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Weightless
Prep meets The Virgin Suicides in a haunting coming-of-age story for the digital generation and an examination of the hypocrisy of small town life, where no one quite knows where rumour ends and truth begins'A provocative and timely novel that unsettles the reader and challenges our view of contemporary youth. Its subject matter is universal; parents and children around the world will recognise the difficult and fractured society it depicts' John BoyneAdamsville wasn't a place that people came to. It was a place you were from, where you were born, where you were raised, where you stayed…Before Carolyn Lessing arrived, nothing much had ever happened in Adamsville, Alabama. Each week, at dinner tables and in the high school assembly, everyone would pray for the football team to win. Each year, the Adams High hotlist would be updated, and girls would rise and fall within its ranks. Each day, everyone lived by the unwritten rules that cheerleaders did not hang out with the swim team, seniors did not date freshmen and the blistering heat was something that should never be remarked upon. But then the new girl came. All Carolyn's social media could reveal was that she had moved from New Jersey, she had 1075 friends – and she didn't have a relationship status. In beach photos with boys who looked like Abercrombie models she seemed beautiful, but in real life she was so much more. She was perfect.This was all before the camera crews arrived, before it became impossible to see where rumour ended and truth began, and before the Annual Adamsville Balloon Festival, when someone swore they saw the captain of the football team with his arm around Carolyn, and cracks began to appear in the dry earth.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 12, 2015
About the author
Sarah Bannan
3 books57 followersSarah Bannan was born in 1978 in upstate New York. She graduated from Georgetown University in 2000 and then moved to Ireland, where she has lived ever since. She is the Head of Literature at the Irish Arts Council and lives in Dublin with her husband and daughter.
@sarahkeegs
@sarahkeegs
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 284 reviews
May 19, 2015
When I started reading this book I completely and totally hated it. I kept thinking I shouldn't dnf another book since I had already done so that day. Thank the book goddess that I kept reading.
Now why am I giving five stars to a book that I'm going to rant about? Because this book makes you feel things. Not necessarily good things, but you can't help but feel something.
The book reads from the point of view of "we". The reader never learns who the "we" of the book are, but that makes it even more powerful in the end. Because all of us are "we."
Adams High School in Alabama. That small town school where the classes are mostly made up of the kids from the better parts of town. The use of all the brand names in this book almost drove me fucking crazy. The first half of this book is so populated with brand names, movie references and celebrity names that I couldn't overlook it. It was impossible. Then I realized that a high school girl would be more obsessed with these things.
The girls in this book. WHY?! Why do books like this have to exist? Why do we keep beating each other down? Why that jealousy? I got so furious at this book that it really made me sick to my stomach. Books like this one should not have to be written for people to stop this bullying shit.
Carolyn moves to this small southern town and quickly becomes one of the "popular" girls. She has the best boyfriend (who had been seeing the queen bee of the school-Brooke) and she is voted top hottie of the school on a website. She gets that vote for homecoming king. The thing is-she pissed off Ms. Queen Bee Brooke. It might not bite her in the ass at that minute but you know it's coming. Fucking teenage girls.
Carolyn is dating Shane Duggan. That boy who is the golden boy of the football team. The one everyone wants to date.
He asked Shane Duggan to come to the microphone. As Shane approached him, people screamed, squealed, shouted, "Duggs!"
Shane smiled, took the microphone: "Can y'all bow your heads and pray?" We did as he said.
Yep, this school is bible-belt-white-bread. Those kids can't do anything wrong. Right? Fucking bullshit. They drink, do drugs, have sex, stab each other in the back, you know...normal teenage stuff.
I thought when I was hating this book that it's probably going to be the next biggest seller. I hope now it is. Maybe some little shit will read it and think twice about posting some hateful lies about a classmate on social media.
Everyone should read this book. All the band geeks, the goths, the nerds, the popular princesses and the jocks. And then fucking take a stand. Make this shit stop so that books like this don't have to be written. Quit being chicken shit and being the "we" that sit back and think "It's not any of my business" as you talk about that person behind their backs.
*drops microphone*
Now why am I giving five stars to a book that I'm going to rant about? Because this book makes you feel things. Not necessarily good things, but you can't help but feel something.
The book reads from the point of view of "we". The reader never learns who the "we" of the book are, but that makes it even more powerful in the end. Because all of us are "we."
Adams High School in Alabama. That small town school where the classes are mostly made up of the kids from the better parts of town. The use of all the brand names in this book almost drove me fucking crazy. The first half of this book is so populated with brand names, movie references and celebrity names that I couldn't overlook it. It was impossible. Then I realized that a high school girl would be more obsessed with these things.
The girls in this book. WHY?! Why do books like this have to exist? Why do we keep beating each other down? Why that jealousy? I got so furious at this book that it really made me sick to my stomach. Books like this one should not have to be written for people to stop this bullying shit.
Carolyn moves to this small southern town and quickly becomes one of the "popular" girls. She has the best boyfriend (who had been seeing the queen bee of the school-Brooke) and she is voted top hottie of the school on a website. She gets that vote for homecoming king. The thing is-she pissed off Ms. Queen Bee Brooke. It might not bite her in the ass at that minute but you know it's coming. Fucking teenage girls.
Carolyn is dating Shane Duggan. That boy who is the golden boy of the football team. The one everyone wants to date.
He asked Shane Duggan to come to the microphone. As Shane approached him, people screamed, squealed, shouted, "Duggs!"
Shane smiled, took the microphone: "Can y'all bow your heads and pray?" We did as he said.
Yep, this school is bible-belt-white-bread. Those kids can't do anything wrong. Right? Fucking bullshit. They drink, do drugs, have sex, stab each other in the back, you know...normal teenage stuff.
I thought when I was hating this book that it's probably going to be the next biggest seller. I hope now it is. Maybe some little shit will read it and think twice about posting some hateful lies about a classmate on social media.
Everyone should read this book. All the band geeks, the goths, the nerds, the popular princesses and the jocks. And then fucking take a stand. Make this shit stop so that books like this don't have to be written. Quit being chicken shit and being the "we" that sit back and think "It's not any of my business" as you talk about that person behind their backs.
*drops microphone*
May 19, 2015
5 Stars!!
‘Weightless’ was a gut wrenching, though-provoking story that moved me so much I can’t even describe. It was one of the best YA novel and for sure it’s the best book with this subject matter I’ve read so far. The subject matter? Bullying. Reading this book I felt like someone had ripped my heart out of my chest. It rarely happens for a reason or another to put a book aside, but with this book I had to. I took several breaks from reading it, simply because I felt too much. I didn’t like want I was feeling. I loved this book, but I didn’t enjoy it. Needless to say this book didn’t make me happy. Not at all! It made me so angry...I don’t have words to tell you how angry and full of rage I was at times.
We all know what bullying is and how can affect someone emotionally. We all are different from each other. And we all feel differently. For so many reasons Carolyn’s case, the heroine in this novel is the worst and reading her story you will figure out why.
This book is about Carolyn Lessing, a 15 years old girl who moves with her mother from New Jersey to Adamsville, Alabama. Carolyn is smart, funny, friendly and...thin. She loves sports and art, she’s good at everything. She’s a role model. She seems perfect. Carolyn is simply different from anyone. She never expected to be so welcomed by this small community, by all the kids (apparently), by all her teachers. And she certainly didn’t expect to become so popular in a very short time. But she did. Every girl wants to be like her or to be her friend and (maybe) every boy wants to be her boyfriend.
But what Carolyn doesn’t know is that this high school in the small city of Adamsville has its own dynamic and its own rules. Rules that not even a new, popular girl like her can change. Everything changes for her (and not only) when she starts dating one of the star football players.
'Weightless' was wonderfully written in a strange, but very unique way and like I mentioned earlier moved me beyond words. It was compelling, haunting, raw and so real. The realness of the story was heartbreaking and the writing was evocative and so honest. It was so powerful than even if the story it’s not told from first POV, you feel and see everything. It’s also a gripping story. At first you are curious to know what will happen with Carolyn, who is ‘we’ and after, when you know for sure that ‘something’ will happen you continue reading because you are curious how everything will progress. It goes without saying this book it’s relatable and also eye-opening.
The narrator of this book it’s not the bullied, Carolyn, like I expected. It’s not the bully either. It’s ‘we’. Who is this ‘we’? Well, I guess it’s debatable. 'We' could mean those who witnessed the bullying or all of us who choose not to do anything when we witness this cruel and ugly behavior. This was my first time reading a book written in the first book plural. I admit at first it was a little weird. After reading a couple of chapters I got used to it and after reading some more I found it fascinating. IMO it was perfect because of the sensitive subject matter. The story was more gripping in some way because of it.
Everyone in this small town is very religious. Every Sunday all of them go to church...but not to pray or anything. Just...for other reasons. Religion and Christianity play a certain role here, but there are not ‘real’. These people are not good Christians. They are false. Every one of them. As for the bullying, every character is guilty for what happens with Carolyn – the teachers, the other kids and even Carolyn’s mother. Every one of them see or suspect something, but they choose not to do anything, because it’s not their problem, because they were not for what’s going on (bullshit), because it’s not their responsibility. It’s easier to look the other way, right? These people made me sick. They disgusted me. I can’t even...
And her mother...God...how clueless can you be as a mother. You live with your daughter and you don’t have any idea what’s going on in ‘her’ life or that she has a mental collapse?!
I was fortunate not to be bullied and I didn’t ‘have the pleasure’ to witness bullying so I can’t say I related with Carolyn or that I really comprehended her, but even if the story is not written from her perspective, I didn’t feel like I was needing more (her POV), because the story is told in such a way you practically are the bully as much as you are the bullied. And also like I mentioned earlier you are ‘we’. As a reader you know when she mentally collapses. You ‘see’ the change and you wonder what will happen next. The bullying aspect is done well. The bullies hurt her, humiliates her and harms her physically and emotionally. They destroy her with each and every day and eventually they completely kill her spirit. I’m not gonna lie, it was difficult to read at times what happened with Carolyn. Her story brought tears to my eyes more than once. Her story was terrifying. I felt what she felt and it was heartbreaking.
Another aspect that is done really well is the cyberbullying. These days, preteens and teens spend a lot of time socializing online. We get to see here the role of social media in bullying. Maybe this cyberbullying is not as worse as ‘the real bullying’, but is still bullying and can affect everyone one of us differently. Carolyn was affected by all of it and it was heartbreaking to see it, to witness it. She was so lonely and lost...God, I wanted so badly to give her a hug.
As for ‘we’ represents those who witness bullying and choose not to be involved in any way. But they are worse than that. They spy and gossip, they don’t respect Carolyn’s privacy and this way they contribute to the bullying. Maybe they are as worse as the bullies. Who knows?!
I would recommend this book to any teenager and parent out there and to any reader who wants to read something powerful, real, honest, emotional and educative.
“She was thin before, and she was thinnier now—we tried to get the guys to say it was gross, to say that they liked to have something to hold on to. But they didn’t say much and deep down, or maybe not even that deep, we wanted her body to be ours. To know what it would be like to be that light, to be that invisible, to be weightless—that was something we wanted to know.“
‘Weightless’ was a gut wrenching, though-provoking story that moved me so much I can’t even describe. It was one of the best YA novel and for sure it’s the best book with this subject matter I’ve read so far. The subject matter? Bullying. Reading this book I felt like someone had ripped my heart out of my chest. It rarely happens for a reason or another to put a book aside, but with this book I had to. I took several breaks from reading it, simply because I felt too much. I didn’t like want I was feeling. I loved this book, but I didn’t enjoy it. Needless to say this book didn’t make me happy. Not at all! It made me so angry...I don’t have words to tell you how angry and full of rage I was at times.
We all know what bullying is and how can affect someone emotionally. We all are different from each other. And we all feel differently. For so many reasons Carolyn’s case, the heroine in this novel is the worst and reading her story you will figure out why.
This book is about Carolyn Lessing, a 15 years old girl who moves with her mother from New Jersey to Adamsville, Alabama. Carolyn is smart, funny, friendly and...thin. She loves sports and art, she’s good at everything. She’s a role model. She seems perfect. Carolyn is simply different from anyone. She never expected to be so welcomed by this small community, by all the kids (apparently), by all her teachers. And she certainly didn’t expect to become so popular in a very short time. But she did. Every girl wants to be like her or to be her friend and (maybe) every boy wants to be her boyfriend.
But what Carolyn doesn’t know is that this high school in the small city of Adamsville has its own dynamic and its own rules. Rules that not even a new, popular girl like her can change. Everything changes for her (and not only) when she starts dating one of the star football players.
