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YA Review: A Straight Line To My Heart by Bill Condon

8/28/2012

18 Comments

 
Straight Line To My Heart Bill Condon cover
A Straight Line to My Heart
Author: Bill Condon
Publication Date: 8/1/11
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
[Goodreads | Amazon]


Blurb: 
A funny, poignant, realistic story of Tiffany's first love and first job, and the inevitability of change in the first summer out of school.

School is over, not just for the year, but forever. Tiff and Kayla are free, which is what they've always wanted, but now summer is nearly at an end and that means life decisions. Tiff is hoping her job at the local paper will lead to something more, but "The Shark" soon puts her straight on what it takes to become a hard-nosed reporter like him. At home, Reggie—the only grandad she's ever known—has quit smoking and diagnosed himself as a cactus, and then Kayla hits her with some big news. And into all this stumbles Davey, who plays rugby but quotes Truman Capote, and is the first boy who has ever really wanted to know her. Tiff is smart with words and rarely does tears, but in one short week she discovers that words don't always get you there; they don't let you say all the stuff from deep in your heart. 

Review:
I want to write a review of this book, truly I do, but all I keep doing is singing "Groovy Kind of Love" by Phil Collins and thinking about Aussie contemporary YA lit. "When I'm feeling blue, all I have to do, is take a look aaaaat you, then I'm not sooo blue." That's where I stop singing, lest this turn into some sort of awkwardly sexual booklove situation.  It is true that Aussie YA books and I have a groovy kind of love, though. Raw Blue, Piper's Son, A Little Wanting Song, Six Impossible Things, Holier Than Thou; these books all just knocked it out of the park for me, and my favorite thing about them is that they aren't really about anything but living. While slice-of-life stories are common for every age group, young adult books can very quickly become angst-ridden "no one can understand me, my pain is so singular" types of stories, which really alienates me as a reader. Somehow many Australian authors seem to be successful at conveying the depressing bits of life, all the while with the undertones of the familial and friendship connections as an anchor that keep the narrative from getting to negative. 

Six Impossible Things Fiona Wood cover
A Little Wanting Son Cath Crowley cover
The Piper's Son Melina Marchetta cover
Raw Blue Kirsty Eagar cover
Holier Than Thou Laura Buzo cover
In A Straight Line to My Heart, Tiff(any) is trying to enjoy her summer after finishing high school. She has an internship lined up at her local newspaper and a new crush on a footballer from a nearby town, but the story doesn't dwell on one plotline throughout. Instead, it basically just follows Tiff through about a week of her summer. The cast of characters is fairly controlled and there are not a lot of random mentions, which allowed me to really get the feel of several of the central players--Tiff, her family (who are actually more a surrogate brother/uncle, Bull, and grandfather, Reggie), Bull's girlfriend Zoe, her supervisor at the newspaper, and Tiff's new love interest, Davey. In addition, the setting is contained to only around three or four locations. While I do appreciate lots of action and plot twists in most genres, contemporary fiction is the place where I'll give up basically everything for the characters and a connection. I loved Tiff's voice from the initial library scene opening where she is annoyed to be rudely interrupted while she is lost on the moors with Heathcliff, and I couldn't help but laugh at the note that Davey gave her later in the book:

I like you but you mightn't feel the same way about me, and I wouldn't blame you. To save us both from any awkward moments I've figured out an easy way to do this. Nod if you're even slightly interested in getting to know me. Write a ten page explanation if you're not. 

"Write a ten page explanation if you're not?" That is so classic, and I really hope I remember to use it on someone in the future. Because I loved Tiff so much, it was lovely to see everyone else through her eyes. She thought about people's motivations for their actions--what did Bull's girlfriend want to hang out with her for? Why was Reggie trying to avoid going to the doctor? I wish I could contemplate and remind myself that there are usually reasons for everyone's bad attitudes or, alternatively, for their acts of kindness. Quite surprisingly, this book did not make me cry, but I believe that Tiff is so lucky to have the family relationship she has (and likewise, her family is lucky to have her), and I think she makes a few more valuable connections with people during her summer. Tiff would be a very hard person to dislike, but I could totally see her just fading into the background. I'm so happy that Condon picked her out of the crowd and decided to tell her story.

The list of people who might love this book is pretty long. I'd recommend it for fans of the books I mentioned earlier, though I think the style most resembled a mixture of Cath Crowley and Fiona Wood. Bill Condon did a fabulous job of making me totally forget that he was a male writer with a female narrator, so I'd add anyone who is looking for a successful example of writing a main character, in first person, of the opposite sex. Also, this book is for anyone who is a fan of slice-of-life stories full of heart and a bit of humor. 

Thanks to Arlene from WinterHaven Books for lending me her copy. You're a star.


