I absolutely loved this modern fairytale. Now I can see why so many people are obsessed with Francesca Lia Block's writing! I can't wait to read the rest of this series.
From Wikipedia:
"Weetzie Bat is the first novel written by American author Francesca Lia Block and was originally published in 1989. It is most often categorised as fiction for young adults.
The narrative follows the adventures of the eponymous character Weetzie and her best friend Dirk, their friends and relations. On being granted three wishes by a genie, Weetzie discovers that the ramifications of her wishes are not exactly what she had been expecting.
The story is set in an almost dream-like, heightened version of Los Angeles, aptly referred to as Shangri-L.A., in an indefinite time period that evokes both the essence of the 1980s punk craze and the sophisticated glamour of Hollywood in the 1950s. Block's use of language is original and poetic. She has crafted a form of slang for her characters' speech, coining such phrases as 'duck-hunting' - meaning to go out looking for potential dates.
What is most striking about the book is its treatment of the family unit. 'Family' is a central theme, but most of the characters are not biologically related. This is a literary example of a craze that swept through popular culture in the 1990s: the family unit being replaced by a close-knit circle of friends. Other representations of this phenomenon include Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the situation comedy Friends.
The novel is set in a world not without pain, but seemingly without prejudice. Issues such as blended families, pre-marital sex, homosexuality and AIDS are described freely and without apology. This has led to some backlash from parents who do not believe that such material has a place in teenage fiction.
Weetzie Bat is the first of Francesca Lia Block's Dangerous Angels series."
"Weetzie Bat is the first novel written by American author Francesca Lia Block and was originally published in 1989. It is most often categorised as fiction for young adults.
The narrative follows the adventures of the eponymous character Weetzie and her best friend Dirk, their friends and relations. On being granted three wishes by a genie, Weetzie discovers that the ramifications of her wishes are not exactly what she had been expecting.
The story is set in an almost dream-like, heightened version of Los Angeles, aptly referred to as Shangri-L.A., in an indefinite time period that evokes both the essence of the 1980s punk craze and the sophisticated glamour of Hollywood in the 1950s. Block's use of language is original and poetic. She has crafted a form of slang for her characters' speech, coining such phrases as 'duck-hunting' - meaning to go out looking for potential dates.
What is most striking about the book is its treatment of the family unit. 'Family' is a central theme, but most of the characters are not biologically related. This is a literary example of a craze that swept through popular culture in the 1990s: the family unit being replaced by a close-knit circle of friends. Other representations of this phenomenon include Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the situation comedy Friends.
The novel is set in a world not without pain, but seemingly without prejudice. Issues such as blended families, pre-marital sex, homosexuality and AIDS are described freely and without apology. This has led to some backlash from parents who do not believe that such material has a place in teenage fiction.
Weetzie Bat is the first of Francesca Lia Block's Dangerous Angels series."
A PoMo fairy tale, full of hipster cool. Lanky lizards! A tiny trade paperback (6.3 x 4.2 x .4 inches, 3.4 oz, 113 pgs.). Read more at atombooks.co.uk. Reader's guide available at harperchildrens.com.
From Publishers Weekly
An offbeat heroine shares a Hollywood cottage with three equally quirky companions; in PW 's words, "Block's first book is related in a breezy, knowing voice; her strange and sparkling tribute to growing up in L.A. is a rare treat for those sophisticated enough to appreciate it."
Ages 12-up.
From School Library Journal
Grade 10-Up
A brief, off-beat tale that has great charm, poignancy, and touches of fantasy. Weetzie, now 23, is a child of Hollywood who hated high school but loves the memories of Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin, plastic palm-tree wallets, and the roller-skating waitresses at Tiny Naylor's. She wears a bleached-blond flattop and Harlequin sunglasses, covers her '50s taffeta dresses in glittery poetry, and sews fringe down the sides of her minis in sympathy with the plight of the Indian. Nobody understands her, least of all her divorced bicoastal parents, until she meets Dirk, who takes her slamdancing at the hot clubs in L.A. in his red '55 Pontiac. When he tells her he's gay, they decide to go "duck-hunting" together. He meets his ideal blond surfer, and Weetzie finds her Secret Agent Lover Man. They all move in together, make movies that become underground successes, and have a baby. This recreates the ambiance of Hollywood with no cynicism, from the viewpoint of denizens who treasure its unique qualities. Weetzie and her friends live like the lillies of the field, yet their responsibility to each other and their love for the baby show a sweet grasp of the realities that matter. As in Rosemary Wells' None of the Above (Dial, 1974), these kids spend no time considering college or career. Their only priority is finding love and keeping it once they find it. "'I don't know about happily ever after. . . but I know about happily,' Weetzie Bat thought."
From Publishers Weekly
An offbeat heroine shares a Hollywood cottage with three equally quirky companions; in PW 's words, "Block's first book is related in a breezy, knowing voice; her strange and sparkling tribute to growing up in L.A. is a rare treat for those sophisticated enough to appreciate it."
Ages 12-up.
From School Library Journal
Grade 10-Up
A brief, off-beat tale that has great charm, poignancy, and touches of fantasy. Weetzie, now 23, is a child of Hollywood who hated high school but loves the memories of Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin, plastic palm-tree wallets, and the roller-skating waitresses at Tiny Naylor's. She wears a bleached-blond flattop and Harlequin sunglasses, covers her '50s taffeta dresses in glittery poetry, and sews fringe down the sides of her minis in sympathy with the plight of the Indian. Nobody understands her, least of all her divorced bicoastal parents, until she meets Dirk, who takes her slamdancing at the hot clubs in L.A. in his red '55 Pontiac. When he tells her he's gay, they decide to go "duck-hunting" together. He meets his ideal blond surfer, and Weetzie finds her Secret Agent Lover Man. They all move in together, make movies that become underground successes, and have a baby. This recreates the ambiance of Hollywood with no cynicism, from the viewpoint of denizens who treasure its unique qualities. Weetzie and her friends live like the lillies of the field, yet their responsibility to each other and their love for the baby show a sweet grasp of the realities that matter. As in Rosemary Wells' None of the Above (Dial, 1974), these kids spend no time considering college or career. Their only priority is finding love and keeping it once they find it. "'I don't know about happily ever after. . . but I know about happily,' Weetzie Bat thought."
