Synopsis
DOES FITTING IN HAVE TO MEAN SELLING OUT?
In October 1975, while most teens are worried about their Happy Days Halloween costumes, Tiphanie Jayne Baker has bigger problems. Her parents have just decided to uproot the family to the ritzy suburb of Brent Hills, Colorado, and now she’s the only Black girl at a high school full of Barbies. But the longer Tiphanie stays in her new neighborhood, the more her ties to her old community start to fray. Now that nowhere feels like home, exactly where does she belong?
Finding My Place by Traci L.Jones
Published: April 25, 2010
Pages:192
Format: Hardcover
Review
Plot: Tiphanie is the new girl in the neighbourhood of an affluent community in Colorado. New school, new house, new lifestyle. In 1975 being black with money made life a little easier. Equality is in its infancy and long learned prejudices are hard to undo, and Tiphanie and her parents are remind everyday. Tiphanie learns this she is one of the only two black students in the entire school. Ignored day to day at school, Tiphanie comes home and wanting to complain but her parents make feel guilty by reminding her. How hard things were in their day.
That she has to do her best because she is representing all black people. So she endures hating every minute, missing her old life, friends. Unexpectedly one day the resident hippie girl strikes up a conversation with her, from there blossoms an unlikely friendship. Showcasing their reversed roles, and the differences between them. Ms. Lords approach was unexpected and the story was both humorous and serious.
Characters: Some of the characters were very two dimensional, only one facet of their personality constantly showed. Most of the secondary were present to move the story along. But the main character herself was the most developed character in the book ( my opinion). She was a typical teenager self absorbed in her P.O.V. Easily swayed, and when faced with a real problem she became a coward. Which contrasts her personality completely. She's strong and stands up for herself but in this case becomes the opposite. Jackie sue is refreshingly honest almost to a fault but she was the character I liked the most.
Quick note: Normally I would address the dialogue, and romance individually, but in this case my comments can be rounded off in one paragraph. Let's start with the romance there is some chemistry between Tiphanie and Todd but the romance fizzles before it even starts. Dialogue: Is witty and realistic and I love they way the conversation between Jackie sue and Tiphanie bounce off each other.
Writing: The pace is good it keep me turning pages and enough was going to keep me interested. Having said that I think it would have been nice to see a "where are there now ending", an epilogue at the end. Maybe a reunion between these two young girls whose lives were total opposites and see how it affected their futures. I was disappointed with Tiphanie her flaw as a character was her inability to do what's right for to help her friend. I wish she did more to help Jackie sue instead of wring her hands a lot.
Summary: My first impression of this book I thought it was going to be a history lesson and it turned out to be the opposite. What I loved about this story it wasn't cliched. Focusing on the trappings usually associcated with books on this subject. Its a lite read about the life of a young girl in the mid seventies. I didn't like the ending it felt unfinished to me at 192 pages. I think it would have been nice to see a "where are there now ending", an epilogue attached at the end. A reunion between these two young girls whose lives were total opposites and see how it affected their futures.
Recommendation If you're looking for good read that's engaging I'm sorry I can't recommend it. I honestly wanted to like this book, but I think there wasn't enough content. The main character is faced with a dilemea and through out the book she doesn't do anything about it. I kept waiting and waiting it wasn't until the last chapter that anything happens to resolve her dilemea, and its all handled very quick and neat. Very disappointing.I give this book a three out of five.
Rating:PG 13 and up. No cursing, Mild violence, Alcohol abuse,
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