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A review by doritobabe
The Night Gwen Stacy Died by Sarah Bruni
4.0
3.5/5
This novel definitely classifies as literary fiction and not the contemporary, possibly adventurous, YA novel that I thought it was when I purchased it from a used book store several years ago.
The Night Gwen Stacey Died is a novel about two people trying to escape from, well, something in each of their own lives. Sheila is a 17-going-on-18 year old, small town girl, who dreams of achieving something akin to glamour and fabulousness in Paris, France. Reader's don't really learn the truth behind her discontentment, though one can assume (especially if you have been a teenage girl) that dreams are oft born out of ennui and too much romanticism.
One day, Sheila is "abducted" by an older, handsome young man who is (and remains throughout the novel) a rebel-without-a-cause; Peter is your classic bad boy.
As the title suggests, this novel is heavily influenced and inspired by Marvel's The Amazing Spider Man comics, and the relationship between Peter and Gwen. These are the two identities that the above mentioned characters assume when they escape across state lines into the neighbouring Chicago. In Chicago, they will find what (and who) they are looking for... (inesrting my own dramatic statement for effect).
I love the Spider Man comics (he is my favorite Marvel character) and I loved Peter's relationship with Gwen Stacey much more than his relationship with MaryJane. I love the tragic end. I particularly enjoyed how Bruni made her Peter less of a nerd and more of a bad boy, as that is my favorite portrayal of Peter Parker (see 2012 Spider Man movies for a similar character played by Andrew Garfield).
To me, this novel was more about "Peter" than Sheila/Gwen, though I am sure that is not the intent. To me, Sheila/Gwen is just plot-device to move things forward. I found her unrelatable and annoying (likely because I am old now and not 17) and like her character transformation/growth in the novel was unremarkable.
Now that I write that, really, a lot of the plot was unremarkable, so why did I give this ~4 stars and enjoy it? Bruni played off some of my favorite stories and even though the plot was weak with somewhat weak characters, this novel redeemed itself entirely because of its excellent pacing, writing, and what I call "ruminating" (when the author yarns poetically at the reader. Mmm, my favorite). I was totally in the mood for this book.
This novel definitely classifies as literary fiction and not the contemporary, possibly adventurous, YA novel that I thought it was when I purchased it from a used book store several years ago.
The Night Gwen Stacey Died is a novel about two people trying to escape from, well, something in each of their own lives. Sheila is a 17-going-on-18 year old, small town girl, who dreams of achieving something akin to glamour and fabulousness in Paris, France. Reader's don't really learn the truth behind her discontentment, though one can assume (especially if you have been a teenage girl) that dreams are oft born out of ennui and too much romanticism.
One day, Sheila is "abducted" by an older, handsome young man who is (and remains throughout the novel) a rebel-without-a-cause; Peter is your classic bad boy.
As the title suggests, this novel is heavily influenced and inspired by Marvel's The Amazing Spider Man comics, and the relationship between Peter and Gwen. These are the two identities that the above mentioned characters assume when they escape across state lines into the neighbouring Chicago. In Chicago, they will find what (and who) they are looking for... (inesrting my own dramatic statement for effect).
I love the Spider Man comics (he is my favorite Marvel character) and I loved Peter's relationship with Gwen Stacey much more than his relationship with MaryJane. I love the tragic end. I particularly enjoyed how Bruni made her Peter less of a nerd and more of a bad boy, as that is my favorite portrayal of Peter Parker (see 2012 Spider Man movies for a similar character played by Andrew Garfield).
To me, this novel was more about "Peter" than Sheila/Gwen, though I am sure that is not the intent. To me, Sheila/Gwen is just plot-device to move things forward. I found her unrelatable and annoying (likely because I am old now and not 17) and like her character transformation/growth in the novel was unremarkable.
Now that I write that, really, a lot of the plot was unremarkable, so why did I give this ~4 stars and enjoy it? Bruni played off some of my favorite stories and even though the plot was weak with somewhat weak characters, this novel redeemed itself entirely because of its excellent pacing, writing, and what I call "ruminating" (when the author yarns poetically at the reader. Mmm, my favorite). I was totally in the mood for this book.