Pink

Ava changes schools because she feels like she has been conforming to her girlfriend's idea of what she should be like, and wants to try other things: wearing pink, auditioning for the school musical, and maybe even liking boys. She tries to be like the perfect, popular, pastel-wearing girls who befriend her on her first day of school, but eventually finds that conforming to them is just as restrictive to her real self as conforming to her girlfriend's image had been. When she doesn't make the cut for the school musical and falls in with the stage crew, a group of happy misfits who slowly accept her into their ranks, she starts realizing that discovering who she really is, is more complex than she could have imagined. This, of course, show more does not stop her from trying her hand at "helping" the other members of the stage crew find happiness and fulfillment, which (of course) backfires horrendously.

Pink has a lot of great humor mixed in with the serious stuff, and it is a fast and gripping read. Fans of YA realistic fiction a la John Green and Maureen Johnson should definitely be on the lookout for this one! show less

Smart and pink-loving Ava Simpson wants a chance to be normal. So she leaves behind her girlfriend, the cool and sophisticated Chloe, for a new school, and eagerly dives into a new life filled with girly clothing, challenging academics, hanging out with the “Pastels,” and crushing on a hot boy.

But what is normal, anyway? And, more importantly, who is Ava? When Ava joins the stage crew and befriends a quirky group of geeks, she feels torn between Chloe, the Pastels, and these “Screws.” But juggling all these different identities is not easy, and Ava has to figure out who she is before she loses everyone.

THAT’S IT. Upon my college graduation this May, I am packing up my worldly possessions and moving to Australia, land of show more infinite YA talent. I have been fortunate enough to read a number of wonderful Aussie YA authors—Cath Crowley, Kathy Charles, and Kristy Eagar—but Lili Wilkinson’s PINK raised in me the rare and wonderful feeling of wanting to walk up to everyone I see and go, “This book. Oh my word. It’s…words fail me in describing its awesome. READ IT.” I’m going to equate this feeling to the one I got when I finished Robin Brande’s Fat Cat, still one of my favorite books ever, and then gushed endlessly about it for years and years and tell people repeatedly that they need to read it.

So. *breath* Let’s begin to explain why PINK is the Holy Grail of YA Contemporary Awesome, at least probably for those who share my taste in contemporary fiction. First of all, it is important to note that this is the most elegantly casual portrayal of LGBT teens I have encountered in YA. “Elegantly casual” sounds like an oxymoron, but what I mean by that is that it is a lovely realistic presentation of the ambiguities of teen sexuality. Lili Wilkinson doesn’t try to fit Ava and the other characters into character types in LGBT fiction that have been done before. Instead, they are simply allowed to…exist as they are, and it’s not a big freaking deal. David Levithan didn’t quite do it for me with his utopian romance Boy Meets Boy, but I am enamored by PINK’s skillful and intelligent handling of sexual orientation and identity.

Speaking of intelligence, PINK has the type of smartness that will appeal to everyone, regardless of your IQ level. Ava and the Screw kids are, without a doubt, nerds—specifically of the sci-fi geek kind. This means that they constantly engage in the most entertaining of conversations regarding the strangest and most obscure topics everywhere. There’s nothing like using one’s excessive brainpower for nerdy humor, and as someone who goes to a nerdy-cool college, I adored the banter. The Screw kids are weird, but they’re cool-weird, and best of all, each of the five has his or her own distinct personality.

PINK has all of the essentials that I live in a contemporary novel: a strong-voiced protagonist who is still in the process of growing, wit, full characterization. Not to mention some delectable extras: the sci-fi geek details, musical theatre (!), a cute boy, and memorable side characters. Without a doubt, PINK is going on my favorites shelf, and I eagerly look forward to the next time I reread it, so that I can experience the joy of this wonderfully well-written book all over again. show less

I forget where I first heard about pink, but I knew that I had to read it and I knew that I loved its slick cover design. Fast forward a year to now, and I can regretfully say that pink is the book I should have read sooner than later because it is one of those rare sock-rocking books that make up for all the reading FAIL! in my TBR pile.

