UnravelingMichelle Baldini & Lynn Biederman
Delacorte
Published July 8, 2008
Source: Borrowed from Library
Summary: Amanda Himmelfarb lives a far from perfect life. She never quite measures up to the expectations of her mother--The Captain. She is the target of popular girl Courtney "Fakey Flakey". And her year long crush, Paul, is far from Prince Charming. So when Rick, Courtney's boyfriend, offers Amanda a deal that is sure to make her popular, will Amanda be able to resist or will she have to suffer the consequences?
Review: Since reading a starred review of Unraveling in Publishers Weekly, I have been dying to get my hands on this book. While I found the book to be entertaining, it fell short of my expectations.
I was far from impressed by the character development. Very simply put, Amanda lacked depth. While I was hoping Amanda would eventually become a strong, independent young woman, she remained spineless throughout the novel. Being a static character, she never quite mustered up enough courage to stand up for herself, but in the end it showed an accurate portrayal of a typical teenaged girl.
In addition, while this book was full of bright moments which made me laugh, it had its equal share of moments that fell flat. I was not consistently immersed in the book until the last 60 pages or so, and I wanted to give up on it a few times. I am glad I stuck it out because the resolution left me satisfied.
Perhaps the best thing about Unraveling was its format. Rather than just your typical prose, this novel consisted of emails and fortunes from fortune cookies (Amanda collects them). In addition, each altercation between Amanda and her mother was given a clever name, such as Commotion at the Ocean, Slayed over Grades, and Butting Heads over Threads. Finally, Amanda's poems (written by Gabrielle Biederman) breathed life into this book. These beautifully written pieces gave us insight as to whom Amanda truly was.
While this book had its flaws, it provided an authentic look into the life of a teenager and is worth a read.
Score: 6-Good, enjoyable, but not great
Special Note: This book contains mature content that may be better suited for older readers.
2 comments:
By looking at the cover, I would read it. I'm surprised you gave it an alright rating. I think I'd still give it a go.
Thanks for the review!
I am surprised as well. I really thought I was going to love. It was okay, just not quite my cup of tea. But you should definitely read it for yourself.
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