Saturday, May 21, 2011

Tomato Girl






Author:  Jayne Pupek

There is a certain grace in the face of hardship factor that really makes me root for Southern fiction protagonists. This book made me ache for young Ellie, knowing that everyone around her would fail to help her through life’s struggles in the end, that she would have to grow to take care of herself in a different way than anyone else could. In that way, this book reminded me very much of the books Ellen Foster and Make Lemonade. There is such a danger for youth when the ones they count on the most cannot be counted on. This story is a prime example.

Ellie’s mother, who most likely suffers from severe bipolar disorder with psychotic features, swings like an off-kilter pendulum between inappropriate happiness to anguish, doing things I could not imagine. Her relationship with Baby Tom in the jar while he is refusing to nurse is a prime example of this. I saw this as a brilliant relationship opportunity for Pupek to explore and was glad she did. It was very original and sad with a tinge of the blackest humor. With the added injury until the point of her dramatic and somehow relieving death, Ellie becomes her crutch, leaning hardest as her husband brings in a teenage girl for help but ends up leaving with her.

All in all, this book has a flair for the dramatic, making it an enjoyable, fascinating read. And any book with baby chicks is likely to win me over. I hope to read more of Pupek’s work in the future. 


Overall Rating:  5 of 5 Stars

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Twlight: Vampires Without the Bite

 My Mardi Gras vampire costume from this past Halloween.

My  Rating: 3 of 5 Stars


I really wanted to love the Twilight series. After all, I did honeymoon in Romania and eat Jonathan Harker's meal from the Dracula novel at the Golden Crown! I am generally intrigued by anything vampire-related, so I have given the series a try. I find them a bit lack-luster and overly safe. The notions of chastity and being torn between two choices are overdone throughout the series. The characters seem like they could be filled out more, since some seem like they could be really interesting. Violence, a necessity in the vampire world, seems to be a minimal detail, making this romance story a bit less paranormal than promised, with the conventions (sparkling in the sun, anyone?) seem a bit random.

I do strangely enjoy watching the films, however, as the talent are quite attractive, and the music tends to be excellent. While the hairstyles aren't quite on-point, the wardrobe is usually nice. All in all, I watch the movies when they come on TV, but I do not buy the merchandise or flock to opening night. If the series is lukewarm in so many regards, how can I be expected not to be as well?  Besides, the squeaky-clean aspects make this franchise acceptable viewing with my daughters, who always want to share interests with Mommy and Daddy.