Treasured Thursday is a weekly event created by Touya over at The Reader's Garden that is all about our most treasured. I'm hosting it here now, for those of you who are interested in joining me. This week our topic is our most treasured punch in the gut.
I know what everyone is thinking; Who treasures a punch in the stomach..? Me. And by that I mean most brutally honest and heartbreaking story, of course.
Now me? I've read a bunch of sickeningly real stories about things no one wants to talk about. If it involves suicide or being uncomfortable with ones self, you can bet I've read it or it's on my TBR list (250 long and growing). I just love it. How morbid does this make me? Quite. I don't care.
I have a lot of favorites, honestly. Anything by Ellen Hopkins is loved, Jay Asher's 13 Reasons Why was beautiful, North of Beautiful is creeping up on my "I love you" list, and there are too many to name, honestly. But I do have one that I love immensely, and that is...
Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Can you say ow?
For those of you who haven't read it, here's the summery:
Melina Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth.
I bought this book because I found an ad online that someone was making a movement to ban the book from school libraries. Banned books? Oh, yes, I am going to read it, I thought. It must have something dark, right?
I wasn't disappointed. Though it did take a little while to get to the point, I was never bored. I was always wondering what happened to Melinda, and reading forward and hoping and praying every time I began a new chapter it would be the chapter I found out what happened to her. I won't spoil it for you (someone's heart just sank...) because I want you all to go pick it up if you haven't already.
This is my most treasured; what's yours?
Great post , Lana! I have seen this movie but haven't had the opportunity to read the book yet, but it's on my list!
ReplyDeleteOh you must read it. I want to watch the movie but I'm worried I'll end up pulling my hair out because it was ruined, or something...haha But no, seriously, it is so amazing!
DeleteI couldn't agree more, Lana. I bought this book because of the controversy concerning whether it should be banned because someone, somewhere deemed it smutty rather than reading the book in its entirety.
ReplyDeleteThe opinion was based solely on selections from the book that were taken completely out of context. I knew before going into it that the subject matter might be hard to deal with on a personal level, but I finished it knowing all the negatives that were being touted about it weren't true. It wasn't a "smutty book"- it was a story of great value. The subject matter is a difficult one to deal with but I believe Ms. Anderson handled it very discreetly, and with heart.
I intend to have both my children read it when I think they are ready (one's 13 & the other's 9 at the moment) so we can have a frank discussion about the subject matter.
It was definitely a treasured "hit you in the gut" for me. Glad to know I'm not the only one.
You know, now that you say that, we might've read the same article Taryn. It was "practically soft-core porn" in the one I read. And honestly, it wasn't pornographic at all, in my opinion...Ugh.
DeleteOh well, I loved it anyhow. And I'm glad you're going to have your kids read it and discuss it with them! That makes me very happy. It is a terrible thing to talk about, but it's good to have them informed.
Definitely not. I adored this book. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one, too! :3