Review: Department of Mind-Blowing Theories

Department of Mind-Blowing Theories by Tom Gauld
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Olive Kitteridge

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 0 of 5 stars



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Review: Amelia Westlake Was Never Here

Amelia Westlake Was Never Here by Erin Gough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This isn't a review so much as a musing, as I am only about 1/3 of the way through the book.

I sometimes wonder why most of my friends look askance at YA or young teen books. There is a lot of depth and relevance to them, even if their target audience is younger than we are. In this case, I am thinking about the similarities between Will and Harriet and the warring factions of my own self. For most of my life, I tried to be Harriet - the good girl, the one who follows the rules, does well at playing the academic and professional game. But lately, I am much more tempted by my Will side - the one who sees injustice, complacency, and wrong, and refuses to shut up about it. There is a lot to think about, with the story mirroring some of my own problems. What does it mean to be a good friend? What does it mean to be a good person?
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I have now finished the whole book and, while I still feel it has some very interesting insights for me, I will acknowledge that it is definitely more of a YA book than I thought at first. That isn't bad, as it is designed to appeal to the typical YA audience, but it does have a few characteristics that would make it less appealing for adults. The hijinks and tricks do get a bit much after a while. And the adults are a bit less nuanced than I might wish. Overall, I still really like the book and would recommend it. And, its primary appeal for me is still the same: the tension between doing what is right and following the rules. I am especially glad that the ideas of being a good friend and being a good person are addressed in several ways, for each of the characters.

And my antenna are always out to see how parents and other adults are treated in Australian YA literature, especially to notice what is different from how they are treated in American books for the same audience. This book seems to treat the adults at the school similarly to how American books would treat them, but the parents, especially Will's mother are treated as I see many Australian books do: the parent doesn't disappear, so that the child may solve her problems on her own, rather the parent is there and seen, but doesn't take a hand in the action until she is asked. Harriet's school friend's parents - though only shown briefly at the end - are similarly supportive.

Overall, interesting and a good read.

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Review: Amelia Westlake

Amelia Westlake by Erin Gough
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

This isn't a review so much as a musing, as I am only about 1/3 of the way through the book.

I sometimes wonder why most of my friends look askance at YA or young teen books. There is a lot of depth and relevance to them, even if their target audience is younger than we are. In this case, I am thinking about the similarities between Will and Harriet and the warring factions of my own self. For most of my life, I tried to be Harriet - the good girl, the one who follows the rules, does well at playing the academic and professional game. But lately, I am much more tempted by my Will side - the one who sees injustice, complacency, and wrong, and refuses to shut up about it. There is a lot to think about, with the story mirroring some of my own problems. What does it mean to be a good friend? What does it mean to be a good person?

View all my reviews