'Weightless' was wonderfully written in a strange, but very unique way and like I mentioned earlier moved me beyond words. It was compelling, haunting, raw and so real. The realness of the story was heartbreaking and the writing was evocative and so honest. It was so powerful than even if the story it’s not told from first POV, you feel and see everything. It’s also a gripping story. At first you are curious to know what will happen with Carolyn, who is ‘we’ and after, when you know for sure that ‘something’ will happen you continue reading because you are curious how everything will progress. It goes without saying this book it’s relatable and also eye-opening.
The narrator of this book it’s not the bullied, Carolyn, like I expected. It’s not the bully either. It’s ‘we’. Who is this ‘we’? Well, I guess it’s debatable. 'We' could mean those who witnessed the bullying or all of us who choose not to do anything when we witness this cruel and ugly behavior. This was my first time reading a book written in the first book plural. I admit at first it was a little weird. After reading a couple of chapters I got used to it and after reading some more I found it fascinating. IMO it was perfect because of the sensitive subject matter. The story was more gripping in some way because of it.
Everyone in this small town is very religious. Every Sunday all of them go to church...but not to pray or anything. Just...for other reasons. Religion and Christianity play a certain role here, but there are not ‘real’. These people are not good Christians. They are false. Every one of them. As for the bullying, every character is guilty for what happens with Carolyn – the teachers, the other kids and even Carolyn’s mother. Every one of them see or suspect something, but they choose not to do anything, because it’s not their problem, because they were not for what’s going on (bullshit), because it’s not their responsibility. It’s easier to look the other way, right? These people made me sick. They disgusted me. I can’t even...
And her mother...God...how clueless can you be as a mother. You live with your daughter and you don’t have any idea what’s going on in ‘her’ life or that she has a mental collapse?!
I was fortunate not to be bullied and I didn’t ‘have the pleasure’ to witness bullying so I can’t say I related with Carolyn or that I really comprehended her, but even if the story is not written from her perspective, I didn’t feel like I was needing more (her POV), because the story is told in such a way you practically are the bully as much as you are the bullied. And also like I mentioned earlier you are ‘we’. As a reader you know when she mentally collapses. You ‘see’ the change and you wonder what will happen next. The bullying aspect is done well. The bullies hurt her, humiliates her and harms her physically and emotionally. They destroy her with each and every day and eventually they completely kill her spirit. I’m not gonna lie, it was difficult to read at times what happened with Carolyn. Her story brought tears to my eyes more than once. Her story was terrifying. I felt what she felt and it was heartbreaking.
Another aspect that is done really well is the cyberbullying. These days, preteens and teens spend a lot of time socializing online. We get to see here the role of social media in bullying. Maybe this cyberbullying is not as worse as ‘the real bullying’, but is still bullying and can affect everyone one of us differently. Carolyn was affected by all of it and it was heartbreaking to see it, to witness it. She was so lonely and lost...God, I wanted so badly to give her a hug.
As for ‘we’ represents those who witness bullying and choose not to be involved in any way. But they are worse than that. They spy and gossip, they don’t respect Carolyn’s privacy and this way they contribute to the bullying. Maybe they are as worse as the bullies. Who knows?!
I would recommend this book to any teenager and parent out there and to any reader who wants to read something powerful, real, honest, emotional and educative.
“Years later, when things did start to feel more normal, the guilt would kick in. You did something horrible. And you're too horrible to even realize it.”
October 2, 2015
WOW... what an excellent novel. Powerful stuff.
At first I was kind of annoyed with the book, but after a few chapters I was no longer annoyed, I was hooked. I think this might be the first book I've read that's written in first person plural. While it was very different at first, it ended up working really well for the story.
New girl, Carolyn has just moved to a small town in Alabama, where gossip runs rampant, especially in High school. At first 15-year-old, Carolyn fits in easily, making friends with the cheerleaders and dating High School senior Shane, the star of the football team. She's even nominated for homecoming court. Most of the students are enamored with her, her beauty, her wealth. She seems to have it all. However, it's not long before things start to unravel. First she gains a bitter rival in Brooke, her new boyfriends ex-girlfriend. Brooke already has it out for her. After someone takes a video of Carolyn and Shane making out she's soon referred to by many as the "school slut". Things continue to spiral downward for Carolyn, and many watch as the bullying, both online and in real life, gets worse. Now this is the bible belt. Where the captain of the football team (Shane) bows his head and asks everyone to pray before the big game. Everyone attends church on Sunday. Where the kids quote bible verses on their social media pages. But unfortunately that's not all they're posting.
I read an article where the author mentioned that "Weightless" is loosely based on a 2010 news story. When I read that, I was tempted to search and see what I could find out. However, I wanted to read what happened in the book first. After I finished the book I did search and it wasn't the news story I was thinking of which makes it even worse. It is a tragic story. Both the book and the real story. And it's not even like this is an isolated event. Not even close. This is going on EVERYWHERE. Why? Why do our children's High Schools end up as battlegrounds? Where they have to watch every thing they do because it can end up being posted for the WORLD to see? I can't even imagine being a teenager now. You do something silly and it's caught on camera. You trip and fall and instead of anyone helping people are taking video or pictures. When I was young if someone made out or "hooked up" with someone it was gossiped about but NOW? Now they have to worry that someone is taking a video of them and can show it to everyone in school AND everyone online! Like I said I can't even imagine living teenage life now.
That's why books like this are important. If it can help someone to feel a little less alone. Or if it can help someone realize that they don't have to sit back and watch, or worse join in the bullying. If they realize that what they post online can not just hurt someone but destroy someone's life.
"Weightless" is Sarah Bannan's first novel. She also grew up in a small town. So she's maintained that a lot of the events (including things like homecoming, float-making and the balloon festival) were things that did happen and were a huge part of the lives of high school students. I not only loved Sarah's writing but also how she broke up the narration with newspaper articles, meeting minutes, Facebook posts, letters etc. The author wanted people to "feel like they were eavesdropping on a conversation that they maybe weren't meant to hear" and I absolutely felt that way. This book was so emotional and intense. I'm really glad I read it. I wish I could force everyone to read it.
At first I was kind of annoyed with the book, but after a few chapters I was no longer annoyed, I was hooked. I think this might be the first book I've read that's written in first person plural. While it was very different at first, it ended up working really well for the story.
New girl, Carolyn has just moved to a small town in Alabama, where gossip runs rampant, especially in High school. At first 15-year-old, Carolyn fits in easily, making friends with the cheerleaders and dating High School senior Shane, the star of the football team. She's even nominated for homecoming court. Most of the students are enamored with her, her beauty, her wealth. She seems to have it all. However, it's not long before things start to unravel. First she gains a bitter rival in Brooke, her new boyfriends ex-girlfriend. Brooke already has it out for her. After someone takes a video of Carolyn and Shane making out she's soon referred to by many as the "school slut". Things continue to spiral downward for Carolyn, and many watch as the bullying, both online and in real life, gets worse. Now this is the bible belt. Where the captain of the football team (Shane) bows his head and asks everyone to pray before the big game. Everyone attends church on Sunday. Where the kids quote bible verses on their social media pages. But unfortunately that's not all they're posting.
I read an article where the author mentioned that "Weightless" is loosely based on a 2010 news story. When I read that, I was tempted to search and see what I could find out. However, I wanted to read what happened in the book first. After I finished the book I did search and it wasn't the news story I was thinking of which makes it even worse. It is a tragic story. Both the book and the real story. And it's not even like this is an isolated event. Not even close. This is going on EVERYWHERE. Why? Why do our children's High Schools end up as battlegrounds? Where they have to watch every thing they do because it can end up being posted for the WORLD to see? I can't even imagine being a teenager now. You do something silly and it's caught on camera. You trip and fall and instead of anyone helping people are taking video or pictures. When I was young if someone made out or "hooked up" with someone it was gossiped about but NOW? Now they have to worry that someone is taking a video of them and can show it to everyone in school AND everyone online! Like I said I can't even imagine living teenage life now.
That's why books like this are important. If it can help someone to feel a little less alone. Or if it can help someone realize that they don't have to sit back and watch, or worse join in the bullying. If they realize that what they post online can not just hurt someone but destroy someone's life.
"Weightless" is Sarah Bannan's first novel. She also grew up in a small town. So she's maintained that a lot of the events (including things like homecoming, float-making and the balloon festival) were things that did happen and were a huge part of the lives of high school students. I not only loved Sarah's writing but also how she broke up the narration with newspaper articles, meeting minutes, Facebook posts, letters etc. The author wanted people to "feel like they were eavesdropping on a conversation that they maybe weren't meant to hear" and I absolutely felt that way. This book was so emotional and intense. I'm really glad I read it. I wish I could force everyone to read it.
August 11, 2015
4.5 stars
Out of the almost 700 books I have rated and reviewed on Goodreads, Weightless emerges as the best book I have read about bullying. I loved the prose, hated the characters, and by the end of the story I started to question my own complicity in the cruelty I have witnessed within my own life. I may have finished high school two years ago, but this book brought that time of my life back like an unforgiving roundhouse kick to the heart.
Carolyn Lessing is the girl everyone wants to be. Born and raised in New Jersey, she looks gorgeous, earns stellar grades, excels at athletics, and acts genuinely nice to everyone. So, of course, the cliques of Adams High School swallow her up - until one by one, they spit her out. The torture starts when Carolyn befriends Shane, a senior football start, which upsets his on-again/off-again girlfriend, Brooke. Through spreading nasty rumors and scandalous videos online, Brooke and her cohort descend upon Carolyn and tear her apart. Within a year we see the devastating consequences of this horrid, unfortunate brawl.
The atmosphere of this conservative Alabama town felt way too real. Sarah Bannan's writing captures the nuances and the politics of a rural setting so well: how everyone knows each others' business, the way certain families get reputations that stick forever, and the lulling sense of quiet that so often leads to gossip and drama. Bannan's prose reminded me of what it feels like to drink bottled water as an environment-conscious person - the liquid words sustain you and give you life, even when you know the consumption will end in disaster.
The first person plural narration acts as the absolute highlight of Weightless. We see Carolyn's fall from grace all through the eyes of a nameless "We." This miscellaneous group of students watches as Carolyn gets teased, pushed, slandered, and hurt. They offer their judgments and opinions without taking any action at all. Bannan wields their point of view to draw us closer to the emotional slaughter taking place in Adams High School, all while imposing a cold anonymity and ubiquity that surrounds Carolyn's suffering. A quote I found unsettling and striking from early on in the story, about the narrator's thoughts in hindsight:
"There are things that only make sense now - things that are only clear once the story is finished, once the past is the past. If we had realized what was happening, we might have stood up, shouted or at least cleared our throats. But you have to understand how quickly things move, how blurry your vision is as a car passes you by, how fast a balloon can fly out of your hands and get caught somewhere you cannot reach or even see - we didn't know what we know now. We couldn't have. If we had, things could have been - would have been - different."
The first person plural narration suits this book so well because it reinforces the fact that we are all responsible for helping those around us and preventing situations like Carolyn's. I, Thomas, am responsible, and so are you, reader of this review. It is not enough to give ourselves pats on the back for not being a bully. Rather, I hope everyone who reads Weightless recognizes that none of us are, indeed, weightless, and that we each have the power to intervene when we notice something amiss. Bannan's use of the narrative "we" creates a wide view of Carolyn's despair and emphasizes just how many people could have done something at so many different times. Her classmates, her teachers, her mom, or even just random adults in town could have stood by her side. But no one took the time to even bother, and Bannan highlights just how awful that lack of caring really is. Another quote from later on in the book that broke my heart:
"We thought it would never feel better, that this would stay around our necks forever. We'd carry it with us to college, and to our first jobs, and into our marriages, and bestow it on our children and then our grandchildren. Not a gift, but a curse, or just a heavy stone that you picked up as a child and never took out of your pocket. Later, when things did start to feel more normal, the guilt would kick in: You did something horrible. And you are too horrible even to realize it."
Overall, an immersive and uncomfortable read that exposes the cost of staying silent in the face of wrongdoing. Recommended to anyone interested in YA realistic fiction, high school drama and conflict, as well as to fans of Courtney Summers. I wish this book could be required reading for all ninth and tenth grade high school students. I feel that that would save us from a lot of trouble.
