Book Review + Giveaway: Pink by Lili Wilkinson

Pink by Lili Wilkinson

Reading Level: Young Adult

Release Date: February 8, 2011

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 320

Source: Received from publisher for honest review + giveaway

Summary: Ava has a secret. She is tired of her ultracool attitude, ultra-radical politics, and ultrablack clothing. She's ready to try something new—she's even ready to be someone new. Someone who fits in, someone with a gorgeous boyfriend, someone who wears pink. Transferring to Billy Hughes School for Academic Excellence is the perfect chance to try on a new identity. But just in case things don't work out, Ava is hiding her new interests from her parents, and especially from her old girlfriend. Secrets have a way of being hard to keep, though, and Ava finds that changing herself is more complicated than changing her wardrobe. Even getting involved in the school musical raises issues she never imagined. As she faces surprising choices and unforeseen consequences, Ava wonders if she will ever figure out who she really wants to be. Humor, heart, and the joys of drama—on-and offstage—combine in Ava's delight-fully colorful journey of self-discovery.

My Review: What's my favorite color? If you haven't noticed from my blog layout, it's pink! So, of course a book with this title would catch my attention. Now, what I didn't expect is to read a story that's not only relatable to all teens but can influence anyone going through an identity crisis. I am so glad that Lili's Australian release, will now grace bookstores overseas. Her ability to carry a witty undertone about behavioral confusion contributed an appealing balance between humor and realism. Ava, an endearing protagonist, was secretly a girly girl at heart while on the outside she played to others' expectations of her. With an eccentric family and a girlfriend who screamed negativity, her life started to reach a crossroad of doubt. I for one, could not stand Chloe, her aura was filled with pure hatred. I couldn't see Ava with her at all, such a sweet girl should be with someone who loved her unconditionally. It shouldn't matter if she chose to wear pink and hang out with people who Chloe considered losers. But, of course she didn't know what she was worth which lowered her standards.

Moving on, this brings me to the two groups that Ava is faced with at her new school, the "stage freaks" vs. the "pastels." This part was quite entertaining during Pink. It not only showcased the stereotypical aspects of high school but also gave me insight into Ava's struggle for acceptance. At first Alexis, one of the popular girls, befriended her which proved that dressing girly wasn't a bad thing. So, slowly Ava starts to change her style and turn into the person she thinks she wants to be. Now, once she joins the "stage crew" who are the school's musical backbone, everything once again changes. I absolutely adored these characters! I enjoyed the fact that their group consisted of different races, genders, sexuality and personalities. I was always the girl in high school to hang out with everyone, no matter how girly I am perceived, I mean I was in band after all hehe. I bet you'd never think that though huh? In the end, the message is pure and I have confidence that someone who is having difficulties coming to terms with their identities or sexuality should read this. I am really excited to see Lili's mark in the U.S., I'm sure she'll win a lot of readers over with her writing!

My Rating: (4.5)

Want to win Pink? Thanks to HarperTeen you can below!

CONTEST IS CLOSED.

::Contest Details::

-One person will win Pink.

-This contest is for U.S. residents only.

-Deadline will be on February 4, 2011.

Author's Info:

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Lili Wilkinson was first published when she was twelve, in Voiceworks magazine. After studying creative arts at Melbourne University, Ms. Wilkinson began working for the Centre for Youth Literature at the State Library of Victoria, where she manages a website for teens about books and reading. She spends most of her time reading and writing books for teens, but when she's not doing that, she's usually hanging out with friends, watching DVDs, and making monsters out of wool. Pink is her U.S. debut.

For more info on Lili, visit her sites:

-Website

-Twitter

-Facebook

-GoodReads