Laurie Faria Stolarz’s novel for young adults, Project 17, is a mixed bag. I enjoyed it, but I struggled with it at the same time. I kept getting jarred throughout the book.
To begin with, the cover and the back copy lead the reader to believe this is going to be one of those absolutely terrifying reads that will keep you nailed to the chair (with the light on) till you turn the last page. And maybe still be afraid to go into the dark or tiptoe quietly off to bed. Although there are some genuinely creepy parts of the book that slid a little too uncomfortably under the skin, the read wasn’t quite horrifying or gripping because of suspense. I liked the characters and their problems well enough to keep reading just for that alone. Which is, I know, a backhanded compliment.
As noted, the characters in the book are compelling enough. They run the gamut of teen problems: the too-perfect child that really doesn’t know herself, the kid who has the abusive alcoholic for a parent, the kid who has everything in high school but is going to be totally lost in the real world, the Goth girl who does everything she can to freak everyone else out, and the young couple so into each other and themselves that they can’t see anyone else.
However, each of these characters takes over various chapters and their stories are relayed in the first person point of view. EVERYBODY says I. That’s confusing, especially when the voices all sound the same; I had to keep track of how other people around them reacted to them to know who they were. There is even one chapter that has the viewpoint character referred to in the third person and the author and editors missed it. I like first person narratives, but I prefer it to be one voice, or mixed in with other third person perspectives so it’s not as confusing.
Article comments
1 - MJ
Who cares about this book when I can look at your gorgeous face instead?