Out of the almost 700 books I have rated and reviewed on Goodreads, Weightless emerges as the best book I have read about bullying. I loved the prose, hated the characters, and by the end of the story I started to question my own complicity in the cruelty I have witnessed within my own life. I may have finished high school two years ago, but this book brought that time of my life back like an unforgiving roundhouse kick to the heart.
Carolyn Lessing is the girl everyone wants to be. Born and raised in New Jersey, she looks gorgeous, earns stellar grades, excels at athletics, and acts genuinely nice to everyone. So, of course, the cliques of Adams High School swallow her up - until one by one, they spit her out. The torture starts when Carolyn befriends Shane, a senior football start, which upsets his on-again/off-again girlfriend, Brooke. Through spreading nasty rumors and scandalous videos online, Brooke and her cohort descend upon Carolyn and tear her apart. Within a year we see the devastating consequences of this horrid, unfortunate brawl.
The atmosphere of this conservative Alabama town felt way too real. Sarah Bannan's writing captures the nuances and the politics of a rural setting so well: how everyone knows each others' business, the way certain families get reputations that stick forever, and the lulling sense of quiet that so often leads to gossip and drama. Bannan's prose reminded me of what it feels like to drink bottled water as an environment-conscious person - the liquid words sustain you and give you life, even when you know the consumption will end in disaster.
The first person plural narration acts as the absolute highlight of Weightless. We see Carolyn's fall from grace all through the eyes of a nameless "We." This miscellaneous group of students watches as Carolyn gets teased, pushed, slandered, and hurt. They offer their judgments and opinions without taking any action at all. Bannan wields their point of view to draw us closer to the emotional slaughter taking place in Adams High School, all while imposing a cold anonymity and ubiquity that surrounds Carolyn's suffering. A quote I found unsettling and striking from early on in the story, about the narrator's thoughts in hindsight:
"There are things that only make sense now - things that are only clear once the story is finished, once the past is the past. If we had realized what was happening, we might have stood up, shouted or at least cleared our throats. But you have to understand how quickly things move, how blurry your vision is as a car passes you by, how fast a balloon can fly out of your hands and get caught somewhere you cannot reach or even see - we didn't know what we know now. We couldn't have. If we had, things could have been - would have been - different."
The first person plural narration suits this book so well because it reinforces the fact that we are all responsible for helping those around us and preventing situations like Carolyn's. I, Thomas, am responsible, and so are you, reader of this review. It is not enough to give ourselves pats on the back for not being a bully. Rather, I hope everyone who reads Weightless recognizes that none of us are, indeed, weightless, and that we each have the power to intervene when we notice something amiss. Bannan's use of the narrative "we" creates a wide view of Carolyn's despair and emphasizes just how many people could have done something at so many different times. Her classmates, her teachers, her mom, or even just random adults in town could have stood by her side. But no one took the time to even bother, and Bannan highlights just how awful that lack of caring really is. Another quote from later on in the book that broke my heart:
"We thought it would never feel better, that this would stay around our necks forever. We'd carry it with us to college, and to our first jobs, and into our marriages, and bestow it on our children and then our grandchildren. Not a gift, but a curse, or just a heavy stone that you picked up as a child and never took out of your pocket. Later, when things did start to feel more normal, the guilt would kick in: You did something horrible. And you are too horrible even to realize it."
Overall, an immersive and uncomfortable read that exposes the cost of staying silent in the face of wrongdoing. Recommended to anyone interested in YA realistic fiction, high school drama and conflict, as well as to fans of Courtney Summers. I wish this book could be required reading for all ninth and tenth grade high school students. I feel that that would save us from a lot of trouble.
April 25, 2015
Well Jeez Louise, what a darkly unrelenting, brilliantly emotional and utterly authentic book that was. This one incidentally is another one that author Louise O Neill insisted I read - yep thanks Louise. As with "Bright Places" you've managed to find me another story that has left me emotionally traumatised. You and I are going to fall out (keep 'em coming)
So "Weightless" then deals in a unique way with the subject of bullying in the modern era, but it is so much more than that. A picture of life in a town where everyone knows everyone else, into this scenario comes Carolyn, new to the town, new to the school who immediately gains popularity and notoriety. But here is the thing when you are an interloper into a place like this, that has its own rhythms, a way of life that is smooth and knowable - make one wrong move and there is nowhere to run.
Written in a style that allows you to see things both from a distance and close up - our narrator is never named, she is "we" - observing these rhythms, sometimes involved, sometimes not, painting a picture for the reader of a place, a time and a girl - a picture that is utterly compelling, often melancholy and leading inexorably towards a conclusion that will hit you right where it hurts. You are aware very early on that things will not turn out well for Carolyn but the writing and the construction of this story is so vivid and engaging that you still kind of don't see it coming.
I was enthralled and often horrified, the thing that struck me most about "Weightless" is the sheer atmosphere of the piece - you are immersed into this town and this way of life without even realising it. Sarah Bannan has a way with words that just works on so many levels that I still feel like I've been turned inside out emotionally. It is possibly the most definitive fiction I've read with bullying as one of its themes - clever use of language, stark realism and a refusal to sugar coat any part of it makes this an absolute must read for teenagers and their parents alike.
Our narrator is really a most terrific creation considering you have no idea who she is - whilst she makes intensely canny observations about the things going on and what comes later, she also serves to remind the reader that nothing is ever black and white. Shades of grey are everywhere, nowhere more than during life in High School, where despite the cliques and the popularity stakes and everything else, ultimately they are all just children still - coming of age in today's world where social media and constant communication means that nothing ever belongs solely just to you but is often out there for the world to see. She also reminds us of the benefit of hindsight and how nuances of memory can change things from reality into something much more dramatic. EVERYTHING is magnified beyond the norm during these formative years, everything felt more deeply, the end of the world caused by what to an adult might be a most minor thing. By writing the book in the way she has, using a really genuinely intelligent storytelling technique the author has created something different and in this readers opinion very special.
Go read it. Go read it now.
Highly Recommended!
Happy Reading Folks!
So "Weightless" then deals in a unique way with the subject of bullying in the modern era, but it is so much more than that. A picture of life in a town where everyone knows everyone else, into this scenario comes Carolyn, new to the town, new to the school who immediately gains popularity and notoriety. But here is the thing when you are an interloper into a place like this, that has its own rhythms, a way of life that is smooth and knowable - make one wrong move and there is nowhere to run.
Written in a style that allows you to see things both from a distance and close up - our narrator is never named, she is "we" - observing these rhythms, sometimes involved, sometimes not, painting a picture for the reader of a place, a time and a girl - a picture that is utterly compelling, often melancholy and leading inexorably towards a conclusion that will hit you right where it hurts. You are aware very early on that things will not turn out well for Carolyn but the writing and the construction of this story is so vivid and engaging that you still kind of don't see it coming.
I was enthralled and often horrified, the thing that struck me most about "Weightless" is the sheer atmosphere of the piece - you are immersed into this town and this way of life without even realising it. Sarah Bannan has a way with words that just works on so many levels that I still feel like I've been turned inside out emotionally. It is possibly the most definitive fiction I've read with bullying as one of its themes - clever use of language, stark realism and a refusal to sugar coat any part of it makes this an absolute must read for teenagers and their parents alike.
Our narrator is really a most terrific creation considering you have no idea who she is - whilst she makes intensely canny observations about the things going on and what comes later, she also serves to remind the reader that nothing is ever black and white. Shades of grey are everywhere, nowhere more than during life in High School, where despite the cliques and the popularity stakes and everything else, ultimately they are all just children still - coming of age in today's world where social media and constant communication means that nothing ever belongs solely just to you but is often out there for the world to see. She also reminds us of the benefit of hindsight and how nuances of memory can change things from reality into something much more dramatic. EVERYTHING is magnified beyond the norm during these formative years, everything felt more deeply, the end of the world caused by what to an adult might be a most minor thing. By writing the book in the way she has, using a really genuinely intelligent storytelling technique the author has created something different and in this readers opinion very special.
Go read it. Go read it now.
Highly Recommended!
Happy Reading Folks!
March 4, 2020
“We were young and hopeful and beautiful and fearless, for just a few seconds,"
Weightless by Sarah Bannan
"We couldn’t talk – the sound of the wind was too much -and once we reached a certain height, after the people below us became unrecognizable, and after it was impossible to tell what was the person and what was the building, after that we held our breath, not wanting to add any weight or bring us closer to the ground: we wanted to be up high forever".
Weightless by Sarah Bannan
I do not know even where to begin with this book.
First, let me just say..I was i n tears.I am not speaking of the book. I am speaking of some of the reviews on here. Quite a few of them moved me to t ears and there isn't anything I can say that has not been said. There is so much love for this book and I understand why.
So, as many have said, this book is about bullying. I knew about Weightless. It has been on my TBR list for years. I figured it might be hard to read and it was.
I would also add it can be triggering to anyone who finds it hard to read about thus subject. This book goes into the weeds on bullying and I cannot stress how upsetting aspects of the book can be so know that before reading it.
The writing style, as many have said is languid and written in a dream like way that keeps the reader a bit distant from the story but at the same time, some of the prose is so luscious and ethereal and lovely one wants to melt into it. I particularly enjoyed the breathtaking scene of flying over head, in the hot air balloons.
At the same time the story is guttural. You know early on..that the new girl, Carolyn, will most likely come to a bad end. And it is tough reading because you get so attached to her. I know I did.
And Weightless will make you MAD..I do not remember a book in recent memory where I was this angry. As we read about the literal destruction of an individual, for no other reason than sport, it is hard not want to throw something.
Bullying was a big deal when I was in school. I was bullied as were many of my friends. I related to Carolyn. I too had the Naivete AND the wise ass aspect. I connected to her deeply.
I used to think about High School, "Well..things couldn't get worse". How wrong I was. I would NEVER EVER want to be a kid in today's times. I just..I cannot even imagine what it must be like.
In my opinion, school bullying should be illegal
What shocked me here was the narrator. As many have said, it is written from either the first party plural or first party single. An anonymous "we" tells the story but we do not really know anything about "We" except that she..or they..go the school.
"We" is almost a robot. The way she..or they..tell the story. Carolyn, in their brains, is not human. She is like a unique tropical bird, there for their viewing pleasure as they relentlessly look into every detail of her life and emulate her and stare at her they way one would a tiger at a zoo. She loses her humanness if she ever had any to begin with in the mind of We. "We" thinks of her as an object.
I expected some sort of humanity after what happened. But "we" never does get it. The cynicism with which she blames Carolyn..for breaking the clique rules..had me speechless. I had forgotton, you see, the petulance, the viciousness that only the bully can possess. And though "W e " is not the bully herself. all the onlookers have their own price to pay.
That is a controversial subject. I am a big fan of the film, "The Accused" In the film, a woman, played by Jodie Foster, is Gang raped while a bunch of people stand by and do nothing. The onlookers are eventually prosecuted themselves. It was a very controversial film but reading Weightless brought that film to mind. Just how accountable should all the "We's" be? I personally think..deeply, deeply accountable.
The teachers..well their actions did not surprise me. Look at the Scandal at the school in Ohio where so many boys were allegedly abused by the Athletic coach. Read that story. It is in the news right now. Allegedly, many of the coaches simply turned their backs.
Every day bullying happens in different ways. Weightless maybe fiction but the story that is told goes on and on and on.
So..in closing..I agree this should be required reading. It is a deeply emotional, soulful, moving piece of literature that is not fun to read and may leave you in tears.
Weightless by Sarah Bannan
"We couldn’t talk – the sound of the wind was too much -and once we reached a certain height, after the people below us became unrecognizable, and after it was impossible to tell what was the person and what was the building, after that we held our breath, not wanting to add any weight or bring us closer to the ground: we wanted to be up high forever".
Weightless by Sarah Bannan
I do not know even where to begin with this book.
First, let me just say..I was i n tears.I am not speaking of the book. I am speaking of some of the reviews on here. Quite a few of them moved me to t ears and there isn't anything I can say that has not been said. There is so much love for this book and I understand why.
So, as many have said, this book is about bullying. I knew about Weightless. It has been on my TBR list for years. I figured it might be hard to read and it was.
I would also add it can be triggering to anyone who finds it hard to read about thus subject. This book goes into the weeds on bullying and I cannot stress how upsetting aspects of the book can be so know that before reading it.
The writing style, as many have said is languid and written in a dream like way that keeps the reader a bit distant from the story but at the same time, some of the prose is so luscious and ethereal and lovely one wants to melt into it. I particularly enjoyed the breathtaking scene of flying over head, in the hot air balloons.
