From the Book Jacket"In this captivating debut novel, Lindsey Lee Johnson unleashes a cast of compelling characters in a realm known for its cruelty and peril: the American high school. The wealthy enclaves north of San Francisco are not the paradise they appear to be, and nobody knows this better than the students of a local high school. Despite being raised with all the opportunities money can buy, these vulnerable kids are navigating a treacherous adolescence in which every action, every rumor, every feeling, is potentially portable, shareable, viral. Lindsey Lee Johnson's kaleidoscopic narrative exposes at every turn the real human beings beneath the high school stereotypes ... In this complicated web, an idealistic young English teacher arrives from a poorer, scruffier part of California. Molly Nicoll strives to connect with her students - without understanding the middle school tragedy that played out online and has continued to reverberate in different ways for all of them. Written with the rare talent capable of turning teenage drama into urgent, adult fiction, The Most Dangerous Place on Earth makes vivid a modern adolescence lived in the gleam of the virtual, but rich with sorrow, passion, and humanity." StrengthsToday's students are so much more connected to their phones and the internet than any generation ever before. I'm a connected educator on social media, online news sources, and two email accounts throughout the day, but I feel that a majority of my students are consumed by their personal or school-issued electronic devices. The Most Dangerous Place on Earth captured this lifestyle of my students very well with the students of Marin High School. Ms. Nicoll, the new English teacher, cannot wrap her mind the idea of centering your life around technology as seen early on in the novel: "When she circled the room, she'd peer over their shoulders at the phones in their palms, catching flashes of photos and texts. What were they doing? she wondered. What lives were they living on those little screens?" (45). Within "those little screens", Johnson's characters were built through their tone, word choice, and vernacular on their electronic media, specifically social media and the comments section of a news article. These instances of electronic media were sprinkled into the novel's story and provided the reader with a play-by-play of the electronic interaction.
WeaknessesAt some point in Lindsey Lee Johnson's life, a teacher crossed her. How do I know this? Check out her depictions of the American high school teacher:
As an American high school teacher, I cringed every time Johnson began to dig into and belittle the profession of teaching. I'm not sure if she was trying to connect with a younger, teenage audience that hates school and the adults that run it or if she was trying to get back at a teacher or two who criticized her writing with red pens in either high school or college. If the latter is the case, I can see why. As the book jacket states, Johnson writes in a "kaleidoscopic narrative." This is not a good thing, in my opinion. While the sections of the book are in chronological order, the rest of it jumps around from the present to backstory that attempts to fill in the reader on missing details that ultimately mean nothing. Johnson also focuses on minor characters for too long. The book does not wrap up well to boot. RecommendationIf you are a fan of high school drama or are looking for a quick beach read for Spring Break, this is the book for you. If you look at the weaknesses I pointed out and find them to be aspects of books that you like or can look over, then pick up this book. Ultimately, if you want to read it, borrow it from a friend or the library. Why Did I Read This Book?The Most Dangerous Place on Earth was my Book of the Month selection for January 2017.
I am also able to count The Most Dangerous Place on Earth for the following reading challenges:
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The Avalanche of Books
As an educator and avid reader, I am constantly hearing about books. I feel like I am being chased by a giant, rolling avalanche of titles and authors. Rating System
5 books - New fave! Read it now!
4 books - Shelf worthy 3 books - Quality read, but ... 2 books - Borrow it 1 book - Skip it Archives
December 2017
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