Keely Corrigan
Novel by Maureen Johnson
[Pages: 81/370]
Let's be honest: I am reading a chick flick. I will try to dignify that label by stressing the complexity of the situations within the novel-and the controversial and current topic that drives the... drama.
I would also like to say-upfront and honestly- that this novel is a controversy. It has been banned in some areas as it deals with sexuality- specifically the ever potent homosexuality. This novel is risky, but something I am willing to gamble with.
At first, I found the friendship trio that is the skeleton of the novel to be cliche. Nina, Avery, and Mel have been best friends since they had the emotional and physical capacity to make friends blah blah blah. A first glance left me thinking of the trio as overused, unoriginal and frankly boring; but when an affair between two of the three girls begins to unfold behind the other girl's back this story becomes utterly delicious. This plot has me caught in its web, I am thirsty for more.
Though the characters can be stereotypical (one is a driven, bossy, 'leader'; another is a free-spirit who refuses to let anyone or anything control her; the last being a classically and spellbindingly beautiful red head who instills blistering crushes unto any boy she meets) the author is able to create depth through the actions of the characters. The author has allowed the characters to develop their own depth rather than establish them as being profound. (A porfound chick flick, imagine that!) This is highly appreciated. A story is much more interesting with dynamic characters than with static ones, obviously. Johnson also gives the third girl a love interest, this seems both fair and logical. Not only does this third party add spice to the novel, it creates an better balance to the overall dynamic between the girls. The fact that the love interest is a tree hugging, bicycle riding, Birkenstock adorning stud from Oregon doesn't hurt either. To add even more spice the author created this relationship only to doom it to a 'long-distance-trying-to-make-it-work' sort.
My only complaint towards the novel would be the utter disregard for reality when dealing with homosexuality with her characters. By page 50 or so- and only one homosexual encounter- Johnson has already had one of her characters stamp a large, bold, red LESBIAN across her forehead. Really? Can someone truly define their sexuality after only one actual sexual/romantic encounter? This to me seems dreadfully unrealistic and disappointing. I feel that the author disregards that difficult realization as nothing more than a 'I-think-I'll-dye-my-hair-blue' decision.
I look forward to reading further and witnessing the drama unfurl between the girls.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree! After the two girls made out I had to stop reading because it seemed so unreal. I forget the names but I don't think it's realistic to say giggle giggle I kissed my friend that must mean we are both lesbian! I hope it continues to develop this as more than just a " I think I want to like girls now"
ReplyDeleteAllegra Wolff
ReplyDeleteNovel by Maureen Johnson
Pages: 77/ 369
I began reading this book with more than slight interest, looking at the cover and, yes, judging the book to be one of the more cliché reads I have ever indulged myself in. So far my assumptions have been correct. Character development through dialogue is a horribly difficult thing to achieve. This is obviously the case in this book.
The book starts off smoothly. The first of the girls, Nina, is away studying over the summer. She seems to have found the “perfect guy” so many chick flicks portray. One would assume she is completely obsessed with this boy, Steve, as the only times in the book readers actually get to experience Nina’s personality is when she’s with or obsessing over Steve, or when she’s ranting about her roommate (which seems completely irrelevant to the book’s plot). Johnson’s development of Nina is weak, because she is trying to fit her into a label, instead of letting the label fit the character.
While Nina is gone, the other two female characters of the trio begin to experiment with their sexuality behind Nina’s back. I don’t feel Johnson is writing from a knowledgeable point of view, but instead is trying to fit the two girls into a stereotypical model of a lesbian couple. I find it hard to believe that Mel, the girl who always had boys chasing after her, suddenly decided she had feelings for her friend, and that this other girl, Avery, who had never questioned her sexual preferences before, suddenly had feelings back for Mel.
Although I disagree with the labels being put on these girls, I am intrigued to read this book. I hope to see the plot unravel as I read more, and I hope to see, if not a change of the labels being put on the trio of girls, a development of these labels (however horribly black and white they might be).