At the same time the story is guttural. You know early on..that the new girl, Carolyn, will most likely come to a bad end. And it is tough reading because you get so attached to her. I know I did.
And Weightless will make you MAD..I do not remember a book in recent memory where I was this angry. As we read about the literal destruction of an individual, for no other reason than sport, it is hard not want to throw something.
Bullying was a big deal when I was in school. I was bullied as were many of my friends. I related to Carolyn. I too had the Naivete AND the wise ass aspect. I connected to her deeply.
I used to think about High School, "Well..things couldn't get worse". How wrong I was. I would NEVER EVER want to be a kid in today's times. I just..I cannot even imagine what it must be like.
In my opinion, school bullying should be illegal
What shocked me here was the narrator. As many have said, it is written from either the first party plural or first party single. An anonymous "we" tells the story but we do not really know anything about "We" except that she..or they..go the school.
"We" is almost a robot. The way she..or they..tell the story. Carolyn, in their brains, is not human. She is like a unique tropical bird, there for their viewing pleasure as they relentlessly look into every detail of her life and emulate her and stare at her they way one would a tiger at a zoo. She loses her humanness if she ever had any to begin with in the mind of We. "We" thinks of her as an object.
I expected some sort of humanity after what happened. But "we" never does get it. The cynicism with which she blames Carolyn..for breaking the clique rules..had me speechless. I had forgotton, you see, the petulance, the viciousness that only the bully can possess. And though "W e " is not the bully herself. all the onlookers have their own price to pay.
That is a controversial subject. I am a big fan of the film, "The Accused" In the film, a woman, played by Jodie Foster, is Gang raped while a bunch of people stand by and do nothing. The onlookers are eventually prosecuted themselves. It was a very controversial film but reading Weightless brought that film to mind. Just how accountable should all the "We's" be? I personally think..deeply, deeply accountable.
The teachers..well their actions did not surprise me. Look at the Scandal at the school in Ohio where so many boys were allegedly abused by the Athletic coach. Read that story. It is in the news right now. Allegedly, many of the coaches simply turned their backs.
Every day bullying happens in different ways. Weightless maybe fiction but the story that is told goes on and on and on.
So..in closing..I agree this should be required reading. It is a deeply emotional, soulful, moving piece of literature that is not fun to read and may leave you in tears.
April 23, 2016
Ok.... I HATE, HATE, HATED the beginning of this book. I'm too old to listen to whiny, snobby, teenage gossip since this book is told in first person plural. I only kept reading to find out "the incident". Ahhh.....then it came together and made sense. Unpleasant, important topic that needs to be addressed and unfortunately happens in urban, suburban, and rural high schools.
March 27, 2015
This is a book about teenage bullying.
But, wait, don't stop there.
It's really just a book about life as a teenager in a small Southern town. Period. I've been a teenager in a small Southern town. This could be my life (OK, fine, I haven't been a teenager for decades.). It's not a sermon on bullying. It's just a slice of life in a particular time in a particular place, I think. And that's the genius of it....because I walked away not really knowing how I would have felt at sixteen and not even knowing I feel at forty-something.
Carolyn Lessing has moved from New Jersey (and not just New Jersey, but a cool private school that has its own entry on Urban Dictionary, so awesome New Jersey) to Adamsville, Alabama. They may call it "Adamasville". I called it "Tazewell, Virginia" and there are thousands of towns just like it....and if you lived in one, you knew it, "in Adamsville, we didn't pray that we'd graduate, that we'd get along, that we'd get good jobs or get into Ivy League schools. We didn't pray that some of us would manage to get out of here, that some of us might have a life outside of this town. We prayed for our football team, that they'd go undefeated, that we would get to State. That we would win." and note that said prayer is given by the Baptist minister and the church most people go to at a school event, not at church on Sunday (this was so common place so as to be unremarkable). Oh, and the HEAT. I'll be the first to admit that Virginia isn't Alabama, but the inland South is hot and humid in the summer. It's so oppressive sometimes you can't think about much else. Also, the drinking in the South....I can't speak for everyone, but, much like our narrator and her friends, I started drinking regularly at about age 13. I had no idea that was unusual until I went away to college. And the million little things, like the consideration of what to wear on the first day of school, and making fun of the clothing the faculty wore (which makes me so ashamed now). It all came so alive for me again And, again, if you lived there, you'd know.
So Carolyn arrives, with her cool clothes, great makeup and style such that Adamsville has never seen anything like her. She's incredibly beautiful so the school's elite, the football players and cheerleaders immediately take to her, but Carolyn makes a horrible error....in a town where everyone has known each other since nursery school there are couples that have been together forever. They are untouchable property. And Shane, who belongs to Brooke, falls for Carolyn, leading to massive hatred from Brooke and best friend, Gemma and, in some ways, but, interestingly enough not in some others infects the whole school.
Shane, Brooke, Gemma and even newly arrived Carolyn are part of the school's elite, the football players (where football is king and every other sport is an also ran) and the cheerleaders are queens. Our unnamed narrator and her friends are also-rans, wanna-bes. Members of the swim team. They used to be friends with the popular Taylor, but that was back in grade school before Taylor got pretty and became a cheerleader. Now Taylor pretends not to know them, but there are also a few hints that there may be even a lower social caste that our narrator and her friends don't speak to either. This isn't presented as anything special...it's just the way life works. It's high school. And most of these kids will go to the local community college, or maybe Alabama or Auburn if they are strivers, but, most likely, will return to Adamsville to raise their families. Substitute "Virginia and Virginia Tech in that last sentence and, again, my life.
We know from foreshadowing that this isn't going to work out well for Carolyn, but we're not sure what's going to happen, or why. And what may be surprising is the degree to which so many of the Adamsville students, even the ones who truly like her, like the narrator and her friends, are complicit, in small ways, in bringing her down. Part of it is just wanting to know her better, to understand how someone so different can exist. Another interesting tool Bannan employs are intermittent breaks in the chronological action with Facebook posts by the students (these bothered me a bit - do parents, especially parents like the Reverend Davies, really not monitor kids' internet activity?), as well as newspaper articles, PTA minutes and faculty reports, so we get some view from adults as well as from the teens.
And in the end....who is to blame? As I said, it's hard to know. So many people share so responsibility that it's difficult to find just a handful to punish (although a number are). This was just so well done, I can't say enough good things about it - there are no easy answers, but there shouldn't be. Congratulations to Bannan - I hope she finds I wide readership.
But, wait, don't stop there.
It's really just a book about life as a teenager in a small Southern town. Period. I've been a teenager in a small Southern town. This could be my life (OK, fine, I haven't been a teenager for decades.). It's not a sermon on bullying. It's just a slice of life in a particular time in a particular place, I think. And that's the genius of it....because I walked away not really knowing how I would have felt at sixteen and not even knowing I feel at forty-something.
Carolyn Lessing has moved from New Jersey (and not just New Jersey, but a cool private school that has its own entry on Urban Dictionary, so awesome New Jersey) to Adamsville, Alabama. They may call it "Adamasville". I called it "Tazewell, Virginia" and there are thousands of towns just like it....and if you lived in one, you knew it, "in Adamsville, we didn't pray that we'd graduate, that we'd get along, that we'd get good jobs or get into Ivy League schools. We didn't pray that some of us would manage to get out of here, that some of us might have a life outside of this town. We prayed for our football team, that they'd go undefeated, that we would get to State. That we would win." and note that said prayer is given by the Baptist minister and the church most people go to at a school event, not at church on Sunday (this was so common place so as to be unremarkable). Oh, and the HEAT. I'll be the first to admit that Virginia isn't Alabama, but the inland South is hot and humid in the summer. It's so oppressive sometimes you can't think about much else. Also, the drinking in the South....I can't speak for everyone, but, much like our narrator and her friends, I started drinking regularly at about age 13. I had no idea that was unusual until I went away to college. And the million little things, like the consideration of what to wear on the first day of school, and making fun of the clothing the faculty wore (which makes me so ashamed now). It all came so alive for me again And, again, if you lived there, you'd know.
So Carolyn arrives, with her cool clothes, great makeup and style such that Adamsville has never seen anything like her. She's incredibly beautiful so the school's elite, the football players and cheerleaders immediately take to her, but Carolyn makes a horrible error....in a town where everyone has known each other since nursery school there are couples that have been together forever. They are untouchable property. And Shane, who belongs to Brooke, falls for Carolyn, leading to massive hatred from Brooke and best friend, Gemma and, in some ways, but, interestingly enough not in some others infects the whole school.
Shane, Brooke, Gemma and even newly arrived Carolyn are part of the school's elite, the football players (where football is king and every other sport is an also ran) and the cheerleaders are queens. Our unnamed narrator and her friends are also-rans, wanna-bes. Members of the swim team. They used to be friends with the popular Taylor, but that was back in grade school before Taylor got pretty and became a cheerleader. Now Taylor pretends not to know them, but there are also a few hints that there may be even a lower social caste that our narrator and her friends don't speak to either. This isn't presented as anything special...it's just the way life works. It's high school. And most of these kids will go to the local community college, or maybe Alabama or Auburn if they are strivers, but, most likely, will return to Adamsville to raise their families. Substitute "Virginia and Virginia Tech in that last sentence and, again, my life.
We know from foreshadowing that this isn't going to work out well for Carolyn, but we're not sure what's going to happen, or why. And what may be surprising is the degree to which so many of the Adamsville students, even the ones who truly like her, like the narrator and her friends, are complicit, in small ways, in bringing her down. Part of it is just wanting to know her better, to understand how someone so different can exist. Another interesting tool Bannan employs are intermittent breaks in the chronological action with Facebook posts by the students (these bothered me a bit - do parents, especially parents like the Reverend Davies, really not monitor kids' internet activity?), as well as newspaper articles, PTA minutes and faculty reports, so we get some view from adults as well as from the teens.
And in the end....who is to blame? As I said, it's hard to know. So many people share so responsibility that it's difficult to find just a handful to punish (although a number are). This was just so well done, I can't say enough good things about it - there are no easy answers, but there shouldn't be. Congratulations to Bannan - I hope she finds I wide readership.
March 20, 2015
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2015/04/r...
Weightless was dark, confronting and enthralling read, where the reader is told Carolyn's story via a group of unnamed girls. They gossip, speculate and form their story and opinions on hearsay, making for a dangerous and disturbing read. Carolyn in the new girl in a small town where no one ever moves to. All they have is their appearances and prayer, rallying behind their local football team where the boys never do no wrong. They all attend church, where sermons are delivered warning against drinking, drug abuse and having loose morals are seen as a way to expel yourself from heaven. Where the minister's daughter smiles, the good girl who is dating the football champion and a vision of pure young adults that all teens should strive to emulate.
But behind the smiles and country festivals lies a destructive community, where gossip reigns free and hypocrites never practice what they preach. Then Carolyn arrives. Carolyn is beautiful, intelligent and exotic. Wearing the latest designer threads, silky hair and dewy skin, girls flock to be her friend, increasing their own popularity by just being in her orbit. So naturally the former queen of Adams High sets her sights on the new girl, after all, she's just taken her boyfriend, her status and her life. Brooke is a vengeful and dangerous girl, determined to destroy Carolyn and her reputation in order to become the golden girl of Adamsville once more.
Weightless was a realistic and remarkable story of extreme bullying, and by a town who aided in one innocent girls demise. Incredibly unique, the reader is given a recount of what happened from the moment Carolyn arrived in town, by a group of teen girls who aided in the gossip and innuendo surround Carolyn's life, leaving the reader powerless to alter the outcome. I was completely immersed within the storyline, intrigued, disgusted, appalled and angry. The very real and raw portrayal about the power we have to change just one life through our actions, or inaction in Carolyn's case. Seeing the once bright and friendly girl fade away was absolutely heartbreaking, and often left me feeling physically ill.
Carolyn was let down by everyone who turned a blind eye, especially the young group of girls who narrate Carolyn's story. So naive but hardly innocent, these collective group of girls would listen in on conversations and then dissect it at length, often relaying information in the hope to make themselves more popular. A small snapshot of Carolyn's life, then posted for the world to see. They added fuel to the fire at every opportunity, so enamored with the girl that they ultimately played a major role in her demise.
We were busy with our own stuff and, plus, there were things she just should have known.
And the chatter got louder and louder and the texts came more and more often. She should have really quit while she was ahead. Carolyn, that is.
Later, we talked about how we could have said something, could have told a teacher or our parents, or flushed the toilet or coughed or cleared our throats. But we didn't do anything. And we didn't say anything. It wasn't our business. Not really.
