114. "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

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Halse Anderson, Laurie. Speak. New York: Puffin, 2001.

208 pages.

Reviewed by J. d'Artagnan Love

Popular among teens right now is the Netflix original series 13 Reasons Why based on the book by Jay Asher.  Having watched the series myself, but not read the book, I"m going to venture an educated guess that Speak is far better. It addresses the same kinds of themes but more tactfully and with less misogyny. 

In Speak, Melinda is dealing with a trauma, the origins of which aren't revealed until later in the book. She deals with this trauma by withdrawing into a dark place. She stops speaking, thus the title of the book. It is through the help of a teacher and some of her own inner resilience that she is able to work through her limitations. 

This lyrical novel reminds me slightly of Francesca Lia Block's style in the Weetzie Bat series. It has the same lyrical quality but where it differs is in the concrete story line and absence of magical realism. Laurie Halse Anderson has an unmistakable voice that is consistent throughout the story. 

I appreciated this story and felt it was a germane representation of trauma and the resulting depression and anxiety. I'm looking forward to reading it again. 

4 darts out of 5

Recommended for: readers who liked 13 Reasons Why. This is better.

No recommended for: readers who are sensitive to depictions of mental illness, readers who don't like lyrical writing, and readers sensitive to sexual themes. 

113. "The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll

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Carroll, Lewis. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. New York: Sterling Publishing, 2005.

129 pages.

Reviewed by J. d'Artagnan Love

Most people know of this classic children's story. Most people also cheapen Alice's journey through Wonderland by claiming the story is just one big acid trip. While it is fantastical and full of whimsy, the story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is much more political and social commentary than it is an acid trip.

In sum, Alice, a little girl follows a rabbit down a rabbit hole. This leads her to a series of adventures that are hard to believe. For example, in one scene, Alice enters the rabbit's house and drinks a potion that causes her to grow so large, she sticks one hand out the chimney and a foot out the door. A cat with a Cheshire grin seems to float through the air because he can make parts of his body invisible at will. The story is dizzying and disorienting and makes almost no sense. 

I enjoyed reading the book but I'll be the first to admit that fully appreciating this work is going to require that I do much more extensive research. A brief survey of the literature on this work points to Carroll indulging in a style called English nonsense verse that became fairly popular in his time. Carroll holds some scathing opinions about the English school system based on this tale and that is about as far as I've gotten with my research. 

The edition that I read appeared to only contain the first part of the story (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) so I need to find the second half and read it (Through the Looking Glass) and continue to read more about how scholars have made sense (as much as one can with the genre) of the writing to feel like I truly "get" Carroll. I'm not yet a frenetic fangirl, but I am intrigued and will keep exploring. 

Recommended for: a reader who has time to dedicate to really learning about the political and social discourse happening in these stories.

Not recommended for: readers who want a story that makes sense or readers not accustomed to searching for clues in writing. Someone who hates poetry, for example, would probably hate this.

3 darts out of 5

Reference

Kwoka, B. (2009).  Literature, History, and Culture in the time of Victoria. Retrieved from http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/carroll/kwoka8.html

(I know I'm mixing citation styles here but I primarily use APA but started this blog in MLA and try to stay consistent. Forgive me?)