So another book about meth. NOT.
Beneath a Meth Moon isn't just another book about meth addiction. Jacqueline Woodson can't write "just another book" because Jacqueline Woodson is amazing.
This is a heart-breaking story. Not just the story of fifteen-year-old Laurel and her fight with the monster that is meth, but it is also about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This is the second post-Katrina book I've read and equally as emotionally tough. Laurel and her family live in Pass Christian, but she and her father and little brother head for Jackson, MS when the rains come, Laurel's mom and grandmother want to tough out the storm. If you know what happened to Pass Christian during Katrina, you know what happened to Laurel's loved ones.
Eventually Laurel and her father and little brother end up in a small town in Iowa. That's where Laurel ends up falling in love with meth to escape the pain of her past.
An excellent book, just such a quick read, I couldn't put it down.
You know, I am very surprised by the negative reviews of this book. Especially the ones that say that the book doesn't go into enough detail about the horrors of meth. Some have written that if you want to read a real book about meth addiction, read the Glass, Crank, etc books. I think those books are good books, but this is a different look at the subject. This book is more about why someone would use drugs. It is more about an individual girl's story, and the impact of a natural disaster on one family. It is more about the meaning of family and tradition and faith and thought and self-actualization rather than a "here's the bad stuff that meth can do" kind of book. I'm not putting down those kind of books, I'm just saying that to compare Beneath to Glass or Crank isn't possible. Comparing Beneath to Hurricane Song is a better use of time and thought.
ReplyDelete