Course Theme for the Week: History of Young Adults and Young Adult Literature (2-2-2011)
Title: Weetzie Bat
Author: Francesca Lia Block
Year: 1989
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Read: 2-1-2011
Overall: * * * * (4/5)
Amazon Blurb: Weetzie Bat lived in a fairy-tale land of glitter, glitz, and coolness. She had a bleachd-blonde flat-top and pink sunglasses, and cruised around town with her best friend Dirk and her Slinkster Dog pooch in a '55 Pontiac named Jerry.
Weetzie loved L.A., with its plastic palm tree wallets and tomahawks, its cheap cheese and bean burritos, and its surfer dudes. But still, something was missing. So Weetzie made three wishes, and they all came true...
My Review: This was a reread for me. Though, the last time I read it I think I was about 14 years old. I really didn't remember much about it. Weetzie is such a lovely character, she just wants love and happiness for herself and her friends. She wants to live in a glittering fairy land with rose petals and sparkles all around. She just wants goodness.
There are actually a lot of deep messages in this story. About children who have rough childhoods, and how they just want love in their loves and to care for someone else. Weetzie's best friend Dirk is gay, and he finds love in Duck. Duck brings up good points about HIV, though it is not directly stated. But it sounds like it when he says that loving someone shouldn't kill them.
This story is just really beautifully written, as are all of Block's stories. This makes me want to reread Echo, which I remember adoring in high school.
I think younger teenagers would love this book. It is so fantastical and magical, that even though Weetzie and her friends could be real people, they just seem to shimmer and live these wonderful lives full of love and happiness. I don't know if teens would find all of the hidden messages in the story, but I think it would be easy to get the messages about love and caring. I would be interested in hearing other peoples' opinions on the story and in hearing teenagers opinions on it.
To Purchase: Amazon
Currently Reading: Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris
Currently Listening To: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (read by Carolyn McCormick)
Books Read in 2011: 14
Review of Forever... by Judy Blume will be posted later tonight
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