THE GOOD BITS

{Girl cut from a different cloth} I loved the concept of Ava trying to figure out not only her identity, but also her sexuality. For some teenagers, these might be one and the same and quite obvious, but I think Ava represents those in-betweeners who feel alone in their indecision and uncertainties. Is she still a feminist if she likes the color pink? How can she crush on a boy when she is show more involved with a girl? Can two girls be friends if one of them is a lesbian? Is it too late to change your mind and/or change teams? Lili Wilkinson treads carefully and thoughtfully as the teenagers try to figure out themselves as well as each other in this whole crazy mess we fondly label as “high school.”

{You eat, sleep, and breathe tech} There are no words to explain why I have such high regards to theater techies. I never really buried myself into the gritty underbelly of theater since it definitely required more commitment than I could handle in high school, but I could feel its allure. Set changes are the BEST. THING. EVER! to watch. In pink, I loved the cranky old stage manager, the geeky banter and random “would you rather” questions, and can I get a shout-out to Boys from the Dwarf? These were my people, and I always love watching the main character fall in love with them too. pink is a homage to techies out there, and I loved every moment of it!

{Think PINK} This color pops up a lot in this book, and I love how the ending comes together for Ava, her girlfriend, and her classmates. The story begins with a pink sweater of incredible softness – what Ava deems as “normal” clothes and not the black chicness that her parents and girlfriend prefer. As a former pink-hater, I too can appreciate Ava’s embrace of the pink. Sure, it may be considered the color of girly power, but in the end it is just a color – and if we want to wear said color, it does not necessarily lead to simpering or emotional trainwrecks. In this book, pink becomes Ava’s trademark – it may have started out as a way to feel normal, but pink is the color that makes her happy inside.

THE BAD BITS

{Nothing} If there were any bad bits to this story, Lili Wilkinson just tickled me pink with everything else that I don’t remember them. Maybe that the ending tied together a little too perfectly? But, honestly, I wouldn’t have imagined it any other way.

THE OVERALL

Why did I wait so long to have my socks rocked by pink? I am not sure, but I am hoping that YOU do not waste any more time! The characters are far from perfect, but together they paint such a heartfelt and honest picture of the confusion everyone goes through in life. I laughed a lot, cried some, and enjoyed the entirety of pink – and when I reached the last page, I sighed with such satisfaction for a story well done! show less

I've been hearing lots of good things about this YA book so I thought it was time I read it to see what all the fuss was about. Following Ava's attempts to find out who she is and where she belongs in the very uncertain world of being a teenager, the book sucked me in within the first few pages and I found it hard to put down.

The plot of Pink really spoke to me. Ava's struggle to be the person she thinks other people want her to be when everyone wants her to be something different, quickly leads her to living a triple life; a version for her parents and girlfriend, a version for the cool kids at her new school, and a version for the stage crew she ends up working with on the school musical. Understandably this all just complicates Ava's show more life when deep down the question she's really trying to find the answer to is "Who am I?"

I loved the character of Ava and found I could really identify with her. The teenage version of me was never cool enough to aspire to fit in with the cool and popular crowd, but I did spend a lot of time trying to be the person I thought everyone wanted to be. When Ava's efforts went wrong and she ended up hurting people I really felt for her. Whilst the book is about Ava there is a whole cast of supporting characters who are brilliantly created. So many of the other teenagers in the book reminded me of people I was at high school with.

I found that I got wrapped up in the world of Pink really quickly. The way it's written just jumps off the page, the dialogue is convincing and the humour is well written. I felt that it dealt really well with the issues it covered, they were treated realistically and factually with no judgement attached to any of them. I think this is a book I would really have appreciated reading when I was a teenager, though it still really resonated with me now. show less

I've been hearing lots of good things about this YA book so I thought it was time I read it to see what all the fuss was about. Following Ava's attempts to find out who she is and where she belongs in the very uncertain world of being a teenager, the book sucked me in within the first few pages and I found it hard to put down.

The plot of Pink really spoke to me. Ava's struggle to be the person she thinks other people want her to be when everyone wants her to be something different, quickly leads her to living a triple life; a version for her parents and girlfriend, a version for the cool kids at her new school, and a version for the stage crew she ends up working with on the school musical. Understandably this all just complicates Ava's show more life when deep down the question she's really trying to find the answer to is "Who am I?"