-Allegra
Sheridan Foy
ReplyDeleteNovel by Maureen Johnson
Pages: 370/370
Caution: Spoiler Alert!
Before I started reading this book, I was actually a little…not really scared, but slightly afraid. I mean, this book is banned in some places, and with a name like “The Bermudez Triangle”, it sounds like an eerie, Stephen King kind of book. But when I began reading the first page, I realized it wasn’t the scary book I originally thought it was. It was actually pretty good. It’s an easy read, which is why I finished it already. I do have a few criticisms, though.
First off is Avery. I don’t really have a clear picture of Avery when I read about her because there’s little character development with her. And the character development that there is with Avery is confusing. At first, I thought Avery was like the jokester of the group, the one who always kept the group’s feeling lighthearted, the one who could lighten any situation. I was soon proven wrong as she turns into this dark, depressing character who is so confused about her sexuality that she turns away from her friends. Then she joins a sketchy (in my opinion) band called Angry Maxwell. Oh, and did I mention this gothic person is the reincarnation of Mozart himself? That’s right; this dark and depressing character suddenly plays the piano well enough to make it into a prestigious college. Avery seems to have two different personalities.
Her sexuality is another thing. Why can’t she decide what her sexuality is? She’s been in relationships with both girls (well, one girl) and boys, yet she won’t admit she’s bisexual. When she’s dating Mel, she won’t admit she’s lesbian. And when she’s with the boy from Angry Maxwell (sorry, I can’t remember his name), she doesn’t really tell herself “See? I’m heterosexual.” In contrast, Mel immediately decides she’s lesbian after getting together with Avery, which I also don’t agree with. Then again, Mel says she always had a feeling she was lesbian, while Avery had never thought about it. Avery had always accepted that she was heterosexual, but suddenly finds out one day that she’s not. One question: why does she suddenly like Mel that day? If she’s been heterosexual all her life, why does she like Mel?
Second is Nina. Nina is another character who seems to have two different personalities. You don’t get a good feel for who Nina is. She is originally portrayed as the leader of the group, the smart one who keeps her friends in line. She’s the one who holds everything together, sort of the “rock” of the group. But soon she’s a completely different character, one who is suddenly a rebel, cutting her hair to make a statement, and dating boys like Parker. Where did that come from?
Last is Mel. Mel is, in my opinion, an annoying character. She’s originally portrayed as a timid girl whom all the boys like. She’s can’t handle any pressure at all, and is easily swayed by peer pressure. She sometimes cries for no reason. But as the story goes on, she seems to get stronger and doesn’t cry as often. She’s able to handle to stress of being labeled as a lesbian, dating/breaking up with Avery, and Nina leaving and coming back from Stanford. Soon she’s more than the petite and shy girl who hangs around Nina and Avery. But then comes the last scene of the book where Avery is trying out to get into that prestigious college and Nina, Mel, and Parker show up. As Avery and Nina have a small argument, here comes Mel, suddenly bursting into tears again. Where did all that strength go? Why is she going back to her old habit of crying unnecessarily? The Bermudez Triangle would be a much better book if the main characters would get their personalities straight.
Like most young adult novels aimed at teenage girls, The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson includes a plot centered around friendship and romance, extremely relatable teenage girls as main characters, and a run of the mill town setting. I find these characteristics to be unbearably cliché and uncreative, so why is it that I'm already more than halfway through this obviously hastily written novel?
ReplyDeleteAs justcallmekiwi previously stated, The Bermudez Triangle deals not only with the heterosexual romances us teenage girls often love to watch movies about, but also with a homosexual relationship between two of the main characters- something not often delved into ( at least not in the realm of chick flick novels). I've always wanted to be as accepting as possible to homosexuals, but lack of knowledge and real life interactions have truly hindered me from doing so. This book has what I can only assume to be a realistic point of view on same sex relationships, and how people tend to react to them. It also offers a valuable and moderately cheesy theme of acceptance that encourages us to be blind to others sexual preferences, because it isn’t what determines the quality of a person.
