Title: Weightless
Author: Sarah Bannan
Release Date: June 30, 2015
When 15-year-old Carolyn moves from New Jersey to Alabama with her mother, she rattles the status quo of the junior class at Adams High School. A good student and natural athlete, she’s immediately welcomed by the school’s cliques. She’s even nominated to the homecoming court and begins dating a senior, Shane, whose on again/off again girlfriend Brooke becomes Carolyn’s bitter romantic rival. When a video of Carolyn and Shane making out is sent to everyone, Carolyn goes from golden girl to slut, as Brooke and her best friend Gemma try to restore their popularity. Gossip and bullying hound Carolyn, who becomes increasingly private and isolated. When Shane and Brooke—now back together—confront Carolyn in the student parking lot, injuring her, it’s the last attack she can take.
Sarah Bannan's deft use of the first person plural gives Weightless an emotional intensity and remarkable power that will send you flying through the pages and leave you reeling.
This one was like an 80's movie with current social media technology. So...right up my alley.
How Ms. Bannan wrote the reader INTO the story was brilliant and perfect. "We" were part of the story. Part of a clique. It was the first book I have ever read with the first person plural, and it was so well done. To read about high school life from a third party's perspective was incredibly creative. Bullying is horrible, teenaged girls can be horrible, and being the new girl in a small town can be downright torture. Or at least the current students hope so…
I loved every page of this journey with them to see how they developed, even when they made me angry, teens and adults alike. I felt so much hatred for so many characters. And I was okay with that. It made me feel. They were real for me and, even though horribly mean, I couldn't stop flipping the pages.
From fake Christianity "living" to totally clueless parents, this book hits the snotty little nail on the head with teen drama in 2015. A powerful must read.
~ Review by Krissy
Sarah Bannan grew up in New York, Texas, Florida and Alabama. She is the Head of Literature for the Irish Arts Council and lives in Dublin, Ireland, with her husband and daughter. Weightless is her first novel.
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