Well that was quick! No one is a swifter detector of false prose than a young adult, and no one less patient with anything that doesn’t strike him or her as true. Young adult and children’s literature has always been under extreme stress to be written with an ear for language. This entire book, like, “A Step From Heaven” is written in free verse; the entire novel is in extended narrative poetry. And Virginia Euwer Wolff won the 2001 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature with that verse. It’s apparently the second book in a trilogy, the Make Lemonade trilogy to be exact, which I didn’t realize until after I had finished the book. But, “True Believer” can certainly stand alone. I enjoyed it, but I think I’m going to take a break now from this style of realistic fiction and splurge on some fantasy or some stronger fiction. Perhaps I’ll finally force myself to finish Forever Odd, the sequel to one of my favorite books, or perhaps I’ll finally get a chance to finish The Book Thief. Cheerio, readers!
