the absolute brightness of leonard pelkey

Phoebe, the narrator, is constantly critiquing everything and everyone around her.except those which require harsh critique.

Leonard was meant to be 'absolute brightness' but seeing him through Phoebe's pessimistic eyes make it easier for the readers to focus on his flaws and how irritating he was in life. Because of Leonard, people's outward appearances may change, but on the inside they remain the same as when they began.

In a novel like this, we expect to grow fond of the characters and hurt when they're hurting. She's often summarizing something that had happened in an awkward, unpleasant-to-read style or asking herself series of rhetorical questions that go on for several paragraphs at a time.įurthermore, the characters are poorly written. Most of the book feels like exposition, which makes reading it strange and uncomfortable. There's a difference between good POC representation and the way Lecesne described his POC characters. Every time Jimbo was mentioned, she had to describe him as African or talk about his hometown, which she assumed was very primitive, even calling the villagers 'natives' and making fun of their lack of technology (although much of Africa is as advanced as the US is). The story of 'the chocolate man' was incredibly irrelevant (the author could have come up with a different inside joke rather than 'lick me, bitch'). There are several brief instances of racism. Absolute Brightness, despite glowing reviews, joined the list of disappointing queer YA novels written by authors who clearly do not know how to write good queer characters and whose novels are riddled with issues. Student tickets are $15, as are any unsold seats 15 minutes prior to showtime.įor tickets or other information, visit trying to find quality LGBTQIA+ books, I have met disappointment after disappointment. Regular tickets are $25, while tickets to tomorrow’s preview performance are $17. Unity Theatre will require masks for its performances on October 30 th and 31 st, but all other shows will be mask-optional. The director of the play, Unity Theatre Executive Artistic Director Kate Revnell-Smith, will chat with the audience before the show on October 30 th. Tomorrow night’s performance is a preview night featuring a talk-back with the cast, director and crew after the performance. The play is about acceptance, the difference one person can make, and that being different is something to be celebrated. Leonard is a force of nature whose impact is only truly felt once he is gone and he becomes an unexpected inspiration to the town’s citizens. Greg Dean is the lone actor in the performance, portraying every character in a small Jersey Shore town as he tells the story of Leonard Pelkey, a flamboyant 14-year-old boy who has gone missing.

The absolute brightness of leonard pelkey