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Pas une critique. Juste un rappel
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15 novembre 2011 Alex
I couldn’t believe the whole book was so black and white. Kate, a victim of horrible abuse at the hands of her mother, has been ridiculed by her peers for her appearance for years. In fact, they physically abuse her too (wtf that scene)! But her knight on a white horse comes to h
From
Nov 15, 2011 Alex
I couldn’t believe the whole book was so black and white. Kate, a victim of horrible abuse at the hands of her mother, has been ridiculed by her peers for her appearance for years. In fact, they physically abuse her too (wtf that scene)! But her knight on a white horse comes to her rescue in the form of Henry, her friend from childhood who has recently moved back to town. Henry is The Perfect Man. He’s rich, kind, generous, and has loved Kate ever since they were little…even though he moved away.
Henry finds Kate irresistible. In fact, we are told that Kate’s beauty is what her peers, especially the girls, hate about her. It Cannot Be Diminished By Her Circumstances. Henry has no problem getting Kate to fall in love with him, though she refuses to tell him about her home life. Which, in all fairness, is really really horrible.
But the whole thing was gross. Kate had no autonomy. Henry saved her. He swooped in and literally is her salvation. She isn’t able to do anything without him. Also, everyone loves Kate. Everyone who matters, that is. Which is Henry and his whole wonderful family. THEY LOVE HER IMMEDIATELY. THEY ARE THE PERFECT FAMILY. HIS MOTHER MAKES PUMPKIN SOUP AND SERVES IT IN HOLLOW PUMPKINS. HIS GRANDFATHER GIVES HER $1000 SIMPLY BECAUSE HE CAN SEE THAT SHE IS HENRY’S SOULMATE.
And why? I don’t know. Kate is always telling herself that she doesn’t deserve him and he’s too good for her and, well, he’s her only friend. GROSS. This story could have totally set Kate up as an awesome female protagonist, doing the best despite her circumstances, and using her own tools to love Henry AND to escape her abuse, but instead it’s Henry who does everything for her. I mean, don’t men always?
Henry even proposes at the end, even though they’re 17. I don’t know what 13-year-old wrote this book, but it was atrocious. It’s some pathetic fantasy concocted out of soap opera-worthy melodrama, written by a woman who clearly believes that only men can save battered women. I had trouble believing that this book actually existed and that I was reading it. But, you know, why shouldn’t it be? Millions of idiots love Twilight; why shouldn’t they also love this piece of trash?
EDIT: The more I think about this book, the more upset I am. I actually think this is one of those novels doing a disservice to young women living with domestic violence because it tells them that only a man can come save them. This will make it far more likely for these young women to go from one abusive situation into another one, becoming emotionally dependent on their « savior », and unable to develop their independence. For example, Kate, who leaves her mother only to go to Henry.
(Let’s not even go into Kate’s mother’s depression and mental illness, which is an incredibly sad story in itself…)
This isn’t to say that Henry isn’t a paragon of virtue, because apparently he’s the Greatest Dude Ever. Which is awesome for Kate and all, since that really could’ve ended poorly. But Bennett could have easily EASILY made Kate the hero of her own story. I know I’m getting all rah-rah feminist (WHICH I HAPPEN TO THINK IS GREAT), but honestly, I saw this kind of stuff every day with my young female clients.
That being said, this thing was just crock full of shit. I apparently forgot to address the part where the Mean Girl bully beats the crap out of Kate at school. Like, physically, on the floor of the girls’ bathroom, beats the crap out of her. It’s needlessly violent and gratuitous. But once the truth about Kate’s home life is revealed, suddenly the bully is all apologetic and weepy. Like, « SORRY FOR BEATING YOU UP. I THOUGHT YOU WERE ALL GROSS AND SMELLY AND STUFF. I TOTES WOULDN’T HAVE DONE THAT IF I KNEW YOU WERE GETTING BEATEN ON AT HOME. MY B. » And Kate’s all, « NBD, girl, I got you. »
YEAH.
THAT HAPPENS.
AND THEN THEY BECOME FRIENDS.
So…what’s the message I’m getting here? That it was okay for her to beat Kate up had Kate NOT been from an abusive home? Or, maybe, and I’m going out on a limb here, Bennett could have made it clear that such bullying and violence is abhorrent under ANY circumstance. I’m not saying that Bennett was condoning the physical and emotional bullying by justifying it like that. I’m saying that was how it read in the book and I just wish that Jessica (was that her name?) could have undergone her own transformation in a different way as well.
In conclusion: if you’re a sane person with rational ideas about how people should treat each other and you like strong female characters, you’re probs going to want to throw your ebook reader against the wall. I wish I could give this NEGATIVE STARS. I know I shouldn’t expect YA authors to be role models, BUT THEY ARE, because youth read their books and are influenced by them and TAKE THEM TO HEART. And that’s why books like this and Twilight INFURIATE me. At least Henry doesn’t creep into Kate’s bedroom to watch her sleep. We should be telling young women that THEY ARE STRONG AND THEY ARE THE PROTAGONISTS OF THEIR OWN STORY AND THEY SHOULD NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THEMSELVES. We should never, ever tell them that they can only be someone in relation to someone else. (hide spoiler)]
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