Three Small Reviews From Dewey's Readathon
I participated in Dewey's Readathon a couple of weeks back, and during the thon, I finished THREE books. So, here are my mini-reviews:
1. The List by Siobhan Vivian: I have been wanting to read a little bit of YA lately, so I picked up this book, which is about a bunch of high school girls who end up on a list of the prettiest and ugliest in their class. The story is told from all eight girl's perspectives, which is a little disorienting at first. Eventually I got into the flow of the story, but it just never really came alive for me. It was all just a little expected...The premise was interesting, but without a ton of payoff.
Push/ 332 pages/ Library
2. Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi: I am a big Persepolis fan, so I was excited to pick up another of Satrapi's graphic novels. This one is another story of Marjane's family and culture, this time centered around a group of women, sitting around, telling stories. It is a slight book, and bears far less weight than Persepolis. However, it is still a window into a culture and a family and it is filled with humor.
Pantheon Books/144 pages/ Owned
3. Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates: I grow to like Joyce Carol Oates more each time I read her. This wasn't my favorite book of hers, but it was a fascinating glimpse. The story is a fictional imagining of the Chappaquiddick incident, told from the perspective of a fictional female passenger, trapped in a fictional senator's car, which has driven off of a bridge. The story is told alternately in flashback, and in surreal imaginings of the young woman's thoughts in the moments before her death. The book is circular, constantly folding back on itself, and incantatory, which makes it compelling. It is a brief, but frightening, read.
Plume/ 154 pages/ Owned
1. The List by Siobhan Vivian: I have been wanting to read a little bit of YA lately, so I picked up this book, which is about a bunch of high school girls who end up on a list of the prettiest and ugliest in their class. The story is told from all eight girl's perspectives, which is a little disorienting at first. Eventually I got into the flow of the story, but it just never really came alive for me. It was all just a little expected...The premise was interesting, but without a ton of payoff.Push/ 332 pages/ Library
2. Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi: I am a big Persepolis fan, so I was excited to pick up another of Satrapi's graphic novels. This one is another story of Marjane's family and culture, this time centered around a group of women, sitting around, telling stories. It is a slight book, and bears far less weight than Persepolis. However, it is still a window into a culture and a family and it is filled with humor.
Pantheon Books/144 pages/ Owned
3. Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates: I grow to like Joyce Carol Oates more each time I read her. This wasn't my favorite book of hers, but it was a fascinating glimpse. The story is a fictional imagining of the Chappaquiddick incident, told from the perspective of a fictional female passenger, trapped in a fictional senator's car, which has driven off of a bridge. The story is told alternately in flashback, and in surreal imaginings of the young woman's thoughts in the moments before her death. The book is circular, constantly folding back on itself, and incantatory, which makes it compelling. It is a brief, but frightening, read.Plume/ 154 pages/ Owned
Great choices! I read and enjoyed Embroideries a lot. Oates is always a favorite. Thanks for participating!
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