Blakes Gesetze Der Fotografie (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
For only being fifteen Blake has a complicated life. Granted, he’s brought most of that complication on by getting involved in a triangle with his girlfriend Shannon, whom he loves, and Marissa whom he considers a close friend. Through first person narrative Blake chronicles his sophomore year which is filled with first loves, complicated friendships, and difficult situations. His outlook on life is “gritty” as his photographer teacher says, and he needs to find the “heart.” In Flash Burnout, the debut novel by L. K. Madigan, readers discover the voice and thoughts of fifteen, almost sixteen year old Blake, whose hormone-induced outlook on life is tempered by the quirkiness of his family and his comedic comebacks.Drugs, sex, rock and roll. This YA novel has it all, and it works. Madigan writes about the ups, downs, lusts, and life of a fifteen year old male with ease. For the most part the teen dialogue and interactions ring true, although sometimes it comes off a little too contrived or sophisticated. Concerns include language, ranging from mild to strong, teen sex (and lots of talk about it), and rude slang. This is all in context, and reflects teen culture. What does standout is how adults figure into the plot. For one, Blake’s parents lecture him on not pressuring girls into sex, but encourage their sons to be ready and even provide condoms for them. Another parent is a meth addict, while another is overly-hostile in her protectiveness of her daughter. Teachers are either held in disdain, ridiculed, or stereo-typical cool. The storyline is riveting and using photography as a main theme throughout the plot adds a unique aspect to the premise of seeing life from a framed perspective; however, the background noise of over-the-top teen drama keeps this from being a excellent read. Madigan’s entry in the YA market is impressive, and creates an anticipation for the next book. I liked this book because it was just a fantastic page turner. You think it's just about the typical teenage boy life ; girlfriends, friends, hormones, hobbies, etc. but it turned out to be a lot more than that. Blake really shows how he feels and what he thinks. He explains when he deeply likes or dislike, how he's uncomfortable, nervous, or scared. I loved Blakes humor and how the book was funny, but also very serious. Marissa's and Blakes relationship/friendship was my favorite part of the book. I loved how it seemed like Blake wasn't sure how he was supposed to react and to feel towards the situations concerning Marissa and her mother, but in the end you see how much he really does cares for her.
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