Little Wrecks

Reviewed by: Elizabeth Andersen - Westbrook High School, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 12, 2017

Review

This debut novel set in the 1970s confronts the difficulty of girls trying to find their way out of a confining suburban neighborhood. Miller creates sentences that show deep insight into girlhood and readers will find a connection to the current #MeToo movement. Miller’s sentences are very poetic creating an atmosphere that is dark and brooding, but the plot never becomes substantial enough to hold the reader's attention, bouncing back and forth between events too quickly. This feels atmospheric at first, but eventually makes the plot difficult to follow. Other than the Vietnam War, Miller’s references the time period will not be familiar to younger readers: Easy Rider, Betty Friedan, and Mrs.Robinson. This book should be considered an additional purchase. Turn readers instead to We Are the Goldens Dana Reinhardt and The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis.

Overall Book Score: fair