Too Much of a Statement

Since I am a librarian, I hear about books all over the place. I took classes, spoken with other avid readers, and then I read a lot of reviews and blogs. I'm not sure where I had heard good things about Jacqueline Woodson's, if you come softly, but I have. It was one of those books that we hear about, and it stays on our mental "To Read" list. One day as I was perusing the library shelves, I came upon it. Since it had been on my mental list, I picked it up. I often pick way too many books at the library so I am glad they don't limit the number of check-outs for me.

Now, don't assume from this title that I didn't like the book. I actually did like the book, I just thought the statements she was making was a bit much. This book was written in 1998, so it's a few years old, but it just laid on the social issues a bit much for one book for a reader like me. There was a boy whose parents were divorced and almost appears to be picking sides, a girl whose relationship with her mother is struggling because she's been abandoned twice before by her, a boy and girl that begin an interracial relationship, and a sister who is a lesbian and lives in San Francisco. I don't think any of those situations are bad to write about; I mean there are plenty of books out there with those situations in them. However, to have all of them in the same book just seemed a bit much to me. You can disagree, this is just how I felt. I wish the author would've focused a bit more on one or two of those situations.

I actually think the book would've been just as good, if not better, had the author just focused the boy's family situation, the girl's family situation, and then their relationship. I felt that included the sister being a lesbian didn't really add anything to the book; it just made it seem like the author was attempting to be politically correct. It's like Woodson wanted to include all of these issues at once without giving as much detail to a few of the issues as I would've liked.

All in all, it was a good read. I enjoyed it, and I didn't struggle through it. However, it wasn't down right amazing. You can keep it on your mental list if you'd like, but there are so many other books on that mental list I'm sure you don't have room for it.