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A review by liralen
Sharing Sam by Katherine Applegate
4.0
I read this as part of a passive quest to find a book I read as a child. It wasn't the same book, but it ended up being a kind of fascinating book just for the differences between 1995 YA and contemporary (2010s) YA.
Older YA is quieter, I think, its protagonists often (not always, obviously) ascribed a bit more maturity. Here's what Alison has to say about sharing information about her best friend's cancer:
So here...I find it pretty fascinating that it's Alison who suggests that Sam date Izzy, even though Alison and Sam like each other. She gets jealous, and Sam finds it hard, but neither of them ever loses sight of what they're doing and why. It's just so. Much. Quieter. And that's kind of lovely. Maybe it's not realistic that it would all end so sweetly, but gosh, I love seeing how different the flavour is compared to other things I've been reading of late.
Older YA is quieter, I think, its protagonists often (not always, obviously) ascribed a bit more maturity. Here's what Alison has to say about sharing information about her best friend's cancer:
"How is Izzy?" Sam asked.
"She's having radiation and some follow-up tests. She'll be back Tuesday." I didn't tell him that the surgery hadn't been successful. I hadn't told anybody except my family. It wasn't my place. (41)So often I see books where a big part of the conflict is drama: friend blabs personal information all over school, or friend doesn't blab but agonises over who she can tell what, or two people like the same boy and OMG HOW CAN WE EVER BE FRIENDS AGAIN. Jealousy ends up being this huge, overbearing beast that takes over half the book. Now: that's not all, or even most, contemporary YA. And not all (or necessarily most) older YA is better about it. But still.
So here...I find it pretty fascinating that it's Alison who suggests that Sam date Izzy, even though Alison and Sam like each other. She gets jealous, and Sam finds it hard, but neither of them ever loses sight of what they're doing and why. It's just so. Much. Quieter. And that's kind of lovely. Maybe it's not realistic that it would all end so sweetly, but gosh, I love seeing how different the flavour is compared to other things I've been reading of late.