this was an abolutely pitch perfect book. it was a finalist for the US national book award in 1999; how did it not win? how can it be written thirteen years ago and it feel so current? it should be mandatory reading for every girl entering high school.

the main character's voice was so fresh. i thought veronica mars had cornered the market for the cynical-yet-sensitive teen - but this book existed long before veronica mars was invented. and her choice of words, her sentence contruction: beautiful. Poetry.

and imbedded in the story is highschool, and highschool english classes that teach how to identify symbolism inside books and every single reader then knows to see her as this diseased tree that needs pruning to be saved. her laying under the tree during her rape...

yes, rape. the story is a 14 yo gets raped and she tells no one. not her friends, not her family. in the process, she alienates her social group and becomes a pariah as she enters high school. so highschool is as miserable an experience as you can imagine. her depression deepens; the symptoms are obvious but instead of giving her help, she's labelled a behavior problem. you're on her side but every imaginable outcome - of revenge, of vindication, of compassion - that you're hoping for simply cannot happen. it wouldn't be a realistic ending. and doesn't the author have a responsibility to show the way through this terrible trauma without a miracle occuring?

well, she does. a simple and anomynous act that's acknowledged by others. this validates her experience. and that's all it takes to move forward. (ok, the author then adds a further conclusion that has her standing her ground against her attacker. this seems over-the-top and unnecessary to me) but the real impetus to change is in yourself, not waiting for a change in others.

the book doesn't end all sunshine and roses. bad things happen. you move on. an excellent message of resillience.