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Weetzie Bat Book Review

Weetzie Bat is a really quick and entertaining read. A coming of age story that follows Weetzie and her best friends as they grow up. Francesca Lia Block writes beautifully, however I felt like there was a lot left on the table for the story.

Francesca Lia Block is the acclaimed author of the Los Angeles Times bestsellers GUARDING THE MOON: A Mother's First Year, THE ROSE AND THE BEAT, VIOLET & CLAIRE, and DANGEROUS ANGELS: The Weetzie Bat Books; as well as BEAUTIFUL BOYS, GOAT GIRLS, WASTELAND, ECHO, I WAS A TEENAGE FAIRY, GIRL GODDESS #9: Nine Stories and THE HANGED MAN. Her work is published around the world. You can find more of my reviews of books from TIME's Best YA Books of All Time here. 

Francesca Lia Block's dazzling debut novel, Weetzie Bat, is not only a genre-shattering, critically acclaimed gem, it's also widely recognized as a classic of young adult literature, having captivated readers for generations. This coming-of-age novel follows the eponymous Weetzie Bat and her best friend Dirk as they navigate life and love in a timeless, dreamlike version of Los Angeles. When Weetzie is granted three wished by a genie, she discovers that there are unexpected ramifications... Winner of the prestigious Phoenix Award, Weetzie Bat is a beautiful, poetic work of magical realism that is perfect for fans of Laura Ruby, Neil Gaiman, and Kelly Link. 

This book is super, super short—my copy was only 99 ebook pages, so I definitely consider that a pro for anyone looking for a quick read. Francesca Lia Block's writing is also simple and beautiful. There are a lot of lovely lines that sound beautiful, as well as many deep thoughts distilled into enchanting language. I think all of that contributes to why it's such a celebrated book. It takes a lot of life's big ideas and breaks them down into smaller, and sometimes more beautiful, pieces. 

The book itself, though, being so short, covers a lot of ground very quickly. Sometimes I found myself wishing for a deeper dive into different scenes and emotions. While the distillation is an attractive part of the book, it also leaves a lot left on the table as far as storytelling. I was also super interested in the magical realism in the book—it's not as prevalent as I thought it would be, which was disappointing, because I was excited about that. 

Finally, the novel's biggest selling point is its final chapter. I believe that chapter to be the strongest, most beautiful, and most heartbreaking. I pondered for a while on how to rate the book, because the final chapter was so strong—that chapter itself deserves five stars. I can also appreciate how this book was probably very forward or new for its age, with gay main characters and a dreamier main character than other championed books. I felt like all of that truly comes together in the final chapter, in a very powerful way.  

In summary, I think this book does have a lot of strengths: its beautiful language, the final chapter, the main characters. However, I felt like there was a lot left on the table regarding the magical realism and the story itself, and I would have liked it to be a bit longer. Either way, I can see why it belongs on TIME's Best YA Books of All Time. You can find more of my reviews of books from TIME's Best YA Books of All Time here. 

*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*

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