How To Ditch Your Fairy
January 26, 2009
Do you ever notice that you’ll pick up a book (ok, a pile of books) from the library and it seems like you’ll have them for a really long time and then you swear you blinked and they are due back? Happens to me all the time and is part of the reason why I never get any of my own books read. But that’s ok (mostly) because (most of the time) it’s worth it. Like for Justine Larbalestier’s How to Ditch Your Fairy.
Charlie is 14 and like most people she knows had a fairy. Unfortunately it’s not a good fairy. Ok, it’s not a horrible fairy but it’s certainly not a cool fairy like her friend Rochelle. Rochelle has a shopping fairy that finds her great (and cheap) clothes. Charlie has a parking fairy. Never mind that she’s not old enough to drive. It doens’t matter. Everyone else really likes her fairy, especially when they have doctor’s appointments which they drag her along to. In fact, she’s gotten pulled around so much by people who want to use her fairy that she’s stopped getting into cars. Meanwhile Fiorenze has a fairy that makes boys like her. Charlie doesn’t think that sounds so bad…especially if it would mean that Steffi liked her. So she’s trying to ditch her fairy, and it’s not easy.
It’s an interesting book. Magical…and there’s a a comparison to another made up world that is on the tip of brain but is refusing to come out. (So. Annoying.) Everyone has a bit of magic, possibly even those that don’t believe in fairies.
I can see some people possibly being turned off by the slang in the book. It’s not offensive or anything like that…it’s just different. Almost to the point of feeling forced, but narrowly avoids it.
Now, what are the odds of me getting the other books that need to be read done so before they are due back tomorrow? I’m thinking slim to none…
January 26th, 2009 at 10:26 am
That happens to me all the time (the library thing, not the stuff about the fairies). I try and manage my request list so not everything comes in at once but sometimes lots of things come in at once. I have 7 items out, seven on the hold shelf at the library and 6 items in transit. I feel oppressed by my library books!
laurie’s last blog post..another irresistible list of books
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January 31st, 2009 at 4:55 pm
I need to figure out a better balance for own/borrowed books. I’m working on it. Although there are books that when I buy them, they must be read immediately.
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