A hyperactive debut novel of teen rebellion by a writer who watched too much MTV. When Andrea is a Portland, Oreg., high school sophomore, her friend Cybil calls her from the mall one day, frantic because she has shaved her head and it looks awful. Cybil then forms a rock band and begins to infiltrate the local music scene. At the same time, Andrea first lays eyes on Todd, a rock guru and all-round cute guy. Initially, Andrea is somewhat involved in high school goings-on and dates a popular older jock, but she begins to rebel by going to clubs to see Cybil's band (first named Bed Head, then Thriftstore Apocalypse, and finally Sins of Our Fathers) and buying vintage clothing. Andrea narrates her story (which reads like a diary, although it is not marked as such) breathlessly, and that energy is exhausting as she details all the superficial particulars of her life but fails to comment much on her own emotional state. One of Andrea's happiest moments comes when Cybil steers her and a friend to a clothing store called HOP!, ``the coolest place.'' Occasionally there are astute naãve-narrator insights (``the whole fun of high school is that everything is supposed to be everybody's business''), but more often than not, Andrea's teenspeak sounds like a bad Valley Girl parody (``And she tried to be cool but we were both like, Derek and Jonathan are gay!''). Nelson (who has written for Details magazine) does manage to cover early sexual experiences (both voluntary and involuntary) in a natural way, but Andrea's all-consuming crush on Todd is a drag on forward momentum, and Cybil—supposedly the narrator's closest friend—remains a cipher for much of the story. This may appeal more to the young- adult market, but those readers are sure to be extremely sensitive to any slips in authenticity. Like, not so great. (First serial to Sassy)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-671-89707-1
Page Count: 256
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1994
Fourth-grader Julie Dorinsky believes herself a failure, even though she’s artistically talented and a whiz at marbles. For her, those things don’t count’she wants to be smart. Instead of joining the academically advanced kids on “Scholars Day,” Julie is stuck doing remedial work with the “dumb kids,” and a series of “poor work papers” are crumpled in her backpack, awaiting a parent’s signature. At home, Julie’s father is recovering from a heart attack and her mother has had to take a secretarial job to make ends meet, so the last thing Julie wants to do is upset the harried pair by admitting that she’s struggling at school—that she can barely read. In the course of the story Julie finds a new friend, Marlene, and discovers—predictably—that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Williams does a credible job presenting her protagonist’s confusion caused by her lack of reading ability, but the story falters in a somewhat contrived ending that turns Julie into a local hero. It may be difficult for readers to believe that the adults around Julie are unaware of her problems; her skills are too exceptionally minimal to go unnoticed. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-688-16846-9
Page Count: 144
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PLB 0-7868-2186-8 Luz and her beloved grandfather (The Farolitos of Christmas, 1995), or abuelo, return in the somber family story set in New Mexico. The two of them enjoy working on Luz’s homework, planning a garden, and going fishing. One spring day while they are fishing, a young boy falls into the stream and Luz’s grandfather must jump in to rescue him. He saves the boy, but catches a chill, gets pneumonia, and dies. Luz mourns him, and at Christmas time asks if she can take farolitos (paper bags with lighted candles set inside) to the cemetery to place around his grave. It launches a new tradition, complete with Christmas carols, in a joyful remembering of the dead. The story, though not as lyrical as the original, is readable and appealing. Gonzales provides flat, rather stiff portraits of the people of Luz’s village that can render dramatic scenes—e.g., the rescue—frozen. In other paintings, however, the stillness adds a kind of haunting beauty, as in the scenes in the cemetery, where the blue ground is lit by the glowing farolitos. (glossary) (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7868-0237-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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