Monday, September 1, 2008

Broken


A novel by Daniel Clay.
Quickie Recap: Reminiscing from the depth of her coma, Skunk recalls the events that led her there: the school bullies, the crush on her teacher, the absence of her mother, the disappearance of her friend, the mystery surrounding her neighbours, all of which conspire to make an 11 year old girl not want to wake up.
Quickie Review: At times, this book was utterly depressing. It's meant to be that way. An 11 year old girl should not be exposed to so much suffering in the world, she should not get to the point where she can't think of anything worth waking up for. But there's something beautiful in her quiet observation, the way her experiences are so pure. I really felt something for this book. I had sympathy for so many of the characters, probably because Skunk does. She feels with such innocence that it really rubs off on the reader.
Quickie Recommendation: Inspired.

2 comments:

Lorna said...

Ahhhh, caught up, in so many ways. I couldn't read another Chuck Pahlaniuk book to save the lives of my grandchildren. Leacock is an entirely different story. Broken: I don't know if I could read a book where someone allowed a little girl to be called Skunk

Jay said...

Hehe. Actually, I totally approve of the reason behind her name. I love Skunk also.