Is it a worthy read? The quality of the writing isn’t of a particularly high standard, but the unique perspective on homosexuality provide an enticing and considerably light read that anyone with an open mind should be able to enjoy.
As Jessie stated, the Bermudez Triangle is about friendship and romance, homosexual romance included. What she failed to mention (not criticizing, just pointing out), is the connection between the two. Not only is it about the struggle the young lesbian couple has, but how their friend deals with the sudden change to their long-existing friendship and her own blooming romance as well. She must learn to accept that things are different and adapt.
ReplyDeleteMaureen Johnson displays this with non-descriptive, dull writing. While I read it I feel as if I could be reading a book written by a child that has been glued to the t.v. most of his/her life and has watched literally everything, who was then forced to write a story. Simply as this: her writing style fails.
Contradictory to my previous statement, I still read about 1/3 of the book in a couple of days. Despite how dull Johnson's writing style is, the plot interests me as I have not read many, if any, stories about the struggle of teenage homosexuality. I say kudos to Johnson on that, but pick up a dictionary and learn some new words, look around and describe everything you see, and then try writing something really worth reading.
Keely Corrigan
ReplyDeleteHonors English, A1
[PAGES: 122/370]
The cat’s out of the bag.
Now that all my dramatic “secret-love-affair” dreams for this book are over (as the relationship is no longer a government protected secret) it is time for me to return the reality: this is a terribly written piece of crap.
Johnson manages to ruin a seemingly simple storyline. DID SHE EVEN CARE ABOUT HER WORD CHOICE? If she did care she would know how to correctly use the word flounced. For the Holidays, I hope someone gives her a dictionary. A thesaurus would be helpful as well, but we shouldn’t become greedy. In all fairness, I need to give her credit for not becoming redundant, like some other authors I have read.
The triangular character relationships could be compelling; my original hope when embarking on this 370 page trudge through knee-high mud (or least, that’s what it seems to be.) On some levels I feel sympathetic to Johnson, if she had put more effort into her word choice or sentence structure this book would be good! She shorts herself- and some interesting ideas-by only investing partially into them creating the dangerous and addicting sentence fragments. Not only do her sentences legally qualify as midgets, but she begins at least a quarter of her sentences with or, and, or but.
This book leaves me with an itching frustration. If Johnson had used her complex plot to her advantage and if she had developed her ideas, this could have been a milestone novel that describes the controversial homosexuality from a teenager's perspective. But I get the feeling that Johnson did not hold herself to a high standard while writing the novel. Was she persuaded to be sub-Pulitzer-par because the genre of novel she was writing has low standards? With various exceptions, the young adult novels targeted toward young women are poorly written or mal nourished (in the sense that the novel could have been better if given more attention and literary nutrients).
I can only pray that Johnson can redeem herself in the next few chapters; I am rooting for her. If she can begin to use her plot to create tension (instead of the current disappointing flop) then hopefully The Bermudez Triangle can return to the dramatic page-turner it once was.
Jessica Pollard
ReplyDeleteNovel by Maureen Johnson
Pages: 370/370
Alas, the book is finished. Not to say it was entirely un-enjoyable, it’s just that as I read, I began to notice that The Bermudez Triangle shares some striking similarities with other bigger, better novels than itself. Reminiscing on the novel, it sort of feels like the plot was some sort of cheap brochure template on Microsoft Publisher with a few bits of personal editing and reformatting.
