In the process of procrastinating on writing my review of White Oleander by Janet Finch, I have realized that my writer's block increases over time. This was the last book I completed before the school year began. The story is told from the perspective of Astrid who goes through the foster home system after her mother is sent to prison. This summer, two of the books I read had disturbing sexual content. In this book, I was disturbed by Astrid's seduction of an older man. However, I did appreciate that she grew and got perspective. Astrid's growth made it easier to tolerate the uncomfortable sex scenes. I think the author did a good job of evolving Astrid's voice to share the story. While I did enjoy the book, I am not sure that it deserved all the hype it got when first released. One of the comments I remember is the commentary on the author's beautiful descriptions. They were lovely, but again I am not sure they warranted the extremely high praise.
Recommend to a friend: Yes, especially if you are looking for a fast read that is both disturbing and uplifting.
I read this book for one challenge: