January 31, 2016

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan (Goodreads Author)

It only took 5 months to get to my turn on the waitlist at the library, and that's with something like 14 copies. So, clearly, I'm late to the party here. By now, I think most have already read it, so mostly I'll just note what stood out to me.

*This It only took 5 months to get to my turn on the waitlist at the library, and that's with something like 14 copies. So, clearly, I'm late to the party here. By now, I think most have already read it, so mostly I'll just note what stood out to me.

*This is clearly an early work compared to "To Kill a Mockingbird". The main conflict isn't introduced until 30-40% of the way through the book and much of that early section feels like the author trying on extravagant phrasing for the sake of phrasing. Either the book got better or I got used to it, because I didn't notice it as much in the later half.
*Especially given the long build up and the slow development of the conflict the "resolution" felt very surface level and pat. "Ah, now because you are an adult you understand these things!" What?
*The secondary characters were thin, not nearly as well developed as they were in To Kill a Mockingbird, though you catch glitterings of it here and there.

I think if this was published it would have been highly controversial (due to the sensitive nature of the topic and the main character's lack of nuance in her view). But I don't think Harper Lee would be considered the writer she is today. I understand why the editor urged her to tell a different story, but I wonder what this one would have looked like if it had gone through the same development process. Was this "done"? Or does it feel rough simply because it didn't benefit from the same polishing process? ...more

January 09, 2016

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I get the feeling that there are layers and layers of meaning to this tale...which are going straight over my head, reading in snatches of time with two infants. On a purely surface level, it was a good tale. Told in Valente's characteristic style, f I get the feeling that there are layers and layers of meaning to this tale...which are going straight over my head, reading in snatches of time with two infants. On a purely surface level, it was a good tale. Told in Valente's characteristic style, full of beautiful phrases and wordplay (My favorite? Sorting lies like laundry.) It plays with the classic snow white tale, adding native American flavors, wild west standbys, magic, and feminism. ...more

November 28, 2015

Privilege, Power, and Difference by Allan G. Johnson (Goodreads Author)