Kasia's review
Absolute Brightness
by James Lecesne
An editor might've spotted an error that jumped out at me: "When someome saw Dad pumping gas into Chrissie's Civic downtown at the Mobil station on Division Street, Mom held to the idea that her husband was just being a Good Samaritan." Ummmm ... New Jersey is one of the two states where self-serve is illegal!
I'm reading the Advance Reader Edition, but still, the book needs a lot of reining-in!
Kasia's review
Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne
Kasia's review
rating:
bookshelves:
queer-ish,
youngadult
I really wanted to like this book, and in the beginning I did. I think it is an important topic, I liked narrators voice, I liked that her reaction to Leonard seemed realistic, Leonard was adorable. I liked that it was set up as a mystery. HOWEVER. This book needed an editor more than any book I have ever read. There is no reason it needs to be almost 500 pages. I felt like the author was trying to cram in way too many topics that were not important to the core story of a hate crime (the Iraq war? Check. Death penalty? Check. Sexual abuse? Check.) At one point toward the end, he spent 4 paragraphs discussing the items on a priests desk! I almost threw the book across the room.
*spoiler* Also, the "mystery" is a little ridiculous. There was only one character in the book that could possibly be the killer.
I would still recommend this book to teens, but damn was it frustrating.
*spoiler* Also, the "mystery" is a little ridiculous. There was only one character in the book that could possibly be the killer.
I would still recommend this book to teens, but damn was it frustrating.
An editor might've spotted an error that jumped out at me: "When someome saw Dad pumping gas into Chrissie's Civic downtown at the Mobil station on Division Street, Mom held to the idea that her husband was just being a Good Samaritan." Ummmm ... New Jersey is one of the two states where self-serve is illegal!
I'm reading the Advance Reader Edition, but still, the book needs a lot of reining-in!