{"id":4534,"date":"2018-01-20T09:00:36","date_gmt":"2018-01-20T17:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/?p=4534"},"modified":"2021-07-12T10:32:14","modified_gmt":"2021-07-12T17:32:14","slug":"black-swan-green-teen-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2018\/black-swan-green-teen-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Swan Green &#8211;Teen Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>review by\u00a0Kristina Yin, age 17<\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Black Swan Green\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>by\u00a0David Mitchell<\/h3>\n<p><b><i> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Black Swan Green<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is the spiritual descendant of coming-of-age books like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Catcher in the Rye<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Great Expectations<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, but because of its modernity and realism, it is far more interesting and relatable than its ancestors. Although it is not a page-turner or has a particularly interesting plot, I had a thoroughly lovely time reading it. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You would think that a 17-year-old Californian girl would have nothing in common with a 13-year-old boy in small-town Cold War England. You are definitely right. My lack of perspective made the story all the more interesting. In <\/span><b><i>Black Swan Green<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> you are privy to all the details of a year in Jason Taylor\u2019s life (the aforementioned 13 year old), and for me, it was a really fascinating and intimate glimpse of a foreign world. But, there is also something about the painful awkwardness of growing up that is universal, and made me both root for Taylor and cringe in sympathy. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The best part of <\/span><b><i>Black Swan Green <\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is Jason Taylor. He is a refreshingly complex main character who feels human. Jason\u2019s monologues are absolute gems to read; he is the humorous, self-deprecating (but not annoyingly so), intelligent, and likable (but above simple descriptors as good or bad). In effect, this novel is the unflinchingly, touchingly, charmingly truthful account of Taylor\u2019s life\u2014his innermost thoughts and most intimate of experiences laid bare. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mitchell is an amazing writer, well known for literary legends like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cloud Atlas<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">number9dream<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. But <\/span><b><i>Black Swan Green<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is his most honest and unguarded work yet. 4.5\/5 stars. <\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Find this book in our catalog: <a href=\"https:\/\/pasadena.ent.sirsi.net\/client\/en_US\/default\/search\/detailnonmodal\/ent:$002f$002fSD_ILS$002f0$002fSD_ILS:252220\/one\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Black Swan Green<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Catalog Number: FIC MITCHELL,D<\/p>\n<p>294 pages<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>More Recommendations<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4454\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4454\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2017\/the-careful-undressing-of-love-teen-review\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4454 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2017\/12\/the-careful-undressing-of-love-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2017\/12\/the-careful-undressing-of-love-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2017\/12\/the-careful-undressing-of-love-400x400.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4454\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Careful Undressing of Love &#8212; teen review<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4195\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4195\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2017\/the-handmaids-tale-teen-review\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4195 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2017\/11\/The-Handmaids-Tale-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4195\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Handmaid&#8217;s Tale&#8211; teen review<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4192\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4192\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2017\/city-of-saints-and-thieves-teen-review\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4192 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2017\/11\/City-of-saints-and-thieves-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4192\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">City of Saints and Thieves &#8212; teen review<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>review by\u00a0Kristina Yin, age 17 Black Swan Green\u00a0by\u00a0David Mitchell \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Black Swan Green is the spiritual descendant of coming-of-age books like Catcher in the Rye and Great Expectations, but because of its modernity and realism, it is far more interesting and relatable than its ancestors. Although it is not a page-turner [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":4535,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[120,54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-reviews","category-teen-reviews"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/01\/black-swan-green.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5ZwbD-1b8","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4899,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2018\/the-final-six-teen-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":4534,"position":0},"title":"The Final Six &#8212; Teen Review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"November 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"review by\u00a0Jacob Chon, age 16 The Final Six\u00a0by\u00a0Alexandra Monir \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Naomi, an Iranian-American high schooler, and Leo, an Italian orphan, have barely anything in common. Although both experience the firsthand tragedies of climate change, they live on opposite sides of the globe. That is, until they are selected into an elite\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/11\/the-final-six.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4139,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2017\/a-dogs-purpose-teen-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":4534,"position":1},"title":"A Dog&#8217;s Purpose &#8212; Teen Review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"October 14, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"review by\u00a0John Chon, age 14 A Dog's Purpose\u00a0by\u00a0W. Bruce Cameron \u00a0\u00a0A Dog's Purpose was a step outside of my normal genre, and it felt like a breath of fresh air. The book is about a dog who is reborn again and again, remembering their past experiences and using them again\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2017\/10\/A-Dogss-Purpose.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2119,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2015\/everything-everything\/","url_meta":{"origin":4534,"position":2},"title":"Everything Everything &#8212; teen review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"September 30, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Review by Braelin, teen reviewer Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon Summary: \u00a0This innovative, heartfelt debut novel tells the story of a girl who\u2019s literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she\u2019s ever known. The narrative\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Teen Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Teen Reviews","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"18692431","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2015\/09\/18692431-198x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4032,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2017\/light-years-teen-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":4534,"position":3},"title":"Light Years  &#8212; Teen Review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"September 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"review by Kira Toal, age 15 Light Years by\u00a0Emily Ziff Griffin \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Light Years by Emily Ziff Griffin is coming of age\/adventure story about a teenage girl named Luisa whose world is thrown into chaos when a deadly virus called ARNS kills thousands around the world. She is forced to leave\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2017\/09\/the-hundred-lies-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4660,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2018\/house-of-furies-teen-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":4534,"position":4},"title":"House of Furies &#8212; Teen Review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"May 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"review by Jacob Chon, age 15 House of Furies\u00a0by Madeleine Roux \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0House of Furies is a gripping tale of a young beggar who is thrust into a boarding house straight out of a horror movie. Louisa Ditton runs away from her status as a beggar to become a maid at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/house-of-furies.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4975,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2019\/the-glass-spare-teen-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":4534,"position":5},"title":"The Glass Spare &#8212; Teen Review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"February 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"review by John Chon, age 16 The Glass Spare\u00a0by\u00a0Lauren DeStefano \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Glass Spare, by Lauren DeStefano, has the interesting premise of the observation of a character set in the Middle Ages. Wil Heidle, daughter of a king with empire-building dreams, is hidden away from the kingdom, unlike her siblings. She\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2019\/02\/the-glass-spare.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4534"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6583,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4534\/revisions\/6583"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}