The Implosion of Aggie Winchester by Lara Zielin Review

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Title: The Implosion of Aggie Winchester
Author: Lara Zielin
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publish Date: August 4, 2011
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 278
Source: Publisher
Sixteen-year-old Aggie Winchester couldn't care less about who's elected prom queen - even if it's her pregnant Goth-girl best friend, Sylvia Ness. Aggie's got bigger things to worry about, like whether or not her ex-boyfriend wants to get back together and whether her mom will survive cancer.

But like it or not, Aggie soon finds herself in the middle of an unfolding prom scandal, largely because her mom, who is the school's principal, is rumored to have burned prom ballots so Sylvia won't be elected queen. Aggie's own investigation makes her wonder if the election could be dirty on both sides.
Aggie's life is a bit of a whirlwind, and prom is the last thing on her mind. Like it or not though, when scandal rocks the school and her mother is at the heart of it, Aggie can't help but recognize prom is at the forefront of everything. Aggie has to take it all in stride. From her mother's breast cancer, to the snubs from her pregnant best friend, to her ex-boyfriend and her potential new romantic interest, everything is a bit too much. To come to terms and put things right, Aggie knows she must control the tiny piece of her life that she can. She has to figure out who burned the ballots, prove it wasn't her mother and help Sylvia win. Things be a bit more complicated than she'd hoped though.

I'd never heard of this one before it arrived on my doorstep, and I'll admit - I figured it would be an extremely light read that just might distract me from the dark books for which I hold a serious candle. The Implosion of Aggie Winchester turned out to be different than I'd thought though. Quirky, ironic and a touch dramatic at times, it's a sweet and oddly sensible tale that lets its small differences shine through and make it stand out from the crowd. Author, Lara Zielin, took a time-tested concept and added subtle twists and turns, gave us a lovable heroine and showed us that there can be good in these sweet, simple tales. Sweet and churning, this contemporary tale provides us with a wonderful host of characters and a plot that might seem trite at first glance, but could very well end up surprising you, too.

To be completely honest, I thought I was going to hate this book. For one, it's riddled with cliches (think cancer, goths & geeks, teen pregnancy and prom). For another, it seems as if the entire storyline revolves around a so-called mystery involving prom ballots. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find that The Implosion of Aggie Winchester lent a sort of sincerity and truth to an otherwise tepid story. Aggie began as a first flat character. Her life revolved around a series of events - a breakup, an ex-best friend, the drama of her mother's illness and her friend's pregnancy. However, as we move through the story, we watch as she evolves from the one-sided character that cared about little but the superficial into someone we can genuinely relate to. There is a soft undertone of humour and wit that weaves its way through the otherwise very typical storyline, and it freshens the plot, ups the pace and really pushed The Implosion of Aggie Winchester to the next level. The bottom line is simple, friends. Simple and honest, this novel pushes past its foundation of cliches into a genuine, honest read that any teen or young woman can find sincere.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by The Implosion of Aggie Winchester. Was it the deepest novel I've ever read? Heck no. Was it fun, genuine and honest though? Yes, it most certainly was. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I recommend it to all fans of YA fiction, especially those who enjoy contemporary.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

6 comments:

  1. Wow; they really stuck all the cliches in there, didn't they? I'm glad to hear that she evolves throughout the book though, I may have to give this one a try!

    -Jac @ For Love and Books

    ReplyDelete
  2.  I usually hate things that are really cliche, but I kind of want to read this one. It seems very unique. I like that the mother has a role in the book. A lot of times in YA there are "absent parents" which I've never really understood.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 4 stars? I'll definitely be picking this one up soon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. First I thought no, but then after reading your review I thought why not. There just seems to be something there

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love characters that grow before your eyes. I feel the softest toward them and it makes me happy when they get their happy ending. I think I'm going to pick this one up!

    Asher

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've noticed this book before, mostly because it was one of those 'The _____ of ___________' titles that were starting to become a trend in YA (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove). I never read the synopsis, but your review has made me intrigued. It sounds as if it could be really interesting.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I always do my very best to return the favour :)

Please note that this blog is an award-free zone!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Pin It button on image hover