Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Teen Angel Woooooo...oooo


So is anybody wondering about the book I was reading on the train into New York on Monday? The book I didn't care for very much and couldn't mention at lunch because it was published by a division of my publisher? Yeah, I thought you probably were.

Well, it's called Looking for Alaska by John Green. Green is, from everything I've read, a witty and charming young man. I really, really wanted to like his book.

Looking for Alaska might be described as a teen death book. Set in a private boarding school. Sort of like Dead Poets Society. (I didn't read the book, saw the movie. However, I did take a graduate class with Sam Pickering who is supposed to have inspired the John Keating character. Who I think may die in the book. Hmmm.)

So you may, as I did, get the feeling you've read or seen this story before. You've got your self-destructive smart kids, your outsider poor kids, your rich kids who are disliked. Your beloved teacher. Your BIG important topics and themes. Looking for Alaska has a lot more sex and smoking than some of the other books, but otherwise it feels like a remix.

Now, as I've said before, I understand that young people haven't been reading for decades the way I have. Therefore this book may seem more original to them. I know I have to keep that in mind. Still, doesn't there come a point when we just don't need another book that's the same as so many others of its kind?

"Well, no, Gail," you may say. "Just because you don't like a book doesn't mean nobody else will. In fact, you're not liking it may be a very good recommendation. And you did say this book has a lot of sex and smoking."

Still, I think that upon entering boarding school every new student should have to sign a waiver promising that he or she will never, ever write about their experience. This is one horse that I think has just been ridden right into the ground.

Except for...the book I will write about tomorrow.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

This game is very interesting and as long as you know the Scions Of Fate gold you will love it and you will go to play this game every day. Instead in this game you will not complain it and you will only want to earn the SOF gold to make yourself become strong. sometimes you can also go to earn the Scions Of Fate money with your friends, because if you play the game with your friends you can be strong more easily. I know every player wants to get more and more cheap SOF gold to become strong. So you can buy sof gold and then you can equipment yourself with the weapons.

9:49 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home