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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Review: Girl Coming in for a Landing

Girl Coming in for a Landing
By April Halprin Wayland, illustrated by Elaine Clayton
Published 2002 by Alfred A. Knopf


This book came recommended to me a couple years ago when another librarian discovered my obsession with verse novels. This tells the story of one year in the life of a teen girl through poetry. This was a really quick and easy read. The inclusion of the illustrations, which work nicely with the poetry, makes it feel like we are simply reading this girl's journal. It makes for a very intimate novel and feels much more personal that way. That being said, not a whole lot happens throughout the course of the novel. So it feels very quiet and at times, slow. I enjoyed it, but having been thrown into the world of verse novels via Ellen Hopkins, this might be a bit too quiet for my tastes. The narrator here is likable and this is a very true depiction of life in high school. But, even though I said I was sick of all the crazy dystopian sci-fi novels, this book was a little too action-deprived for me to love.

2 comments:

  1. Hey, Sarah ~ this is April Halprin Wayland, author of Girl Coming in for a Landing. Thanks for this review--it helps me as I write my next verse novel. I agree--there's so much in the girl's head and not much action. I'm working on this--wish me luck!

    www.aprilwayland.com

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  2. Happy to help - good luck with the next one! I look forward to it!

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