Lara M. Zeises's very readable story about teen grief that strikes a lot of the right notes. Bridget is entirely believable as the girl who, after her childhood friend's death, must come to terms with their complicated relationship.
Issues of identity development were done well, I think. Bridget's reaction to her upbringing--two rejecting parents--makes sense of her tendency to be a pleaser and glam onto Benji and his nice family. Benji's itchiness to flee the East coast was harder to understand, as his family life seems pretty stable and good. I only wish the author had givien us a clearer picture of the underlying problems in Benji's household.
The ambiguity Zeises creates did make for intriguing reading. As a reader, you wonder if to what degree is Bridget's "great" relationship with Benji wrapped in layers of fantasy. That, in turn, raises deeper questions--how well do we really know those we believe we're closest to? How much can emotional need cause one to project perfection onto a beloved? What would healing look like when the illusion is broken at last?
Categories: book reviews, young adult fiction
0 comments:
Post a Comment