Review – Leftovers

Leftovers – Laura Weiss

published January 2008, 232 pages

 

From the back cover -

Blair and Ardith are best friends who have committed an unforgivable act in the name of love and justice.  But in order to understand what could drive two young women to such extreme measures, first you’ll have to understand why.  You’ll have to listen as they describe parents who are alternately absent and smothering, classmates who mock and shun anyone different, and young men who are allowed to hurt and dominate without consequence.  You will have to learn what it’s like to be a teenage girl who locks her bedroom door at night, who has been written off by all the adults around her as damaged goods.  A girl who has no one to trust except the one person she’s forbidden to see.  You’ll have to understand what it’s really like to be forgotten and abandoned in America today.

Are you ready?

My thoughts -

I really, really liked this YA novel, much better even than Weiss’s first, Such a Pretty Girl.  Blair and Ardith (love that name, btw) just seemed so real, such truthful portrayals of teenage girls, that their story seemed heartbreakingly common.  They both were raised in abusive homes, although the abuse both suffered was of two completely different types.  Blair lived in a home where every single thing she did was controlled by her parents, the image they were trying to uphold was more important than her personhood or their family’s happiness, while Ardith lived in a home where she was basically invisible – drunk parents, parties all the time, and a brother who both ignored and tortured her at the same time.  The sad thing about this story is that I know these kinds of families are not that unusual in today’s world – I knew plenty of girls who have suffered similar teenage years, in one way or another.  Just reading Blair and Ardith’s stories was very emotional, I was sucked into their lives from the first words, and to be honest, I didn’t much care about the conclusion, about the “unforgivable act” they committed together.  Yes, what they did was pretty terrible.  But set against the backdrop of their heartbreaking lives, I wouldn’t call it unforgivable by any means.

I’d definitely suggest reading this book for yourself, even if you are not typically a YA fan, this one will get you.  It’s very well written, and such a crazy good portrayal of teenage girls living in pain.  Such a great one.

Also reviewed by: Becky at Becky’s Book Reviews

Review – Such A Pretty Girl

Such A Pretty Girl by Laura Weiss

From Booklist -

With her father imprisoned, 15-year-old Meredith thinks she could live out her high-school days safely, but when he is released early for good behavior, her security is shattered. A popular youth baseball coach, her father has abused Mer as well as other boys and girls. With strict orders that he not be left alone with his daughter, he is returned to the condo complex where she and her mother live. In contrast to Mer’s terror, her mother is giddy with delight at his return, and together the reunited couple plans to conceive another child. Yet in the shadows and stillness, Mer’s nightmare begins anew. This is a gritty, terrifying novel about a father’s abuse of power and trust, and the way two different teens, Meredith and her paraplegic friend, Andy, deal with that reality. Although not explicit, the novel is honest in its telling. Admittedly sensational, Wiess’ story is a page-turner that ultimately sends a startling message of empowerment that, while improbable, is extremely satisfying.

My thoughts -

I’m not sure when I heard about this book, or who I heard about it from, but I’ve had it on my wishlist since it came out and finally mooched it recently.  This is a very short (200 pages) YA novel that I finished in one sitting, so it is definitely easy to read.  Don’t let the compactness of the book fool you, however; there is real character development and complex themes running through this novel.  To deal with child abuse, especially sexual abuse, is difficult for authors to do well, oftentimes it ends up being overdramatized or underempathized (if that’s even a word).  Not in this novel; Weiss does an excellent job telling Meredith’s story, making it seem completely real, as if we were reading the true thoughts and feelings of a fifteen year old girl, terrified of her own father, haunted by what he’s done to her and what he wishes to continue doing.  Meredith is a brave young girl, as scared as she is, she’s dedicated to getting her father back to where he belongs (prison) so that he can’t hurt any more kids like he hurt her and her friends.  Weiss builds suspense up throughout the novel, building to a final chapter that tied things up pretty neatly, but did not feel false in any way.  I’d really recommend this book, especially for teens and parents of teens.  Or if you just enjoy YA books (like me), you’ll enjoy this one too.   Weiss recently had another book come out, Leftovers, that looks just as gripping and one I’ll be adding to my wishlist immidiately.

Rating: 9/10