Final Fridays Friday

I've never felt compelled to write a book review before this book. I figured that with my ridiculous history with this book (remembering it, figuring it out, finding it, ordering it, debating to reread it, and finally reading it) that it was worth a shot. I mean, it all has to culminate somehow.

How does it end, Lena? How does it end?
I could just do exactly what this author (and many other authors) successfully do and just end my thoughts here. But, nah. I don't want to leave you hanging on that proverbial cliff.

But first, a little catch up! Oh, wait, I already did that! Well, you can read through my blurbs of experience here & here.

So I'm going to leave you today with this... I got the book. I read the book. I wrote a review on GoodReads about the book - which I am so graciously leaving for you to read here.

"I read this book in 1992 or 1993. I cannot remember where I got it. Was it the school library (which I seriously doubt because I don't remember ever checking books from that library) or public library. I read it. I grew up. And I forgot about the book. 

However, a few years ago, I started thinking about it aaaaall over again. Please don't ask me why. I have a strange memory for things that are important, and things that are so very not-important and it bugs me. I remembered a few details about the book and sought help from my friends on [insert typical social media website here]. No answers. Social media website reminded me of that questioning post so I shared that OG post again and got a suggestion: Reddit. So I asked the know-it-alls at Reddit and someone had the answer. Praise the Bards! After obsessing for two days over the decision to order the book, it is now in my possession. 
The next conundrum I was facing was whether or not to re-read the book and destroy the delusion of my 12-year-old youth that the book was an excellent read. Drama of Girl World (gasp!), before mean girls existed. Before Young Adult Fiction was frikkin amazing.
I forgot to grab my Kindle full of thousands of other books I'm currently reading after abruptly waking up before the alarm went off and stumbling downstairs in the dark to sit and wait for morning to officially arrive. Once my work lunchtime arrived, I noticed the missing Kindle, but the paperback book that was yellowed with aaaaaage (but lacking the appropriate old-book-scent) mysteriously found itself in my *ahem* tote bag. So what the hell. 

Anyway, it's about a teenager who geeks out over the cool girl who leads the way. There are 6 Fridays until the spring school dance. Fiddle-dee-dee what are wee to do until then? The girls group up together to hang out to pass the time until the dance and get into several different situations - none of which I remember clearly but I'm aware that it is/was gaspdramatic. 

Final ThoughtsSo I finished re-reading this book. The Book of My Disillusionment. Yes. This book just grabs a hold of your pinky toe and drags you down into a hole. I swear it could be a modern Twitter feed for a 13-year-old girl. "Here's what happened at school""Here's what happened at the first sleepover""Here's what happened after school this other day""This guy over here keeps bugging me about being in this clique" 

But there's no inner self-reflection. I think kids this age (even thirty years ago) could've had actual thoughts running through their heads about the situations that were in the book. Resolve some stuff! Instead of huffing and stomping. Why mention something if you aren't going to follow through with it.

I'm keeping the damned book. It's a part of me. I'm just thoroughly disappointed. Maybe it was okay when I was a teenager. But maybe that's why I only remembered the situations and not the ending - because the ending sure was a let down. Ugh."

So, maybe the book alluded to the life lesson and you have to really think about it. 'Don't get caught up in a clique and do things you'll regret or you're going to be labeled a stupid slut.' Maybe the book ended because the author didn't know how to thoroughly resolve the conflict. Or address the underlying issue. It is even something a 13-to-14-year-old girl would understand and contemplate?