I was seething. This group of girls made it their business. They listened to gossip, they passed judgement. They fanned the lies in order for the fire to spread, then washed their hands at their involvement.
Sarah Bannan is a phenomenal author. A storyline that needs to be told and a book that demands to be read. If you've ever been a perpetrator, an enabler or someone that has turned a blind eye to bullying, take note. Carolyn's story may be fictional, but in our schools, workplaces and online, this happens all too often. It only takes one person to take a stand and make a difference. Bullying destroys lives, and by not taking action you're as simply guilty as the perpetrators.
Weightless was dark, confronting and enthralling read, where the reader is told Carolyn's story via a group of unnamed girls. They gossip, speculate and form their story and opinions on hearsay, making for a dangerous and disturbing read. Carolyn in the new girl in a small town where no one ever moves to. All they have is their appearances and prayer, rallying behind their local football team where the boys never do no wrong. They all attend church, where sermons are delivered warning against drinking, drug abuse and having loose morals are seen as a way to expel yourself from heaven. Where the minister's daughter smiles, the good girl who is dating the football champion and a vision of pure young adults that all teens should strive to emulate.
But behind the smiles and country festivals lies a destructive community, where gossip reigns free and hypocrites never practice what they preach. Then Carolyn arrives. Carolyn is beautiful, intelligent and exotic. Wearing the latest designer threads, silky hair and dewy skin, girls flock to be her friend, increasing their own popularity by just being in her orbit. So naturally the former queen of Adams High sets her sights on the new girl, after all, she's just taken her boyfriend, her status and her life. Brooke is a vengeful and dangerous girl, determined to destroy Carolyn and her reputation in order to become the golden girl of Adamsville once more.
Weightless was a realistic and remarkable story of extreme bullying, and by a town who aided in one innocent girls demise. Incredibly unique, the reader is given a recount of what happened from the moment Carolyn arrived in town, by a group of teen girls who aided in the gossip and innuendo surround Carolyn's life, leaving the reader powerless to alter the outcome. I was completely immersed within the storyline, intrigued, disgusted, appalled and angry. The very real and raw portrayal about the power we have to change just one life through our actions, or inaction in Carolyn's case. Seeing the once bright and friendly girl fade away was absolutely heartbreaking, and often left me feeling physically ill.
Carolyn was let down by everyone who turned a blind eye, especially the young group of girls who narrate Carolyn's story. So naive but hardly innocent, these collective group of girls would listen in on conversations and then dissect it at length, often relaying information in the hope to make themselves more popular. A small snapshot of Carolyn's life, then posted for the world to see. They added fuel to the fire at every opportunity, so enamored with the girl that they ultimately played a major role in her demise.
We were busy with our own stuff and, plus, there were things she just should have known.
And the chatter got louder and louder and the texts came more and more often. She should have really quit while she was ahead. Carolyn, that is.
Later, we talked about how we could have said something, could have told a teacher or our parents, or flushed the toilet or coughed or cleared our throats. But we didn't do anything. And we didn't say anything. It wasn't our business. Not really.
I was seething. This group of girls made it their business. They listened to gossip, they passed judgement. They fanned the lies in order for the fire to spread, then washed their hands at their involvement.
Sarah Bannan is a phenomenal author. A storyline that needs to be told and a book that demands to be read. If you've ever been a perpetrator, an enabler or someone that has turned a blind eye to bullying, take note. Carolyn's story may be fictional, but in our schools, workplaces and online, this happens all too often. It only takes one person to take a stand and make a difference. Bullying destroys lives, and by not taking action you're as simply guilty as the perpetrators.
Read
March 27, 2015This is a DNF (did not finish) review.
There's plenty of 5 star reviews of this book, so go ahead and check them out.
I tried to read this book a few times. I really did. It just didn't call to me. I was bored. Nothing happened.
I'm sure that if I kept reading, something would have grabbed me, however, I just didn't have the patience.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for a review copy of this book.
There's plenty of 5 star reviews of this book, so go ahead and check them out.
I tried to read this book a few times. I really did. It just didn't call to me. I was bored. Nothing happened.
I'm sure that if I kept reading, something would have grabbed me, however, I just didn't have the patience.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for a review copy of this book.
April 15, 2015
Very average in my opinion. Not a page turner and nothing major happens throughout the whole book. I liked the narrative from the 'plural first person' but at times I think a regular first person would have been beneficial to engaging more with the story. Idk. This just wasn't as good and unique as everyone made it out to be. Cyber bullying is a growing problem and I don't think Weightless adequately covered it.
April 12, 2015
This review was originally posted on Between My Lines
The words that sprang to mind when I finished this book was devastatingly brilliant. It’s a must-read even if will make you hate the direction that society seems to heading in. So many of the characters are shallow and empty and will make you ragey. But it’s an important book that tackles a difficult topic in a very readable, attention-grabbing way.
First line of Weightless by Sarah Bannan
"They came out in groups of three, wearing matching shorts and t-shirts, their hair tied back with orange and black ribbons."
My Thoughts on Weightless by Sarah Bannan:
The story is told from the point of view of a ‘we’ narrator which is a group of girls on the swim team. This plural narrator is very effective at highlighting the group sheep like mentality of the girls, they just follow along and bleat agreement with whatever popular crowd deems important.
And I keep thinking their thoughts are weightless; full of froth and insubstantial nonsense. Just to give you an example of the kind of immaterial things I’m talking about, they spend longer washing their hands when in the company of each other, long enough so the others will think they are clean but not so long that they are thought OCD. And every teeny tiny decision in their lives is over thought to this extreme, all that matters is what others think of them.
So yes I thought their ideas were weightless. But then we get further into the book and I realise that all these empty, shallow thoughts do add up to something heavy. They spend so long dwelling on nothing and ignoring all the horrible things around them that it becomes ugly. They ignore the bullies as they don’t want to draw attention to themselves and their lack of standing up to be counted turns them into bullies in my eyes too.
The ‘we’ narrator is also the most unreliable narrator ever. All these girls care about is appearance and looking good to the popular crowd. So even where they should stand up and take the blame for inaction, they play it down in the narration saying it probably wouldn’t have made any difference. Which is so frustrating to read about but so horribly, horribly realistic.
We never get the full story, we have to piece it together for ourselves and read between the lines and take off the gloss. Which makes this a challenging and engrossing read. There is also a great format to the book as it includes Facebook statuses, newspaper articles, interviews and it just highlights what a huge role social media has in modern bullying.
Overall I wouldn’t say this is an enjoyable read as it deals with a dark subject but it is thoroughly engrossing and it absorbed my attention one hundred percent until I had finished it. And then it left me depressed as hell! But just because it’s not pretty doesn’t mean it’s not worth reading. On the contrary that is exactly why you should read it.
Who should read Weightless by Sarah Banna
I'd highly recommend this one to all those who enjoy contemporary YA as it deals with an important topic. And even if you don't read contemporary YA I'd still recommend it to you for exactly the same reason. Fans of books such as Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill and Tease by Amanda Maciel should also enjoy.
The words that sprang to mind when I finished this book was devastatingly brilliant. It’s a must-read even if will make you hate the direction that society seems to heading in. So many of the characters are shallow and empty and will make you ragey. But it’s an important book that tackles a difficult topic in a very readable, attention-grabbing way.
First line of Weightless by Sarah Bannan
"They came out in groups of three, wearing matching shorts and t-shirts, their hair tied back with orange and black ribbons."
My Thoughts on Weightless by Sarah Bannan:
The story is told from the point of view of a ‘we’ narrator which is a group of girls on the swim team. This plural narrator is very effective at highlighting the group sheep like mentality of the girls, they just follow along and bleat agreement with whatever popular crowd deems important.
And I keep thinking their thoughts are weightless; full of froth and insubstantial nonsense. Just to give you an example of the kind of immaterial things I’m talking about, they spend longer washing their hands when in the company of each other, long enough so the others will think they are clean but not so long that they are thought OCD. And every teeny tiny decision in their lives is over thought to this extreme, all that matters is what others think of them.
So yes I thought their ideas were weightless. But then we get further into the book and I realise that all these empty, shallow thoughts do add up to something heavy. They spend so long dwelling on nothing and ignoring all the horrible things around them that it becomes ugly. They ignore the bullies as they don’t want to draw attention to themselves and their lack of standing up to be counted turns them into bullies in my eyes too.
The ‘we’ narrator is also the most unreliable narrator ever. All these girls care about is appearance and looking good to the popular crowd. So even where they should stand up and take the blame for inaction, they play it down in the narration saying it probably wouldn’t have made any difference. Which is so frustrating to read about but so horribly, horribly realistic.
We never get the full story, we have to piece it together for ourselves and read between the lines and take off the gloss. Which makes this a challenging and engrossing read. There is also a great format to the book as it includes Facebook statuses, newspaper articles, interviews and it just highlights what a huge role social media has in modern bullying.
Overall I wouldn’t say this is an enjoyable read as it deals with a dark subject but it is thoroughly engrossing and it absorbed my attention one hundred percent until I had finished it. And then it left me depressed as hell! But just because it’s not pretty doesn’t mean it’s not worth reading. On the contrary that is exactly why you should read it.
Who should read Weightless by Sarah Banna
I'd highly recommend this one to all those who enjoy contemporary YA as it deals with an important topic. And even if you don't read contemporary YA I'd still recommend it to you for exactly the same reason. Fans of books such as Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill and Tease by Amanda Maciel should also enjoy.
June 24, 2015
Weightless has some serious issues that can't be written about enough. I was literally sick to my stomach throughout the book with the way these kids, and the adults, acted. Not only with the bullying, but there was also racial discrimination among other things that made me cringe. The whole time I was reading I kept thinking how vain and ignorant these people were. How ridiculous it was that they valued materialistic things and in their twisted and oblivious minds believed that it was okay to treat people like that. There aren't enough words on the planet to describe their shameless behavior, and the sad thing about it is that this is reality. Horrible things like this happens everyday.
For Carolyn, her level of emotional and mental torture heightened by the day. When they weren't slut shaming the poor girl, they were physically putting her through hell. I wanted so badly for someone to stand up for her, for someone to try and help. Carolyn needed it. She was screaming loud and clear but no one offered. Outsiders were too busy feeding into the gossip and turning a blind eye. Even the narrator, which was never named, was caught up in the nonsense and whenever they'd witness something happening to Carolyn they never did anything. Yet they claimed they liked her and wanted to be her friend. They even blamed her for what others were doing to her, basically saying she caused it on herself.
Again, there are many deplorable things that happened in the story and that makes Weightless worth the read. The writing is great and I like how the author painted a clear picture of this small town setting and how these people lived. But my biggest issue was with the wordiness and often times I felt disconnected and had to stop reading for a while. But aside from that, this book is the epitome of real. The emotions were definitely there. I mean, if I began to express how aggravated these characters left me I'd probably give too much of the story away.
All I can say is that Weightless is an intense read, and you should go in knowing that you won't like the narrator because even after what happened to Carolyn, they never held themselves accountable and you just might barf at how they simply went on with their lives, which again is realistic because sadly, that sort of thing happens. And I'm afraid that no matter what, bullying is something that will continue to plague society. The question is, will you be like the people in this book and do nothing, pretend to be oblivious and go on with your life? Or will you stand up and make a difference?
For Carolyn, her level of emotional and mental torture heightened by the day. When they weren't slut shaming the poor girl, they were physically putting her through hell. I wanted so badly for someone to stand up for her, for someone to try and help. Carolyn needed it. She was screaming loud and clear but no one offered. Outsiders were too busy feeding into the gossip and turning a blind eye. Even the narrator, which was never named, was caught up in the nonsense and whenever they'd witness something happening to Carolyn they never did anything. Yet they claimed they liked her and wanted to be her friend. They even blamed her for what others were doing to her, basically saying she caused it on herself.
Again, there are many deplorable things that happened in the story and that makes Weightless worth the read. The writing is great and I like how the author painted a clear picture of this small town setting and how these people lived. But my biggest issue was with the wordiness and often times I felt disconnected and had to stop reading for a while. But aside from that, this book is the epitome of real. The emotions were definitely there. I mean, if I began to express how aggravated these characters left me I'd probably give too much of the story away.
All I can say is that Weightless is an intense read, and you should go in knowing that you won't like the narrator because even after what happened to Carolyn, they never held themselves accountable and you just might barf at how they simply went on with their lives, which again is realistic because sadly, that sort of thing happens. And I'm afraid that no matter what, bullying is something that will continue to plague society. The question is, will you be like the people in this book and do nothing, pretend to be oblivious and go on with your life? Or will you stand up and make a difference?
