Author: James VachowskiI really enjoyed Outspoken. With an awesome protagonist and a unique, interesting format of writing, how could I not?
Release Date: ?
Pages: 117--156 KB (e-galley)
Publisher: Vagabondage Press
Most Appropriate For Ages: 12+
Where I Got It: For review from author
Abraham Lincoln Jenkins is a teenage vandal, social activist, and aspiring revolutionary, but with only four months left until his high school graduation Abraham’s lifelong dream of attending Harvard College is put in jeopardy when he learns that he is still in need of two core credit hours in Physical Education. Unfortunately for Abraham, the only available spaces in a P.E. class are as a cadet in the Army’s JROTC program!
Told almost exclusively through Abraham’s one-sided complaint letters, OUTSPOKEN is the natural result when the War on Terror collides with the War on Christmas.
Yes, this novel is written in letters, and while at times it bugged me, mostly because I wanted to know what was going on away from the letters. But overall I liked it, and think it will help the novel stand out in my mind. And it helped that between each letter is a quote. Each of them are fantastic, and because of them I think I'll end up keeping this on my computer to use for future Facebook statuses.
The main character, Abraham L. Jenkins, lives up to the title of the book; he always feels free to openly and sarcastically express his left wing opinions in an extremely right wing town. And while I could never fully connect to his character--one of the cons of the writing format--I had the utmost amount of respect for him. I would love to see more YA characters that are not only smart, but also have such strong political views and applaud Vachowski for doing so.
Outspoken was a super fast, funny read that I'd recommend to anyone with .99 cents and a few hours.
Book Report:
Plot: Well-paced.
Characters: We only really get to know Abraham, but he's really cool.
Writing: Abraham's voice was really authentic.
Ending: Wrapped everything up, but I'll still be hoping for a sequel.
Kid friendly? While I doubt tweens will enjoy this, it's perfectly safe.
Should I read it? Sure. I'm glad I did.
Overall:
I haven't heard of Outspoken, but for 99 cents, it sounds fabulous. I love sarcastic characters with political views, and books told in letters. I'll have to add this to my Amazon wishlist at some point.
ReplyDeleteGreat review!!
I just read this one, too, and while it's not high literature, it's lots of bang for the buck. =)
ReplyDeleteJessica, thanks again for taking the time to review OUTSPOKEN!
ReplyDeleteJust stopping in to spread the word that due to popular demand, OUTSPOKEN will be available in a print edition within the next few weeks. Thanks again for all the support and for taking a chance on OUTSPOKEN!
ReplyDelete