Zulkey, Claire An Off Year, 213 p. Dutton (Penguin), 2009. $17.99. Language: R (90 swears, 27 ‘f’). When Cecily shows up for her freshman year of college, she makes her father turn right around and take her home. Now she’s determined to not step foot on campus and instead spend the year bemoaning her inability to make a choice about her life. Even with the help of a psychiatrist and a college advisor, Cecily may not be able to get her life off the ground. Leah, the college advisor, is probably the best character in this book – she unwilling to accept any of Cecily’s crap answers and challenges her to actually think about the choices she has made. Angie, Cecily’s brother’s girlfriend is another breath of fresh air. Cecily, on the other hand, is just a bore. Her indecision feels fake and the fact that her father just lets her sit around the house for a year irritates me no end. I don’t know is using ‘f’ is some kind of new prerequisite for books aimed at the high school market, but it doesn’t work for me. But htat is the least of this book’s problems. NO. Cindy, Library-Teacher.
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2 comments:
I read this book and enjoyed it so I disagree with you on a few points. First, who was "Lucy?" Secondly, I'd wager that the "f" word gets used in YA books these days because it's a word YAs use.
Whoops - thanks - "Lucy" is now gone.
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