At Risk |
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Author:
Alice Hoffman
By Pan Books
Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
EAN: 9780330308403
ISBN: 0330308408
Label: Pan Books
Manufacturer: Pan Books
Number Of Pages: 224
Publication Date: 1989-09-22
Publisher: Pan Books
Studio: Pan Books |
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Very dull, 2008-06-21
I will not deny that there are few things more terrible than a child stricken with a deadly illness. Therefore, the book could have -should have- been harrowing; heartwrenching. But it wasn't. Despite the source material, the book is very, very mediocre. Firstly, At Risk is horribly written. There are adverbs and adjectives to burn. It's trying too hard to be emotive - obviously, a young girl contracting AIDS isn't enough to stir emotion and dreadful metaphors such as "they are bleeding from their souls" are necessary. Hoffman should've let the story speak for itself. And maybe this is just me and my intense dislike for the present tense, but I think that the narration would've been a lot less clumsy if the book were written in the past.
Secondly, the characterisation is off. Charlie, an eight-year old, seems a good five years old. Additionally, there is a serious lack of character development, so I didn't really sympathise or empathise with any of the characters. They were completely one-dimensional, and there was little character growth outside of Amanda, the dying girl.
Sadly, the story of a dying girl and the hysteria her illness creates cannot overcome the clumsy over-writing and poor character development. In the hands of a more competent author, the story could have stirred genuine emotion, rather than an "Oh, that's a shame."
Fantastic Book, 2002-09-02
This book should be read by anyone who is at all concerned about issues to do with AIDS, but also as a story that could very well be true. I read this on a train and when i go to the end i had to stop reading because i was nearly crying. It is incredibly moving and very realistic. It really makes you think about how you would react, not just to a member of your family getting the disease, but also a neighbour or friend. A really wonderful book.
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