http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2012/02/27/review-the-girls-of-no-return/ by Elizabeth Burns Thu, 23 May 2013 16:19:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2012/02/27/review-the-girls-of-no-return/#comment-152350 Liz B Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:45:10 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/?p=3856#comment-152350 Kelly, unreliable narrators are a tricky thing. I have a love/hate relationship with them, both in text and in book discussions. Lida's audience is Boone; and she is trying to work through both what she did and did not do, but also how she is presenting this to Boone, and also trying to be clear about how she was then. Do I believe the basic acts Lida tells? Yes. Do I doubt her motivations and reasons? Yes. Do I think the author could have gone to a much darker place in terms of who Lida was and what she did? Yes, especially without the Epilogue. Could Lida have manipulated all of this to create a deadly encounter? Yes, but I see nothing for motive for that -- nothing to say she was the puppet master of Boone & Gia. Let me know what you think; I could do a reread with that in mind. Kelly, unreliable narrators are a tricky thing. I have a love/hate relationship with them, both in text and in book discussions. Lida’s audience is Boone; and she is trying to work through both what she did and did not do, but also how she is presenting this to Boone, and also trying to be clear about how she was then. Do I believe the basic acts Lida tells? Yes. Do I doubt her motivations and reasons? Yes. Do I think the author could have gone to a much darker place in terms of who Lida was and what she did? Yes, especially without the Epilogue. Could Lida have manipulated all of this to create a deadly encounter? Yes, but I see nothing for motive for that — nothing to say she was the puppet master of Boone & Gia. Let me know what you think; I could do a reread with that in mind.

]]> http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2012/02/27/review-the-girls-of-no-return/#comment-152153 Kelly Tue, 28 Feb 2012 05:06:09 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/?p=3856#comment-152153 I haven't posted my review yet of this one, but I went and reread it and remembered the big thing I haven't seen addressed a whole lot yet in other reviews: did you think Lida was a reliable narrator? Because it's those last couple of chapters that, after being on board with her through the story, I questioned whether or not I believed what Lida told me. I haven’t posted my review yet of this one, but I went and reread it and remembered the big thing I haven’t seen addressed a whole lot yet in other reviews: did you think Lida was a reliable narrator? Because it’s those last couple of chapters that, after being on board with her through the story, I questioned whether or not I believed what Lida told me.

]]>