"Doing It" was written by Melvin Burgess, an English author who has written many other children's and YA novels, including "Junk", a controversial novel about teen heroin addiction. "Doing It" is another controversial YA novel and predictably so because it portrays teen love, lust, and sex in a very frank manner. To say that it pulls no punches is an understatement, because in several instances it appears that Burgess adds some extra punches just for fun. The book is raw, both in the way it describes teen emotions and actions. The reader is placed right inside the minds of the teen characters and gets to see what they see and feel what they feel, no matter how crazy their thoughts or actions may be. Burgess also frequently flips into third person perspective and the reader is then given a glimpse of what the characters look like from the outside. This is an effective tool for painting a complete portrait of the characters, but it is jarring at first and takes a little while to get used to it. The book is mostly written in almost a stream of consciousness kind of way. The characters often speak directly to the reader about what they are feeling and thinking, going into great detail about their hopes and fears, desires and lusts, anger and confusion. There is little description of surroundings or settings. Burgess was writing a character piece here. The style makes that abundantly evident.
The book imparts a real dichotomy of authenticity; on the one hand it seems very realistic, as several times the descriptions of the way the characters thought or felt reminded me of how I had thought and felt as a teenager. On the other hand several of the situations seem quite unrealistic and improbable. Of course, the book would be a great deal less interesting if the situations were mundane and ordinary. I suppose that's why the book succeeds in being an interesting read. It places believable characters in some outlandish situations and does a good job of accurately portraying their reactions. That is the real strength of the book, the authenticity of the characters. I became involved in their situations and who they were. Burgess made me care about them. They seemed believable. None of them was exactly like anyone I ever knew, but they come off as real teenagers, not somebody's idea of what a teenager is like. They are not portrayed in a sympathetic light or a damning one, they are simply shown as is. Burgess does a good job of letting the reader judge the characters for themselves.
The cover of the book is average. It does not draw the eye particularly well and is another example of a YA book with legs or feet on the cover. The book itself is also average size, not extremely thick or thin. The type in the book is also of good size, not cartoonishly large or annoyingly small. There are limitations to its use, as it is not suitable for younger teens in general. The frank and persistent sexual talk and language, several adult situations, as well as some profanity, make this a book that would be most appreciated for older teens. Most teens under 14 or 15 may not get much out of it other than the "dirty words". There are also likely parental fears that younger teens may try to emulate some of the less desirable actions of the characters, which would be a problem if that is true. 2006 (1st paperback edition), Henry Holt and Co., $8.95. Ages 15 and up.
No comments:
Post a Comment