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At the moment I am reading Beautiful monster by Kate McCaffrey. This novel is written for young adults as its story line is relevant to what this age group today faces and struggles with. The novel is based on a major problem which all teenagers confront, appearance, especially weight. Tess, the main character struggles to reach and stay at her goal weight while trying to stay in control of her sporting activities, school work, her social life and family problems. This book is extremely easy to relate to because most teenagers experience at least one of these issues.
The language used throughout the novel is the style and language teenagers use today which is one of the reasons why Kate’s book fits into the YA category (young adult). The way the author has written the book is relevant, relatable and easily understood by the targeted audience. By using language appropriate to the young adult age group, Kate has allowed the readers to connect to the novel and stay interested.
The book uses a variety of descriptive language to describe the settings, situations, feelings and looks of a particular character. As the book is already easy to relate to in the way we witness or experience these problems ourselves, it is easy to determine what is happening, how the character is feeling or looks. However, by Kate using descriptive language, it helps to paint a clearer image in the readers mind. An example of this is on page 145 when Tess is at the prom:
‘She sees a white back, intersected by bony lines, which slowly she realises are ribs. Her ribs. Vertebrae stick out. It looks like a fish spine. It’s all angles and hollows. Bumps. Dips. Gaps. That’s not her back.’
This is my favourite part of the novel because of the way the author has used descriptive language to set a clear image of Tess’s back. Similes help to depict what something looks like, by comparing it to something the reader knows or that is easy to imagine. Another good example of a simile is used on page 69 of Beautiful Monster:
“What’s the point of getting thin and fit if your stomach looks like something out of Africa?”
Overall, I have enjoyed reading Kate MaCaffrey’s novel, Beautiful Monster because it is extremely relatable and is a book that paints many clear pictures in your mind. The book, although small, gives many messages and talks about several situations in which young adult readers have experienced or are experiencing now which keeps the reader interested.
(Image: http://katemccaffrey.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/9781921361982_beautifulmonster.jpg )
The language used throughout the novel is the style and language teenagers use today which is one of the reasons why Kate’s book fits into the YA category (young adult). The way the author has written the book is relevant, relatable and easily understood by the targeted audience. By using language appropriate to the young adult age group, Kate has allowed the readers to connect to the novel and stay interested.
The book uses a variety of descriptive language to describe the settings, situations, feelings and looks of a particular character. As the book is already easy to relate to in the way we witness or experience these problems ourselves, it is easy to determine what is happening, how the character is feeling or looks. However, by Kate using descriptive language, it helps to paint a clearer image in the readers mind. An example of this is on page 145 when Tess is at the prom:
‘She sees a white back, intersected by bony lines, which slowly she realises are ribs. Her ribs. Vertebrae stick out. It looks like a fish spine. It’s all angles and hollows. Bumps. Dips. Gaps. That’s not her back.’
This is my favourite part of the novel because of the way the author has used descriptive language to set a clear image of Tess’s back. Similes help to depict what something looks like, by comparing it to something the reader knows or that is easy to imagine. Another good example of a simile is used on page 69 of Beautiful Monster:
“What’s the point of getting thin and fit if your stomach looks like something out of Africa?”
Overall, I have enjoyed reading Kate MaCaffrey’s novel, Beautiful Monster because it is extremely relatable and is a book that paints many clear pictures in your mind. The book, although small, gives many messages and talks about several situations in which young adult readers have experienced or are experiencing now which keeps the reader interested.
(Image: http://katemccaffrey.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/9781921361982_beautifulmonster.jpg )