4 out of 4 stars
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Middle school years can bring about some of the toughest experiences for young adults. The Tower by Lynn Yvonne Moon is a YA book concentrating on bullying. Petunia, preferably Pete, is an 11 year old girl living a seemingly normal life in upstate New York; the only thing differentiating her from her friends is her lack of knowledge about her biological father. Though she has asked her mother numerous times to talk about who he is, the subject has gone untouched her whole life and is now taboo. A car crash one fateful day leaves Pete feeling more alone than ever as she must uproot her whole life and move south to live with total strangers. Will the answers Pete gets about her father put her at ease? Or will they create a whole new set of problems she never envisioned?
Told from the first person perspective, the author wonderfully captures the essence of an adolescent traversing one of the most tumultuous periods of their life. The best part about Pete’s narration is the progression of the character in line with the story. In the beginning, while living a comfortable life, Pete’s voice is so young; inquisitiveness and childish humor clearly ring through her narration. As the story continues, Pete’s voice becomes stunted by various events and her previously naive characteristics are muted.
Pete’s story is one I think many in a similar age group will relate to. This book isn’t just about the emotional effects of bullying, it is also about exploring identity. Though Pete’s perception of her identity is altered by the knowledge of her father’s genetics, this theme will resonate especially well with a YA audience because people experience so many changes and revelations about themselves during their teenage years.
The Tower is certainly not a cookie cutter YA story. It does not contain any simplified dialogue or word usage as is sometimes typical of the genre; the writing in no way devalues the age group’s intelligence. In fact, the author does the complete opposite by engaging the reader with controversial content and providing open answers to the issues that arise instead of spoon feeding a message to the readers. This book will have just as much impact on an adult audience.
I enjoyed this book so much I could not put it down and ended up reading from start to finish in one sitting. As hard as I thought, I could not come up with one thing I disliked. The subject matter is dark yet relevant and the overall story is incredibly thought provoking. I rate The Tower 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book to sixth graders and up; some of the content may be too dark for those any younger. This would be a powerful book to use as a talking point for adults and young adults about the emotional and physical effects of bullying.
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The Tower
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