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A review by linzer712
In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard
4.0
I've been trying to figure out how to describe this book. Coming of age in a small town? Sort of. Reflective and gently philosophical? More like it. Quietly unassuming with a tad of humor, astute descriptions, references to modern art and great (and not so great, but endearing)works of lit? Yep.
This book, about two 14 year olds in a small town, is about nothing and everything. It's about nothing in the way that nothing monumental happens (meaning death, rape, mass destruction, violence, pick-your-life-changing-trauma that often litter books about teenagers...although there is a small fire, a few kisses, a wee bit of graffiti, and an alcoholic dad who is sad and made me sad). But the "nothing" feels monumental to the narrator in the way that things that would seem like no big deal to an outsider are life changingly enormous to a ninth grader.
This novel reminded me of that.
It is langorous (the way teenage summers were) and at times a bit tedious ( like Advanced Algebra class was), but smartly observant and hard to pin down.
This book, about two 14 year olds in a small town, is about nothing and everything. It's about nothing in the way that nothing monumental happens (meaning death, rape, mass destruction, violence, pick-your-life-changing-trauma that often litter books about teenagers...although there is a small fire, a few kisses, a wee bit of graffiti, and an alcoholic dad who is sad and made me sad). But the "nothing" feels monumental to the narrator in the way that things that would seem like no big deal to an outsider are life changingly enormous to a ninth grader.
This novel reminded me of that.
It is langorous (the way teenage summers were) and at times a bit tedious ( like Advanced Algebra class was), but smartly observant and hard to pin down.