CHAPTERS AND TEACUPS

Slow reads and gentle mornings



Weightless is a debut novel by Sarah Bannan which talks about teenage cruelty aided by the internet.  When I first started reading this book I wasn't hooked right away and almost wasn't able to finish it.  At first, I thought the plot is so predictable and so easy and to be honest I already have guessed the ending right after reading a few chapters.  But then I realized that this book is more than just the familiar setting and realized that it tackles a very relevant and relatable subject in our society today. 

The story is set in Adamsville Alabama, where teenagers were obsessed with brands, status, tanning, trends, thinness, makeup, proms, homecoming pageants and to the greatest extent,  social media. It is a riveting story about the reality of how the internet, social media had become the vile that wreak havoc on the lives of the characters in the story. The book also gave emphasis on the vicious effect of bullying and the importance of mental health. This book gives us an insight into how intense school life can be and how evil it can get underneath what seemed to be a picture perfect community.


“We were young and hopeful and beautiful and fearless, for just a few seconds, and it made us smile, until we heard the murmuring behind us, and we moved to the side of the gym and took our phones and our mirrors and our lip glosses out of our purses, and we checked to make sure everything was in place.” 
― Sarah Bannan, Weightless

The story revolves around the lives of the students in Adamsville Alabama where it is a very close-knit community. The type of which everyone knows everyone and families basically goes to the same school from generation to generation goes to the same event and goes to the same church. 

The story was established with the students obsessing about who was dating who, who was sporting a tan, who was wearing the latest fashion, who gained or lose weight and all sorts of vanity teenagers talk about. Then Carolyn Lessing came. The new girl in town and suddenly, everyone was obsessed about her.


"We took photos of her bathroom cabinet and the scale and put them up on Instagram, Facebook, wherever. Looking back, it's easy to see how irresponsible we'd been, with information and with other people's feelings. But we couldn't have known what was going to happen."
 Sarah Bannan, Weightless.

Carolyn moves from New Jersey to Alabama with her mother. She was a no-effort kind of girl who was so cool and has no mean bone about her.  She was gorgeous and stylish. The type that rattles the status quo of both the junior and senior students. And apart from being an athlete, she also has a talent for writing and art. 

Then Carolyn started dating Shane, a senior. But Brooke, Shane's off again, on again girlfriend didn't take it lightly. And it didn't take long before backbiting and rumors about Carolyn started to spread. Carolyn seemed not to be affected by the rumors and Brookes taunting until a scandalous video begun to make rounds then Carolyn suddenly goes from it girl to being a doxy. 

Carolyn isolated herself. But the more she excluded herself, the more she was plagued with questions about her and her family. Her personal life became everybody's business. But it was her last confrontation with  Shane and Brook that finally ended her torment.

This was definitely a great book to read. The main conflict is vividly presented and although the ending can be predicted, it evokes an outrage from a reader as if you wanted to control and change what could be the ending. I found the book slow at first but after a while, I could no longer put it down. The book was also narrated by a third person so you have the feel of being dragged into the story. At times, I could hear myself telling the characters, "you guys um... you are so wrong about her." and I also found myself, no shame, crying (typical me) because I felt so helpless.

Well, however bewildering, this book is definitely a must read and I recommend it to parents, most specially teachers (they played a great role in the story but did nothing. I was very disappointed), and teenagers. And I assure you it will surely leave you a great deal to think about. This book still haunts me to this moment and I can say this has changed the way I am as a teacher, a friend and as a person.


Till next time,

Shannel, the book hag
xoxo




February 20, 2019 No comments
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