i was a teenage fairy

Reader Response to i was a teenage fairy by Francessa Lia Block

an interesting read.... it had some real life situations in it... it's narrated by a girl named after matel's Barbie. we start off the story with her 9 year old perspective. she is one of those unfortunate child models... her mother never made it, so she lives her dream life vicariously through her daughter.....psychologically, Barbie makes a coping mechanism named Mab.... a little fairy who tells it like it is.... barbie is the victim of a pedophile photographer, and the story flashes forward about 6 years.

so the remaining half of the book, Barbie is 15... and it gets a little raunchy.... some swearing and sex scenes... but nothing too bad.... some pot smoking... which really ticks me off... but oh well.

it's a great bildungsroman story.... i just don't know if i'd be able to use it in the classroom.

i think that young girls age 14-18 would be able to identify with it... it certainly breaks some stereotypes that we hold about models.... the mother is just an overbearing "crocodile." i love the character, Mab. she's really brusque aboout everything. block's language is also very descriptive and sparkly.... a little surreal or dream like, which is great because i would consider this a fairy tale.... there are a lot of archetypes.

the evil stepmother, the evil monster, prince charming, and of course, our princess... who isn't really a traditional princess at all.

a good read. really fast.... i dont think i'd use it in my classroom though... a little too dirty for my taste.