Dear Lauren,Didn't Elizabeth's dog die when she went on a trip? Think about that next time you go anywhere.
Love, your beloved Chihuahua Seamus
Feeling sorry for Celia was a lovely book about the complications of relationships. Elizabeth Clarry's teacher has assigned them to write to kids from another school to rediscover the joys of letters in envelopes.
This book was in it's own way hearkening back to a time where everyone wasn't texting while talking to someone else. The book was published in 2000 when people did email but twitter and Facebook hadn't happened.
I can only imagine the drama Christina's friend Maddie would've brought on with those tools. Celia might have had a harder time disappearing though. Maddie sounds like the sort of girl who would be texting others while your talking or interrupt you mid-sentence to call someone else.
This story was a shining example on how meaningful a penpal friendship can be. Celia was self absorbed and selfish. She represented a true account of how manic depressives can be on those who love them. They can be exciting but not reliable and you can never do enough for them.
The teenage association letters were cruel. My mom once told me when I was a teen that I didn't lead an exciting enough life. She took off with boys to led Zeppelin concerts in other states at age thirteen. I listened to the cure and the Smiths while reading books. No arrests for skipping school or fake seizures to rob drugstores for me. My aunt was pretty wild.
Teen movies have a way of glamourising that age. There just isn't time to have an active social life, school, work, family, data, etc. and be perfect.
This book got that perfect.
My mom told us "whatever you want to fix" was for dinner so Elizabeth's mum didn't seem that bad to me. I find the helicopter parenting strange. Celia's mother would be arrested for neglect in America. Elizabeth's mom seemed normal to me.