You've heard the old adage "you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family," right? Well, that's the premise behind Michelle D. Kwasney's young adult novel, Blue Plate Special. The title comes from the name of a special low-cost meal that could be ordered from a small town diner as early as the 1920s. (LINK: [...]) This no-substitutions meat and veggie combo plate is sort of like your family - you get what you get.
Three teens, Madeline, Desiree and Ariel, are all good girls. Each lives in a different decade but they are all served an assortment of dysfunctional relationship issues.
When fifteen-year-old Madeline isn't in school, she plays the role of parent. She makes sure the food stamps buy food and only half the non-welfare money gets spent on beer. Her mother, Leona, is always drunk and is already three deep in DUIs. At 200+ pounds, Madeline's probable drug of choice is food but her physical scars may reveal a deeper root to the pain and resentment buried in her heart. Now... open Maddie's world and insert Tad. He's the first person to engage her in meaningful conversation - ever. A spark of life ignites and begins to wash away the pain of her early years. In spite of the angst of their days, Madeline and Tad hold onto the hope of a brighter future together.
Twenty years later, fifteen-year-old Desiree's dream is to leave home at eighteen, live with her boyfriend, Jeremy, and "be the best mom on the planet" (p. 16). Unfortunately, for now at least, she's stuck at home dealing with her mother and Larry, her mother's boyfriend. What a contrast between the two adults. Her mother, a pain medication addict, ignores Desiree most of the time. When she does notice Desiree it's only to tell her that she wears too much makeup and dresses like a slut. She disregards the fact that Desiree's relationship with Jeremy is platonic and she's still a virgin. Larry, on the other hand, sees Desiree as quite the irresistible and desirable woman. Consequently, early one evening he lies in wait, baits her and then rapes her. When she finds out she's pregnant her whole world turns upside down and so does her boyfriend, Jeremy's.
Until fifteen, Ariel's life had been relatively calm. Even now, her mom works hard, they share a loving relationship, and Ariel even has a great best friend, Olivia. Things begin to change, however, as Ariel's new boyfriend Shane becomes increasingly possessive and pushes harder each day for Ariel to submit to his desires. It seems that everyone can see Shane for the manipulative predator he is except for Ariel. All she sees is that Shane, the giver of her first kiss, loves her and will go to great lengths to protect her from harm.
Kwasney's writing engages the senses and invites the reader to slow down and savor every scene. Her well-rounded characters live in vivid settings. The high-school experiences, emotions and interactions mirror those of her intended audience of 14+ with one exception. When Jeremy rapes Desiree, the play-by-play details put the reader in the back seat of the car with Desiree. The vivid account may evoke within the reader shared feelings of powerlessness which may be too upsetting for some young teens.
William Styron said, "A good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it." For me, this quote held true with Blue Plate Special.
Three teens, Madeline, Desiree and Ariel, are all good girls. Each lives in a different decade but they are all served an assortment of dysfunctional relationship issues.
When fifteen-year-old Madeline isn't in school, she plays the role of parent. She makes sure the food stamps buy food and only half the non-welfare money gets spent on beer. Her mother, Leona, is always drunk and is already three deep in DUIs. At 200+ pounds, Madeline's probable drug of choice is food but her physical scars may reveal a deeper root to the pain and resentment buried in her heart. Now... open Maddie's world and insert Tad. He's the first person to engage her in meaningful conversation - ever. A spark of life ignites and begins to wash away the pain of her early years. In spite of the angst of their days, Madeline and Tad hold onto the hope of a brighter future together.
Twenty years later, fifteen-year-old Desiree's dream is to leave home at eighteen, live with her boyfriend, Jeremy, and "be the best mom on the planet" (p. 16). Unfortunately, for now at least, she's stuck at home dealing with her mother and Larry, her mother's boyfriend. What a contrast between the two adults. Her mother, a pain medication addict, ignores Desiree most of the time. When she does notice Desiree it's only to tell her that she wears too much makeup and dresses like a slut. She disregards the fact that Desiree's relationship with Jeremy is platonic and she's still a virgin. Larry, on the other hand, sees Desiree as quite the irresistible and desirable woman. Consequently, early one evening he lies in wait, baits her and then rapes her. When she finds out she's pregnant her whole world turns upside down and so does her boyfriend, Jeremy's.
Until fifteen, Ariel's life had been relatively calm. Even now, her mom works hard, they share a loving relationship, and Ariel even has a great best friend, Olivia. Things begin to change, however, as Ariel's new boyfriend Shane becomes increasingly possessive and pushes harder each day for Ariel to submit to his desires. It seems that everyone can see Shane for the manipulative predator he is except for Ariel. All she sees is that Shane, the giver of her first kiss, loves her and will go to great lengths to protect her from harm.
Kwasney's writing engages the senses and invites the reader to slow down and savor every scene. Her well-rounded characters live in vivid settings. The high-school experiences, emotions and interactions mirror those of her intended audience of 14+ with one exception. When Jeremy rapes Desiree, the play-by-play details put the reader in the back seat of the car with Desiree. The vivid account may evoke within the reader shared feelings of powerlessness which may be too upsetting for some young teens.
William Styron said, "A good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it." For me, this quote held true with Blue Plate Special.
