So, I got a new job at a high school academy library and decided that I wanted to challenge myself to read every book in the small library. I’ve already more or less changed my mind and decided that I will read every book that I don’t know enough about. That way I’m not expecting myself to finish series that I already tried and disliked.
This challenge will not only allow me to know what to recommend to students, but also decide if there are any books that need special attention (damages or outdated material). This is something that’s also probably taken care of during inventory time, but Idk, I’m new to the whole library thing. Sue me. (Please don’t. I’m too poor.)
To Weed or Not To Weed:
The first book was an excellent start. Saying It Out Loud is about a girl who is losing her mother. At first, I wondered if it should be weeded for being outdated, with references I didn’t even understand (I’m 28) and things that are no longer relevant. However, I quickly changed my mind as the story continued to show itself.
Highlights, for memory sake:
This is excellent for anyone (especially teenager) who wants to process or understand grief a little better. The opening poem sold me instantly. We never get to meet the mother, though she is alive for most of the book. Strangely, before I finished the book today, Adrian, by Jewel played on my Spotify. The situations are very similar. The white room, where her mother “just sits and stares. Awake, but still not there.”
I was moved toward crying twice.
There is a happy ending, but no one is changed or resurrected. That is, of course, Mindy changes, but most of the book is us watching her learn more about herself and what is going on. By the end, her world is completely changed and she is the same, but different in how she understands herself, her relationship with her father and what it can never be, her friends who are always there for her, and her relationship with her mother and what it can still be.
This is a journey of accepting what is.
Writing:
The interesting thing about this one is that it is majorly stream of consciousness. It was fascinating to watch the story move from the present time and suddenly you are in the past because something triggered a memory. It is seamless and easy to follow. This would be a great book to study for this kind of writing. The style is also an excellent choice for understanding a person processing the grief of loss and losing. It’s told in first person, past tense, and separated in blocks and chapters, sometimes with journal entry dates.
Another thing to look at is the scene where she calls her best friend, Gail. I loved how the dialogue and actions were weaved together. We don’t have phones with long cords anymore, but this is also an excellent study on how to write action with dialogue where nothing is really going on. The scene was compelling and never left me with “talking heads”.
One could also say this is a useful study for character development—we get very clear pictures of who her mom and dad are, even though we don’t see much of them in the present. Her mom is characterized in memories of how things should be and how they are not. Triggers exist like certain words or sayings that her mom would always do or say. We got to know those sayings incredibly well as they were woven into the world in and around Mindy. Thus, we know who her mom is and what she is like, even though throughout the story, that person is not there.
End:
Idk if I will write a review for every book I read. I’m ambitious, but also neurodivergent. I bite off more that I can chew. I probably won’t even start every book I’m not familiar with. But! Those who never try, never die! Wait. No. That doesn’t work here. I’m going to go see what my family is up to.
Hey. There is more love for you out there. Don’t give up. ❤ Have a good!
N. K. Valek: Author 