First off, the characters are far too generic, especially the main three girls- Avery, Melanie, and Nina. They fall under such cliché and repetitive stereotypes, it’s practically head ache invoking. Avery is the ‘weird one’, Nina the organized and outspoken, and lastly Melanie, the quiet and beautiful one. Do these sound familiar? If so, it’s likely because these are very tired archetypes of teenage girls, most prominently found in the well received novel, and later movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants – a story of the trials and tribulations of friendship, romance, and the meaning of life. Of the four main characters in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, three seem strikingly represented in The Bermudez Triangle Tibby is also a ‘weird one’, Carmen is quite organized and outspoken and Lena is very quiet and beautiful. The same character types can be found in Lauren Myracles novel TTYL, and even loosely in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Perhaps the most odd of similarities I have found between The Bermudez Triangle and another novel is the sameness in the central most male characters in Alcott’s sequel to Little Women- Good Wives. The most focused on male character in The Bermudez Triangle is likely Parker, a friend of Mel, Avery, and Nina. He is charmingly witty, in the geekiest way possible. He also used to have a crush on Melanie, until he caught wind of her homosexuality- in which case he sparks what seems to be a sudden crush on Nina. I feel as though his crush on Nina is just a hurried attempt to add more drama, especially when Parker acts on it. In both of Alcott’s novels, the most prominent male character is quite possibly Laurie, a witty and charming young chap who has a long time crush on both novels protagonist Jo. When he comes clean with his feelings, Jo (who was actually based on Alcott, who was a supposed lesbian) rejects him. Shortly after this, it seems as though Laurie sort of just leached onto Jo’s littlest sister Amy and marries her instead- which frustrated me so greatly that I had to discontinue reading the book.
Whether all of these similarities are coincidences or not, my point is that if it weren’t for the mildly racy homosexuality in the plot of The Bermudez Triangle, the book would be entirely unoriginal. The central characters have very set in stone stereotypes that don’t really leave a lot of thinking up to the reader, and the typical high school setting is all too familiar and at times, plain out nauseating. As I’m fairly sure everyone in my group has stated, Johnson's writing style is unimaginative and far too direct. The characters reactions to situations are unrealistic, and at times the plot is also a tad far-fetched. Setting all the bashing aside, I suppose do appreciate Johnson for bringing about an interesting situation involving same sex relationships without being hateful.
( italics aren't working! Sorry!)
Sheridan Foy
ReplyDeleteNovel by Maureen Johnson
Pages 370/370
SPOILER ALERT
Okay, so I know how everyone’s been talking about “awful word choice” and “totally cliché characters” and “walking through mud” (that’s you, Keely) and other generic criticisms like that. But I’d like to look at specific scenes that caught my attention. Not in a good way.
So, I was looking through the book earlier today, and I reread this scene. It starts on page 323 and goes on until page 329. (SPOILER ALERT) It’s the scene where Nina has accidentally told Mel’s dad that Mel and Avery are gay, so Mel’s mom comes over to confront Mel and Avery. Most of this scene is Mel’s mom arguing with Mel. Now why, do you ask, is Avery not part of this argument? She should be- she’s the one who helped Mel discover her sexual identity. Well, Avery’s part of the discussion at the beginning. But all she’s saying is “I’m not gay” and “We’re not dating” and phrases like that. So, Avery’s mother is there, too. She’s not listening to Avery at all. But she’s really the only reasonable person in the room. While Mel’s mom is freaking out and acting like being gay is the deadliest sin one could commit, Avery’s mother is trying to explain that their “daughters are discovering their sexuality” (324). Even though Avery keeps trying to explain that she’s not gay, her mother won’t listen. She’s still trying to explain things to Mel’s mom.
