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robbynjreeve's review
3.0
POETRY
Laura Li is perfect. She's beautiful, she's kind, she's smart. She does everything expected of her...during the day. Night-time however, is a different story. Desperate to let go a little, she sneaks out to clubs with her friends. Laura Li gets a job at the school's library, where two boys fall for her. Written in poetic form and ending in tragedy, Glenn's book shows the consequences when one girl tries to balance the appearance of perfection on the outside, while inwardly longing to let loose and relax. With Laura Li, it seems there's more than meets the eye.
Laura Li is perfect. She's beautiful, she's kind, she's smart. She does everything expected of her...during the day. Night-time however, is a different story. Desperate to let go a little, she sneaks out to clubs with her friends. Laura Li gets a job at the school's library, where two boys fall for her. Written in poetic form and ending in tragedy, Glenn's book shows the consequences when one girl tries to balance the appearance of perfection on the outside, while inwardly longing to let loose and relax. With Laura Li, it seems there's more than meets the eye.
crystal_reading's review
3.0
Through a variety of voices, Split Image shows what can happen when a teenage girl that seems to be popular and have it “together” never finds her own voice. We see that people are not always what they seem.
kellyjcm's review
Mel Glenn uses the verse novel to great effect, developing Laura Li's character so vividly. The story really captures how the public face a person shows does not tell the whole story of an individual's life.
Outwardly, Laura Li is the ideal student, the perfect daughter, a popular, kind girl. Inwardly, she feels thwarted by her mother, stifled by her family obligations, and lonely. She dreams of college, but knows it is not a path open to her. She loves to dance, but must sneak out for any opportunities.
Besides Laura Li, secondary characters are well developed, and I was very interested in the way each perceived Laura's words and actions to fit their own views.
This has been circulating really well ever since I moved it into the fiction section. Word of mouth has it out almost constantly. Teens are really drawn to the exploration of identity, the characters' relationships, and the writing.
Outwardly, Laura Li is the ideal student, the perfect daughter, a popular, kind girl. Inwardly, she feels thwarted by her mother, stifled by her family obligations, and lonely. She dreams of college, but knows it is not a path open to her. She loves to dance, but must sneak out for any opportunities.
Besides Laura Li, secondary characters are well developed, and I was very interested in the way each perceived Laura's words and actions to fit their own views.
This has been circulating really well ever since I moved it into the fiction section. Word of mouth has it out almost constantly. Teens are really drawn to the exploration of identity, the characters' relationships, and the writing.
katherineg's review
3.0
In Split Image, Mel Glenn reveals the story of a Chinese American teen who inwardly struggles with her own sense of identity and her responsibilities to her family through a series of poems. Everyone in Laura Li’s high school has a strong opinion of her. Girls describe her as the “most popular” girl in school, while the boys tend to think of her as the “hottest.” Some people like her, some don’t, but none seem to know the real Laura. The real Laura feels an enormous burden at being asked to care for her disabled brother and to give up her dreams of a college degree and a free life of her own. When Laura tries to establish her independence, her mother beats her. By the end of the novel, feeling that no one understands her, Laura decides to take her own life. School Library Journal notes that the novel is “a powerful look at perceptions and what lies behind them” (Amazon.com 2004).
The story is related through a series of individual poems, each told from the perspective of a different student or teacher at Tower High School or one of the members of Laura’s family. The cast of characters is diverse and is from a variety of backgrounds. The inclusion of characters of multiple ethnicities, ages, and cultural backgrounds is one of the most interesting aspects of the novel. Furthermore, the style of the poetry used varies with each character. For example, Alejandro Felix, who has a crush on Laura Li, writes romantic love poems, while Charles Li, Laura’s distant father, writes poems that are short and businesslike. Some variation can also be seen between the various poems written in the voice of a single character. Those characters that have many poems written under their names, such as Laura Li, often adapt the style of their thoughts to fit the topic they are discussing. Other poems serve to relate dialogue between characters, using alternate lines to create the sense of a back-and-forth banter.
Aside from the basic plot, Glenn also provides a multitude of insights into what life is like for high school students. Laura encounters many characters in her job as a student aide in the school library who are searching for information about colleges and are seeking to plan their futures. Older teens will appreciate the insight and wit with which these issues are discussed, as the notion of leaving home and beginning “real life” can be alternately frightening and exciting for young people. In addition, humorous poems about library use will delight young people and educators alike.
Glenn uses a variety of poetic techniques and styles to provide individual “voices” for his characters. Some poems are presented in symbolic shapes, some feature rhyme schemes while others are written in free verse, and the use of metaphors, alliteration, and other stylistic devices adds depth and vigor to the pages. The following poem is written in the voice of Laura’s father, Charles Li:
“I have business interests around the world.
