Reviews

Walking Naked by Alyssa Brugman

alyssalee2022's review

challenging fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.5

This book was SO bad. 

I wanna preface his with I like YA and even middle grade books. I can appreciate books that weren't written for my age group, or have a more simplified message for younger readers. This book covers a hard topic, an important topic for a younger audience. However, it was done well beyond poorly. The characters are shallow and bitchy from beginning to end, and

Megan makes Perdita's suicide about herself, which I feel is completely the opposite of the message!

. If your book is meant to be about character development, then develop the characters!

I'm also surprised that the author has a degree from a pretty good university and can include such lovely poetry in her book when the writing is just so, <I>so</I> bad. It's awful. My seven year old stepson strings together better sentences than that. I've read some middle grade and YA with stunning prose, even with simplified language for a younger audience. This book, it's writing, and its message are worse than shallow and simplified. Truly atrocious. 

If this book wasn't only 200 pages and took me all of 2 hours to read, I would have DNFed. To be honest, I really should have. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide

tenasha_x's review against another edition

2.0

I read this book for school. It was quite an eye opener, and really made you think about the reality and cliques that are formed within schools. Major plot twist at the end - definitely did not expect that to happen!

aishah99123's review against another edition

4.0

it was good but the end was a bit too rushed, the suicide was blunt which was great but i wanted to know more about how purditas parents dealt with it from a teenagers perspective

samtheowl96's review against another edition

5.0

SUPER good, and it hits you hard with the Hammer of Realism. This book is not for the faint of heart as it does bring up rape, but I did read it my freshman year of high school. I am of the opinion ALL young adults should read this book. It. Is. So. Good.

bookwizard's review against another edition

5.0

This is one of the best young adult books I have ever read. If you are interested in identity and friendship and how the two link, then this book might be for you. It's really heartfelt, brimming with lyrics and poetry and exploring deep themes. Essentially, it's all about being yourself - 'walking naked' without any facades.

mortelle's review

3.0

This book was interesting and though it seemed to portray a very dramatic interpretation of how "cliques" in high school work it had some truth behind it and that is what drew me in and forced me to keep reading. The memories of those outsiders at school who we all looked down on. I was disappointed by the ending as it seemed rather confusing. Without any redeeming values learned by Margaret I felt that the book was just an outline of events without feelings. this also made me dislike Margaret even more and it's not very often that you strongly dislike the protagonist of a novel from the very start. I would not recommend this book as a good read, but it was interesting and i enjoyed the inclusion of a variety of poetry.

debnanceatreaderbuzz's review

4.0

Megan Tuw is popular. She has always been popular. Her friends are all popular. Megan and her friends keep others in their place.

Perdita is not popular. She is the Freak. She is loathed in the school. Megan and her friends hate Perdita.

And then Megan and Perdita spend time together in detention. Megan comes to know Perdita. Respect her intelligence. Acknowledge her brilliance at poetry. Megan becomes friends with Perdita.

Megan's friends must not know.

A powerful story of the pain of high school life.

One of the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read.