jack s...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Emily Brown (TheBrownReviews) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reads-of-2012

Concept/Ideas: 4/5
Storyline/Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 3/5
Overall Rating: 3/5

I pretty much know as much as a person can know on the Manson family case, but personally I just couldn't get into this book despite my intense facination of the murders in general. Like many of the others who reviewed this book, I'm one of those people. One of those people who totally got pulled into the Manson family, the case, the 60s, Sharon Tate, and the whole helter-skelter 'ness' of it all. Fascinati...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this book for a Valentine's reading activity (blind date a book). I probably wouldn't have read this if it hadn't been chosen for me. This book was written in verse which helped it be a quick read, but it was unique because all of the words were not capitalized except when referring to a man named Henry (which was a bit annoying, but fit the book). In the story the narrator is a girl named Mel who was abused by her "uncle" when she was six. She became "broken" and later in life she ran aw...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Miranda rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm just going to keep this review short and sweet.
This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing either.

This book is based on the Manson Family and it helps to know the history behind the "family" and the murders. There are a lot of similarities between the Manson Family and this family. There are similarities between Henry and Charles.
I didn't connect with ANY of the characters. I didn't connect with Mel. I didn't care what happened to her. I didn't understand what made Henry so great and why eve...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Courtney added it

Shelves: 2011, alternative-format, ya-fiction

If I can say a book was disturbing and gorgeously written chances are it was a great book.

I don't have a whole lot of interest in Charles Manson, to be honest. I mean, I KNEW about him obviously but the last time I can remember making a conscious decision to read about him was when a late night Wikipedia-ing spree (you know how you look up one thing and then you find you've looked up about 80 things that had nothing to do with the original thing you were looking up?) ended up at his page. I have...more If I can say a book was disturbing and gorgeously written chances are it was a great book.

I don't have a whole lot of interest in Charles Manson, to be honest. I mean, I KNEW about him obviously but the last time I can remember making a conscious decision to read about him was when a late night Wikipedia-ing spree (you know how you look up one thing and then you find you've looked up about 80 things that had nothing to do with the original thing you were looking up?) ended up at his page. I haven't gone out of my way to pick up Helter Skelter or anything (although I might, now).

I DO have a whole lot interest in stories about lost characters who fall into extremely dark situations, though! And Mel is, if anything, a lost girl looking to find her way. She meets Henry (who is based on Charles Manson) and joins his Family. Everything that happens after that is pretty hard to read because it's so damn unsettling...

But really amazing too, wow. Micol Ostow knows how to get inside the mind of a broken spirit. Mel's narrative made my heart ache and the imagery and the wordplay was completely captivating and mesmerizing. I mean, I would get super immersed in the visuals Ostow was sharing with me and stop and just have to read back and study how she made that happen with words. There needs to be more YA out there like this. Style without gimmick that makes you question and explore the ways you can communicate stories with people. This made me do so much of that. Props.

I think it can be risky to start a book with a character who is already so shattered but it was the perfect thing to do here. We meet Mel in the middle of such a spiral that even her escape from an unhappy homelife isn't a relief to the reader because we know the worst is yet to come. Her journey is not about reclaiming the girl she was before but finding the possibility of being someone complete on her own terms. I mean it is generally hard to figure out how to be complete for the every day person with the usual odds to overcome but do you know how hard that is when you've had a horrible past and also joined a murderous cult? I was like how is Micol Ostow going to wrap this up? It's got to be impossible! But it wasn't. It was beautiful. The way she did it, well. I cried. It was perfect.

Family is disturbing. Family is gorgeously written. Family is a great book.

PS Cults, man. I have decided I need to read more YAs with cults in them. (Open to recs!)(less)

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Jul 18, 2011 Renae rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, verse-novels

Ostow's episodic verse novel is not for the purely recreational reader. It is heavy, emotional, and gritty. Closely paralleling the Manson family murders in the 60's, the story is at times rambling, at times circular, and at times very stark. There are some notable differences from the true story, but it is definitely inspired by it.
I understood Ostow's insistence on abandoning capital letters except for with references to Henry, but it was a tough technique to get past in my reading. People wh...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Emily Collins rated it 1 of 5 stars

