'Only Ever Yours' by Louise O'Neill
I struggled in a lot of ways with this title. The struggle as such, wasn't because it was badly written or that the story wasn't up to much. The struggle was as a result of the subject content. As ever, when I read a Young Adult or Children's title, I envisage the reader – the person whom I will recommend this to, their age, the reading ability etc. I found it quite difficult in this instance to consider whom I would recommend this to.
As often in this occupation, it can take a conversation with another book lover to put a different light on a certain title. This is what happened when I was asked by a regular customer to recommend something different for her teenage daughter. I am very familiar with her daughter and often recommend titles for her. However, I struggled this time. I looked at all of our YA titles and wanted something that wasn't 'trend' or the 'usual' for Abigail. 'Only Ever Yours' caught my eye as I have it positioned face out on the top shelf. I grabbed the book with gusto and began describing it to Abigail's mum. Because of the very harshness of this book, I didn't hold back and told her in great detail the elements of the story. I finished with telling her that I've struggled to think who I could recommend this to because of its tragedy. She took the book, said in one sentence the reason why this title needs to be shared with as many young teens as possible, 'I think this will empower a young reader, especially a young girl'.
The truth of the matter is that this story has never left me since the moment I first read it back before it was soon to be published. It has plagued my mind on countless occasions as on one hand, I want it to be read and on another, I want to put it in a box and not let anyone have it. These thoughts are my own personal beliefs and reactions to the story itself. I am not in any way a strong feminist but I do believe that women have come a long way since gaining the right to vote. Because of this belief, I hated the very possibility of what this story suggests – that we as women, could fall, willingly and unwillingly, back to a place where we are less than second class citizens. A place where we are objects, not people. A place where we are moulded to what others, men, believe we should be and are then swept aside when that mould begins to crack.
Despite recognising that we have come a long way, I think that there's this unsettled feeling of how easy we could lose it given that there is such focus on how we look, what we weigh, who we aspire to. If you have a teenage daughter, I implore you to buy this title, read it and share it with her. And then, sit and talk with her about it. Share your perspectives, learn each other's opinions and be empowered to be a woman, to be a person, to have a place.
I struggled in a lot of ways with this title. The struggle as such, wasn't because it was badly written or that the story wasn't up to much. The struggle was as a result of the subject content. As ever, when I read a Young Adult or Children's title, I envisage the reader – the person whom I will recommend this to, their age, the reading ability etc. I found it quite difficult in this instance to consider whom I would recommend this to.
As often in this occupation, it can take a conversation with another book lover to put a different light on a certain title. This is what happened when I was asked by a regular customer to recommend something different for her teenage daughter. I am very familiar with her daughter and often recommend titles for her. However, I struggled this time. I looked at all of our YA titles and wanted something that wasn't 'trend' or the 'usual' for Abigail. 'Only Ever Yours' caught my eye as I have it positioned face out on the top shelf. I grabbed the book with gusto and began describing it to Abigail's mum. Because of the very harshness of this book, I didn't hold back and told her in great detail the elements of the story. I finished with telling her that I've struggled to think who I could recommend this to because of its tragedy. She took the book, said in one sentence the reason why this title needs to be shared with as many young teens as possible, 'I think this will empower a young reader, especially a young girl'.
The truth of the matter is that this story has never left me since the moment I first read it back before it was soon to be published. It has plagued my mind on countless occasions as on one hand, I want it to be read and on another, I want to put it in a box and not let anyone have it. These thoughts are my own personal beliefs and reactions to the story itself. I am not in any way a strong feminist but I do believe that women have come a long way since gaining the right to vote. Because of this belief, I hated the very possibility of what this story suggests – that we as women, could fall, willingly and unwillingly, back to a place where we are less than second class citizens. A place where we are objects, not people. A place where we are moulded to what others, men, believe we should be and are then swept aside when that mould begins to crack.
Despite recognising that we have come a long way, I think that there's this unsettled feeling of how easy we could lose it given that there is such focus on how we look, what we weigh, who we aspire to. If you have a teenage daughter, I implore you to buy this title, read it and share it with her. And then, sit and talk with her about it. Share your perspectives, learn each other's opinions and be empowered to be a woman, to be a person, to have a place.