Shine (Myracle novel): Difference between revisions
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==Plot== |
==Plot== |
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In [[Black Creek, North Carolina]], 16-year-old Cat Robinson's [[gay]] best friend, Patrick Truman, is left temporarily comatose from a brutal |
In [[Black Creek, North Carolina]], 16-year-old Cat Robinson's [[gay]] best friend, Patrick Truman, is left temporarily comatose from a brutal and [[Violence against LGBT people|discriminatory act]] of violence. Cat feels guilty for having become recently estranged from Patrick due to unrelated personal trauma, though she now vows to expose his attacker, knowing the police will do little to help. Cat's own tortured past has caused her to withdraw from the world for three years, but she begins to return by taking the criminal investigation into her own hands: questioning members of her [[Christian right|conservative Christian]] community, which is ravaged under the surface by a crippling culture of [[meth]]. |
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Cat confronts members of the "redneck posse," led by cocky, wealthy, [[homophobic]] |
Cat confronts members of the "redneck posse," led by cocky, wealthy, [[homophobic]] Tommy Lawson. The posse also includes Cat's detached older brother, Christian, as well as Beef Pierson: an ex-athlete, high-school dropout, and long-time sympathizer with Cat's struggles in the past. Cat quickly uncovers several local secrets: that Bailee-Ann, Beef's girlfriend, is cheating on him with Tommy and that Beef himself is a struggling meth addict; in fact, many of Cat's peers are also revealed to be former or continuing meth addicts and/or dealers. After a shallow talk with Bailee-Ann, Cat becomes doggedly followed and harassed by Bailee-Ann's foul-mouthed and neglected kid brother, Robert. |
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While researching at a local library, Cat experiences vicious [[hate speech]] from Jason Connor, a passing college boy whom she inadvertently offends and who, though from a poor background, pretends to be high-class. She soon learns that Jason is actually another distressed friend of Patrick, and she and Jason ultimately become confidants and allies, |
While researching at a local library, Cat experiences vicious [[hate speech]] from Jason Connor, a passing college boy whom she inadvertently offends and who, though from a poor background, pretends to be high-class. She soon learns that Jason is actually another distressed friend of Patrick, and she and Jason ultimately make up, become confidants and allies, and later even share romantic feelings. Meanwhile, a [[flashback]] reveals that Cat was [[sexual molestation|sexually molested]] by Tommy three years ago, leading to an inability to continue maintaining relationships, thus naturally causing the deterioration of her friendship with Patrick. Convincing herself of Tommy's utter ruthlessness and thus his guilt in Patrick's attack, Cat confronts Tommy at last, only for him to apologize for his past wrongs, while sincerely affirming his innocence in the hate-crime against Patrick. |
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Cat, with Jason's help, next learns that Patrick has a secret boyfriend, and they track the unknown lover to a [[gay bar]], where Cat is astonished to realize that he is in fact Beef. Still-[[closeted]], Beef, during a meth-fueled rage, is the one who beat Patrick and set up the scene to look like a hate crime. The impulsive Robert, who once admired Beef as a role model, now questions Beef's manliness as a gay man. Under the influence of meth once more, Beef consequently abducts Robert and takes him to a high cliff. Cat and Christian together pursue Beef, who threatens Robert's life from the summit of the cliff. Cat grabs Robert and falls with him off the cliff, landing safely in a |
Cat, with Jason's help, next learns that Patrick has been maintaining a secret boyfriend, and they track the unknown lover to a [[gay bar]], where Cat is astonished to realize that he is in fact Beef. Still-[[closeted]], Beef, during a meth-fueled rage, is the one who beat Patrick and set up the scene to look like a hate crime. The impulsive young Robert, who once admired Beef as a role model, now questions Beef's manliness as a gay man. Under the influence of meth once more, Beef consequently abducts Robert and takes him to a high cliff. Cat and Christian together pursue Beef, who threatens Robert's life from the summit of the cliff. Cat climbs the rock face, grabs Robert, and falls with him off the cliff, landing safely in a [[swimming hole]] below. Christian and Beef then fight hand-to-hand; Beef eventually falls to his death. Soon afterward, back in the hospital, Patrick awakens from his coma. He is greeted by Cat, and the teenagers agree to pose Beef's death as an accident, in order to preserve his dignity. |
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==Controversy== |
==Controversy== |
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Revision as of 03:56, 5 October 2013
| Author | Lauren Myracle |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Amulet Books |
Publication date | May 1, 2011 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & e-book) |
| Pages | 376 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0810984172 (first edition, hardback) Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
Shine is a 2011 young-adult mystery novel by Lauren Myracle. The book was published on May 1, 2011, and follows a teenaged girl investigating a hate crime involving the beating and near-death of her best friend in a small, North Carolina town. Shine won the 2012 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award and is on the ALA's "YALSA Reader’s Choice" and "Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults" lists for 2012.[1]
Plot
In Black Creek, North Carolina, 16-year-old Cat Robinson's gay best friend, Patrick Truman, is left temporarily comatose from a brutal and discriminatory act of violence. Cat feels guilty for having become recently estranged from Patrick due to unrelated personal trauma, though she now vows to expose his attacker, knowing the police will do little to help. Cat's own tortured past has caused her to withdraw from the world for three years, but she begins to return by taking the criminal investigation into her own hands: questioning members of her conservative Christian community, which is ravaged under the surface by a crippling culture of meth.
