This is exactly the kind of book that kids in the Fayetteville district will miss out on if Laurie Taylor has her way. (Do I sound obsessed? Sorry. I guess I am, but can you blame me?)
Does it deal with sex? Yes. Is there swearing? Yes. Violence? Yes.
Was it well written? Yes. Were there well-rounded characters, so real that I felt like I knew them? Yes. (I loved it that Piper's younger sister called her Sandpaper. Too perfect). Could a teenager possibly learn something from it? Yes.
Would a teenage reader feel like Ellen Wittlinger was bashing a frying pan on their head trying to get a message across, like some other books that deal with similar issues (*cough* Rainbow Party *cough*)? NO.
The issues are raised and explored--I thought that the similarities between Piper and her father were especially interesting--but I didn't feel the BANG! BANG! BANG! that was RP. Exploring an issue is not the same as preaching, even if some of the same points are made. (People: Oral sex is sex. It counts).
Sandpiper was a thoughtful, funny, absorbing book. Piper's voice came across as so genuine--I easily believed that it was her telling the story, rather than Ellen Wittlinger. I picked it up yesterday afternoon (thanks for kicking me into high gear, Chrissy) and finished it this morning, even forgoing watching Buffy to finish it. (And it was a good episode, too--the one when Spike comes back to town for the Amulet of Amara. It wasn't like I was skipping a lame-ass Riley episode. Skipping out on Spike is major).
I've held Ellen Wittlinger in high regard for years--ever since reading Hard Love. She's good stuff. Great, even. This is very definitely a book that I'll re-read.
i just wanted to say something about sandpiper. its the greats book ive ever read. i love the fact that walker and sandpiper are just cool friends. i just love the whole book. i was in a book club and we read it there and ever since then i cant get anufe of it. thank you..
Posted by: ashley | 06 April 2008 at 12:18 PM