Then comes the next part: Mel denies that Avery is gay. For some reason, this seems to convince Avery’s mother (which honestly doesn’t make sense. First you’re not listening to your daughter, and then you listen to the one sentence her friend mumbles? Talk about bad parenting…) but makes Mel’s mother explode. She can’t accept Mel’s sexuality, so she brings out the phrase “You are my little girl” (325). I have a lot of problems with this sentence. First of all, no one was saying “Oh, wait, Mel’s my girl.” Why the emphasis on the “my”? Seriously, this woman is insecure or something. Second, how does Mel being her mother’s girl change her sexuality? So what if Mel is your girl, woman? If she was someone else’s girl, does that make Mel bisexual or something? Or some other sexuality? Oh, and I have a problem with Mel’s response. After her mother brings up an empty point in this argument, Mel responds with, “I’m still a girl” (325). I can understand the silence in the room after Mel says that. I would need some time trying to understand the points they were bringing up. Okay, I see Mel’s a girl. So…what? I think the author was rushing this scene, as someone else suggested.
Ladies,
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have absolutely no desire to read this book based on what you have written, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog entries, occasionally even laughing out loud to myself.
Allegra Wolff
ReplyDeletePages: 193/370
Alright, what's happening (I tried not to read any of the comments above. Especially the ones marked with "SPOILER ALERT"). So at this point Mel has pretty much figured out her own sexuality, but Avery hasn't or hasn't completely accepted it. There's rumors going on around the school thanks to a guy named Devon, who sounds like the steryotypical jerk, about Mel and Avery. They're not untrue, but they definitly affect how Avery responds to Mel in their relationship. Avery is not only concerned with what other people veiw her as, she is afraid that they will judge her. She feels like she doesn't know herself anymore and goes on to reinforce her own sexuality with one of her male friends Gaz. I feel that she is doing this primarily because of her fear of what other people see her as, and not because of any potential love interest. This identifies her well as a character and makes her more real because I think everyone can relate to that feeling of wanting to fit in. But what about Mel? Alright Jognson, we know she's a homosexual, but will you PLEASE give us a little more lead on to her character? I feel like I'm reading on just to find some depth to her role in the book, but by page 193, there really isn't much. Overall, the book has been rather... interesting to read. I like the depth added to Avery's character and the way Maureen Johnson brings her to reality, but because Johnson has three main characters in the story, it's harder for a rounded character growth. I hope to find more depth of Mel's character and I'm sorry for the late post!
-Allegra
Keely Corrigan
ReplyDeleteAs I read this book over winter break, I noticed a passage that raised a question about this book. Why did Johnson choose to name her triumvirate of girls as she did?
To describe Nina’s AP US History teacher Johnson writes, “Dr. Frost was a rogue, with a huge mass of tightly curled, overly frosted hair that rose up high and wide and made her head look like a light bulb,” (124). So, if I have this straight, Dr. Frost has frosted hair? This woman rivals Austen!
In all seriousness, despite Johnson’s obvious fumble when describing a minor character, why did she name her protagonists Nina, Avery, and Melanie? Google and I embarked on this quest with such results as these:
Nina in French, Old English, German, Russian, and Spanish means “girl.” Really? That’s it? Johnson could have named her something that had something to do with the character’s personality, but alas. Johnson chose to name her character as a namesake of the gender.
As I typed Melanie into Google I hoped that Johnson could redeem herself with a better meaning. These hopes were smashed to slivers as the search came up as follows. In Dutch, French, and Old English, Melanie means “dark or black.” What?! Melanie is described as an adorable, pale, red-head whose bubbly personality is a hallmark.
I stopped to think; perhaps Johnson did not embark on a quest with Google as I did. Perhaps she had no idea what she was doing! Yes, I am blaming this on ignorance. It is the only thing we- as readers- have left to blame.
Finally, I typed in the name Avery into the search bar. The name ‘Avery’ was derived from a surname and has no personality meaning. In this case Johnson is saved by the bell, but as I reader I can’t forget her lack of research when it comes to naming her characters. Though, I agree with Allegra that Johnson does bring a sense of conflict to Avery, a conflict that makes Avery seem more real than the others.
