liralen's review against another edition
3.0
Boys will be boys, Burns says of Mercury's attitude, and girls will be...trouble, or untrustworthy, or teases. In any case, girls get the shorter end of the stick. And when the piano teacher was accused of assaulting students, it was in many ways the girls who came forward who were put on trial.
I volunteer at a rape crisis centre, and so much of what Burns discusses aligns with the things we talk about. Lotte -- the piano teacher -- isolating, grooming his students. Trauma not being easily classified based on how 'serious' a crime is to the court. Much of the community refusing to believe that it's true, in a 'not in our backyard' kind of mentality; they don't want to admit that sexual assault can happen anywhere, can happen here.
Burns talks a lot about the silence that seems to grip the town; her parents don't address the accusations; indeed, they aren't the ones to pull Burns from her piano lessons -- instead Lotte drops her, and some other students. Children are scolded for showing an interest in the case. Those who did speak up are pressured to shut up. Are questioned. Meanwhile, much of the community rallies around Lotte.
Burns uses first-person plural -- 'we' -- when talking about those girls who kept their silence, but who the rest of 'we' is is never clear. There's still a great deal of silence in this book. Whether Burns ever told her family about the secrets she was keeping, we don't know; if, as I think is the case, her sister also took piano lessons, there's no acknowledgement of what that might or might not mean.
The book's description says, of the girls who kept silent, they were smarter. But within the book, that's not the message Burns sends. She may have found relief in her silence initially, as the town took its support in the wrong direction. As the book goes on, though, she's weighed down by that silence, evaluating her actions to make sure she stays on the right side of public opinion, to make sure she doesn't break the mold until she can do so permanently. There's a tremendous sense of her holding her cards close, as close as possible, not just through the actions she describes but also in writing the book.
This doesn't have a lot to do with the above, but it says to me a lot about the environment Burns grew up in, so I'll end with it:
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
I volunteer at a rape crisis centre, and so much of what Burns discusses aligns with the things we talk about. Lotte -- the piano teacher -- isolating, grooming his students. Trauma not being easily classified based on how 'serious' a crime is to the court. Much of the community refusing to believe that it's true, in a 'not in our backyard' kind of mentality; they don't want to admit that sexual assault can happen anywhere, can happen here.
Burns talks a lot about the silence that seems to grip the town; her parents don't address the accusations; indeed, they aren't the ones to pull Burns from her piano lessons -- instead Lotte drops her, and some other students. Children are scolded for showing an interest in the case. Those who did speak up are pressured to shut up. Are questioned. Meanwhile, much of the community rallies around Lotte.
Burns uses first-person plural -- 'we' -- when talking about those girls who kept their silence, but who the rest of 'we' is is never clear. There's still a great deal of silence in this book. Whether Burns ever told her family about the secrets she was keeping, we don't know; if, as I think is the case, her sister also took piano lessons, there's no acknowledgement of what that might or might not mean.
The book's description says, of the girls who kept silent, they were smarter. But within the book, that's not the message Burns sends. She may have found relief in her silence initially, as the town took its support in the wrong direction. As the book goes on, though, she's weighed down by that silence, evaluating her actions to make sure she stays on the right side of public opinion, to make sure she doesn't break the mold until she can do so permanently. There's a tremendous sense of her holding her cards close, as close as possible, not just through the actions she describes but also in writing the book.
This doesn't have a lot to do with the above, but it says to me a lot about the environment Burns grew up in, so I'll end with it:
My first spar for supremacy occurred during Vacation Bible School in a neighboring town when I was only eight years old. The theme that year revolved around friendship, and at the end of the week a 'best friend' was selected from every class by vote. The unintended lesson: Friendship was not laying down your life for someone else. Friendship was sizing up your competition.
Our class of girls was small, no more than five, and three of the students abstained from voting.
'This is stupid,' a girl named Mary said. 'Why can't we all be best friends?'
That left two votes in play--Carly's and mine. We each wrote a name, folded our papers, and handed them to our teacher. We watched as she opened them. She smiled as she shook her head. 'So sweet,' she whispered to the other teacher. 'Carly and Amy chose each other.'
I realized then that naiveté had the power to claim women as well as girls. The teacher thought we'd voted for each other, but we hadn't. We'd each chosen ourselves. (153)
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
marinazala's review against another edition
3.0
** Books 67 - 2015 **
This books to accomplish New Author Reading Challenge 2015 and Yuk Baca Buku Non Fiksi 2015
2,8 of 5 stars!
it is about a girl named Amy Jo Burns who lived in Mercury, Pennsylvania and about the scandal in her city is. she and her friend chose to silent and not tell the truth about Mr. Lotte's harassment issue.
So far the story is kinda boring since it many repetition about her memories in teenagers. party, dance, piano lesson, school etc. i expect there are something unusual from her town story.. >__<
This books to accomplish New Author Reading Challenge 2015 and Yuk Baca Buku Non Fiksi 2015
2,8 of 5 stars!
it is about a girl named Amy Jo Burns who lived in Mercury, Pennsylvania and about the scandal in her city is. she and her friend chose to silent and not tell the truth about Mr. Lotte's harassment issue.