August 24, 2015
Well after stealing the perspective idea from The Virgin Suicides, this author didn't really do much of note with it. You hear from an unnamed group of bystanders about how they watched a girl bullied literally to death. You know very early how it's going to end.
The only likeable character is the girl being bullied. You read her school essays in lieu of actual character development.
You don't learn anything good about bullying - the bystanders literally continue to blame the girl, and seem resentful when the bullies are blamed by the media. A would've, should've, could've attitude to being a decent human being is not inspiring, or helpful.
Give me a hero.
Tell me why a person chose to be a villain so I can better understand them.
Have a plot twist.
Don't just replicate the nobodies of this world who wistfully look on while a star is being cut down, then blame the star not themselves, and think that's okay because they weren't actually the bullies.
Read Jeffrey Eugenides do this style of narration so much better.
The only likeable character is the girl being bullied. You read her school essays in lieu of actual character development.
You don't learn anything good about bullying - the bystanders literally continue to blame the girl, and seem resentful when the bullies are blamed by the media. A would've, should've, could've attitude to being a decent human being is not inspiring, or helpful.
Give me a hero.
Tell me why a person chose to be a villain so I can better understand them.
Have a plot twist.
Don't just replicate the nobodies of this world who wistfully look on while a star is being cut down, then blame the star not themselves, and think that's okay because they weren't actually the bullies.
Read Jeffrey Eugenides do this style of narration so much better.
April 5, 2017
This book was nothing like I thought it would be. Even though it's a fairly depressing subject matter, I really enjoyed it and rattled through it in less than a day (can you tell I'm on my Easter break??) It had been on my reading list for a while and when I finally got around to picking it up I'd kind of forgotten what it was about.
I've pasted an abridged blurb above as it pretty much encapsulates the story. However, I would point out that the video that was circulated wasn't of Carolyn and Shane making out (unless making out means something different these days!) but actually of them having sex. Hence the slut-shaming.
So you can probably guess that this is a high school bullying book, but there are actually more layers to it than that. It also deals with eating disorders and how unhealthy attitudes to food arenormalised in society. It's about culpability. It's about parental neglect.
I'm actually glad I hadn't read the blurb on Goodreads before I read the book because there is actually a bit of a spoiler in there. Basically, throughout the book the narrator (and more of the narrator later) alludes to an 'incident' that happened with Carolyn involving some kind of official investigation, but we're not told until the end of the book what actually happens. So my advice is: don't read the Goodreads blurb!
The story is narrated by a first-person plural narrator. It's a really interesting choice and it really worked well. When you're talking about bullying, the guilty parties aren't just the bullies themselves. Anyone who doesn't call the bullies out on their behaviour is culpable, too. The narrator(s) give their reasons why they never did anything to stop the bullying - they had their own problems to deal with, if you stick your head over the parapet the chances are you'll get fired at too - and their defensiveness makes them sound super guilty.
Interestingly, the setting for the book, the deep south of America, almost comes across as a character in its own right. You get such a feel for the small-town-ness of it, the social mores, the emphasison religion. I also got the impression that the author doesn't care much for the south,or people who live there, as there's also a lot of hypocrisy, bigotry, small-mindedness and ignorance on display.
All in all I thought this was a really great book. Definitely recommended.
I've pasted an abridged blurb above as it pretty much encapsulates the story. However, I would point out that the video that was circulated wasn't of Carolyn and Shane making out (unless making out means something different these days!) but actually of them having sex. Hence the slut-shaming.
So you can probably guess that this is a high school bullying book, but there are actually more layers to it than that. It also deals with eating disorders and how unhealthy attitudes to food arenormalised in society. It's about culpability. It's about parental neglect.
I'm actually glad I hadn't read the blurb on Goodreads before I read the book because there is actually a bit of a spoiler in there. Basically, throughout the book the narrator (and more of the narrator later) alludes to an 'incident' that happened with Carolyn involving some kind of official investigation, but we're not told until the end of the book what actually happens. So my advice is: don't read the Goodreads blurb!
The story is narrated by a first-person plural narrator. It's a really interesting choice and it really worked well. When you're talking about bullying, the guilty parties aren't just the bullies themselves. Anyone who doesn't call the bullies out on their behaviour is culpable, too. The narrator(s) give their reasons why they never did anything to stop the bullying - they had their own problems to deal with, if you stick your head over the parapet the chances are you'll get fired at too - and their defensiveness makes them sound super guilty.
Interestingly, the setting for the book, the deep south of America, almost comes across as a character in its own right. You get such a feel for the small-town-ness of it, the social mores, the emphasison religion. I also got the impression that the author doesn't care much for the south,or people who live there, as there's also a lot of hypocrisy, bigotry, small-mindedness and ignorance on display.
All in all I thought this was a really great book. Definitely recommended.
April 14, 2015
Be prepared- this book will probably spark a lot of debate, which will likely place this book on hundreds of school reading lists. It'll be on this list for a good reason. While there are books out there that deal with the subjects of online bullying, school bullying, and peer pressure, I haven't really read many that approach it in the way that this has. This review will have some slight spoilers because in order to describe why I loved this so much I'll have to spoil one or two small things. Don't worry- none of the large plot points will be revealed.
What made this fairly unique for me is that this book wasn't narrated from the viewpoint of our lovely,doomed-to-be-bullied character of Carolyn. No, it's actually told from the viewpoint of an anonymous female narrator that's probably just as much to blame for Carolyn's woes as the bullies are and what makes it so horrifying is that you can see where things are going to go fairly early on in the book. People's reactions to the bullies and to what Carolyn is pretty much what is called the "boiling frog principle". If you put a frog in a boiling pot of water, the frog will hop out quickly. If you turn that heat up slowly, the frog will remain in the pot and be boiled to death.
That's pretty much what happens here. Carolyn's fall from grace and her descent into awful bullying happens so relatively slowly that people just see it as a matter of course. When her bullying does intense people just sort of shrug and don't do anything because that's it's just what happens. People think it's awful and there are concerns about stepping in and becoming a new target, but this book really explores the mentality of the people viewing the bullying- both students and adults. The latter is probably what made this a little hard to read at points because with books like this we expect the teens to be awful with one another, but we do expect the teachers to step in to some degree and Bannan does go out of her way to show how this can happen- how teachers can watch a teen girl go from a fairly lively person to a shell of her former self. Carolyn is a fragile character to begin with, something that many of the teachers (one of whom tries to put herself out as the "cool teacher that notices things") plain overlook.
I can't recommend this book enough. It doesn't really matter what your age or gender is- this has a wide appeal. There are some aspects to this that are sort of what you'd expect from this type of read, but Brennan tries really hard to put a fresh perspective on things and she succeeds.
ARC provided by Amazon Vine
What made this fairly unique for me is that this book wasn't narrated from the viewpoint of our lovely,doomed-to-be-bullied character of Carolyn. No, it's actually told from the viewpoint of an anonymous female narrator that's probably just as much to blame for Carolyn's woes as the bullies are and what makes it so horrifying is that you can see where things are going to go fairly early on in the book. People's reactions to the bullies and to what Carolyn is pretty much what is called the "boiling frog principle". If you put a frog in a boiling pot of water, the frog will hop out quickly. If you turn that heat up slowly, the frog will remain in the pot and be boiled to death.
That's pretty much what happens here. Carolyn's fall from grace and her descent into awful bullying happens so relatively slowly that people just see it as a matter of course. When her bullying does intense people just sort of shrug and don't do anything because that's it's just what happens. People think it's awful and there are concerns about stepping in and becoming a new target, but this book really explores the mentality of the people viewing the bullying- both students and adults. The latter is probably what made this a little hard to read at points because with books like this we expect the teens to be awful with one another, but we do expect the teachers to step in to some degree and Bannan does go out of her way to show how this can happen- how teachers can watch a teen girl go from a fairly lively person to a shell of her former self. Carolyn is a fragile character to begin with, something that many of the teachers (one of whom tries to put herself out as the "cool teacher that notices things") plain overlook.
I can't recommend this book enough. It doesn't really matter what your age or gender is- this has a wide appeal. There are some aspects to this that are sort of what you'd expect from this type of read, but Brennan tries really hard to put a fresh perspective on things and she succeeds.
ARC provided by Amazon Vine
April 11, 2015
Actions speak louder than words, the old saying goes. Through the way this book is structured the author has tried to demonstrate this maxim. The way this book is written is quite unusual. We never get to know who the narrator is, or anything about her. Rather the book is made up of the observations of the narrator, supplemented with Facebook posts, Carolyn's school assignments, and other documentation.
One of the interesting things about how the author has written this book, is that the narrator never refers to herself in the singular, but rather as 'we'. 'We' being the bystanders, who watch as the bullying occurs and do not intervene. The bystanders who watch as Carolyn visibly shows the scars of self-harm and disordered eating, and do not ask if she is okay. The bystanders who, while not directly harassing Carolyn, contribute to the bullying by feeding gossip through looking through her bag or nine when opportunity arises and gossip about what they find. Or, those bystanders who witnessed events, and don't stand up when others elaborate what occurred during those events.
In this book, no-one - except Carolyn - is innocent. The students all knew what was happening and contributed either directly, or indirectly through not intervening. By intervening I don't even mean by putting themselves in harm's way - rather that they didn't even check if Carolyn was okay. In addition, the teachers were aware as was the principal. Apparently rules don't apply to the football team though; winning state is far more important than addressing bullying. Throw into the mix casual racism, intolerance of difference, and that the school allows different rules for football players and the children of high profile community members, and the author paints a portrait of a very unappealing small town. All this occurs whilst the good God fearing community attend Church twice weekly. Ironic.
What drew me to this book was the promise of the book shining a light on social media and how it can be used as a means of bullying. I've read a lot of YA, and I am uniformly disappointed in the lack of focus on social media, or when it is included, how limited or superficial that focus is. One of the things this book does decently, not brilliantly, but decently, is exploration of the role of social media in bullying. In the case of this book, Facebook was the social media focused on.
I very much liked the way the author structured the book. The thing I both loved, and hated, about the book was the wordiness. This is not a lengthy book, however it does seem excessively wordy, particularly when remembering it is mostly observations and recollections with limited dialogue. The reason I also loved this was that the author really captured a slow, languid, hazy feel that is in keeping with the messages she scatters throughout the book about memory and its fallibility.
One of the frightening things about this book was how all those involved justified what happened to themselves and that it wasn't really their fault. A quote from towards the end - Years later, when things did start to feel more normal, the guilt would kick in. You did something horrible. And you're too horrible to even realize it.
One of the interesting things about how the author has written this book, is that the narrator never refers to herself in the singular, but rather as 'we'. 'We' being the bystanders, who watch as the bullying occurs and do not intervene. The bystanders who watch as Carolyn visibly shows the scars of self-harm and disordered eating, and do not ask if she is okay. The bystanders who, while not directly harassing Carolyn, contribute to the bullying by feeding gossip through looking through her bag or nine when opportunity arises and gossip about what they find. Or, those bystanders who witnessed events, and don't stand up when others elaborate what occurred during those events.
In this book, no-one - except Carolyn - is innocent. The students all knew what was happening and contributed either directly, or indirectly through not intervening. By intervening I don't even mean by putting themselves in harm's way - rather that they didn't even check if Carolyn was okay. In addition, the teachers were aware as was the principal. Apparently rules don't apply to the football team though; winning state is far more important than addressing bullying. Throw into the mix casual racism, intolerance of difference, and that the school allows different rules for football players and the children of high profile community members, and the author paints a portrait of a very unappealing small town. All this occurs whilst the good God fearing community attend Church twice weekly. Ironic.
What drew me to this book was the promise of the book shining a light on social media and how it can be used as a means of bullying. I've read a lot of YA, and I am uniformly disappointed in the lack of focus on social media, or when it is included, how limited or superficial that focus is. One of the things this book does decently, not brilliantly, but decently, is exploration of the role of social media in bullying. In the case of this book, Facebook was the social media focused on.
I very much liked the way the author structured the book. The thing I both loved, and hated, about the book was the wordiness. This is not a lengthy book, however it does seem excessively wordy, particularly when remembering it is mostly observations and recollections with limited dialogue. The reason I also loved this was that the author really captured a slow, languid, hazy feel that is in keeping with the messages she scatters throughout the book about memory and its fallibility.