Johnson is a writer whose inconsistency is suspicious. Parts of the book seem more thought out and developed, while others seem manuscript like. I was curious about whether or not this was Johnson’s debut novel, so I consulted my friend Google once more. The answer is yes, this is her first book. After learning this, I feel a small inkling of guilt for smearing her work as I did in my previous post (and some of this post as well). Though this novel is (so far) a disappointment, I give Johnson credit; this being her first work of this extent.
To Mrs Huss- Thank you! I am glad our remarks are of entertainment for you.
Sheridan Foy
ReplyDeleteNovel by: Maureen Johnson
Pages: 370/370
SPOILER ALERT
While most of these blogs posts have been criticisms of Johnson’s novel (and I can understand why), let’s change this pattern and talk about the good parts of The Bermudez Triangle. The one I would like to talk about in particular is the character Parker. Many of Johnson’s characters lack character development or do not stay true to their personality, but Parker is different. I admit, the introduction of his character did not fit his personality later in the book. In the beginning, he is introduced as a sarcastic guy who immediately likes Mel. I believe his sarcastic nature is revealed well in his first scene, but the whole thing about him liking Mel doesn’t seem like him. First, “Parker’s attention was really on Mel (27)”. Then, when Parker makes a sarcastic comment about how “pretty” the blue cheese dressing looks and Mel responds, saying she likes blue cheese dressing, Parker flushes. Now, this doesn’t sound like him later in the book. Parker seems like the kind of guy who hides all emotions, except for humor, from others. He wouldn’t be the kind to keep all his attention on a single girl and not hide the fact that he likes her, or flush over the fact the same girl likes blue cheese dressing. Even when Nina broke up with Parker, he was trying his best to hide the fact he was upset. Why wouldn’t he do the same in this situation and try to hide his embarrassment?
Other than this scene, I believe Parker is a great addition to the cast of characters within The Bermudez Triangle. He keeps the book happy and light hearted and helps even out the drama in this novel. He also makes Nina’s story with Steve much more interesting. And when Mel confesses to Parker that she’s gay, he takes over the role as friend to Mel when she needs it, and I think he may have helped her become a stronger person later in the book. Parker is, without a doubt, my favorite character in this whole book, because of his sarcasm and his contributions to different parts of the book. I especially like what happens at the end of the book when he dances in the waiting room. It seems so much like Parker, and it helped make the book end in a light-hearted manner.
Jessica Pollard
ReplyDeleteNovel by: Maureen Johnson
Pages: 370/370
As the time between my finishing of The Bermudez Triangle and now begins to increase, I find it much easier to truly analyze Johnson’s novel for all that its worth (which isn’t too terribly much). With all the details of its somewhat faulty pages slowly fading from my memory, all I am able to really look at is the big picture- the plot and theme of the novel.
Setting all of my increasingly critical comments aside, the concept of The Bermudez Triangle is a good one. Sure, the plot is slightly tired with its cliché setting and all of its chickflickiness (yes, I just made that up), but it’s a sturdy plot at that. The book has a storyline that ensures to lure a certain demographic of readers – teenage girls. And while the situations and circumstances weren’t always realistic, they were exciting. There were always moments throughout the duration of the novel that had me wondering what was to come next. Even though the word choice was bland and the characterizations were dull, I still had mental images of how everything appeared, and I definitely felt strong emotions towards the central characters and all of their actions. I really believe that Johnson had all the good components that make up great reads- she just needed to give her writing the extra push, the last sprinkle of vibrancy, you know?
Book is over.
ReplyDeleteLet's start at the end. Of course, everything is going to end up O.K. The Triangle is reunited and in doing so Parker finds a girl. So maybe they don't work out or even get together, but point being it is definitely insinuated. Cliche`! It's been my desire to read a book where the good guy doesn't triumph, or in this case everything doesn't work out right. It doesn't always happen like that, stop trying to make it seem so!
