Shine in Around the World in 80 Books

Nov 22, 2011 mstan rated it liked it

Shelves: for-young-adults-or-children, american, src-winter-2011-12

This is an 'issues' book that manages to remain quite interesting and even atmospheric (mmmm North Carolina) for the most part. It opens with a hate crime having been committed, and the first-person protagonist, Cat, attempting to find out exactly who the perpetrator of the crime had been - the victim had been her gay former-best friend, Patrick.

There are drugs (mainly meth), alcoholics, perverts and of course, homophobia in this courageous novel. I don't think (unlike some reviewers who seem to This is an 'issues' book that manages to remain quite interesting and even atmospheric (mmmm North Carolina) for the most part. It opens with a hate crime having been committed, and the first-person protagonist, Cat, attempting to find out exactly who the perpetrator of the crime had been - the victim had been her gay former-best friend, Patrick.

There are drugs (mainly meth), alcoholics, perverts and of course, homophobia in this courageous novel. I don't think (unlike some reviewers who seem to be more for making YA more straitlaced) that Myracle has really introduced anything too shocking for the teenage sensibility, though. I think teenagers are quite aware that bad things do happen, even if the sheer intensity and volume of the unsavoury incidents taking place in this book (oh yes, I forgot to mention that even a tornado is mentioned) may be rather overwhelming.

I really liked the first part of the book, when Cat goes around trying to look for her estranged friends to find out more about the assault case. There is some wonderful writing:

'Son of a goddang,' she cussed, looking back at the little hat. 'Missed a stitch. Gonna have to do the whole row over.

I felt awful. She'd let herself wish, and I failed her, and so, all right. Back to normal Bailee-Ann, who would take her disappointment and pretend it had to do with the dropped stitch instead of the dropped friendship.

But I had problems with the reason why Cat stopped speaking to basically all her friends for three years, a random character wandering into her life at a library, and the ending of the story (rushed and pretty dramatic). Some inferior lines appear in the later half of the book too - 'Our souls mixed.' and '[character's name withheld]'s confusion turned to shock, then anguish, and then to a bottomless sorrow.' being two of my least favourite.

Nonetheless, I recommend this book to teenage readers; I do think there is something in it for both male and female readers, and you do want to find out what happens next. It's also an exciting book to read and discuss with your friends - I'm sure people will have pretty strong opinions on it. ...more

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