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Summary: Bittersweet.....Love Story.
Review: I Loved this Book. It's as Wonderful and Beautifully written as all of her other books; Her style and Poetic voice is her trademark and my sweet addiction.
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Summary: So good!
Review: I'll admit, I thought Block's last fictional piece (Echo) was not quite up to her usual standards. Maybe it's because I only read it once (as opposed to the several times I've devoured her other books), but Echo struck me as a bit rambling and disjointed. As she did in Echo, Block employs a very poetic style in Wasteland, switching various narrators & time periods without explanation or warning. This time, however, it works! It works really, really well!!! The characters are believable and real, the story is honest and touching, and Block's language is beautiful and vividly descriptive (as always). Wasteland is, to me, every bit as classic as her other amazing novels.
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Summary: An emotionally rich novel.
Review: Incest is one of those subjects we just don't like to talk, or even think, about. In her latest novel, WASTELAND, Francesca Lia Block forces readers outside their comfort zones and into a story in which the love between a brother and sister provides both great joy and incredible anguish.
Lex and Marina have always been close. One of Lex's earliest memories was of his sister as a baby: "Then you reached out and curled your fingers around me, so tight, I knew you recognized me. That was the first time I knew I had a heart inside my body." The siblings' connections only grow deeper as they get older; Lex is obsessively protective of his baby sister, and Marina finds herself dressing and acting like Lex to ensure his acceptance of her. As they enter adolescence, both siblings become intensely aware of each other's bodies, until their attraction to each other comes to a crossroads one night.
As a result of their encounter, Lex betrays Marina and then commits suicide. Marina is torn apart by her own grief and her unanswered questions about her brother's death. She turns to Lex's friend West, who is willing to stand back while Marina searches for answers and wait for her to be able to love again.
It probably won't surprise anyone that this book is for mature teen audiences. Readers should be emotionally ready to deal with WASTELAND's complex subject matter. In addition, the rapidly switching narrators and points of view (including some chapters written from the perspective of the dead brother) require a sophisticated reader, as does the extended passage from T. S. Eliot's poem that inspired the novel's title.
One of the book's major weaknesses is the surprise ending, which is probably meant to provide dramatic irony but instead feels tacked on and unnecessary. Readers who are ready to grapple with Block's lyrical prose and challenging topic will be rewarded by an emotionally rich novel about a compelling and thought-provoking relationship.
--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl
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Summary: Almost There
Review: It felt like Block was getting back to her Weetzie-esque style. Unlike in 'Echo', the characters were more real and relateable, particularly West. Although I've always loved Block's creativity naming characters, I did enjoy that she used more "normal" names; it made the unusual story somehow more realistic.
Still, I felt like the story and characters were rushed. Did Francesca Lia Block's editor force her to meet a deadline before the story was really finished? This is particularly evident with regards to the ending of the novel. It undermines the main conflict and felt like a cop-out. Maybe Block wasn't sure how to end the novel and ran out of time. Also, she could have spent a little more time on the main characters, particularly Marina. I loved her characterizations of minor characters--Lex and Marina's schoolmates, kids at the club--but I felt like something was lacking in Marina.
I'm always thrilled when a new Francesca Lia Block book comes out, but I felt like this one could have used a little more work. I would have waited a month to see what Block could have come up with.
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Summary: missing something
Review: It really is missing something. Not that I didn't LIKE the book, it just didn't touch me as some of her other books had. I admit, I did re-read it, just to make sure I wasn't missing something. But it was definately the book. I just didn't like it as much.
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Summary: A poetic journal
Review: It took one-third of the book to catch on that there were three different narrators. The main story is told by Marina, who lost her brother, as she tries to deal with everything that has gone on for the past few months. Other parts of the story are in her brother Lex's voice, from his notes and journals. This is where things become confusing...because these entries could have been Marina (it turns out that some things are not chronological). I am not sure if the third narrator is Marina's friend West of an outsider. Both Marina and Lex use the first-person "I", and the other parts are in the third-person "s/he". The story is strong even though many parts seem to be missing, letting readers do a lot of assuming. Yet it is a simple read...and very poetic with its tone. Due to the content of this book, I am pleased how the author chose to use realistic names, rather than fantastic ones like she usually does. It would not have worked here.
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Summary: reminds me of an anime...
Review: or maybe a good slash angst fanfic. girls who want draco malfoy to press harry potter against a wall somewhere and kiss him will likely devour this book. sometimes the narration gets confusing as the two people call each other you, but that's really only during one chapter. if you didn't like it as much as the other books it's probably because of the fact that it's much sadder than the other things she's written. you want things to end differently, but you know they can't. won't. still, try it anyway and you maybe pleasantly surprised.
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Summary: Wasteland-confusing? I think not.
Review: The traditional tragic story of unrequiented love. The twist? The object of Marina's LL (love/lust) is no other than her older brother, lex. Shocking? Maybe. Original? Defidently. Conservatives be forwarned, there is nothing shy about this book. Although the language might be percieved as "confusing" in the begining, I think of it as mysterious. What is he talking about? Where will this lead? A book you want to read agien, and believe me, the second time will be all the more satisfying. So take a break from those dishes and absorbe yourself in Blocks lush, poetic writing. You will be glad you did. -S
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Summary: What can I say?
Review: This book is purely amazing, Lia Block does it again. With the subject of this book I wasn't sure what to expect, but I am soo glad that I trusted Lia Block and read it. I recommend it to everyone!
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Summary: A wisp of a book
Review: This is the third book I've read by this author. One of the things I admire about her work is the way she writes about sensitive issues while completely avoiding any kind of reactionary attitude. This particular story involves a subject which, while entirely consensual, carries a heavy societal taboo. The matter of fact way in which it is handled is refreshing.Siblings Marina and Lex have always been very close, so close that they have always had trouble finding interest in any others. One night things go too far and shortly afterward Lex takes his own life. Marina is left to deal with the loss of the only person who ever really mattered to her. I've enjoyed Block's novels in the past, although they tend to evaporate from memory soon after I close them. 'Wasteland' was even more ethereal, seeming insubstantial even as I was reading it. Much of the story is told by Marina, as if she were speaking to her brother, reminiscing about the times they had together, and far too much of it is rambling, directionless, and inconsequential, and tedious to read through. There are a couple subplots generated but never followed through. Only a revelation at the end gives the book any impact. A mild disappointment.
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