Review: Take My Word For It By John Marsden

Superficial note: I can't imagine this cover ever looked attractive, even in the 90s.

I was so excited to discover the existence of this book after reading So Much To Tell You. I was pretty blown away by that one, so I was thrilled to know there was a companion novel which, according to Wikipedia, would fill in the gaps and detail the aftermath of the first book.

Told from Lisa’s point of view, we get a little insight into how she and the other girls view Marina, the troubled protagonist of So Much To Tell You, but overall the focus is on Lisa’s own life. Which makes sense, seeing as how this is her “journal” and all. Considering the journals were a class project it was understandable that it would be used as a narrative device once again here. But while it worked incredibly effectively for Marina, I found Lisa’s journal quite ordinary. Perhaps it’s unfair to compare them, but being companion novels, it’s kind of impossible not to. The characters and events are largely the same, it’s only the perspective that changes.

I just didn’t connect with Lisa emotionally and wasn’t as invested in her story. The central “mystery” wasn’t as compelling as it was in the first novel, and it was all a bit predictable. Plus I didn’t get anywhere near as much insight into the events left out of Marina’s journal as I was hoping to. And while I’ve noted that So Much To Tell You is the type of YA novel that would appeal to readers of any age, I really don’t think Take My Word For It has the kind of cross-over factor that would make it of interest to anyone who isn’t a teen – and probably a young one at that. There is some beautiful writing, but overall it’s quite a bland book.

Rating: 3/5

Fine Print
Published: 1992, Macmillan
Get It:  Bookworld

Review: So Much To Tell You By John Marsden

So Much To Tell You by John Marsden is an Australian classic and I can’t believe I’ve not read it before now. It’s one of those books that I always thought I had read, but when I sat down with it last week, it wasn’t familiar at all. Which made me feel like a very Bad Australian.

Anyway, I’ve read it now and I can see why it’s such a classic. It’s raw and emotional and so authentic, which is particularly impressive when you consider this female-dominated story, told in diary style from the perspective of a Year Nine girl, was actually written by a 30-odd year old man. It’s amazing how right the voice is.

Despite being written more than two decades ago, the story is still very much relevant to today. Change out the references to tape decks and snail mail for iTunes and Facebook and you would think it was written today. I believe it’s because emotions and relationships and the messiness of life never really change, no matter what trappings society is obsessed with at the time. And it’s these things that Marsden captures so brilliantly in So Much To Tell You.

The protagonist is a young girl starting a new boarding school and being forced to keep a diary for English class. Her family has sent her there in an attempt to get her to talk again, as she hasn’t spoken since a traumatic event that left her scarred on the inside as well as the outside. While she initially remains closed off and refuses to talk to anyone, she slowly begins to open up in her journal. You learn, bit by bit, exactly what has happened to her through her diary entries. You also see her slowly becoming more confident, as others show her kindness and she begins to connect, however silently, with the people in her life.

But nothing is straightforward or perfect in this book, because life isn’t that way. The protagonist takes one step forward and two steps back. She’s conflicted about not only the new people she meets, but the old ones from her “former” life. Her family in particular arouses contradictory emotions, and her struggle is laid bare in her diary. Her relationship with her father is particularly harrowing.

But it is perhaps her relationship with herself which is most poignant of all. Her scarred face represents her confused sense of identity; something that is further reinforced by the fact that her name is never revealed until the very end. When you do see it, it’s a powerful moment, and you realise how far she has come to get where she is. Then the last line of the book completely hits it home – but I won’t spoil it for you. You'll have to read this masterful little book for yourself.

Rating: 4/5

Fine Print
Published: 2012, Hachette (25th anniversary edition). Originally published 1987.
Get It: The Nile