3/5 Stars
B&N:
A teenager struggles through physical loss to the start of acceptance in an absorbing, artful novel at once honest and insightful, wrenching and redemptive.
On a sunny day in June, at the beach with her mom and brother, fifteen-year-old Jane Arrowood went for a swim. And then everything — absolutely everything — changed. Now she’s counting down the days until she returns to school with her fake arm, where she knows kids will whisper, "That’s her — that’s Shark Girl," as she passes. In the meantime there are only questions: Why did this happen? Why her? What about her art? What about her life? In this striking first novel, Kelly Bingham uses poems, letters, telephone conversations, and newspaper clippings to look unflinchingly at what it’s like to lose part of yourself - and to summon the courage it takes to find yourself again.
My Review:
When I picked up this book, I didn't really read the back. I thought this was a book about the suffer girl who recently lost her arm due to shark attack. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized it wasn't, and this was a fictional story.
This book is told in poem format, which makes it an easier read for some people (I know many of my students enjoy reading this format.)
Her thoughts and feelings rang so true. She didn't sugar coat things. When reading this book you felt her pain, her confusion, her anger, her sadness.
Seeing how the school, her friends reacted was also interesting. Walking through the halls with her, knowing everyone is talking about her really made you feel for the character.
One thing I just thought of though is the male in the book (the one who she's crushing on) kind of disappears... you don't find out what happens with that. O-well.
Many of my students enjoyed reading this book. I think it's interesting for people to see what goes through the mind of someone who suffers such a public trauma.
Definitely a book I'll recommend to my students.
No comments:
Post a Comment