A review by monasterymonochrome
Witch Baby by Francesca Lia Block
3.0
This one didn't fully connect with me. I do appreciate Block's attempt here to counter Weetzie Bat's optimism with a more realistic response to the everyday tragedies of the world. For Witch Baby, the utopia her large blended family has created for themselves is oppressive and stifling. As a result of her mysterious origins, she doesn't feel like she fits in and, therefore, their world cannot shield her from the bleakness she sees beyond it and the frustration, confusion, and anger she feels within herself. In her eyes, Weetzie Bat's Shangri-L.A. becomes Los Diablos, and, as a result, the descriptions of the city here are much grittier and realistic than the frothy, fluorescent, ultra-heightened images depicted in the first book.
In some ways, it seems like Block is casting a critical eye on New Age extremism. Weetzie's vaguely "woo-woo" attempts at positivity largely fail to ease Witch Baby's worries, and there's an almost laugh-out-loud funny moment where Dirk and Duck are visiting Duck's family and he introduces his siblings, "Peace, Granola, Crystal, Chi, Aura, Tahini and the twins, Yin and Yang." Later, he reveals they are so named because his mother has spent her entire life hopping from spiritual movement to spiritual movement, barely getting her feet wet before moving on to the next big thing. It's obvious Block is poking fun at a certain type of woman with her characterization here. I mean, GRANOLA?!?
It's unfortunate she is so self-aware in this regard and not in others. The Native American appropriation still runs rampant in Cherokee, who sleeps in a teepee and conducts powwows with her crush, Raphael. The one Native American character, Coyote, is more fleshed-out here and actually gets to engage in a few touching moments with Witch Baby, but he only seems to show up to serve as a gentle, affirming guide for characters when they need one, which I feel only downplays and validates the appropriation more. On the other hand, I liked getting a bit more insight into Dirk and Duck's relationship, My Secret Agent Lover Man is made more interesting as a character through his inability, like Witch Baby, to fully shake off the darkness he sees in the world, and Angel Juan is a vibrant addition to the cast, even if he isn't around for long. Vixanne Wigg is still a cartoon villain, but I was amused by how she tries to pull a Hansel & Gretel on Witch Baby by luring her in with sweets.
Honestly, the biggest problem for me in this book is Witch Baby herself. Although her lack of belonging and jumbled self-identity are relatable, her behavior is more often than not exhaustingly obnoxious. I assume she's supposed to be at least a preteen here, but she behaves more like a toddler, acting out by biting, throwing tantrums, running away, and revealing information that isn't hers to reveal (I found the scene where she outs Duck to his mom to be painful and mortifying, even if it turned out well in the end). I suppose Block is using this immaturity to illustrate the fact that she feels so out of place she can't even adapt to normal human behavior, but it's not exactly a joy to stay inside such an obnoxious POV for so long. She does grow by the end, but I'm not sure the over-the-top finale where each of her family members lavishes praise upon her is exactly earned.
As is Block's MO, this is a quick, easy read and there are enough other characters surrounding Witch Baby that it was still enjoyable to spend more time in this world, even if our protagonist isn't especially likable most of the time. I'm still invested enough to continue my reread of the series, but I'll probably take a bit of a break before diving into the next book.
In some ways, it seems like Block is casting a critical eye on New Age extremism. Weetzie's vaguely "woo-woo" attempts at positivity largely fail to ease Witch Baby's worries, and there's an almost laugh-out-loud funny moment where Dirk and Duck are visiting Duck's family and he introduces his siblings, "Peace, Granola, Crystal, Chi, Aura, Tahini and the twins, Yin and Yang." Later, he reveals they are so named because his mother has spent her entire life hopping from spiritual movement to spiritual movement, barely getting her feet wet before moving on to the next big thing. It's obvious Block is poking fun at a certain type of woman with her characterization here. I mean, GRANOLA?!?
It's unfortunate she is so self-aware in this regard and not in others. The Native American appropriation still runs rampant in Cherokee, who sleeps in a teepee and conducts powwows with her crush, Raphael. The one Native American character, Coyote, is more fleshed-out here and actually gets to engage in a few touching moments with Witch Baby, but he only seems to show up to serve as a gentle, affirming guide for characters when they need one, which I feel only downplays and validates the appropriation more. On the other hand, I liked getting a bit more insight into Dirk and Duck's relationship, My Secret Agent Lover Man is made more interesting as a character through his inability, like Witch Baby, to fully shake off the darkness he sees in the world, and Angel Juan is a vibrant addition to the cast, even if he isn't around for long. Vixanne Wigg is still a cartoon villain, but I was amused by how she tries to pull a Hansel & Gretel on Witch Baby by luring her in with sweets.
Honestly, the biggest problem for me in this book is Witch Baby herself. Although her lack of belonging and jumbled self-identity are relatable, her behavior is more often than not exhaustingly obnoxious. I assume she's supposed to be at least a preteen here, but she behaves more like a toddler, acting out by biting, throwing tantrums, running away, and revealing information that isn't hers to reveal (I found the scene where she outs Duck to his mom to be painful and mortifying, even if it turned out well in the end). I suppose Block is using this immaturity to illustrate the fact that she feels so out of place she can't even adapt to normal human behavior, but it's not exactly a joy to stay inside such an obnoxious POV for so long. She does grow by the end, but I'm not sure the over-the-top finale where each of her family members lavishes praise upon her is exactly earned.
As is Block's MO, this is a quick, easy read and there are enough other characters surrounding Witch Baby that it was still enjoyable to spend more time in this world, even if our protagonist isn't especially likable most of the time. I'm still invested enough to continue my reread of the series, but I'll probably take a bit of a break before diving into the next book.