One of the frightening things about this book was how all those involved justified what happened to themselves and that it wasn't really their fault. A quote from towards the end - Years later, when things did start to feel more normal, the guilt would kick in. You did something horrible. And you're too horrible to even realize it.
April 16, 2015
Everyone needs to read “Weightless”. You are most likely not going to enjoy it. It will make you uncomfortable. If you are an adult, it will probably make you uncomfortable from two perspectives. Read it anyway.
“Weightless” is written in first person singular, with the narrator never being identified aside from their inclusion through the use of “we.” This is very difficult to pull off, but works perfectly in this situation. At the beginning of the book, you already get the sense that you do not like this “we”, but are not sure why. As it goes on, you begin to dislike them more and more. Then it happens: you are part of the we, unless you are an adult, in which case you were. Maybe you weren’t a bully, but at some point in our lives, we all have looked the other way when we could have done something. The adults are shown to do the same, especially when ignoring troubling social media, which has completely changed the landscape and ease of bullying.
Bullying, anorexia, mental illness, and peer pressure are all addressed in “Weightless”. There is also a good dose of the hypocrisy that can be found through churches, schools, and civic groups. Some of the things that occur are big events, but most of them are small and accumulate like a snowball. It’s well-done and leaves you surprised even though you know, at least in a sense, how it will end. The characters are fleshed out, but only in terms of how a peer would view them, which means an extremely unreliable narrator who is in denial throughout most of the book.
I recommend “Weightless” to those seventh grade and up, including adults. Being confronted with how easy it is to become unknowingly apathetic is a real eye-opener, and my hope is that it will help all of us pay attention and not miss a small opportunity to do something that will make a big difference.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
“Weightless” is written in first person singular, with the narrator never being identified aside from their inclusion through the use of “we.” This is very difficult to pull off, but works perfectly in this situation. At the beginning of the book, you already get the sense that you do not like this “we”, but are not sure why. As it goes on, you begin to dislike them more and more. Then it happens: you are part of the we, unless you are an adult, in which case you were. Maybe you weren’t a bully, but at some point in our lives, we all have looked the other way when we could have done something. The adults are shown to do the same, especially when ignoring troubling social media, which has completely changed the landscape and ease of bullying.
Bullying, anorexia, mental illness, and peer pressure are all addressed in “Weightless”. There is also a good dose of the hypocrisy that can be found through churches, schools, and civic groups. Some of the things that occur are big events, but most of them are small and accumulate like a snowball. It’s well-done and leaves you surprised even though you know, at least in a sense, how it will end. The characters are fleshed out, but only in terms of how a peer would view them, which means an extremely unreliable narrator who is in denial throughout most of the book.
I recommend “Weightless” to those seventh grade and up, including adults. Being confronted with how easy it is to become unknowingly apathetic is a real eye-opener, and my hope is that it will help all of us pay attention and not miss a small opportunity to do something that will make a big difference.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2015
So powerful!
This book destroyed me. It absolutely destroyed me. Try not to read this book in public! It is NOT emotion friendly. I finished it this morning and I still can't get Carolyn out of my head. The way Weightless is written packs one hell of a punch. We never get to know the narrator - not really. The book is written in a format that you never really get to know any of the characters. The narrator refers to herself as 'we'. This book has created an unreliable narrator at her best. I found myself wondering how much of what was said was true, what was swayed by the judgements of those around and I found myself really wanting to get to know Carolyn.
Weightless is a tough read. A really tough read. It tackles head on the issues of bullying and of self harm. It looks at mental health and it shows us how much of an impact we have on each other. Once I'd finished I found myself comparing it to Fifteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Both have me questioning many things; the way people treat each other, how technology depersonalizes everyone. I had so much sympathy for Carolyn, but I also found I had sympathy for the narrator. Many of the things that are used against Carolyn are things that we'd all recognise from our school days. The tactics of certain people in our year group, the isolation of others. This is such a strong book; I fail to see how it won't make one hell of a splash once it's out.
Weightless is one of the most powerful books on bullying and mental health that I've read. Sarah Bannan has touched on such sensitive topics, and she's done it so well. This is one of the most hard-hitting debut's that I've read and I really cannot wait to see what you all think of it.
This book destroyed me. It absolutely destroyed me. Try not to read this book in public! It is NOT emotion friendly. I finished it this morning and I still can't get Carolyn out of my head. The way Weightless is written packs one hell of a punch. We never get to know the narrator - not really. The book is written in a format that you never really get to know any of the characters. The narrator refers to herself as 'we'. This book has created an unreliable narrator at her best. I found myself wondering how much of what was said was true, what was swayed by the judgements of those around and I found myself really wanting to get to know Carolyn.
Weightless is a tough read. A really tough read. It tackles head on the issues of bullying and of self harm. It looks at mental health and it shows us how much of an impact we have on each other. Once I'd finished I found myself comparing it to Fifteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Both have me questioning many things; the way people treat each other, how technology depersonalizes everyone. I had so much sympathy for Carolyn, but I also found I had sympathy for the narrator. Many of the things that are used against Carolyn are things that we'd all recognise from our school days. The tactics of certain people in our year group, the isolation of others. This is such a strong book; I fail to see how it won't make one hell of a splash once it's out.
Weightless is one of the most powerful books on bullying and mental health that I've read. Sarah Bannan has touched on such sensitive topics, and she's done it so well. This is one of the most hard-hitting debut's that I've read and I really cannot wait to see what you all think of it.
March 21, 2015
Weightless is yet another YA book about bullying taken to an extreme, destructive level. But unlike many of the other books out there, it does offer something new: a first person plural perspective. You're never actually told who the narrator is, and this is overall actually a pretty good decision by the author: it makes it chillingly realistic- anyone, absolutely anyone, could be watching these events unfold and doing nothing about it. It's never "I", it's always "we"- a group of people who stand by and don't interfere while a girl is horrifically bullied.
An aspect where the book fell a bit short were the characters- they were strongly stereotyped, with almost all of the characters, especially the main bullies/villains, having basically no personality or defining traits other than being pretty and hating on the new girl. Even the main group of characters seem to have no particular standout characteristics other than being gossips that try and blend in with the crowd. Carolyn is perhaps the only student who has a bit of a personality, but even then, it's not the best developed. Then again, you do get the sense that all the characters aren't fully developed on purpose- to accentuate that feeling that these characters could be anyone, that this could be happening anywhere.
I have a feeling that this is definitely a book that many teens could identify with. Although maybe they (like me) may not have encountered bullying to such a severe degree, there are definitely still aspects of the book that are chillingly familiar.
Ratings
Overall: 8/10
Plot: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Characters: 3/5
Cover: 2/5
An aspect where the book fell a bit short were the characters- they were strongly stereotyped, with almost all of the characters, especially the main bullies/villains, having basically no personality or defining traits other than being pretty and hating on the new girl. Even the main group of characters seem to have no particular standout characteristics other than being gossips that try and blend in with the crowd. Carolyn is perhaps the only student who has a bit of a personality, but even then, it's not the best developed. Then again, you do get the sense that all the characters aren't fully developed on purpose- to accentuate that feeling that these characters could be anyone, that this could be happening anywhere.
I have a feeling that this is definitely a book that many teens could identify with. Although maybe they (like me) may not have encountered bullying to such a severe degree, there are definitely still aspects of the book that are chillingly familiar.
Ratings
Overall: 8/10
Plot: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Characters: 3/5
Cover: 2/5
March 6, 2015
This book made me feel completely uncomfortable, because for many it will hit too close to home, whether you were part of the problem, the bystander or the victim. And what makes this novel even worse, is the fact that the victim here is a popular, beautiful girl who made enemies with the wrong people in high school.
It is an incredible and beautiful novel on a horrible subject: bullying. It is written completely in the first person plural, making it an unusual, yet completely invoking novel. The melancholic and nostalgic feeling of the book makes it feel like you were part of the story, and even part of the problem. And it makes the message that much clearer: if you're just standing by, are you guilty as well?
At it's core, it is a Young Adult novel, dealing with teen issues and teen feelings. The whole story revolves around the new girl and her instant popularity. It is a story about teen cliques and hierarchy and how the popular teens are both loved and hated. But this story can so easily be used in adult society as well. How we worship celebrities and how we love to see them rise and fall.
It is an incredible and beautiful novel on a horrible subject: bullying. It is written completely in the first person plural, making it an unusual, yet completely invoking novel. The melancholic and nostalgic feeling of the book makes it feel like you were part of the story, and even part of the problem. And it makes the message that much clearer: if you're just standing by, are you guilty as well?
At it's core, it is a Young Adult novel, dealing with teen issues and teen feelings. The whole story revolves around the new girl and her instant popularity. It is a story about teen cliques and hierarchy and how the popular teens are both loved and hated. But this story can so easily be used in adult society as well. How we worship celebrities and how we love to see them rise and fall.
August 14, 2014
Mean Girls meets The Virgin Suicides. Maybe Pretty Little Liars without the murder? Okay, enough comparisons. I loved delving into the world of a high school I'd have never wanted to attend.
March 4, 2015
This is an important book, but at the same time, I had a lot of issues with it. Particularly issues with the POV and how a lot of it was telling rather than showing (and I didn't have much of a connection with the story).
But all the same, it's definitely one to read. Full review to come.
___________________________________
I was conflicted about the book.
Let’s first talk about the narration – it’s in “we” format (first person plural), which was an interesting choice. It basically came across as one huge collective of bitchy girls.
I wasn’t a big fan, honestly. It made it hard to connect with a single narrator.
There was a lot of telling and description.
EVERYTHING was told, not shown, and that made empathy difficult. I didn’t connect to a single person in the story – not even Carolyn, the girl getting bullied. Because of the writing style, the actual bullying part was hazy and it was difficult to tell what had actually happened.
It’s also very American.
Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing! It isn’t, at all. But it seems that American teen life is VERY different to in Australia. Basically, think Mean Girls except on steroids.
If there’s anything more clique-y than a small American town, then I don’t know what it is, because these girls are awful to each other – the new girl, Carolyn, doesn’t do anything wrong (as far as I can tell) and she’s still hated by them. She’s too pretty, or she “stole” their boyfriend.
Basically, the internalised misogyny is awful. And it’s difficult for me to suspend disbelief that football would be prioritised over bullying matters, but that’s just because of my own experiences. YOU might love it.
I do think books like this are important.
Bullying is a huge issue wherever you happen to be, not just in America. Girls like Carolyn are everywhere, and we need to do something about it. I think I might be coming across too harsh here, but basically, there are other, better books about bullying out there.
It’s still worth reading for the unique point of view on bullying, where everyone is responsible, and girls should look out for each other.
Hear that, girls? Protect each other. Be kinder than you have to be. This has been a PSA.
But all the same, it's definitely one to read. Full review to come.
___________________________________
I was conflicted about the book.
Let’s first talk about the narration – it’s in “we” format (first person plural), which was an interesting choice. It basically came across as one huge collective of bitchy girls.
I wasn’t a big fan, honestly. It made it hard to connect with a single narrator.
There was a lot of telling and description.
EVERYTHING was told, not shown, and that made empathy difficult. I didn’t connect to a single person in the story – not even Carolyn, the girl getting bullied. Because of the writing style, the actual bullying part was hazy and it was difficult to tell what had actually happened.
It’s also very American.
Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing! It isn’t, at all. But it seems that American teen life is VERY different to in Australia. Basically, think Mean Girls except on steroids.
If there’s anything more clique-y than a small American town, then I don’t know what it is, because these girls are awful to each other – the new girl, Carolyn, doesn’t do anything wrong (as far as I can tell) and she’s still hated by them. She’s too pretty, or she “stole” their boyfriend.
Basically, the internalised misogyny is awful. And it’s difficult for me to suspend disbelief that football would be prioritised over bullying matters, but that’s just because of my own experiences. YOU might love it.
I do think books like this are important.
Bullying is a huge issue wherever you happen to be, not just in America. Girls like Carolyn are everywhere, and we need to do something about it. I think I might be coming across too harsh here, but basically, there are other, better books about bullying out there.
It’s still worth reading for the unique point of view on bullying, where everyone is responsible, and girls should look out for each other.
Hear that, girls? Protect each other. Be kinder than you have to be. This has been a PSA.