So far the story is kinda boring since it many repetition about her memories in teenagers. party, dance, piano lesson, school etc. i expect there are something unusual from her town story.. >__<
lisagray68's review against another edition
I got this book from Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. I've tried to read it 100 times and I just can't even get past the first chapter. I can't exactly put my finger on why. I just have no interest in the character, topic, subject matter....? The author just hasn't created enough interest in the first chapter or so to make me want to spend my time finding out what's next.
caterpillar's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
meredith_summers's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
andrewbenesh1's review against another edition
4.0
Cinderland is a surprisingly complex little story, and it's easy to miss it. Cinderland recounts the experiences of Amy Jo Burns as she comes of age in a small town and grapples with her experience of molestation by a trusted community figure and the enduring effects of her silence. Unlike many memoirs, which seek to provide an objective review of past events or cast a broad narrative arc, this memoir focuses almost exclusively on the author's psychological experience. Though it is grounded in the events which take place in the community (and drastically shaped by them), the real focus is how the author's understanding of herself and her relationship to the world change. And in that task, Cinderland excels.
The greatest strength of this novel is how well it displays the insidious nature of abuse and trauma. Unlike more dramatic memoirs, the abuse in Cinderland is always simmering just under the surface. At first this might seem boring or even teasing; several other reviews I've seen lament the lack of a clear description of the abuse and it's consequences. These reviewers miss the greater picture - the vast majority of abuse looks like this, not the dramatic unfoldings we see on TV. The abuse is incremental, hidden, vague, and both present in every moment and impossible to pin down. As chapters recount otherwise mundane aspects of being a teen - sexual tension at the swimming pool, dating, finding an identity - everything is colored by the lens of abuse and it's legacy. Similarly, the author does a good job of addressing the ostracization, stigma, guilt and insecurity associated with being a victim. By illustrating the effects of the town's doubt, the pressure to stay silent, the guilt in not supporting those who came forward, the structural pressures by the school and church, and the way people's off-handed thoughts and comments (e.g., "I bet those girls are just saying it for attention") undermine the emotional life of the narrator, she captures something that's often acknowledged but rarely embodied in writing about trauma. I find the comments from another reviewer - who also was raised in the same town but did not experience the same trauma - who dismisses the book and accuses the author of exaggeration to be an interesting illustration of this process.
The psychological aspect of the book is reflected in the author's ever changing ways of acknowledging and processing the abuse. In the earliest chapters, it's often a footnote or an aside; here's what happened on Tuesday, and also there is a trial going on. As the memoir progresses we see greater depth and emotional connection - feelings of betrayal, anxiety, guilt, anger, and loss. Later, we begin to see the author turning her abuse into a catalyst for growth, and we see her pushing to find a way out of the town and into the world. I also appreciate that the level of understanding reflected in the memoir is roughly consistent with the narrator's developmental age; earlier memories are foggier and more abstract, while later entries are more abstract and socially contextual.
I do with the author was more overt at times; much of the book requires considerable rumination before the stories coalesce into a clear progression. Issues of time and location are often very fuzzy, and while these are not crucial details they do help the reader track whats happening. I think this book would do well to have a forward that strongly articulates it's central thesis. Some of the images and themes are both dramatic and unfortunately under-developed; the exploration of fire and ash (and hence, Cinderland) feels like it wasn't really a part of this book until the latter half. Better connecting and intertwining these images and themes might make for a stronger read.
Despite these shortcomings, I found the book very readable and a sensitive reflection. It may not be for everyone, but if you want to know what abuse and trauma really look like then this is a good starting place.
The greatest strength of this novel is how well it displays the insidious nature of abuse and trauma. Unlike more dramatic memoirs, the abuse in Cinderland is always simmering just under the surface. At first this might seem boring or even teasing; several other reviews I've seen lament the lack of a clear description of the abuse and it's consequences. These reviewers miss the greater picture - the vast majority of abuse looks like this, not the dramatic unfoldings we see on TV. The abuse is incremental, hidden, vague, and both present in every moment and impossible to pin down. As chapters recount otherwise mundane aspects of being a teen - sexual tension at the swimming pool, dating, finding an identity - everything is colored by the lens of abuse and it's legacy. Similarly, the author does a good job of addressing the ostracization, stigma, guilt and insecurity associated with being a victim. By illustrating the effects of the town's doubt, the pressure to stay silent, the guilt in not supporting those who came forward, the structural pressures by the school and church, and the way people's off-handed thoughts and comments (e.g., "I bet those girls are just saying it for attention") undermine the emotional life of the narrator, she captures something that's often acknowledged but rarely embodied in writing about trauma. I find the comments from another reviewer - who also was raised in the same town but did not experience the same trauma - who dismisses the book and accuses the author of exaggeration to be an interesting illustration of this process.
