Yellow Mini

Lori Weber
Fitzhenry & Whiteside (2011)
ISBN 9781554551996
Reviewed by Madeleine Sullivan (age 17) for Reader Views (11/11)

“Yellow Mini” by Lori Weber follows the story of five teenagers: Mark, Stacey, Annabelle, Christopher, and Mary. They are each struggling with issues of identity and voice. When the story starts, Mark’s dad has just died and Mark bought a yellow mini with the money he inherited. Stacey likes driving with popular Mark in his cool car, but sometimes Mark acts just too strange.  Annabelle is betrayed when Stacey joins the cool crowd, and turns her energy to anti-consumer activism. Christopher likes Annabelle, but isn't sure how to get her love while keeping true to himself. Mary is an amazing pianist, but freezes in front of a crowd.

The story is told in short chapters of free form poetry, from thirteen different narrators (the kids, and some parents and teachers).

One of the first things I noticed upon opening the book was the uneven lines of poetry. The lines are sometimes short, sometimes long, and rarely rhyme, but the words of a beautiful rhythm and cadence.

For example, Mark writes:

“Driving out, getting away,
ribbons of highway
beneath my wheels,
is the only way I feel
real these days.” (p66)

Not only are the words put together well, but each of the characters has a distinct voice. Towards the beginning of the book, I had to make a note of which narrator was speaking, but by the middle, I barely had to glance at the name because their voices and stories (while intertwined) were so unique.  I have seen even three narrators done awkwardly, with characters undistinguishable from one another; or heavy-handedly, with characters who were made different to extremes, but Mark, Stacey, Annabelle, Christopher, and Mary were not absurdly different, or hum-drumily similar.

“Yellow Mini” might sound at first like an angsty, emo-poem of teenage struggles, but it’s really much more. It is about finding a voice, a voice that says your own thoughts in your own way. It is about communicating new ideas with old people, old ideas with new people, and learning how to stay silent.

“Yellow Mini” is about growing into who you are, something we all do, more and more every day.

Make comment on weblog

FTC Disclosure