Girlchild
Tupelo Hassman
February 2012
288 pages
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This is not a book that will give you warm fuzzies (alcoholism, child molestation, and poverty are the major players), but I did love its style. Written in very short chapters (some are just a few paragraphs long, others a few pages), they are almost short story-like, although they are all related and move the story forward.
How’s that for vague?
Basically, it’s a coming of age story in which our narrator, Rory Dawn, is growing up in a very poor, very rough trailer park on the outskirts of Reno. It’s not pretty, by any stretch of the imagination. Since I work for Social Services, I usually shy away from stories in which the families are involved with Social Services. But the cover of this one caught my eye (how could I resist the library pocket-thingie??), and the story ended up totally sucking me in.
The only thing that I found jarring was the total vagueness and naivety of the narrator when the abuse was occurring, juxtaposed with her later voice in which she comes across as too mature.
Still. I thought this was a great book and I especially loved the style in which the story was presented. If you love hard-luck, grim, depressing tales, then I’d highly recommend this one! (And yes, that’s an ironic exclamation point…it feels weird to be gleefully recommending depressing books).
Sounds like my kind of read.
Ti´s last [type] ..Review: Wild
I know what you mean about it feeling weird to recommend depressing reads but a well written depressing read can be excellent!
bermudaonion(Kathy)´s last [type] ..Review: Faith
I actually like these kinds of books when I am in the right mood, and hadn’t heard of this one yet, so thank you for the review and for recommending it. It sounds like a gut punch of a story, but when stories make me feel something, really feel, and move me, I find that they stick with me longer and make more of an impression. Although it sounds sad, I think I might like this book. Onto the ever growing list it goes!
zibilee´s last [type] ..The Rook by Daniel O’Malley — Audiobook Review
I didn’t realize that you work for Social services! I love the setup of this book. Sometimes my short attention span needs shorter chapters!
Stephanie´s last [type] ..TLC Book Tour: Darkness All Around
Interesting review, to see things from a different angle. I distinctly did not like Girlchild. Truthfully, I think it’s the type of book that is best appreciated for its writing style and characterization, neither of which I liked. The bigger themes could have been powerful, but I never felt like they got the treatment they deserved. I felt as though more than anything, it was style that mattered, and I just didn’t care much for the style…
Biblibio´s last [type] ..Finding the balance in female characterization
Bless you for being a part of social services. I’ve been teaching long enough to have had experience with students of all ages who’ve somehow made it thus far in life when the odds are so against them. I’ll have to be in the right mindset to read this but I’m definitely interested.
Patti Smith´s last [type] ..4th of July Photo Session
I didn’t know you work in social services? I did and now I do therapy with the same population I used to work with. With me, I’m always drawn to books like these and then realize after the fact that maybe I need to stay away from books that relate too much to my work, LOL. This sounds good though, especially the style it’s written in.
Jenny´s last [type] ..What is Chick-Lit, really?
I thought this book was pretty good, but I didn’t love it as much as the person who recommended it to me. There was some pretty intense stuff in it!
Helen´s last [type] ..An Unmarked Grave winner!
Depressing books work for me sometimes. I like this title – something quirky about it.
Athira´s last [type] ..Fleeing the den
So this one wasn’t even on my radar … it is now.
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