Book Breakups

Let's talk about breakups.
 Not that kind of breakup. Your heart is bleeding, you'll never be the same, blah blah, yadda yadda. 

I adore reading. Typically, my genre of choice has been realistic fiction. I'm fascinated by characters thought processes and family/friend dynamics. Sometimes I wish fantasy didn't bore me to tears, but I can never seem to get into it. Except for Harry Potter. Because honestly, I wouldn't be a real person if I hated that series.

While my reading has progressed, my reading style has remained stagnant. As a young child, I devoured the American Girls series--all books about "people and their lives." Just last year, I remember raving about this "amazing book" that was one of the best written novels in the history of forever: Night Road by Kristen Hannah. And since I finally have pleasure reading time, I thought I would re-read this novel that I thought so highly of.

I'm still enraptured by the dialogue, and the main character is me. Or should I say, a younger version of me. I now find her kind of annoying. Actually, I find the whole book kind of annoying.

What was once insightful observation now seems to be cliché. Thoughtful character dynamics are now juvenile. Even the sentence structure could use some cleaning up, most definitely (to all you who understand irony, congratulations). The plot is still gripping, but it's something you would read on a beach while listening to Kelly Clarkson The Who. You couldn't whip out some literary theory and apply it all over this book.

There are some thoughtful ideas about growing up and loss, but those topics are overdone. Everyone agrees that growing up is hard and everyone wants to stay close to what they love. What if she had written a book about a young woman who falls in love with a schizophrenic, but only one of his personalities? What if his other personality kills her pet turtle? A basic plot is okay; an eloquent writing style makes a basic plot readable, but controversy and action helps make the plot come alive.

It's a little sad to outgrow a book I loved so much. It's a little bit like saying goodbye to an old friend who I thought I'd stick with until I die. But it's also freeing to see concrete evidence that my reading and thinking is expanding.

Have you guys ever had clear "I'm growing up" moments? 'Cause I'll tell ya', this is a lot more exciting than realizing I have to pay taxes.

Namaste.