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| Book #4 of 2010 |
| Title: Tangled |
| Author: Carolyn Mackler |
| Publisher: HarperTeen |
| Pub Date: December 29, 2009 |
| Grade: A- |
| Comments: Tangled is the story of four teens: bubbly Jena, teen actress Skye, cute Dakota and his brother, anti-social Owen, whose lives become entangled as a result of a trip to the Carribbean resort Paradise. These descriptions are complete oversimplifications; as we go through the teens’ stories, we discover the secrets they are hiding, the relationships they are developing and the ways in which their stories interconnect.
Based on the jacket copy, I was surprised at how little of the story actually takes place at the resort; most of the action takes place in the months after the trip. The characters themselves are unevenly interesting. I was most drawn in by Owen’s story but I bet there are plenty of teen readers who would sympathize with any of the other characters. The success of this novel is the accurate portrayal of aspects of teen life: how divorce affects siblings, how teen romance can get very complicated, especially when there is a death involved, how teens can connect on the internet in a very different way than in person, how depression can manifest itself in someone who on the surface looks very perfect, how friendships can have a lot more meaning than sex.
I think the Earth, My Butt and Other Big, Round Things is still my favorite Carolyn Mackler book, but I loved this one as well. I think the cover makes light of the book a bit though, and wonder if teens who enjoyed books Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles would pick this one up.
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| In Depth Reviews: Miss Short Skirt, The Compulsive Reader, Steph Su Reads |
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