2011 is here, which means 365 more days to fill with books. This year, I’m participating in three reading challenges: the Debut Author Challenge and a Monthly Genre Challenge, which you can read about here, and the Foodie’s Reading Challenge, which will be documented on the CRAVE blog.
Monthly Genre Challenge
February: African American Fiction
Liar by Justline Larbalestier
I just finished reading Liar by Jusine Larbalestier, and although it’s not written by an African American author (she’s white and Australian), I wanted to include it in this series about African American fiction. Why? Because I think it’s important for readers, especially young readers, to see themselves in fiction. While I also think reading books written by a diversity of authors is important, I’m more interested in the characters I read than the people who wrote them (sorry, authors).
This is not so say that Micah, the protagonist in Liar, is or should be anybody’s role model. As the title implies, she’s a liar in a major way. In part because of Micah’s seeming inability to tell the truth, Liar is full of twists and surprises, so there’s little I can say about the plot without ruining it. Instead, I’ll let the author speak for herself. On her website she writes:
I deliberately wrote the book to be read in at least two different ways. You may think you know what kind of book it is and what kind of person Micah is, but you’ll find other readers will disagree with you completely. There is no one right way to read this book. And that’s why I’m so keen for readers not to spoil it for others. Because I want each reader to come to their own conclusions.
Liar is as much a jigsaw puzzle as a novel, but one where the pieces can go together in many different ways. Writing it was a puzzle, too. I wrote it back to front and inside out. Not from start to finish, but scene by scene. As I wrote I shuffled scenes around, rewriting them with every move. It was one of the most enjoyable writing experiences of my career. I could feel my brain stretching as I wrote. (In a good way.) I hope reading it has the same effect on you.
I will say that I enjoyed Micah’s stories, whether or not they were true. It is a very dramatic, suspenseful story. Readers who like issue-oriented books like Cut by Patricia McCormick or Wintergirls like Lauri Halse Anderson might enjoy Liar.
For more books, check out the blog “Reading in Color,” which reviews teen books featuring people of color. Also, see what Justine Larbalestier has to say about diverse casts in her writing. Then share your thoughts in the comments– Does it matter to you what color the characters are? The authors?