I loved the character of Ava and found I could really identify with her. The teenage version of me was never cool enough to aspire to fit in with the cool and popular crowd, but I did spend a lot of time trying to be the person I thought everyone wanted to be. When Ava's efforts went wrong and she ended up hurting people I really felt for her. Whilst the book is about Ava there is a whole cast of supporting characters who are brilliantly created. So many of the other teenagers in the book reminded me of people I was at high school with.

I found that I got wrapped up in the world of Pink really quickly. The way it's written just jumps off the page, the dialogue is convincing and the humour is well written. I felt that it dealt really well with the issues it covered, they were treated realistically and factually with no judgement attached to any of them. I think this is a book I would really have appreciated reading when I was a teenager, though it still really resonated with me now. show less

I think the words "this book was written by an Australian author" would suffice. But then it just wouldn't be as fun for me :D

This book was on my mental TBR list long before I became a member of goodreads and before I had written a single review. It's taken me all this time to get around to reading it and I can honestly say: I was missing out! It covers all the issues that I'm interested in: feminism, femininity, individuality, sexuality and stereotyping. Plus, I like pink, regardless of whatever people say it symbolises - I always thought that was a load of twaddle anyway.

The story is about Ava, a girl who isn't quite sure who she is or where she belongs. She desperately wants to slot herself into a pre-defined category like emo, goth, show more straight, lesbian... and struggles with accepting the fact that she can be all kinds of combinations because the most important thing is to embrace who you are. This take on self-acceptance could have been cheesy and unoriginal but [a:Lili Wilkinson|1959059|Lili Wilkinson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1253516155p2/1959059.jpg]'s story is supported by a cast of quirky and imaginative characters that were what made the novel so enjoyable.

You have the uber-liberal parents, the feminazi "I-pretend-to-care-about-women's-rights-but-I-actually-just-hate-everyone-who-isn't-like-me" girlfriend, a 'Pastel' girl, and an old, grumpy misogynist who turns out to have more about him than meets the eye - resulting in a very short but pleasant surprise that I really liked.

The author has managed to find that perfect balance of easy-going, light, fun to read... and also thought-provoking scenarios that challenge the reader's views on what it means to be female or straight or gay or bi.

And then there's that fantastic quote, which for me just sums up perfectly a) what the novel is about and b) what I believe in. Here:

"You know, a very wise woman once gave this piece of advice to women everywhere: Be strong, believe in freedom, love yourself, understand your sexuality, have a sense of humour, masturbate, don't judge people by their religion, colour, or sexual habits, love life and your family." show less

In a society that encourages children, teens, and adults alike to be unique and to express their individuality, Lily Wilkinson's Pink asks: What if I want to fit in? What if I like what everyone else is doing? I first read Pink last year when I won a copy of the book in a writing challenge and enjoyed reading about Ava's story about becoming herself in a very un-radical fashion that would receive disapproval from her parents and old girlfriend.

While I appreciate characters strong enough to break away from, say, a brainwashed society, I appreciate books that look into not-so-well-explored topics like 'what if someone doesn't want to be a radical?' In this case, I think it takes a heck of a lot more courage to be who you want to be. It is show more easy to buy black clothes and act disinterested in society when you want to rebel against everyone else, but it is much harder to try and conform to society when your parents are into radical politics and everyone else, especially said parents, expects you to be the same. What I love most about this book is the message that conformity doesn't happen with just the 'in' crowd; it happens to someone belonging to a group of radicals. It happens to Ava, a former radical and lesbian who decides to wear pink and be straight.

While she isn't a total conformist, Ava is quite demure compared to her parents. In fact, it is easier for Ava to see her ex-girlfriend as someone belonging her to household than herself, and she doesn't know what to expect of herself, other than the fact that she wants to wear the color pink. However, Ava lacks the courage to wear pink in front of her parents, and she gets a girlfriend because she wants to be like Chloe (her ex) and it is what her parents expect of her in spite of their constant encouragement for Ava to be herself.

It is at Billy Hughes School for Academic Excellence, away from her parents and ex-girlfriend, that Ava finally finds the courage to try new things. Only, it's easier said than done to try and be herself. Ava makes her fair share of mistakes while trying to fit in for the first time. After having been her parents' little radical for so long, she feels the need to swing to the other extreme and conform to the 'in' crowd before she finally realizes that all she really needed to do was be true to her heart. Pink is a heartwarming and very realistic story about a girl attempting to express her true self for the first time. show less