| Current mood: |  thoughtful |
| Current music: | Fallen by Sarah McLachlan |
| Entry tags: | books, reviews, wcob |
Like the Red Panda by Andrea Siegel
Like the Red Panda is alternately a dark comedy and just plain dark - in a memorable, outstanding way. Haunting and thoughtful, this story will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
The protagonist, Stella, is a senior in high school. In first-person narrative, she begrudgingly recounts the last two weeks of her senior year, mixing in flashbacks when appropriate. Her memories reveal her idyllic childhood, a world that was picture perfect until the day her parents died. The circumstances of their death may surprise you, as may Stella's plans as graduation approaches. Appearances can be deceiving; how people view a person and how said person views herself can be devastatingly different.
Andrea Siegel's debut novel will make readers laugh one moment and shudder the next. Like the Red Panda is mostly related in thoughts, leaving a unique taste in the mouths of readers as they get inside the mind of Stella.
I frequently recommend this title, which was published in the adult fiction/literature section. Due to its subject matter, I recommend it to adults and older teens. (In other words, it's not for the tween crowd.)
If you liked Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn, As Simple as Snow by Gregory Galloway, or perhaps even Looking for Alaska by John Green, you'll love Like the Red Panda.
Related Booklist: Tough Issues for Teens
Wicked Cool Overlooked Books (WCOB) is a monthly blog notation encouraged by Colleen from Chasing Ray: On the first Monday of every month, she posts about a book she enjoyed that she wishes others would pick up, and invites others to post their picks as well.
Discover other titles I've marked as Wicked Cool Overlooked Books.
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