4.5/5 stars 
Readventurer F Signature
18 Comments
Keertana link
8/28/2012 05:13:07 am

Wonderful review, Flannery! I've been wanting to read this book for awhile, but I just can't find it anywhere! :/ I love Australian books though, so I think I'll have to order this online with Holier Than Thou and Six Impossible Things - both of which I still haven't read. I think I'll really be able to connect with this one too though, so I hope I can find a copy soon! Thanks for sharing such a beautiful review with us! :)

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
8/28/2012 09:18:26 am

Keertana, I was very surprised to see that this book is on Amazon US! The link at the top of the review will take you there. Pretty exciting:) I think I'm going to snatch one up.

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Maggie, Young Adult Anonymous link
8/28/2012 05:10:04 pm

YES! I loved this book. And all the other ones you mentioned. I swear, it's not a Single White Female situation... unless I can do some James Bond Die Another Day fuckery and turn white.

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
8/29/2012 01:57:59 am

Turn white? I think I need to watch that movie again because I don't remember a part like that at all...

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Maja
8/28/2012 05:11:05 pm

Yes, it's on The Book Depository too. I've thought about ordering it before, but now I'll just go ahead and do it. It sounds wonderful. I have this huge love for Cath Crowley and Aussie YA in general (although, oddly enough, Marchetta's contemporary and I never really clicked), so it's not surprising that I want this as badly as I do. I haven't read Six Impossible Things either, but that one is a little harder to get. I hate ordering from Fishpond, it takes them forever to ship.
I'm so glad you reviewed this, Flann, for several reasons.

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
8/29/2012 01:59:27 am

There are some sad bits in it, just so you know:) Is it on TBD, too? This is such a weird case because I only saw Allen & Unwin on the publisher list but it is available on Amazon. How? I wish all their titles were!

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VeganYANerds link
8/28/2012 08:33:55 pm

Lovely review, Flann! I am so glad you enjoyed this, it's one of those books that I really enjoyed and I would totally sing 'Groovy Kind of Love' to it!

Tiff is such a sweet character, you make such a good point about her being the sort to not stand out but in this book she gets her story heard

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
8/29/2012 02:00:15 am

Sometimes I try, but I just can't help being a Phil Collins fan.

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Jasprit link
8/29/2012 01:21:05 am

Fantastic review Flann, these amazing Aussie books seem to be popping up everywhere! I just can't seem to get enough, I have a huge list that I would love to read, this book included, I think I should definitely make a trip to Australia just for the books! :)

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
8/29/2012 02:02:06 am

There is a high probability that I would drop dead from excitement if I ever got to Australia. However, I think I could probably contain myself if I spent about $300 from an Aussie store and ordered ALL THE BOOKS that I'm dying for. That might be the most exciting mail of all time.

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April Books & Wine link
8/29/2012 05:25:29 am

Oh goodness, you've sold me. I'm about to log onto Fish Pond World and order this noise. It sounds so great and wonderful. I love when books do characters well.

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
8/31/2012 08:35:27 am

I cannot (Cannot!!) believe it is only $8.88 with free shipping on Fishpond. That is freaking amazing. I hope you like it!

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Arlene link
8/30/2012 08:06:41 am

Great review Flann! Okay and might I add, I now have that song in my head! LOLOL Thanks for the shout and THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH for Beautiful by Amy Reed! I have wanted that book for a LONG time!! It just came today. You are full of awesome! ((HUGS))

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
8/31/2012 08:36:53 am

You're so welcome and I'm sorry that I kept it for such a long time. I hope you like Beautiful! (and that it doesn't sit on your shelf forever like it did on mine:))

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Rachel link
8/30/2012 11:24:32 am

I am so behind on my Aussie challenge this year! I have this book and all the books you've listed above except for Raw Blue, I just need the time to read them. I love everything Aussie that I've read and this review just makes me want to throw my whole reading schedule out the window and read this. I wish I didn't require sleep.... :)

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
8/31/2012 08:39:37 am

You have no idea how jealous I am of you that you still have so many wonderful Aussie books to read, Rachel. They have made me so happy for the past two years. Every one is better than I could imagine...at least in terms of the way they affect me as a reader.

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Rebecca link
8/30/2012 01:57:34 pm

I LOVE A Straight Line To My heart and I'm so very glad to hear you enjoyed it, too! And after browsing other comments, it make's me so happy to see that this review has convinced others to run off and buy a copy :) Lovely review, Flannery!

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
8/31/2012 08:40:57 am

Thanks, Rebecca. I loved this as well and it also makes me happy that people are even *thinking* of buying it:) I borrowed a copy from a friend but I'm definitely going to pick it up.

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