ReadingNook Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Before I read this book, i had never heard the term "beaner-hopping", which basically a hate crime against mexican immigrants. Yes, I'd be completly nieve if I didn't know that this kind of predjudice exsisted, but haven't ever read a novel regarding hate crimes of this nature, so it immediately intruged me.
This book took a while for me to get into but about fifty pages in the pace really picked up for me and a few twists and turns really grabbed me. This story is unique in the fact that it had multiple points of view, not just a few, but more like 8 or 9 which helped tell the story, from different points of interest. I related to some of the characters while others, not at all. I liked Skylar and Sean, but Lisa Marie and Jimmy not so much. Lisa Marie in my opinion was a horrible friend, and I honestly could have skipped her POV completley and probably liked the book that much better. Jimmy just felt under-developed to me, I wish they would have told his point of you, and maybe had some insight into why he did what he did alongside Sean.
The ending is what really irritated me, I felt like it just ended up abruptly with her decision to tell the truth, but I wanted to know what happened with Jimmy, if he was convicted, and how that played into their relationship? Did Skylar stay by his side, or did she leave him/or him her? I just felt cheated of too much important questions left unanswered.
I did think that this was a pretty decent book, I didn't LOVE it, but I definitely didn't HATE it either. It had a few downfalls, but was a unique topic for a YA novel, and in a generation where bullying is so prevelant, I felt the subject matter to be very important.
This book took a while for me to get into but about fifty pages in the pace really picked up for me and a few twists and turns really grabbed me. This story is unique in the fact that it had multiple points of view, not just a few, but more like 8 or 9 which helped tell the story, from different points of interest. I related to some of the characters while others, not at all. I liked Skylar and Sean, but Lisa Marie and Jimmy not so much. Lisa Marie in my opinion was a horrible friend, and I honestly could have skipped her POV completley and probably liked the book that much better. Jimmy just felt under-developed to me, I wish they would have told his point of you, and maybe had some insight into why he did what he did alongside Sean.
The ending is what really irritated me, I felt like it just ended up abruptly with her decision to tell the truth, but I wanted to know what happened with Jimmy, if he was convicted, and how that played into their relationship? Did Skylar stay by his side, or did she leave him/or him her? I just felt cheated of too much important questions left unanswered.
I did think that this was a pretty decent book, I didn't LOVE it, but I definitely didn't HATE it either. It had a few downfalls, but was a unique topic for a YA novel, and in a generation where bullying is so prevelant, I felt the subject matter to be very important.
I was really disappointed in this book. It seemed like such an awesome premise but fell REALLY short for me. I feel like she tried to do too many things with it, make it about too many things. And it ended up being that EVERYTHING felt really glossed over a vague and nothing was given the attention it needed.
ReplyDeleteAnd ya. Lisa Marie was terrible. I felt bad for Skylar because her best friend was so awful.
Oh trust me beaner hopping is definitely real, we had a kid who graduated from my school 2 years ago die last year because of it//:
ReplyDeleteSo while yes, everything you pointed out is true (everything felt short ect..) I really enjoyed for the fact that Caroline Bock touched this subject. Not many authors do and it's nice to get more people to know about and help put a stop to it!
-thank you&come again.
I agree that its a topic that needs to be addressed, because I know discrimination exsists, but haven't heard that term, so im sure there are other people in the dark about it as well!!
ReplyDeleteI read an interview with the author and this is based on an actual event that happened on Long Island a year or so ago. I guess it didn't get much press because I didn't hear about it either. But I live where there is are a lot of immigrants and it wouldn't surprise me if this went on. Tolerance is not something that is readily given. It has to be taught and practiced and it just isn't. I'm sure the author was trying to bring some attention to the fact that this happens. It's too bad that she has to.
ReplyDeleteHeather