Moriarity, Jaclyn. Feeling Sorry for Celia. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000. Print.
Annotation:
"...I'm kind of depressed today because Celia's run away again. She does that a lot but she usually at least calls me to say where she is...Sorry for making this letter so long...I hope you write back."
When her English teacher decides to bring back the lost art of letter writing, Elizabeth Clarry anticipates another boring and bothersome assignment. Little does she know how much she you will enjoy it. Little does she know how much she needs it. Little does she know how much the letters will reveal--about herself and others--and where they will lead her.
Justification for Rejection:
Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty is a story about self-discovery. The entire book is written in a series of letters. Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth is an excellent communicator. Her ability to communicate and critique her own attitudes, thoughts, and actions in the imaginary letters she writes to herself (via various organizations such as the Cold Hard Truth Society and The Association of Teenagers) are insightful, witty, often shockingly accurate, and sometimes a little disturbing. Her ability to tell a story and to give descriptions is equally impressive. For example, readers are able to clearly imagine Celia and her antics from the information Elizabeth shares in her letters. (However, Celia and her family are such exaggerated characters, their believability suffers.)
Through letters, Elizabeth learns about herself and her relationships with her family members and friends. She learns from the things that are said as well as those unsaid. Writing down her thoughts and responses allows her the time she needs for reflection and interpretation of the world around her. She is discovering her place in the world—her role and identity in relation to those who are closest to her. Where and how do they fit in her world and her in theirs? Young adult readers will definitely resonate with the challenges of relationships and finding one’s place in the lives of others. In this regard, this is an important book and a significant contribution to the body of young adult literature available today.
However, in terms of excellence, I cannot wholeheartedly justify a nomination for this book. Admittedly, Feeling Sorry for Celia is memorable, yes. The format alone is enough to establish that. The content confirms this. This book possesses several of the features associated with narrative humor (e.g., ambiguity, exaggeration, irony, and surprise). However, in terms of extraordinary, I have to say no. I understand that humor does not necessarily mean knee-slapping funny, and that what teenagers’ find humorous is not necessarily the same as adults. I pretended I was fifteen and reread a large portion of the book. That did help. The book is entertaining and amusing. However, it is still really quite serious for the most part. And although I do endorse this book as being capable of moving young adults toward the development of a more mature sense of humor, I did not smile or giggle as much as I would have liked.
Genres: Humor, Coming of Age
"...I'm kind of depressed today because Celia's run away again. She does that a lot but she usually at least calls me to say where she is...Sorry for making this letter so long...I hope you write back."
When her English teacher decides to bring back the lost art of letter writing, Elizabeth Clarry anticipates another boring and bothersome assignment. Little does she know how much she you will enjoy it. Little does she know how much she needs it. Little does she know how much the letters will reveal--about herself and others--and where they will lead her.
Justification for Rejection:
Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty is a story about self-discovery. The entire book is written in a series of letters. Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth is an excellent communicator. Her ability to communicate and critique her own attitudes, thoughts, and actions in the imaginary letters she writes to herself (via various organizations such as the Cold Hard Truth Society and The Association of Teenagers) are insightful, witty, often shockingly accurate, and sometimes a little disturbing. Her ability to tell a story and to give descriptions is equally impressive. For example, readers are able to clearly imagine Celia and her antics from the information Elizabeth shares in her letters. (However, Celia and her family are such exaggerated characters, their believability suffers.)
Through letters, Elizabeth learns about herself and her relationships with her family members and friends. She learns from the things that are said as well as those unsaid. Writing down her thoughts and responses allows her the time she needs for reflection and interpretation of the world around her. She is discovering her place in the world—her role and identity in relation to those who are closest to her. Where and how do they fit in her world and her in theirs? Young adult readers will definitely resonate with the challenges of relationships and finding one’s place in the lives of others. In this regard, this is an important book and a significant contribution to the body of young adult literature available today.
However, in terms of excellence, I cannot wholeheartedly justify a nomination for this book. Admittedly, Feeling Sorry for Celia is memorable, yes. The format alone is enough to establish that. The content confirms this. This book possesses several of the features associated with narrative humor (e.g., ambiguity, exaggeration, irony, and surprise). However, in terms of extraordinary, I have to say no. I understand that humor does not necessarily mean knee-slapping funny, and that what teenagers’ find humorous is not necessarily the same as adults. I pretended I was fifteen and reread a large portion of the book. That did help. The book is entertaining and amusing. However, it is still really quite serious for the most part. And although I do endorse this book as being capable of moving young adults toward the development of a more mature sense of humor, I did not smile or giggle as much as I would have liked.
Genres: Humor, Coming of Age
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