One of my favorite authors of young adult literature has
always been Barry Lyga. I have enjoyed every book of his that I have read and
his stories have a habit of consuming my life until they are finished so I was ecstatic
when Bang arrived on my desk a couple
months ago. Yet again, Barry Lyga has provided me with a powerful, well-written
and unique story that I recommend to older teens and adults.
This emotional roller coaster begins with the main character,
Sebastian, discussing his younger sister and why there are no traces of her
around the house. No photos of his sister can be found around the house, no
girl clothes in the laundry baskets, no baby dolls strewn about after being
played with because she was killed when she was four months old by a pistol. A
pistol that was used by Sebastian.
Bang tells the
story of a young man who is struggling with the loss of a sibling and with
being responsible for her death. Although he was just a small child himself,
Sebastian feels guilty and it encapsulates his entire existence. It was difficult
to read the story as Sebastian and see how depressing his life was and the
thoughts that ran through his mind while dealing with the aftermath of the
tragedy. How would you face your mother every single day knowing that you
killed her baby? How could you accept her love and not feel horrible for what
you took from her? Does she secretly hate you? These were all questions I had
while thinking about his situation.
When Aneesa moves into town, Sebastian finally finds a new
friend and she brings a new sense of purpose into his life by helping him make
Youtube videos about making different kinds of pizza. Just when things seem to
be looking up for Sebastian, the story heads into a different direction and
leads to an unexpected ending that left me in tears. This story begins and ends with a bang.
Recommended for fans of Barry Lyga, young adult literature
or realistic and contemporary fiction.
-Lauren
No comments:
Post a Comment