What I’ve Been Reading in March 2018:”What I’ve Been Reading” is basically mini-reviews — my quick take on books that I have just a little bit to say about…
What I’ve Been Reading in March 2018
You All Grow Up and Leave Me: A Memoir of Teenage Obsession by Piper Weiss
To be published on April 10, 2018 by William Morrow
Synopsis adapted from Goodreads: Piper Weiss was fourteen years old when her tennis coach, Gary Wilensky, killed himself after a failed attempt to kidnap one of his teenage students.
As reporters swarmed her community in the wake of Wilensky’s death, Piper learned that her mentor was a predator with a sordid history of child stalking and sexual fetish.
Review of You All Grow Up and Leave Me
Twenty years later, Piper examines the event, hoping to understand. Combining research, interviews, and personal records, You All Grow Up and Leave Me explores the psychological manipulation by child predators—their ability to charm their way into seemingly protected worlds—and the far-reaching effects their actions have on those who trust them most.
I don’t read a lot of memoirs, but thought this one was interesting and beautifully written. A combination memoir and true crime investigation, this book is about the author’s 1990s-era relationship with Gary Wilensky, a tennis instructor who was later accused of being obsessed with his tween and teen students and actually tried to kidnap one of them. Weiss looks back at her teen years, reflecting on what it’s like to be a girl exploring her independence, identity as a woman, and sexuality. She also researches Wilensky’s case, learning many details that she didn’t know at the time he was exposed as a predator. You All Grow Up and Leave Me is a fascinating and troubling story that shows how kids in their teens and tweens are particularly vulnerable to predators and a disturbing case study on how sexual predators groom and pursue their victims. As a parent, and someone who has been following the heartbreaking Larry Nasser/US Gymnastics case, reading this made me question how much trust we place in people who teach, coach, and mentor our children.
As She Fades by Abbi Glines
To be published on April 3, 2018 by Fewer and Friends
Synopsis adapted from Goodreads: Vale McKinley and her boyfriend Crawford are in a terrible car accident that leaves Crawford in a coma.
Slate Allen, a college friend of Vale’s brother, has been visiting his dying uncle at the same hospital. When he and Vale meet, she can’t deny the flutter of an illicit attraction. She tries to ignore her feelings, but she’s not immune to Slate’s charm.
Then, Crawford wakes up . . . with no memory of Vale or their relationship. Heartbroken, Vale opts to leave for college and move on with her life. Except now, she’s in Slate’s territory, and their story is about to take a very strange turn.
Review of As She Fades
My take: I’ve read and enjoyed Glines’s books before, but this book fell a bit flat for me. Despite its dramatic-sounding premise, this story really wasn’t very interesting, mostly because Vale was just such a “blah” narrator. The coma love triangle was super-awkward (I never liked it in While You Were Sleeping and I didn’t like it here) and Slate is the typical “womanizer who can reform if he meets the right girl.” There’s a twist midway through but I’m not sure if it made the book better or worse or just … weirder. “As She Fades” pretty much describes my interest in this story…
Have you read any of these? What are you reading right now? Tell me in comments!
The first book sounds interesting. I like memoirs so I will have it check it out. Abbi Glines hasn’t worked for me in the past so I stay away from her books now.
Same. I just got sent this one out of the blue so I tried it.
I’m a little surprised you read Abbi Glines. I tried a few of her early books but I never enjoy her heroes or relationship dynamics.
That first one sounds pretty intense though.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
Oh, that’s the same for me. I tried a couple of her books and they weren’t a great fit. But this one just showed up in my mailbox and I’d just read the prior (really dark) one so decided to give it a go.
They both sound like goo reads. As She Fades especially!
The premise does sound really cool! I’ll give it away soon!
You All Grow Up sounds so crazy, because it’s a true story. Whoa! I feel like I should remember this happening, but I don’t. I love Glines. I am going to read that book just because it’s Glines. Even my least favorite book of her’s was a decent read for me. She is one of my go-tos for soapy-OTT type stuff.
Haha – totally get that. I’ll be giving it away so stay tuned!
Stories like You All Grow Up make me want to hide my kids under a rock for the next 10 years! So scary! To bad about As She Fades because it sounds like there would be some drama going on there. Right now, I’m reading Close to Home by Cara Hunter. It’s pretty good so far!
It was a pretty scary story – I worried about my kids when they were really little, but the book made me realize that teens and tweens are vulnerable too!
I haven’t heard of these, but they look really good!
Thanks – I enjoyed my visit to your blog!
Wow that first one does sound thought provoking and a little scary.
It was! Which is why I don’t read a lot of stuff like that. I usually stick to fictional scary stuff….
that seems to be the overall feeling for the new Glines book, a lot of people that I trust said it falls flat. The memoir is definitely interesting and different
Okay, glad it just wasn’t me. I appreciated what she was trying to do with the twist, but I don’t think it all came together.
Ooh lucky ducky As She Fades been wanting to read this for a long while. This is actually the first review I’ve seen of the book I’m sorry you didn’t like it.
Well, I will be giving it away very soon so keep an eye out. I have enjoyed her books before – with this one I really didn’t like the main character and the twist was … I’m not sure how well it worked for me. But I hope you like it!