The psychological aspect of the book is reflected in the author's ever changing ways of acknowledging and processing the abuse. In the earliest chapters, it's often a footnote or an aside; here's what happened on Tuesday, and also there is a trial going on. As the memoir progresses we see greater depth and emotional connection - feelings of betrayal, anxiety, guilt, anger, and loss. Later, we begin to see the author turning her abuse into a catalyst for growth, and we see her pushing to find a way out of the town and into the world. I also appreciate that the level of understanding reflected in the memoir is roughly consistent with the narrator's developmental age; earlier memories are foggier and more abstract, while later entries are more abstract and socially contextual.
I do with the author was more overt at times; much of the book requires considerable rumination before the stories coalesce into a clear progression. Issues of time and location are often very fuzzy, and while these are not crucial details they do help the reader track whats happening. I think this book would do well to have a forward that strongly articulates it's central thesis. Some of the images and themes are both dramatic and unfortunately under-developed; the exploration of fire and ash (and hence, Cinderland) feels like it wasn't really a part of this book until the latter half. Better connecting and intertwining these images and themes might make for a stronger read.
Despite these shortcomings, I found the book very readable and a sensitive reflection. It may not be for everyone, but if you want to know what abuse and trauma really look like then this is a good starting place.
grahamiam's review against another edition
4.0
Review - http://therumpus.net/2014/10/cinderland-by-amy-jo-burns/
authrcatlabadie's review against another edition
2.0
I was a little bored with this book, BUT the writing style was poetic and flowing with vivid images. The style isn't wanting, but the connection to the story is. Maybe it just wasn't for me.
kpunt's review
3.0
"I made a decision to follow with blind faith the one steady command inside me: leave, leave, leave. But no matter where I went, I'd never be able to separate myself from the hometown, both infinite and mortal, both angel and demon, that formed me."
Cinderland reminded me somewhat of another recent memoir I've read - Educated by Tara Westover - in which there is a running thread by the author of escapism. Both feel wronged by the bubbles in which they grow up. Both feel a need to pop their bubbles and move on. This is a struggle I think most young Nebraskans deal with: residing in a big red flyover state isn't always homely.
This book wasn't a favorite by any means, but I appreciated the story it told and the warnings it held. "Boys will be boys, and girls should know better." With the rise of the #MeToo movement, silence is never the best answer. Neglecting the power of our voices has sinister consequences.
Cinderland reminded me somewhat of another recent memoir I've read - Educated by Tara Westover - in which there is a running thread by the author of escapism. Both feel wronged by the bubbles in which they grow up. Both feel a need to pop their bubbles and move on. This is a struggle I think most young Nebraskans deal with: residing in a big red flyover state isn't always homely.
This book wasn't a favorite by any means, but I appreciated the story it told and the warnings it held. "Boys will be boys, and girls should know better." With the rise of the #MeToo movement, silence is never the best answer. Neglecting the power of our voices has sinister consequences.
pattydsf's review
3.0
Once again, thank you to Edelweiss for allowing me to read this e-book. I may not have found it and that would have been a loss. I am grateful for all the times that publishers are willing to share their books with librarians and readers on sites like this one.
I turned sixty this year. In the last few years I have noticed that many of the protagonists of the books I read are younger than I am. That has been true for decades, but it seems more evident lately. Probably because there are so many authors who are younger than I am. I am getting old.
Memoirs are one of the types of books for which it seems especially true. About half of the memoirs I have read this year were written by people younger than me. As a young reader, I don’t think I would have expected to learn anything from writers who were my age. So wrong, so untrue, but that is what I remember.
I am not knocking the writers. All of those books have taught me something, shown me worlds that I would never experience for myself. I am grateful for their writings. Like the other authors, I am indebted to Burns. She tells a tale that does not show her or her community in the best light. I can't imagine being willing to revisit any trauma from my adolescence.
Burns has remarkable insight into herself and the girls who had to deal with abuse from a trusted adult. She is willing to think about both her faults as well as others. I read this book, hoping with every page that life would work out for Burns. It appears that it has. She has published this book and written other things that have been published. I hope that her willingness to share her story will help others.
I recommend this book to all readers of memoirs – you will be glad you met Amy Jo Burns.
I turned sixty this year. In the last few years I have noticed that many of the protagonists of the books I read are younger than I am. That has been true for decades, but it seems more evident lately. Probably because there are so many authors who are younger than I am. I am getting old.
Memoirs are one of the types of books for which it seems especially true. About half of the memoirs I have read this year were written by people younger than me. As a young reader, I don’t think I would have expected to learn anything from writers who were my age. So wrong, so untrue, but that is what I remember.
I am not knocking the writers. All of those books have taught me something, shown me worlds that I would never experience for myself. I am grateful for their writings. Like the other authors, I am indebted to Burns. She tells a tale that does not show her or her community in the best light. I can't imagine being willing to revisit any trauma from my adolescence.
Burns has remarkable insight into herself and the girls who had to deal with abuse from a trusted adult. She is willing to think about both her faults as well as others. I read this book, hoping with every page that life would work out for Burns. It appears that it has. She has published this book and written other things that have been published. I hope that her willingness to share her story will help others.
I recommend this book to all readers of memoirs – you will be glad you met Amy Jo Burns.