Pink

Wilkinson, Lili. Pink. Harper Teen. 2011. 310 pages, $16.99. ISBN 9780061926532 

Plot Summary:

At her old school, Ava was the emo lesbian girl, but Ava is not sure she really is that girl.  That is the real reason Ava changes schools and enrolls in Billy Hughes, even though she told her girlfriend, Chloe she was changing school because she wanted to be more challenged academically.  It is not that Ava does not love Chloe, she is smart and sophisticated, but Ava also thinks she might like boys and wearing skirts and the color pink.  Ava is immediately embraced by popular girls Alexis, Vivian, and Ella-Grace, but she also finds friends in the unpopular Screws, who Ava does stage crew with.  Ava feels compelled to please everyone, trying to be a different person for Chloe, her popular friends and her Screw friends.  Ave will learn that by pretending to be what she is not for other people will only hurt them and herself.

Critical Review:

At first I was not sure I liked Ava very much, she was so willing to bend to those around her to be accepted, but I realized she was not really mean or hurtful at heart.  Like every teenager Ava is on a journey of discovering her identity and who she really is.  It is obvious Ava feels under a lot of pressure to be someone she is not by Chloe, her parents, and friends at school.  This is an issue that many teens will relate to; everyone wants to fit in, but is it worth it if fitting in means not being true to yourself?

Genre:

GLBTQ

Realistic Contemporary

Romance

Interest Level:

Grades 9 and up

Similar Books:

Boy Meets Boy David Levithan

Subjects/Themes:

Gay teenagers

Friendships

Relationships

Awards/Honors:

Stonewall Book Award 2012 Honor Book

Author’s Website:

http://liliwilkinson.com.au/

Annotation:

Ava uses the opportunity of starting at a new school to explore her identity and sexuality in Pink.

Book Talking Ideas:

Ava loves her parents and her girlfriend Chloe, but sometimes she does not want to be the feminist, emo lesbian that they see her as.  Sometimes Ava wants to wear skirts, make up and that most feminine of colors pink.  Ava’s desire to experiment with being feminine coincides with her desire to experiment with boys, so Ava uses the opportunity of starting a new school to discover herself.

Why I chose to include this book:

I chose to include this book because the protagonist is struggling with her sexuality, something that can be very confusing to teenagers. 

Potential Challenges:

Some readers might be offended by homosexual themes in the book; however this is a book about exploring ones sexual identity, which is something that many teens can relate too.