Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You by Joyce Carol Oates

Two of Three Things I Forgot to Tell You
Joyce Carol Oates
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (August 21, 2012)
Language: English
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It wasn't like she had not warned us.

It wasn't like she had not prepared us.

We'd known that something was wrong those last several months.

But then, Tink hasn't actually vanished. Tink is gone, and yet--she is here somewhere, even if we can't see her.

Tink? Are you--here?

Once again, I've had the opportunity (?) to read another teen suicide story.  The group of girls involved are juniors/seniors in high school.  They are all from upperclass families and attend a prestigious private school.  All of the girls have pressures on them to make good grades, get into the right colleges, represent their families in the correct ways, etc.  Katrina Traumer, known as Tink, is new at school in their junior year.  She brings a whole new dynamic to their group of friends and quickly becomes the hub.  Unfortunately, after about 6 months at the school, Tink takes her life.  The story gives the reader insight into how Tink influenced her friends' lives, not only while she was living, but also following her death.  The story is told in 3 sections from 3 different points of view.

I didn't really enjoy this book.  It is very dark and depressing from all perspectives.  There is no joy or hopefulness in the story.  It was definitely a downer to read.  I was left feeling that there was a big point to the story that I was missing and maybe wasn't smart enough to find.  I can't really recommend the book because I didn't gain anything from reading it.  In fact, I was glad to finish the book and close the cover.

Content:

• Profanity: Heavy
• Sexual Content: Heavy
• Violence: Moderate
• Other Notables: Cutting, Suicide, Eating Disorders, Underage Drinking

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