This is how I'm feeling about my latest authorial discovery: Shannon Hale. Grand, grand, grand. YA writer and good at what she does. I wasn't too impressed with her first book, Princess Academy, even though it was a Newberry Honor book (what do they know?). But I adore her Bayern series. Goose Girl was great, River Secrets was fantastic, and I expect great things for Enna Burning and any other Bayern books. Hale also wrote Austenland for adults, and that's on my list.
So thumbs up for Shannon Hale. She writes for that hard-to-write-for tween audience. Old enough to cognitively understand "grown-up" writing, but too young for adult themes. I lean conservatively as to what I think it appropriate for tweens, and Hale does just fine. When I have a daughter, I'll buy her everything that Hale has written. I think my sons will like her work as well. And she is great for adults who want a good novel. (Anjanette and Liz, try this one. Start with Goose Girl. Then let me know what you think.)
Thumbs down, on the other hand, for Red Scarf Girl by Ji Li Jiang. I was expecting great things from this book because it's one of the novels taught at a sister school in my previous school district. The English teachers there love it. Personal narrative about a young girl experiencing the cultural revolution of Mao Tse Tung in China. Fascinating topic. Good characters.
But poor writing. Bland:
"Shut up," she said.
Thank you very much. BOOORRRRING.
Sad, because it had great plot potential. Fell flat. I think it would be fine taught in a history class, but as literature . . . no way. Just didn't have it.
But speaking of historical narratives---I've also been perusing Benazir Bhutto's Daughter of Destiny. Bhutto was the first female prime minister in Pakistan and was assassinated in 2007. I know so little about Pakistan, but this is a compelling read. I have been skimming it, but I need to just settle down and read it from the start. She's a good writer. I like it. I'd recommend it.
1 comment:
Deborah, you're judging Red Scarf Girl on the wrong merits. It's a very powerful book particularly because it's true. It provides food for rich discussion. I wouldn't judge it based on language because the author's first language was Chinese. She succeeds in writing a moving and thought provoking memoir and introduces young people to the truth about the cultural revolution. I loved Red Scarf Girl and I'm planning to have Emma read it in the fall.
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