Norali DCV DCV itibaren Ray, Smolenskaya oblast', Rusko, 214023 itibaren Ray, Smolenskaya oblast', Rusko, 214023

Ingrid Bell and her cousins have marked their lives through family events at which they are sat at the kid table. This table appears at all family functions, and the six cousins are so close-knit and get along so well that they’ve never really minded being segregated from the adult table. But when Brianne gets seated at the adult table at a family function, the rest of the cousins are left to wonder what it was that suddenly distinguished her from the rest of them. As Ingrid deals with the pains of growing up (first love, heartbreak, and other loss), the rest of the cousins try to support each other as they hold onto the last vestiges of adolescence. The Kid Table is Andrea Seigel’s first official foray into the YA genre, though some would argue that her (powerful) novel Like the Red Panda could count, since it features a teenage narrator as well. I suppose it’s all just semantics, though, so it doesn’t really matter. It’s a strong entry into the genre, and it’s a book that hasn’t gotten enough recognition since being published last September, so let’s talk about it now, okay? Seigel is particularly adept at creating a huge cast of characters with distinct personalities and quirks. Each person in Ingrid’s large family plays some sort of role, and despite some of the characters being extremely minor ones, all of them are memorable in their own ways. A sharp wit and an ability to write convincing dialogue set Seigel apart from other authors in the genre. The character of Ingrid is particularly compelling. She’s unusually observant (even for a narrator) and highly intelligent. Told entirely from her perspective and only when she’s at five family events, the reader is only privy to her life and the lives of her relatives when they all come together for various holidays. This format provides for a unique reading experience and allows Seigel to play with both the pacing and the progression of the characters and the story. Ingrid’s connection to Trevor, her inexplicable attraction to him, was the only thing that I struggled with throughout the novel. While I understand that sometimes a person is just drawn to another without reason or real explanation, nothing about Trevor was redeeming, and it made it hard for me to feel anything but mild disgust for the character. Maybe that was Seigel’s intention? All of the teenagers in Ingrid’s family are working on figuring out who they are, even the know-it-all, psychologist-in-training Brianne. All of them are searching and screwing up, and I suppose that includes the vile Trevor. That being said, I still don’t have to like him at all. Seigel’s novel is a funny, irreverent look at how crazy your family can be while you’re trying to grow up and become an actual person. Highly recommended.

I read this because it won a Pulitzer. It was so well researched and written. The story was so chillingly horrible. I really wish I hadn't read it--it's just so haunting.