The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan
Likes: Each different poem deals with a problem or triumph about one particular stereotype. It breaks most of the stereotypes of the groups by showing depth and character development through the eyes of the character and the eyes of the characters around them. Most of the time, the only way you know who the character is is by looking at the heading of the different sections. In the poems themselves, it barely mentions the name and it doesn't mention a set stereotypical group for that character. You only find out this information as the story is told and as the details are given to you. The only way you get these labels is through other characters. I enjoyed this aspect because it didn't fall back on the different tropes associated with different labels. Each character stands out as an individual, much like real life high school students do.
Dislikes: The story about the bitch. I like that she was trying to be different, but reading about people like that is never entertaining. It gets a little cheesy and sentimental at some points, almost to the point of being overdone. I wish there would have been an anime geek or a general nerd included in the narrative, but most of the characters were pretty unique and interesting to read about (aside from the characters I already mentioned.
Overall: The back of the book puts so much emphasis on some of the characters being gay. In the book, there isn't an emphasis on being gay or straight which is a relief. The story lets you suspend disbelief for a moment. I never thought that the situations presented in the story couldn't be real. For the two days that I read the book, the events were real and emotional at times (a little bit too much),but it didn't detract from enjoying the book as a whole. My favorite one was "The Gospel". We rarely hear from a religious perspective and when we do it's a negative perspective (or fanatical). This perspective was enjoyable and refreshing.
Date Started: July 13, 2009 Date Finished:July 15, 2009
Summary: The story spans several high school students during their trials and tribulations of their relationships. Told through free verse prose poetry from the point of view of homosexuals, heterosexuals, bitches, goths, loners, and jocks.Likes: Each different poem deals with a problem or triumph about one particular stereotype. It breaks most of the stereotypes of the groups by showing depth and character development through the eyes of the character and the eyes of the characters around them. Most of the time, the only way you know who the character is is by looking at the heading of the different sections. In the poems themselves, it barely mentions the name and it doesn't mention a set stereotypical group for that character. You only find out this information as the story is told and as the details are given to you. The only way you get these labels is through other characters. I enjoyed this aspect because it didn't fall back on the different tropes associated with different labels. Each character stands out as an individual, much like real life high school students do.
Dislikes: The story about the bitch. I like that she was trying to be different, but reading about people like that is never entertaining. It gets a little cheesy and sentimental at some points, almost to the point of being overdone. I wish there would have been an anime geek or a general nerd included in the narrative, but most of the characters were pretty unique and interesting to read about (aside from the characters I already mentioned.
Overall: The back of the book puts so much emphasis on some of the characters being gay. In the book, there isn't an emphasis on being gay or straight which is a relief. The story lets you suspend disbelief for a moment. I never thought that the situations presented in the story couldn't be real. For the two days that I read the book, the events were real and emotional at times (a little bit too much),but it didn't detract from enjoying the book as a whole. My favorite one was "The Gospel". We rarely hear from a religious perspective and when we do it's a negative perspective (or fanatical). This perspective was enjoyable and refreshing.
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