Sunday, February 25, 2007

Oates, Joyce Carol. After the wreck, I picked myself up, spread my wings, and flew away

Oates, Joyce Carol. After the wreck, I picked myself up, spread my wings, and flew away. HarperCollins, 2005 [978-0-06-073525-8/0-06-073525-2]
Jenna and her mother in a terrible accident on the Tappan Zee Bridge. Her mother dies but Jenna survives with many injuries. Just before the accident her parents divorced so did does not want to go with her father in California and ends up with her Aunt and Uncle. Jenna likes the feeling of being "in the blue" but when she is finally taken off the pain medicine she doesn't know what to do. She is a loner in her new school until she meets Crow on his motorcycle who ends up leading her to Trina, a rich girl who is into partying. Jenna no drops into a long spiral of drug use and partying with Trina. Her Aunt and Uncle don't see (or ignore) the signs. On Christmas Eve she overdoses. Now Jenna sees a psychiatrist. Nothing or no one helps her and finally she ends up at a party with Trina with boys in their 20's. Trina is beaten up and raped and Jenna just barely makes it next store to call the police. At the end of the story she meets up with Crow again who helps her face what she he been dreaming and wondering about the accident. This 292 page book is a harsh book about someone spiraling into self-destructive drug abuse and finally meeting someone who helps her see her demons and help her face them.

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