Now just generally the book.. As I often hear from the kids I hang out with, no bueno, or if I want to say this in French, je n'aime pas The Bermudez Triangle. Basically, I didn't like the book. I ended the book feeling like I could have had a better idea of what was going on through Avery's head about being bi or straight, but I understand it may have been difficult to write about if Maureen Johnson hadn't experienced it firsthand. She had a great idea but couldn't execute it.
I still feel as if Johnson could have been more descriptive in general. Surroundings, ideas, thoughts, anything and everything. I'm left with the impression of just having brushed the surface of their lives in this time. That was what her book was, surface level. Dive deeper, see more fish Ms. Johnson!
Sheridan Foy
ReplyDeleteNovel by Maureen Johnson
Pages 370/370
REVIEW
While this book wasn’t very good, it didn’t fit my expectations, which, in this case, is a good thing. I first believed this book would be…scary, for lack of a better word. Yes, I was scared and intimidated, yet intrigued by this book. After all, it was banned in some places (didn’t I say this already?). Fortunately, it was neither scary nor as intimidating as I had first pictured it. In fact, it was a lot happier than I imagined, even though it was filled with drama.
Regardless of the happiness, it still wasn’t a very good book. The plot was too cliché, the characters kept contradicting their personalities, and the ending was disappointing. After reading the end, I turned the page, looking for the next chapter. It was blank. No more words. I was surprised. That’s it? Nothing else? The story ends like THAT? To say in the least, I was very disappointed. Endings make or break the story, and, in this case, the ending broke the story into even more pieces. It could have had a chance to glue itself back together by adding a good ending and compensating for the other disappointments I received while reading, but no. Instead, I read an ending that’s just as disappointing as the book.
The book wasn’t completely awful, though I am making it sound that way. I think there were some good parts, like Parker, my favorite character. I also liked how the book wasn’t just surrounded around a homosexual relationship. Instead, there were other smaller stories that joined together with this relationship to make it a much more complex plot. There was Nina and Steve, Parker and Nina (obviously the better relationship here, but my favorite couples NEVER end up together in the end!), Mel discovering her sexuality, Avery and her music, etc. I’ve never read a book in which the main focus was about gay relationships and discovering one’s sexuality, so it was a new experience. It’s hard to say “I hate this book” or “I love this book” because I’ve never read another book like this one. There’s nothing else I can compare it to, so all I can say is I dislike the way it was written, the characters (except Parker), and the ending, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
Rating: 5/10
Allegra Wolff
ReplyDeletePages: Finally over!
Topics that annoy me: Depth
The whole book needed more depth. Johnson focused on the relationship between Nina Avery and Mel instead of looking at their relationships as a whole, which took away from the reading experience and annoyed me greatly, like I was trying to describe the taste of celery to someone who had lost feeling to their mouth.
Once again I felt like the character development was lacking. It was as if Johnson was trying to give each girl a stereotype to fit. The book itself, as Kendall identified, lacked description and was forgettable. The connections the girls had at the beginning and end of the book was sort of cheesy, happily-ever-after, and I was really hoping for the certain-to-happen revelation in the middle of the book to change the characters’ lives. In a way, Maureen Johnson focused on what Keely called a “chick flick” plot. If Johnson had described the settings around each character (maybe gone more in-depth about Avery’s home life with her brothers or defined Mel’s life with her father OTHER than when she identifies herself as a homosexual) it would’ve added more to each girl’s identity. This would have made for a better read and a more understandable and witty ending.
This book was written to make a statement about homosexuality and simultaneously dealing with high school. I think the way Johnson uses the “chick flick” voice really adds on to the flow of the story. We’ve all seen chick flicks, so by the end everyone reading should’ve guessed what was coming. Johnson deals with the delicate topic of homosexuality in an understandable and intentionally cliché way (plus adding humor to the plot was a PLUS). I can tell she doesn’t write from personal experience, but she captured a sense of isolation and friendship that only high-schoolers experience. Overall this book was an easy read and ALMOST worth the 370 pages it was printed on!
