Review: Something Wicked By Lesley Anne Cowan

Title: Something Wicked
Author: Lesley Anne Cowan
Publisher: Puffin Canada
Published Date: June 2010
Source: Courtesy of the LOVELY Kristen from TorontoWOTS

Sixteen-year-old Melissa’s most recent troubles stem from a secret: her twenty-eight-year-old boyfriend, Michael, has just broken up with her. Even though the relationship is clearly over, Melissa clings to the past, riding a never-ending wave of hope and disappointment. Meaningless sexual escapades, drunken nights, and drug-induced blackouts help her deal with heartbreak, but her pain goes much deeper than her failed relationship. Along with a broken heart, Melissa has to cope with the memories of her younger brother’s death; the non-existent parenting of her insecure, flighty mother; being juggled between social workers and psychologists; and getting kicked out of school and sent to a special program for at-risk youth. So when the cracks in her life threaten to tear her apart, Melissa has to decide whether to keep fighting—or to let go. (Provided by TorontoWOTS)

You can only be strong for so long. 16 year old Melissa seems to be on a path of no return when her and her 28 year old boyfriend Michael split up. First comes the anger than comes the fall. Melissa spirals into a depression and all she does to cope with the loss is let herself into the world of drugs, alcohol and meaningless hook-ups that earns her a bad, BAD reputation. There is help for her and people to listen to what she really has to say but Melissa can’t bring herself to take the offer. Her single mother seems like she could care less about what Melissa is smoking and who she is doing, sometimes all Melissa really needs is for her mom to get her act straight. Emotions run extremely high between Melissa and the people in her life which makes her believe that there really is no hope for a better life. Melissa's future looks blurry, at times a future seems impossible for her. One night, something happens to Melissa that makes her open her eyes for the first time. She's stuck and in too deep of a depression. It's up to her if she wants to give her life another go or if she wants to give up entirely.

Our mistakes do not define us, and I think that's one thing Something Wicked teaches you. Regardless of how you were brought up, you have the ability to do something right for yourself because you deserve it. You must first be willing to let change in. What was really unique about Something Wicked was how daring it was. There were not limits to how far Melissa’s character was willing to go and that allowed for such a bigger storyline.

I rate Something Wicked

Such a bold and vulnerable main character, the story that is told of Melissa is one that points out the darkness of everything that we love, lust, and long for! Both a painful and eye opening read! Something Wicked was something beautiful.

As Always,

HAPPY READING

-Sherry