Puss Reboots: Blog: February 2013: Poor Rich

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Angelology by Danielle Trussoni
Blood Fruit edited by James E.M. Rasmussen
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce
The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff
Deadly Décisions by Kathy Reichs
Demon Eyes by Scott Tracey
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Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett
f2m by Hazel Edwards and Ryan Kennedy
The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While by Catherynne M. Valente
Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Highway Robbery by Kate Thompson
How to Dine on Killer Wine by Penny Warner
The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
Mariana by Susanna Kearsley
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger
The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Polly and the Pirates 01 by Ted Naifeh
Poor Rich by Jean Blasiar
Rez Life: An Indian's Journey Through Reservation Life by David Treuer
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
Sarah Emma Edmonds Was a Great Pretender by Carrie Jones
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
Six Chinese Brothers by Hou-Tien Cheng
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
Why Read Moby-Dick? by Nathaniel Philbrick

Previous month

Poor Rich: 02/02/13

Poor Rich by Jean Blasiar is about an asthmatic teen who is trying to fit in. When his asthma suddenly seems to vanish he sees his opportunity to make something new with his life. Part of this involves writing poetry and short stories.

The first half of the book is written in first person from Rich's point of view. It's in a style somewhere between Jean Shepherd and Allen Zadoff. There's a family crisis (Dad leaving because he realizes he's gay) and a parrot (U2) who has more personality than anyone else in the book.

Unfortunately, just as the book really seems to be going somewhere it stops. The second half of the book is instead, Rich's stories. Of course they're supposed to continue on the plot and Rich provides explanations behind each one. The problem is, the break the flow of an otherwise funny story. I didn't want to change gear and start reading Rich's fiction. The sudden change left me feeling cheated.

One star.