Pieces of Georgia
by Jen Bryant
Interior Illustrations by Sarah Hokanson
Georgia McCoy's guidance counselor is worried about her. Georgia's always been quiet but since her mother died,
she's nearly a ghost and spends part of almost every day in the nurse's office eating antacids. Since Georgia's
not talking about what's bothering her, the counselor gives her a red leather journal and tells her to write the
things she would say to her mother. And Georgia does. She talks about how distant her father has become. She
talks about how much she loves art, but cannot share that with anyone. She talks about a mysterious present that
opens a new door to Georgia's art. And she does this talking through spare, evocative free verse. I found Georgia
a unique character, quiet and perceptive - but still more than capable of being blind to things right before her.
The combination of perceptive and confused struck such a nice balance for the character. And it was refreshing
to see a young adult novel without a brash, in-your-face female lead. Georgia shows that a girl can be quiet
without being passive, as she takes bold steps in pursuit of her dream. I think this is a character who will
speak to a lot of girls who can't see themselves quipping and kicking their way through every conflict. I'm not
a huge fan of novels in poetry forms, but this one sucked me right in as I followed Georgia's path of healing,
for her life and the lives of those around her. It's a beautiful novel, a quick read, and one I'm glad to see in
paperback where it can be accessible to even more young people. |
The Book |
A Yearling Book / Alfred A Knopf Books for Young Readers / Random House |
November 2007 |
Softcover |
0440420555 /978-0440420552 |
Young Adult Fiction |
More at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: |
The Reviewer |
Jan Fields |
Reviewed 2007 |
NOTE: Reviewer Jan
Fields is the editor of Kid Magazine Writers emagazine and has written dozens of
stories and articles for the children's magazine market. |
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