Karen U. (editorgrrl) reviewed on + 255 more book reviews
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Although Blume has published two adult novels, Wifey (1978) and Smart Women (1985), she remains best known as the groundbreaking author of middle-grade and young-adult books, including Are You There God? It's Me Margaret (1972). Her latest effort, although published as an adult book, could just as easily have been on a YA list. It is, after all, the story of a teenage friendship between two girls, one rich, one poor, and it traces what happens to them as they grow up and eventually grow apart. The majority of the book covers the summers the girls spend together from ages 13 to 18 on Martha's Vineyard. Blume remains a pithy writer. Her dialogue is realistic, and her plotcoming-of-age slathered with jealousymoves right along through family troubles, boyfriends, college, and eventually, marriage. But Blume has also covered much of this materialmenstruation, masturbation, first sexual affairsin her books for young teens. Clearly, this book (which begins in the 1970s, Blume's heyday) was designed to welcome her now grown-up readers into the world of adult fiction. The problem is, most of them probably arrived there a long time ago. What we have here is a marketing ploy: the YA novel masquerading as an adult book in order to widen its audience and capitalize on the author's name. Ironically, though, the audience who will most appreciate the trials and tribulations of friends Victoria and Caitlin as they try to grow up are the very people Blume seems trying so hard to get away from--teenage girls.
Although Blume has published two adult novels, Wifey (1978) and Smart Women (1985), she remains best known as the groundbreaking author of middle-grade and young-adult books, including Are You There God? It's Me Margaret (1972). Her latest effort, although published as an adult book, could just as easily have been on a YA list. It is, after all, the story of a teenage friendship between two girls, one rich, one poor, and it traces what happens to them as they grow up and eventually grow apart. The majority of the book covers the summers the girls spend together from ages 13 to 18 on Martha's Vineyard. Blume remains a pithy writer. Her dialogue is realistic, and her plotcoming-of-age slathered with jealousymoves right along through family troubles, boyfriends, college, and eventually, marriage. But Blume has also covered much of this materialmenstruation, masturbation, first sexual affairsin her books for young teens. Clearly, this book (which begins in the 1970s, Blume's heyday) was designed to welcome her now grown-up readers into the world of adult fiction. The problem is, most of them probably arrived there a long time ago. What we have here is a marketing ploy: the YA novel masquerading as an adult book in order to widen its audience and capitalize on the author's name. Ironically, though, the audience who will most appreciate the trials and tribulations of friends Victoria and Caitlin as they try to grow up are the very people Blume seems trying so hard to get away from--teenage girls.
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