Honors: Michael Printz Award/Honor Book, ALA Notable/Best Books
Review: John, a teenage boy, is unhappy with his life and is generally anti-social with the exception of one friend that he does not really like. His interest is sparked by a zine called Escape Velocity written by Marisol, a fiery writer that believes in utter honesty, and shows her true self in her writings. John, who is a habitual liar, is drawn to Marisol because she is not afraid to put her thoughts and feelings on paper. Slowly the two become friends and over time John, who thought he could never love, falls in love with Marisol. John is aware that Marisol is a lesbian, but cannot help how he feels. Love, even hard love, as shown in this well-written novel, is a powerful and profound emotion.
Opinion: This book surprised me. As I was about halfway through Hard Love I was getting tired of the teen angst and general negative attitude of the main character, John, and found myself not enjoying the story. When the characters went to the zine conference in Cape Cod, they started redeeming themselves for me and I surprisingly found myself emotionally invested in their lives. The conclusion was emotional and out of nowhere I shed a few tears for John and his heartbreak. It is as if Wittlinger changes the writing to correlate with the changes in John's attitude and perspective. This book stuck in my mind for days and I realized I really, really liked it! Readers young and old can relate to the overwhelming emotions of first love.
Review: John, a teenage boy, is unhappy with his life and is generally anti-social with the exception of one friend that he does not really like. His interest is sparked by a zine called Escape Velocity written by Marisol, a fiery writer that believes in utter honesty, and shows her true self in her writings. John, who is a habitual liar, is drawn to Marisol because she is not afraid to put her thoughts and feelings on paper. Slowly the two become friends and over time John, who thought he could never love, falls in love with Marisol. John is aware that Marisol is a lesbian, but cannot help how he feels. Love, even hard love, as shown in this well-written novel, is a powerful and profound emotion.
Opinion: This book surprised me. As I was about halfway through Hard Love I was getting tired of the teen angst and general negative attitude of the main character, John, and found myself not enjoying the story. When the characters went to the zine conference in Cape Cod, they started redeeming themselves for me and I surprisingly found myself emotionally invested in their lives. The conclusion was emotional and out of nowhere I shed a few tears for John and his heartbreak. It is as if Wittlinger changes the writing to correlate with the changes in John's attitude and perspective. This book stuck in my mind for days and I realized I really, really liked it! Readers young and old can relate to the overwhelming emotions of first love.
Ideas: If at possible bring actual zines to the library...do they make these anymore? Otherwise, post links to teen blogs on the library webpage. These blogs or zines can include poetry and art; get the students involved in the creative process like the characters in the book.
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