Mock Printz 2026 discussion
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Mock Printz 2011
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Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
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Kathy
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Jun 20, 2010 04:45AM
This one has received one starred review so far. What do you think?
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I was thinking this was a good, but routine YA until I got to about day four of her story. Then it really grabbed me. I thought Sam's development, growth and change were believable, and a very unlikable protagonist became someone I was routing for at the end...I already book talked it to my teenage daughter's friends and they were intrigued...I really didn't understand why it was on Printz lists until the last chapter or two...and then I concurred.
A very unlikable protagonist to say the least. But I guess we need to celebrate a girl who gets it "right" on her seventh try. If getting it right means standing by your obnoxious, arrogant, emotionally abusive friend whose only joys in life seem to be belittling others, getting drunk and bragging about sexual exploits. On page 81 when she says, "Is what I did really so much worse than what anybody else does? Is it really so much worse than what you do?" I couldn't help but think, "Yes." Not me as an adult. Not even me alone. There are plenty of high school students who wouldn't dream of acting the way she does.
None of the four main girls seems worth the time. Is there a redeeming character in the book? I know you'll tell me how Kent is the good guy...you know, the guy who threw a huge party while his parents were away that did some serious damage to his house (which he seemed to care little about) all so he could get a girl to notice him. Did he ever think about picking up the phone?
Now it was an original story. I loved the potential. And I know high school is a rough time, but there is a lot more to it than sex, alcohol, skipping class and sleeping with your teacher. By the way, can there please be a book where the hot male teacher doesn't seduce the high school student?
If this is the pinnacle of young adult fiction, it's looking pretty bleak.
Patrick wrote: "A very unlikable protagonist to say the least. But I guess we need to celebrate a girl who gets it "right" on her seventh try. If getting it right means standing by your obnoxious, arrogant, emot..."It is pretty bleak out there in the world of young adult fiction. But, that's one of the reasons we do this, to find the gold.
You can take the story premise and it's potential and have students build on it. What other way could Oliver have gone and not make the story too redemptive? We don't want a maudlin main character. Was Sam really over the top? I think Oliver was showing that there are many shades of ever character. No one is completely good or completely bad and when you are 15, 16, 17, 18, etc., you will make some dumb choices.
Sure, it would be great to read a YA book with strong parental units, smart and funny students who don't need to resort to alcohol to find themselves, and characters who make intelligent choices about sex. But, really, who wants to read about the hot male teacher who doesn't seduce his students? ;)
Kathy wrote: "Patrick wrote: "A very unlikable protagonist to say the least. But I guess we need to celebrate a girl who gets it "right" on her seventh try. If getting it right means standing by your obnoxious..."Read Will Grayson, Will GraysonThere's so much potential there for the characters to act like rats, but never do, and it totally works. And it's about being gay in high school! I mean, talk about your angst books!
exactly, it was very realistic...and a change from books where the *outsider* is the protagonist...it would spark some great discussions about choices all around...
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