Cat confronts members of the "redneck posse," led by cocky, wealthy, homophobic Tommy Lawson. The posse also includes Cat's detached older brother, Christian, as well as Beef Pierson: an ex-athlete, high-school dropout, and long-time sympathizer with Cat's struggles in the past. Cat quickly uncovers several local secrets: that Bailee-Ann, Beef's girlfriend, is cheating on him with Tommy and that Beef himself is a struggling meth addict; in fact, many of Cat's peers are also revealed to be former or continuing meth addicts and/or dealers. After a shallow talk with Bailee-Ann, Cat becomes doggedly followed and harassed by Bailee-Ann's foul-mouthed and neglected kid brother, Robert.
While researching at a local library, Cat experiences vicious hate speech from Jason Connor, a passing college boy whom she inadvertently offends and who, though from a poor background, pretends to be high-class. She soon learns that Jason is actually another distressed friend of Patrick, and she and Jason ultimately make up, become confidants and allies, and later even share romantic feelings. Meanwhile, a flashback reveals that Cat was sexually molested by Tommy three years ago, leading to an inability to continue maintaining relationships, thus naturally causing the deterioration of her friendship with Patrick. Convincing herself of Tommy's utter ruthlessness and thus his guilt in Patrick's attack, Cat confronts Tommy at last, only for him to apologize for his past wrongs, while sincerely affirming his innocence in the hate-crime against Patrick.
Cat, with Jason's help, next learns that Patrick has been maintaining a secret boyfriend, and they track the unknown lover to a gay bar, where Cat is astonished to realize that he is in fact Beef. Still-closeted, Beef, during a meth-fueled rage, is the one who beat Patrick and set up the scene to look like a hate crime. The impulsive young Robert, who once admired Beef as a role model, now questions Beef's manliness as a gay man. Under the influence of meth once more, Beef consequently abducts Robert and takes him to a high cliff. Cat and Christian together pursue Beef, who threatens Robert's life from the summit of the cliff. Cat climbs the rock face, grabs Robert, and falls with him off the cliff, landing safely in a swimming hole below. Christian and Beef then fight hand-to-hand; Beef eventually falls to his death. Soon afterward, back in the hospital, Patrick awakens from his coma. He is greeted by Cat, and the teenagers agree to pose Beef's death as an accident, in order to preserve his dignity.
Controversy
National Book Awards
In 2011 Shine was announced as a finalist in the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, with the National Book Foundation stating soon after that the nomination had been in error and that they had meant to announce that Franny Billingsley's similarly titled Chime was one of the finalists.[2] The National Book Foundation requested that Myracle withdraw from the contest to "reserve the integrity of the award and the judges' work".[3] Myracle expressed extreme disappointment at the mistake but requested that the National Book Foundation make a $5,000 donation to the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which they did.[4]
Wall Street Journal criticism
In June of 2011 Wall Street Journal critic Meghan Cox Gurdon cited Shine as an example of the prevalence of dark themes in young adult literature.[5] Gurdon criticized the language in the novel and compared it to novels by Judy Blume, saying that while it was "probably apt" for the characters in the book, she wasn't sure that it was language that parents might want their children to read.[6] Gurdon's article was met with criticism by many.[7] Myracle initially responded by calling the article "idiocy, to be blunt" but later issued an apology to Gurdon.[8]
Reception
Critical reception to Shine was mostly positive,[9][10] with the Los Angeles Times stating that the book was "heavy handed" but "otherwise intelligent and emotionally evolved".[11] Booklist and the School Library Journal both praised the book, with Booklist saying that Shine "provides a lot to think about".[12][13]
References
- ^ "Shine wins Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award". YALSA. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ Bosman, Julie (October 17, 2011). "An Author Withdraws as Book Award Finalist". New York Times. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ Kellogg, Carolyn (October 17, 2011). "Lauren Myracle withdraws from National Book Award finalists". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ Whelan, Debra. "SLJ Exclusive: Lauren Myracle Opens Up About NBA Fiasco". School Library Journal. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ Williams, Mary Elizabeth. "Has young adult fiction become too dark?". Salon. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ Gurdon, Megan Cox (June 4, 2011). "Darkness Too Visible". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ MACPHERSON, Karen. "A new chapter in debate over suitable books for teens". Seattle Times. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ "YA Author Apologizes To 'Wall Street Journal' Critic". NPR. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ Lu, Caroline (July 7, 2011). "Youth book review of 'Shine': Stand needed on central issues". Andover Townsman. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ "Review: Shine". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ Carpenter, Susan (May 01, 2011). "Not Just for Kids: 'Shine'". LA Times. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Review: Shine". School Library Journal. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ Cooper, Ilene. "Review: Shine". Booklist. Retrieved 21 September 2012.