Tess has been in a coma since New Year's Day; her car slipped off the road and ran into a tree. Abby, Tess' younger sister, wants nothing more than to have Abby back. Abby's used to living in Tess' shadow - pretty, smart, popular Tess - and she's built her own identity as the second best sister. No one else really believes that Tess will wake up. But when Abby sees Tess' eyelids move after hearing the voice of a guy in the hospital, she's sure that this boy somehow has the key to waking Tess up. It could be just like a fairy tale...as long as it works.I love how Elizabeth Scott writes. The way this novel shifts and changes is so subtle. Abby suffers from major self-esteem issues and refuses to see herself as someone worthwhile - but she's also blind to the realities of other people. She frequently misjudges Eli (the mysterious boy) and - most crucially - Tess. Her acts almost become self-fulfilling prophecies: by pushing people away, she feels justified in assuming that they will leave her. I think she would benefit from some therapy (maybe some cognitive behaviour therapy) - if she wasn't a fictional character. There's a lot of interesting stuff going on here: self-image, sibling relationships, perception, class differences, mental health, and how to come to terms with reality.
I read an advanced copy from Simon and Schuster Galley Grab.
Find it at IndieBound.
Read it with:
Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler
Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala
The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti
Sounds interesting - mind if I ask how the GBLTQ tag comes into play? Or would that be spoilery?
ReplyDeleteAlso, thanks for covering Gravity by Leanne Lieberman - I never would have heard of it otherwise and I really loved it :)
It is kind of spoilery...it's funny you ask, because I had a big debate with myself as to whether or not to include it because of the spoileriness, but I decided to include it so people who were looking for certain books might find it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed Gravity! That was a library find one day, and I love highlighting both Canadian authors and stories that aren't often told.
then I guess I'll have to put this one on hold and find out for myself - I did specifically search using that tag so i guess your theory was a good one :) I'm actually reading Wildthorn right now, also per your blog. I'm out of pretty much all literary loops these days, and man I love gayteen lit - there wasn't very much half my life ago when I was in the target demographic, and most of what was out there was pretty formulaic. I love the variety there is now!
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of books and book reviews at I'm Here, I'm Queer, What the Hell Do I Read?(http://www.leewind.org/) if you're looking for more new titles. Books with GLBTQ characters and themes are definitely something I seek out, I'm kind of surprised I've only got 13 titles tagged.
ReplyDeleteOh sweet, thanks!!! Can't wait to start looking through that. I've got this book on hold now, there's a bit of a wait since there's only one copy, but I am intrigued and can't wait to get it!
ReplyDelete