Oates, Joyce Carol. After the wreck, I picked myself up, spread my wings, and flew away.OATES, Joyce Carol Oates, Joyce Carol, 1938–, American author, b. Lockport, N.Y., grad. B.A., Syracuse Univ., 1960, M.A., Univ. of Wisconsin, 1961. She taught English at the Univ. of Detroit and the Univ. of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and has been affiliated with Princeton Univ. . After the wreck, I picked myself up, spread my wings, and flew away. Harper Collins. 304p. c2006. 0-060-73525-2. $16.99. (Lib. bgd: 0-060-73526-0. $17.89). S Joyce Carol Oates Noun 1. Joyce Carol Oates - United States writer (born in 1938) Oates continues her crossover into YA literature with this novel about Jenna Abbott, the survivor of a horrific crash that claims the life of her mother. Jenna drifts in and out of consciousness, haunted by the events and the toll they have taken on her life and her psyche. Dealing with the aftermath is both an emotional and physical struggle as she denies her estranged es·trange tr.v. es·tranged, es·trang·ing, es·trang·es 1. To make hostile, unsympathetic, or indifferent; alienate. 2. To remove from an accustomed place or set of associations. father and goes to live with her mother's sister, Aunt Caroline, and her family in Yarrow yarrow, a plant of the genus Achillea, perennial herbs of the family Asteraceae (aster family), native to north temperate regions. Several species are cultivated as ornamentals for their flat-topped clusters of flowers and scented foliage. Lake, New Hampshire New Hampshire, one of the New England states of the NE United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts (S), Vermont, with the Connecticut R. forming the boundary (W), the Canadian province of Quebec (NW), and Maine and a short strip of the Atlantic Ocean (E). . It is an idyllic setting for a troubled girl who can't slip easily back into the normal world. She is haunted by the accident and fears that it was her fault. On one of her walks through the park, she meets Gabriel St. Croix, "Crow," a young man with his own set of demons Demons See also devil; evil; ghosts; hell; spirits and spiritualism. ademonist one who denies the existence of the devil or demons. bogyism, bogeyism recognition of the existence of demons and goblins. . She recognizes the walk of someone who has had his own horrific accident, but learns quickly that Trina Holland has "claimed" him. Trina is herself a troubled teen with too much money and no real family support. She leads Jenna into a world of alcohol, drugs and parties with older boys. Jenna soon is immersed in a bad scene of another kind as she sneaks out with Trina to party in one of the boy's family cabins. She comes to appreciate the support of her family, the love of her father and the hard consequences of the choices people make. Oates's style makes for a compelling reading experience, and although Jenna is not necessarily a likable girl, readers will care what happens to her as she finds her way back after the tragedy. Janis Flint-Ferguson, Assoc. Prof., English, Gordon College, Wenham, MA S--Recommended for senior high school students. |
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