I did not finish this book. I hated this book. A lot.
From the cover information, the impression of this book would be that it's a look at cults by someone who is actually living in them, taken in by their message, happy with everything.
Yes, the book did sort of go into that, but everything in it felt dark and wrong... I got about 70 pages into the book and realized I just couldn't read it anymore. I've never been one for horror movies and that seemed to pretty much be what this was turning into....more

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May 06, 2011 Figment rated it 5 of 5 stars

Micol Ostow's Family follows teenager Mel on a dizzying journey into the arms of a cult. Focusing on Mel's desire to be part of something meaningful, Ostow's quick verse serves to reflect Mel's impressionable and fractured mind and self-esteem, while creating dark and touching poetry. While Family does follow the history of Charles Manson's cult, Ostow's work creates a new image of what a community such as this would think like, and always asks the question: what would you do for family?

You can...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Dolores rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love free verse and the idea of a free verse book about the Manson family for young adults intrigued me very much. This one started out very well. I thought she did an excellent job of demonstrating how a charismatic leader could find and assimilate "broken" and rudderless young people. How they looked to him as father, leader, Jesus and willingly did his bidding. The book was a pretty repetitive, but I could have lived with that--it seemed to reinforce her points. My problem was with the endi...more

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Apr 29, 2011 Christi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Review from my blog: http://christitheteenlibrarian.blogsp...

Tell me that cover doesn't freak you out? Love it. At the time I'm writing this post, Micol Ostow is using the book cover as her profile picture, and it weirds me out a little every time I see it. Fun stuff, I tell you.

Now, the story. I'm only vaguely familiar with the Manson murders, but I assumed that, this being a fictionalized account, you shouldn't really need that much background info. I was able to understand the story, but, lik...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Jensen Sturzenegger rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: eng-356-1-12

This story tells about the life of seventeen year old Melinda Jensen from the time she leaves home, to when she is found on a park bench by Henry, and through her time with Henry and her family -- the young men and women who live on an abandoned movie set ("the ranch") outside of L.A. Melinda, a broken girl having been abused by her stepfather and neglect at the hands of her mother, is easily charmed by Henry, and the love she receives both from him and from her new brothers and sisters. Henry i...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Jane rated it 2 of 5 stars

I loved the idea of this book - "Helter Skelter" is one of my favorites, so when I saw the cover and read the author's bio I knew I had to read the book. Unfortunately I couldn't get over the verse style of writing. It's a clever way to write, but just not something I personally enjoy. Great story though and the author excellently portrayed Melinda's emotions and feelings. I thought it was a really good way - almost educational? - of explaining the Manson family to young adults and the huge dang...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Rachel rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone, Cult/Religion readers

Shelves: read-from-library, realistic-fiction, reads-of-2011, reviewed, ya-and-childrens-lit

Very interesting young adult book about Charles Manson. I just didn't like the execution of the novel. This book is written in verse and very disjointed and repetative. You read a sentence and lo and behold, the next sentence is identical or close to it! I understand this particular style was done on purpose, but man it sure did make me crazy.

There was something missing from this book for me and I can't figure out what it is. Even thought it was a fast read and quite interesting fictional accou...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Val rated it 3 of 5 stars

My Review
Family by Micol Ostow was an emotionally packed read. This one is written in verse and discusses a very scary part of our history.

The book starts off in the present and bounces back and forth between now and the past, also adding in bits of Mel’s (main character) history. The first part was really brutal, it starts off using terms like “covered in blood” and “inescapable noise”. These terms set a very scary scene and have you kind of worried and drawn into the story right away. After t...more My Review
Family by Micol Ostow was an emotionally packed read. This one is written in verse and discusses a very scary part of our history.

The book starts off in the present and bounces back and forth between now and the past, also adding in bits of Mel’s (main character) history. The first part was really brutal, it starts off using terms like “covered in blood” and “inescapable noise”. These terms set a very scary scene and have you kind of worried and drawn into the story right away. After the first few chapters, it was a little difficult to tell when we were in the past and when we were in the future, mainly because Mel’s past was a very scary past as well. Once you get closer to the middle the past and present are muche easier to distinguish.

There are quite a few points in this novel that discuss the sexual practices of this “family” which is more of a cult. These parts can get pretty graphic, so I really wouldn’t recommend this for younger readers. It’s understandable why it was described this way, but I still want to give you this warning.

The story progressed smoothly. There were changes slowly building in Henry and you could see them affecting everyone around him. Once it hit the half-way point in the novel, I felt like the story moved easier than in the first half.