June 18, 2015
I was expecting something revelatory from this book, what with the fawning reviews from the likes of Colum McCann on the cover. Instead, all I got was a retelling of the Phoebe Prince case, only with the Phoebe stand-in getting all nuance sucked out of her and turned into an unbelievably perfect, flawless angel . The students apparently have no other hobbies except talking about Carolyn, and her clichéd broken bird personality (get this guys; she's on Slimfast AND reads Plath!!!) did little to flesh out her character. To me it just looked like Bannan read a Slate article about Prince and her tormenters, swapped out the names and called it a day. The 'we' pronoun, probably intended as some sort of statement on herd mentality, ended up drving me mental; all I was able to glean about the narrator (or narrators; the characters were so bland I couldn't even tell if it was one person talking throughout, though maybe that was Bannan's intention) was that they were on the swim team and on the outskirts of the popular crowd.
Don't get me wrong, as a teenager the aspect of the role of social media in modern day bullying is handled pretty well. The description of the general aimlessness of teenage life in small town Alabama was nicely done too, probably because Bannan likely went through that herself. But this book rubbed me the wrong way. It feels very much like it was written by an adult armed with an issue of CosmoGirl from 2006, intending to make a profound statement on teenage bullying. But it's a statement that's been made a million times before, and in better ways.
I give it two stars rather than one because I did find myself reading to the end and caring about Carolyn, even if she never felt like a real teenage girl to me. Maybe I'm being so negative because of my recent reading of Sharp Objects, where I felt the subject of 'effed up teenagers' was handled in a much more intriguing way. (And I was ready to throw the book out the window if I had to read the phrase 'Looking back' one more time.)
Don't get me wrong, as a teenager the aspect of the role of social media in modern day bullying is handled pretty well. The description of the general aimlessness of teenage life in small town Alabama was nicely done too, probably because Bannan likely went through that herself. But this book rubbed me the wrong way. It feels very much like it was written by an adult armed with an issue of CosmoGirl from 2006, intending to make a profound statement on teenage bullying. But it's a statement that's been made a million times before, and in better ways.
I give it two stars rather than one because I did find myself reading to the end and caring about Carolyn, even if she never felt like a real teenage girl to me. Maybe I'm being so negative because of my recent reading of Sharp Objects, where I felt the subject of 'effed up teenagers' was handled in a much more intriguing way. (And I was ready to throw the book out the window if I had to read the phrase 'Looking back' one more time.)
March 4, 2015
(My friend was sent an ARC copy of this book.)
I read this book within two days, so I obviously must have liked it enough to keep on reading. I did like the book, but it kind of felt like the character of Carolyn wasn't fully developed. It mentioned that she was "too skinny" and that she had scars on her arms, but these things aren't ever really explored. I felt that the use of "we" rather than "I" was an interesting use of language, and was done well, however I felt that it meant that I wasn't as connected to the story as I couldn't identify with the narrator. I can understand why it was used,though- to show that "we", teenagers, identify more as a group of friends, whether that be the popular kids, the band geeks etc, rather than an individual. "We" are also all implicated with the going-ons that happen at high school, such as bullying, but "we" choose not to stray from our group and speak up. A well written, thought-provoking book.
RATING- 3.5/5 stars
AUDIENCE- YA
READING SPEED- I read this within 2 days.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO FRIENDS?- If they liked books like Wintergirls, then yes. (But this book is nowhere near Wintergirls in terms of writing, language, characters, storyline, etc. I'd say that you should read Wintergirls rather than this if you want an in-depth look at mental illness.)
I read this book within two days, so I obviously must have liked it enough to keep on reading. I did like the book, but it kind of felt like the character of Carolyn wasn't fully developed. It mentioned that she was "too skinny" and that she had scars on her arms, but these things aren't ever really explored. I felt that the use of "we" rather than "I" was an interesting use of language, and was done well, however I felt that it meant that I wasn't as connected to the story as I couldn't identify with the narrator. I can understand why it was used,though- to show that "we", teenagers, identify more as a group of friends, whether that be the popular kids, the band geeks etc, rather than an individual. "We" are also all implicated with the going-ons that happen at high school, such as bullying, but "we" choose not to stray from our group and speak up. A well written, thought-provoking book.
RATING- 3.5/5 stars
AUDIENCE- YA
READING SPEED- I read this within 2 days.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO FRIENDS?- If they liked books like Wintergirls, then yes. (But this book is nowhere near Wintergirls in terms of writing, language, characters, storyline, etc. I'd say that you should read Wintergirls rather than this if you want an in-depth look at mental illness.)
February 14, 2016
Weightless is quite unique. The narrator is never identified. It makes you think the whole town is in bullying one particular person, which makes one sad. Seriously, how bizard must one town be to bully a young teenager? Though they may not directly harass Carolyn, somehow they contribute to it. Feeding gossip is not okay, let alone spread fibs about a person’s life and make a person miserable. It makes you think about how social media is used to bullying and the many other outlets one can spread hurtful sayings.
Actions speak louder than words. Yes, this is true. However, sometimes words can be as hurtful as actions. When Carolyn moves from New Jersey to Adamsville, Alabama her classmates do not welcome her. Instead of embracing her beauty and intelligence, they treat her poorly. I empathized with the way Carolyn was treated. However, the fact that the story was told, I didn’t feel connected with her.
Weightless deals with a dark topic. It is an uneasy read about bullying. I did have an issue how the story was told. I never did find out who was telling the story. But at the end, it really didn’t matter since “they” only focused on the unimportance and superficial things. With this said, Weightless does leave you thinking.
http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2015...
Actions speak louder than words. Yes, this is true. However, sometimes words can be as hurtful as actions. When Carolyn moves from New Jersey to Adamsville, Alabama her classmates do not welcome her. Instead of embracing her beauty and intelligence, they treat her poorly. I empathized with the way Carolyn was treated. However, the fact that the story was told, I didn’t feel connected with her.
Weightless deals with a dark topic. It is an uneasy read about bullying. I did have an issue how the story was told. I never did find out who was telling the story. But at the end, it really didn’t matter since “they” only focused on the unimportance and superficial things. With this said, Weightless does leave you thinking.
http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2015...
March 3, 2015
I received a copy of this book in the Goodreads First Reads giveaways.
Weightless is a dark novel and an uneasy read about teenage bullying. It is so realistic that it made me shivers. I wanted to scream, to shake everybody up, to try to stop them. The end of the book left me empty, I felt guilty, like I was at that school, and I should have done something and didn't.
Weightless is a dark novel and an uneasy read about teenage bullying. It is so realistic that it made me shivers. I wanted to scream, to shake everybody up, to try to stop them. The end of the book left me empty, I felt guilty, like I was at that school, and I should have done something and didn't.
June 1, 2015
Don't know what to make of this book. Fucked up teenagers and appalling adults. A town with serious problems and priorities. A part of me doesn't want to believe bullying of this nature can happen. That people let it happen. Another part of me sadly knows this isn't true. Full review to come.
June 9, 2020
This book carry such a heavy message. The first chapters of this book are quite boring for me. I tried to figure out who "we" refers to. As the story escalated, I guess they were Nicole, Lauren and Jessica. But then, when I reached the middle of the book, I guess "we" can be refers to the others. The bystanders, the ones aside the characters mentioned, the ones who watched the events unrolled. "We" can also be all of us.
I felt quite helpless reading this book because I became one of those "we" who didn't do anything to stop all those things that happened to the new girl. Bullying can heavily leads to depression and suicide. This book is not what I thought of it the first time I take it out of it's shelf. Even after I finished it, the story still lingers within me and I keep telling myself I wish I can do something to prevent all of this from happening. But in the end, all I can do is "watched" them by the side.
I felt quite helpless reading this book because I became one of those "we" who didn't do anything to stop all those things that happened to the new girl. Bullying can heavily leads to depression and suicide. This book is not what I thought of it the first time I take it out of it's shelf. Even after I finished it, the story still lingers within me and I keep telling myself I wish I can do something to prevent all of this from happening. But in the end, all I can do is "watched" them by the side.
March 24, 2015
Review with giveaway and author guest post: http://readinglark.blogspot.com.au/20...
This is a book that should be read by high school students and their parents. It highlights not only the damage that can be done by bullying – face to face or online, but also how damaging it can be to sit on the sidelines and say nothing. Enough of the preaching, let’s get onto the story.
Carolyn Lessing arrives in Adamsville, Alabama during a prep rally, allowing the student body to check her out. She’s pretty, thin and has 1057 friends on Facebook but no relationship status. We watch as Carolyn negotiates the small town friendship politics, finds her place within the school and starts to make friends. Carolyn is smart and being new makes her popular, but she doesn’t seem to know the social rules that govern Adamsville High. We see the ripples when she starts dating one of the school’s star football players, the fallout when they break up, and we see things start to unravel further. We know that a tragedy is coming, but all we can do is watch and wait.
While Carolyn is the main character, she is not the narrator, and we never get her direct point of view. The story is told in the first person plural point of view. This may lead some readers to feel removed from the story, but I felt that I was part of the “we”. Carolyn’s story is told at a distance, and the reader can see things and make connections that the narrator does not. “We” work in the office before school, so have access to files “we” probably shouldn’t. “We” are on the swim team so socially are ranked below the cheerleaders, but above the school band. “We” knew the popular girls back in grade school, and know their secrets, knew the boys on the football team before they were hot.
Carolyn’s story is not an unusual one. A new student falls foul of the popular clique and finds herself subject to bullying, it’s been seen before, but this time we only know what we are told. Authors are often told to show, rather than tell. Here we get quite a lot of telling, but what we’re told isn’t reliable, and the way we are told actually shows us quite a lot more. It is rumour and hearsay and social media posts. Videos taken in a darkened carpark, photos snapped during parties, conversations overheard in toilet cubicles. The hypocrisy of the student body and the town as a whole is revealed in this way, and even though the narrator is removed from it, the reader is able to see Carolyn’s growing despair. It is easy to be angry at the narrator, at the bullies, at the adults who didn’t put the clues together. What’s harder is asking ourselves if we’ve been complicit in this type of behaviour. How many times have we sat back and not commented when someone has spoken ill of someone else? Who have we not defended when they’ve needed it? Who have we allowed to feel isolated and lonely, just by staying quiet?
Weightless is powerful, moving and utterly terrifying. As a teacher, I have seen students find themselves in similar situations. As a parent, I am terrified of the power social media and mobile phones hold over, and give to, young people.
This book is a must read.
This is a book that should be read by high school students and their parents. It highlights not only the damage that can be done by bullying – face to face or online, but also how damaging it can be to sit on the sidelines and say nothing. Enough of the preaching, let’s get onto the story.
Carolyn Lessing arrives in Adamsville, Alabama during a prep rally, allowing the student body to check her out. She’s pretty, thin and has 1057 friends on Facebook but no relationship status. We watch as Carolyn negotiates the small town friendship politics, finds her place within the school and starts to make friends. Carolyn is smart and being new makes her popular, but she doesn’t seem to know the social rules that govern Adamsville High. We see the ripples when she starts dating one of the school’s star football players, the fallout when they break up, and we see things start to unravel further. We know that a tragedy is coming, but all we can do is watch and wait.
While Carolyn is the main character, she is not the narrator, and we never get her direct point of view. The story is told in the first person plural point of view. This may lead some readers to feel removed from the story, but I felt that I was part of the “we”. Carolyn’s story is told at a distance, and the reader can see things and make connections that the narrator does not. “We” work in the office before school, so have access to files “we” probably shouldn’t. “We” are on the swim team so socially are ranked below the cheerleaders, but above the school band. “We” knew the popular girls back in grade school, and know their secrets, knew the boys on the football team before they were hot.
Carolyn’s story is not an unusual one. A new student falls foul of the popular clique and finds herself subject to bullying, it’s been seen before, but this time we only know what we are told. Authors are often told to show, rather than tell. Here we get quite a lot of telling, but what we’re told isn’t reliable, and the way we are told actually shows us quite a lot more. It is rumour and hearsay and social media posts. Videos taken in a darkened carpark, photos snapped during parties, conversations overheard in toilet cubicles. The hypocrisy of the student body and the town as a whole is revealed in this way, and even though the narrator is removed from it, the reader is able to see Carolyn’s growing despair. It is easy to be angry at the narrator, at the bullies, at the adults who didn’t put the clues together. What’s harder is asking ourselves if we’ve been complicit in this type of behaviour. How many times have we sat back and not commented when someone has spoken ill of someone else? Who have we not defended when they’ve needed it? Who have we allowed to feel isolated and lonely, just by staying quiet?
Weightless is powerful, moving and utterly terrifying. As a teacher, I have seen students find themselves in similar situations. As a parent, I am terrified of the power social media and mobile phones hold over, and give to, young people.
This book is a must read.
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