The Tragedy Paper: Elizabeth LaBan
Add to Goodreads Buy: Nook/Kindle
Tim
Macbeth is a 17-year-old albino and a recent transfer to the
prestigious Irving School, where the motto is, “Enter here to be and
find a friend.” Tim does not expect to find a friend; all he really
wants to do is escape his senior year unnoticed. Despite his efforts to
blend into the background, he finds himself falling for the
quintessential “it” girl, Vanessa Sheller, girlfriend of Irving’s most
popular boy. To Tim’s surprise, Vanessa is into him, too, and she can
kiss her social status goodbye if anyone finds out. Tim and Vanessa
enter into a clandestine relationship, but looming over them is the
Tragedy Paper, Irving’s version of a senior year thesis, assigned by the
school’s least forgiving teacher.
The story unfolds from two alternating viewpoints: Tim, the tragic, love-struck figure, and Duncan, a current senior, who uncovers the truth behind Tim and Vanessa’s story and will consequently produce the greatest Tragedy Paper in Irving’s history.
The story unfolds from two alternating viewpoints: Tim, the tragic, love-struck figure, and Duncan, a current senior, who uncovers the truth behind Tim and Vanessa’s story and will consequently produce the greatest Tragedy Paper in Irving’s history.
Kim's Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
Kim's Review:
Enter here to be and find and friend
The
Tragedy paper is an intriguing YA read and totally different from my
usual choices. But it drew me in immediately and I was sucked into the
story within a story premise.
As
the story begins, Duncan is back to The Irving Private High School anda
tradition in their new dorm rooms is that the last person to have the
room leaves a treasure for the new student. Duncan received a stack of
CDs from the previous tenant, Tim. Tim is somehow tied up in the tragedy
with Duncan of the year before...but we do not know why. Tim is a
lonely albino student used to being ostracized and alone.
Duncan
quickly becomes enthralled in the CDs from Tim retelling the story of
how he met Vanessa, the girl he fell for and all of the events leading
up to the tragic night the year before. I felt like I was sitting
alongside Duncan listening to Tim's CDs and was compelled to keep
listening as the story unfolds. Tim's story is told in the first person
and you can feel the loneliness, the insecurity, the fear, and the
strong feelings he has for Vanessa.
"A
tragedy is a play or literary work in which the main character--that
would be the trgic hero--suffers greatly and is brought to ruin,.
Usually this suffering and ruin come about because of the main
character's own flaw or weakness and his or her inability to deal with
the lot he or she has been given."
Duncan's
current life involves having to write a major paper about tragedy for
English and also taking a chance with the girl he likes, Daisy. Tim
starts to have a strong affect on Duncan's life and choices. The
suspense kept building and I just had to keep reading to find out what
the tragedy was and who was affected.
"Everything is connected my friend. Everything is connected."
It
was really a poignant, sad, and beautiful story. It's a story of taking
chances and believing in yourself...of being a better person...of not
letting the past take over your future. It was well written, engaging,
and had a good message. This book is suitable for younger readers as
well as more mature ones.
Thanks to Random House Children's books and netgalley for a chance to read and review this book.
0 comments