Synopsis
"Didn’t you ever just simply want to…stop?
Star
athlete and straight-A student Nanette O’Hare has played the role of
dutiful daughter for as long as she can remember. But one day, a beloved
teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bubblegum Reaper—a mysterious, out-of-print cult classic—and the rebel within Nanette awakens.
As
the new and outspoken Nanette attempts to insert her true self into the
world with wild abandon, she befriends the reclusive author and falls
in love with a young, troubled poet. Forced to make some hard choices
that bring devastating consequences, Nanette learns the hard way that
rebellion can sometimes come at a high price." (Goodreads)
Finding Yourself in Fiction
I don't think I have to tell any of you readers out there about the power of reading. Though I read mostly fiction, I feel that I learn so much about myself, society, culture, etc. from the books I read. What's interesting about Every Exquisite Thing is that it is a fictional story about the life-changing effect of a fictional story. The right book comes at the right time and just speaks to you. For our narrator Nanette O'Hare, it is an older novel called The Bubblegum Reaper (which was made up for the book so that's extra-fictional). The book speaks to a part of Nanette that she didn't really know existed. It's through this book that she starts to make some decisions about what she wants to be doing with her life and meets some new, interesting friends along the way.
It's Okay to Quit
Last week, I read an excellent article by YA librarian extraordinaire Kelly Jensen calling for books about teens who quit. I didn't realize that EET would be almost exclusively about that exact topic until I was reading it. I just kept thinking about the article and how this particular book perfect embodies the spirit of what Jensen talks about.
The Bubblegum Reaper is about a teenage boy who constantly talks about quitting. The readers are left to decipher what he actually wants to quit and there are plenty of fan theories. It is through this book that Nanette realizes that she doesn't have to continue doing things she doesn't enjoy. Realizing that freedom is what starts the journey of the novel.
I know that we are taught to fight through the tough times and never give up, but there is a benefit to quitting. The message isn't about slacking on life, losing sight of personal goals, or disregarding the feelings of others. It's simply saying that it is okay to stop doing something that makes you unhappy. I really love how this particular topic was discussed, and I especially loved diving into a novel about it after really enjoying Jensen's article.
Matthew Quick and Mental Illness
This is only my second Matthew Quick novel (the first was The Good Luck of Right Now, one of his adult works). He writes for audiences of all ages, which I think is really great. Quick is the author of Silver Linings Playbook, which was adapted into a movie I really enjoyed. SLP is about mental illness, TGLoRN is about mental illness, and I know it is a part of pretty much every book he writes. Nanette doesn't necessarily struggle with a diagnosed mental illness, but she is taken to a therapist to talk through the changes in her life. Talk therapy is one of the most beneficial forms of mental healthcare/self-care. The methods the therapist uses to help talk Nanette through her life changes are genuinely helpful and can be applied to daily life. I feel that Matthew Quick isn't afraid to talk about these stigmatized problems and he handles them with such respect. Kudos.
Overall
3 Stars
This book was very easy to read and I found myself flagging page after page. However, I felt that it didn't really have much of a plot. When I think about it, it might be a reflection of the book within the book, something that is very stream-of-consciousness...but that's not usually a writing style that I enjoy. Though I will remember a lot of the observations made in the book, I probably won't be remembering the story (or lack thereof) for very long.
P.S. The book without it's dust jacket? Genius marketing. It got me, after all!
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