The Sharp Time By: Mary O'Connell

Title: The Sharp Time
Author: Mary O’Connell
Pages: 228
Level: Young Adult
Published: November 8, 2011


Sandinista Jones is a high school senior with a punk rock name and a broken heart. The death of her single mother has left Sandinista alone in the world, subject to the random vulnerability of everyday life. When the school system lets her down, her grief and instability intensify, and she ponders a violent act of revenge. Still, in the midst of her crisis, she gets a job at The Pale Circus, a funky vintage clothing shop, and finds friendship and camaraderie with her coworker, a boy struggling with his own secrets. Even as Sandinista sees the failures of those with power and authority, she's offered the chance to survive through the redemptive power of friendship. Now she must choose between faith and forgiveness or violence and vengeance. From the Hardcover edition.

Review:

Zhanna wrote a raving review about this book, so when I saw it at the library, I had to pick it up. Often times, when she loves a book, I’ll hate it or vice versa. Well, that was the same for this book.

From the first page, I didn’t like the writing style. There wasn’t anything visibly wrong with it, it just didn’t mesh well with me, I found it overly complicated.

I thought that what Sandinista was making a big deal over was nothing. It was something that she should have gotten over more quickly than she did and I found her obsession quite frankly, creepy.

Most of the time when I’m reading realistic fiction there has to be some underlying message to the storyline. I guess it’s a personal preference. With this book,  I didn’t really understand the message. I’m sure other people did understand it though, otherwise there wouldn’t be good reviews. It just wasn’t my type of book. Maybe you’ll have better luck.

If you want to check out Zhanna's review of this book click here.

Cover: 5/5

Character Rating: 4/5

Style: 1/5

Plot Development: 2/5

Overall: **