I wasn't planning on reading this book, I just happened upon it one day. I was looking at a website for PUSH. PUSH is a small publishing house that focuses on new writers with something fresh and honest to say. I came across their website when I was researching McCormick's Cut which was also published through PUSH. You Remind Me of You is a true story written in poetry by Eireann Corrigan. It is about her struggle with anorexia/bulimia as well as her obsessive relationship with her boyfriend. It chronicles her obsession with her body and her repeated visits to the hospital.
I am a sucker for a story like this. I am interested in teaching kids with emotional disturbances so, as weird as this sounds, I look at reading experiences like this as a chance to learn more about how these kids think and operate. I was fascinated by her disease and, as disturbing as it naturally is, I couldn't wait to see how she evolved. Having said all of this, I was really confused at times about the timeline of the story. The poems bounce back and forth in time and it would take an extremely close read to distinguish the exact order of things. This makes it really tough to fully engage with the plot because at times it's hard to know what we're supposed to be feeling bad, sad, happy, or angry about as readers.
I'm not sure I could teach a novel like this. I believe it has value and is a very good read, but it is a dark, confusing story that not all students would appreciate. I really think some students would be offended or scared of the content and others wouldn't even be able to follow the poetry. There is just not enough value in it to make it worth all of the work it would take to fully examine it with a class. This is another that I would keep available for students but never require as a read in my class.
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you know, I do NOT think it is weird at all to want to read books like this (I'm referring to your comment in paragraph #2). if the book is well-done, and really captures the situation, then I think it is actually a great way to learn about adolescents, their issues, etc etc.
Honestly, Carrie, I also think it is BRAVE. really, I find myself turning into SUCH a wimp, and I often just don't want to read about scary/sad/disturbing/traumatic stuff. so, I think it is brave of you to be willing to take those risks (because, at some level, it is emotionally risky work, getting engaged in stories/characters where things are NOT okay...). I think becoming a parent has turned me into a wimp in this way. I see how vulnerable we all are, and it just scares me. And, then, I want to sort of avoid being slapped in the face with it, as some books do.
I digress.
okay, one other thought, in response to your comment about not wanting to teach this book (which I am wholly fine with). But, from my perspective, I just want to point out that it sounds like there might be two particularly 'teachable' features here.
1. the use of poetry, to form the storyline. that is INTERESTING, usually, and holds "potential", I think. Just as something to help kids with, to teach them "about". it's a literary feature, and you can help kids learn about it, and what it offers.
2. the thing you said about timeline: again, just sounds like a feature of the book that one could do some 'teaching' around, if one were to teach the book.
Timeline can be so important, but, as you allude to here, a tricky timeline can really baffle the reader. So, then, there is a need to develop strategies for sorting out timeline issues.
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