Thanks so much!
-Allegra Wolff
Jessie Pollard
ReplyDeleteNovel by Maureen Johnson
Pages: 370/370- and prepared to be forgotten about
Review:
Lets be realistic here- this novel is no spellbinding tale of adventure, or heartbreaking romance. The Bermudez Triangle by the somewhat established author Maureen Johnson is simply just a fictional document of high school friendships and romances as the two different types of relationships collide, intertwine, and crash. The only thing that prevents the plot from being entirely cliché is it’s use of homosexuality, which in itself, turned out to be more commonly used in novels than I had anticipated. While Johnson’s vocabulary appears to be limited and dull, she still manages to make her points in the way of imagery and characterization. Her witty and somewhat unrealistic dialogue tended to be the most intriguing component for me as a reader- it seemed to be her strong point in the way of writing throughout this novel. While the characters were often stereotypes, their descriptions matched their actions solidly, and vice versa.
This is novel definitely only reaches out to teenage girls, and its dramatic twists and turns, as well as ever changing relationship statuses make it a perfect guilty pleasure and light read, while its deeper meanings of acceptance, honesty, and loyalty give the little bit of purpose it needs to strike some emotion in its readers. The Bermudez Triangle certainly was not the worst book I have ever read, but it also definitely didn’t make my top twenty- it was okay, but didn’t push any boundaries of innovation (maybe it has for this generation, I do not know) or excellent writing. The sort of book you completely forget about , find underneath your bed a year or two
REVIEW: The Bermudez Triangle
ReplyDeleteNovel by Maureen Johnson
Reviewed by Keely Corrigan
As I write this I ask myself, “What do I mention first? Should I mention the satisfying plot? But then as I begin to diverge into the poor to inconsistent characterizations I will give the reader a feeling of disappointment.”So be it, as this book left me disappointed (from my high expectations) but for some reason, in some way or another I enjoyed this book.
The plot can be described kindly as substantial and unique; while it can also be described as cliché. All of these descriptions are true. Targeted toward the- what seems like- subculture of teenage girls, this plot satisfies as a chick flick. Its themes of lesbianism, peer acceptance, and self acceptance are not something that should be written about as one would describe the typical Jennifer Aniston movie.
I reference movies as this novel reads as a screenplay; NOT an intellectual novel from which one could find the meaning of life. Some twists and turns throughout the book keeps one’s interest, as long as you tolerate underdeveloped writing. While reading this book it is important to press the power button on your brain, and allow the poorly developed events wash over you. It would be much more beneficial to read this book with your critical thinking on vacation, and your emotions on overtime. The inconsistent characterization is just another reason to support that. Her characters were developed enough to be characters, but only one seemed like a real person. This book could have had fantastic characters, but they were (unfortunately) underwritten.
Intellectually, this book is not going to be the cause of any revelations. But it can be surprisingly enjoyable when one allows it to be.
OVERALL RATING: 6/10
FINAL REVIEW
ReplyDeleteWhen I pick up a young adult novel, I wish for it to have a writing style developed for a young adult, not just a topic suitable for one. Maureen Johnson falls flat in that area, and that is the one aspect of her book that causes my dislike for it. I could have read her book in 4th grade and then it would seem fitting. As is, I am in 9th grade and it just seems amateur.
The plot in The Bermudez Triangle is actually quite creative, yet realistic. I had never picked up a book with such an idea. The classic friend falls for friend is usually seen as a boy and a girl, but she steps it up, twice. Not only is it between to friends that are both girls, but it also includes the effects it has on the third friend in their group. It's the main part of the book that engages the reader so much.
Contrary to what others say, I enjoyed the characters and thought them very realistic. There's that different yet cool chick, the overachiever, and the timid and somewhat fragile one. It's interesting to get into the minds of the three different types and how they react to one another.
OVERALL RATING: 4/10 (the writing development, or lack of, really gets to me)