I am known in Kuala Lumpur.
I am honored in Hong Kong.
I am praised in Paris.
I am lauded in London…” (8).
In the above example, Glenn uses alliteration to create an affinity between the verbs and places noted in the individual lines. He also gives each line an identical beginning and structure, leaving the reader with the feeling that Charles Li is a very methodical, no-nonsense kind of man.
Another set of poems, written in the voices of sisters Yana and Lana Novakova, mirror each other in structure, but reveal very different attitudes. This construct is an interesting and effective mode of comparison and contrast, which is particularly interesting considering that the characters are twins.
Lana Novakova
“I hate Laura Li
Because she is
The most popular girl in school.
She is a
Stone-hearted,
Loudmouthed,
Close-minded,
Conceited deceiver
Who thinks only of herself.
She stabs you in the back
While looking you in the face” (69).
Yana Novakova
“I love Laura Li
Because she is
The most popular girl in school
She is a
Warmhearted,
Soft-spoken,
Open-minded,
Humble achiever.
Who thinks only of other people.
She touches you in the heart
While looking you in the face” (70).
The novel’s only real downside is that the large number of characters makes it difficult for the reader to get to know any of them in real depth. As a result, when Laura commits suicide, many readers may feel jolted and surprised. Unfortunately, something feels wrong with the pacing of events that leads up to the suicide, and it happens rather abruptly and choppily. Nevertheless, teens will enjoy this novel and may also want to seek out other prose poetry books.
The story is related through a series of individual poems, each told from the perspective of a different student or teacher at Tower High School or one of the members of Laura’s family. The cast of characters is diverse and is from a variety of backgrounds. The inclusion of characters of multiple ethnicities, ages, and cultural backgrounds is one of the most interesting aspects of the novel. Furthermore, the style of the poetry used varies with each character. For example, Alejandro Felix, who has a crush on Laura Li, writes romantic love poems, while Charles Li, Laura’s distant father, writes poems that are short and businesslike. Some variation can also be seen between the various poems written in the voice of a single character. Those characters that have many poems written under their names, such as Laura Li, often adapt the style of their thoughts to fit the topic they are discussing. Other poems serve to relate dialogue between characters, using alternate lines to create the sense of a back-and-forth banter.
Aside from the basic plot, Glenn also provides a multitude of insights into what life is like for high school students. Laura encounters many characters in her job as a student aide in the school library who are searching for information about colleges and are seeking to plan their futures. Older teens will appreciate the insight and wit with which these issues are discussed, as the notion of leaving home and beginning “real life” can be alternately frightening and exciting for young people. In addition, humorous poems about library use will delight young people and educators alike.
Glenn uses a variety of poetic techniques and styles to provide individual “voices” for his characters. Some poems are presented in symbolic shapes, some feature rhyme schemes while others are written in free verse, and the use of metaphors, alliteration, and other stylistic devices adds depth and vigor to the pages. The following poem is written in the voice of Laura’s father, Charles Li:
“I have business interests around the world.
I am known in Kuala Lumpur.
I am honored in Hong Kong.
I am praised in Paris.
I am lauded in London…” (8).
In the above example, Glenn uses alliteration to create an affinity between the verbs and places noted in the individual lines. He also gives each line an identical beginning and structure, leaving the reader with the feeling that Charles Li is a very methodical, no-nonsense kind of man.
Another set of poems, written in the voices of sisters Yana and Lana Novakova, mirror each other in structure, but reveal very different attitudes. This construct is an interesting and effective mode of comparison and contrast, which is particularly interesting considering that the characters are twins.
Lana Novakova
“I hate Laura Li
Because she is
The most popular girl in school.
She is a
Stone-hearted,
Loudmouthed,
Close-minded,
Conceited deceiver
Who thinks only of herself.
She stabs you in the back
While looking you in the face” (69).
Yana Novakova
“I love Laura Li
Because she is
The most popular girl in school
She is a
Warmhearted,
Soft-spoken,
Open-minded,
Humble achiever.
Who thinks only of other people.
She touches you in the heart
While looking you in the face” (70).
The novel’s only real downside is that the large number of characters makes it difficult for the reader to get to know any of them in real depth. As a result, when Laura commits suicide, many readers may feel jolted and surprised. Unfortunately, something feels wrong with the pacing of events that leads up to the suicide, and it happens rather abruptly and choppily. Nevertheless, teens will enjoy this novel and may also want to seek out other prose poetry books.
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