As far as the poetry goes, I felt as if most of was very emotional and went along with the story. There were a few section that were difficult to understand, but I think the poetry was done well overall.

I am hesitant to give Family a rating because it deals with a very tough subject, but for review’s sake, I’m going to give family a 3 lantern rating. I liked this and thought it was a good read. I am glad I read it and will definitely be recommending it to some people. It all depends on what your reading taste is. If you enjoy reading young adult novels with edgy subject than I recommend you pick it up.

originally posted on Truth Be Told Blog http://www.truthbetoldblog.com/2011/0...(less)

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May 07, 2012 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

First and foremost, I am NOT sympathetic to the whole hippie subculture. Not in the slightest. They need to shower and get jobs, quite frankly. And develop an opinion that isn't based in LSD highs and commune thought process. So why did I opt to review a book that is exactly this mentality? Because it's pretty much a roman a clef of the Manson family and I thought it'd be an interesting fictionalization. It further solidified my disdain for hippie speak and mentality and it was interesting but I...more First and foremost, I am NOT sympathetic to the whole hippie subculture. Not in the slightest. They need to shower and get jobs, quite frankly. And develop an opinion that isn't based in LSD highs and commune thought process. So why did I opt to review a book that is exactly this mentality? Because it's pretty much a roman a clef of the Manson family and I thought it'd be an interesting fictionalization. It further solidified my disdain for hippie speak and mentality and it was interesting but I felt the ending was a bit of a cop out.

Told in episodic verse, kind of expanded poetry, it kind of made the whole story a bit hazy to read. There were times I had trouble figuring out what was going on because the language got a bit purple but I could buy it as the flower child's thought process. So it wasn't too bad in that regard. But still it was a bit thick. Although it did do a good job in its thickness to portray life at the commune/cult. The flowery-ness flowed in the sexual drug haze that surrounded the MC all the time. And I really liked the little cracks in the facade, where Mel got bits and pieces of what all of this was really about but after some more magical mystery juice and free love she was sucked right back into it.

You get to see that all of these people in this compound are broken in some way. They've been wronged by the people they loved in one regard or another and they ultimately come together in that wrongness to try and make it right. It's really a nice route to recovery. Too bad their leader was a sociopath that kept them doped so he could manipulate them into doing what he wanted done. He perverted the message for his own gain. Not surprising in the slightest but it was interesting to watch the world break down from broken eyes.

The ending . . . I don't believe this to be a spoiler because we all know how the Manson story ended. If you don't I highly recommend a history textbook. Well the story culminated with an event much like the Mason family brought to fruition except in FAMILY one of the victims escapes and the MC gets away. Fail. Hard. Yeah, awesome, that she came to a hardcore self-realization at the end there. Super. She's also an accessory to murder. No sympathy from this chick right here. Sorry. I don't know what I was supposed to feel or meant to feel but I was wholly expecting her to run into the arms of the cops. Nope. She runs off into the night and the story is left hanging. An exceptionally unsatisfactory ending. I don't find this artsy or endearing or quintessential to the whole hippie mindset. I needed it to go down like the real event it was modeled after. I think Mel would have resonated far more as a character if she didn't get to run away from her problems for a second time.

Don't get me wrong; it wasn't a bad book. I just wasn't thrilled with it. I liked the character development and the set-up of the story, the cracks in the hippie visage, even though the prose was on the flowery side. But the ending was a killer for me. Very anti-climatic and I didn't feel like there was any kind of justice done. Mel just gets to continue her cycle of running yet again because she's been broken yet again. It felt empty and the escape unearned. After a few months of hedonism you get to get away with conspiring to murder a houseful of people because the high wears off and you realize what you're doing. Um, no.

So yeah. It was a quick read because of the verse which I'm kinda glad for. I don't think I could have taken this story if it were denser although I'd tolerate it if the ending were fixed.(less)

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Jan 02, 2012 Loretta rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, own-kindle, verse-books, did-not-enjoy

I bought Family, because it sounded like it would be interesting. It is also written in verse, which I have found that I really like reading. For me Family was not one that I liked or will be reading ever again.
This was not a book full of hope. There was no hope. It seemed like every other word, was a repetition of the previous words. Very repetitive. (see how I used the SAME word in a different way, LIKE that) I could not like this book, nor the MC Mel. I felt that she was very naive. I get tha...more

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