I think this book would appeal to many teens because the central issues of the novel are timeless and cross cultural and racial barriers. I know that many people have been turned off by the confusion of the first few chapters, but I disagree, I think with the proper preparation, teens could really enjoy this book a lot.
The book deals with the following developmental markers: surviving on your own/becoming independent, reconciling with your past, developing positive adult relationships, forgiveness, and understanding.
I thought that the characters were believable. Taylor really appealed to me and drew me into the story. I wanted her to do well and succeed. I also liked the relationships amongst the characters; I thought they were realistic and believable. I was a bit doubtful that there would really be “territory wars” as described in the book, but upon understanding the history behind their creation, I can see how that would really happen too. In a sense, Taylor’s experiences could be a representation for the types of conflict that occur on a much larger scale around the world.
I would promote this book in conjunction with other similarly themed novels: The Outsiders, Miracle’s Boys, or Westside Story, etc. I think that describing the basic plot and the way in which Marchetta has established the plot structure would be enough to entice a reader to want to pick the book up. I certainly enjoyed the novel, and I’m sure many others would too.
4Q, 4P, J/S
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