MTV Books
(January 2, 2007)
224 Pages*
$12.00 (paperback)
as a Bargain Book @ Amazon now for $4.99
Amazon
Such a Pretty Girl is one of those books where the length means you could finish it in one sitting (maybe a kind of long one....) but the content makes you take some breaks. Then again, you also want to finish it quickly so that you can know the end and so that it won't be running around in your head allowing you to come up with the worst possible outcomes...Meredith, the main character in Pretty Girl, saw her father go to jail three years ago (for abusing her and others)...Only now he's out. Meredith's only fifteen which means she's still at home and not long gone like she had pallend to be after the nine years they said she would be safe from her father.
He's on parole and only supposed to have suprvised visits (if any) with Mer, but her mother believes this is the time for a perfect, happy family reunion and has found her father a condo in the same complex as Meredith and her mother. Thus, the stage is set for Such a Pretty Girl and Meredith's journey through this new life with her father back, her mother happy about it, and her finding away to avoid her father's advances.
Laura Wiess has told a tragic story with a beautiful central character, amazing (both in their sincerity, uniqueness, &, in the case of her mother, insanity) secondary characters any of whom I would gladly read a book about...The stories between Mer and her mother, her mother and her father, Mer and her father, & Mer and her friends around the condo are all complicated, complex, realistic, heartbreaking, nailbiting, and amazing. I wanted to scream at her mother, thank **(&)# (not saying who but if you read it I think you'll know), hug Meredith, and scream myself at certain times because of how it seemed the story was going to go.
This book was one that it's hard to say I loved but only the subject matter stops you from 'loving' it...it was a truly magnificent book though and I found myself connecting with the characters and while the book itself wasn't political, I found myself angered again that I live in a state that has made abortions for minors legal only with parental consent and thinking about the politics that do let someone sentenced to nine years (esp for what Meredith's father was sentenced for) out in a third of that.
I think that everyone should read Such a Pretty Girl and that school's should actually use it because so many schools don't talk about sexual abuse and this might open a discussion or at least give someone the ipetus they need to talk.
10/10 for this book
RAINN.org for information, links, how to get help, & how to help others (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network); 1.800.656.HOPE (National Sexual Assault Hotline), and there are always parents, teachers (who will know how to report any sexual abuse), pastors, or the hospital...
*my last book reviewed (Silver Kiss) was 224 pages, too...I seem to have a thing for reviewing/reading bookswith the same number of pages, in a row
I'm glad to see your positive 10/10 review. This is my book club's October selection.
ReplyDeleteI have not read this book! I really want to I especially need to read it now that I've read your positive review on it, it sounds like a good read. :)
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