5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful book!, June 16, 2006
In Becoming Chloe, Catherine Ryan Hyde's second novel, we meet Jordan and Chloe--two of society's broken and castaway children trying to survive on the streets of New York City.
Jordy is 17, gay, runaway, part-time prostitute and occasional thief.
One night, while sleeping in the cellar of an anonymous city
building, he overhears a gang rape happening in the alley outside
his window. By shouting out and scaring off the attackers, he
manages to rescue Chloe. Chloe, 18 yet childlike, is hiding behind
a facade of innocence, but occasionally the traumas she has faced
in her past loom to the surface. Jordy and Chloe quickly find in
each other a comfort and security that they both are lacking, and
become firm friends.
The simple and naive Chloe views Jordy as a safety net, and Jordy
faces this responsibility with a maturity and wisdom beyond his
years. Together they endure illness, violence, and the grinding
horrors of life on the streets. Although their situation begins to
improve, thanks to Jordy's perseverance and hard work, Chloe is
unable to cope and suffers a breakdown that alters their plans.
When Chloe decides that life has nothing beautiful to offer her,
Jordy begins a one-man campaign to show her otherwise...and it is
here that the true power of the story lies. Jordy becomes beauty
personified as he races to bring the world to Chloe before it's too
late, and they set out on a journey that will challenge them like
nothing before.
To Jordy, mountains, deserts and even the Grand Canyon are no
obstacles when it means saving someone you love. As they finally
reach the West Coast and Chloe sees the ocean for the first time,
both she and Jordy find themselves learning things about each
other and themselves that will test their friendship and alter their
lives forever.
This powerful novel about life, love, and growing up is from a
perspective that is fresh and unerring.
Armchair Interviews says: Catherine Ryan Hyde has again managed
to dazzled us with her uncanny ability to write about teens in a
down-to-earth and totally believable manner.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Beautiful, Modern-Day Fable, May 5, 2006
Catherine Ryan Hyde has the wholly enviable talent of slipping beneath the skin of her characters and making them come alive in a way no other author can. She does not pull punches when it comes to putting a character's harsh reality onto the page. That "Becoming Chloe" begins with a brutal gang-rape is testament to that. But don't flinch, because in true Hyde style, that very event is what gets us to the heart of Jordy's character. We find that he is not courageous -- perhaps due to the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father -- and we also find that Chloe appears disconnected from reality.
Jordy rescues Chloe from her attackers, and thus begins a journey of wonderment and beauty reminiscent of "Benny and Joon." While both Jordy and Chloe are damaged in their own ways, their lives together are like a two-part harmony. They learn from each other, and experience the world with each other like only true friends can.
"Becoming Chloe" is written like a modern-day fable, with its message perhaps being: Beauty is everywhere if you just know how to look for it.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Attention Adults!, April 19, 2006
Without question Becoming Chloe is an excellent book for today's sophisticated teen. I hope they bother to read it. What is particularly interesting about this expertly crafted work of fiction, however, is its cross-over appeal to those of us who are well beyond the sticky years of adolescence. It would be shameful if today's jaded adults didn't pick up a copy, themselves, simply because of its "genre."
In other words, don't let the "Young Adult" classification fool you. Especially you cynical types who think nothing can escape your discerning eye and endearing bitterness. (I think you know who you are). You, more than any other group, need to be exposed to this book's optimism. Its gritty-softness will have a curious effect on you; perhaps leaving some baffled.
You will get the confirmation you need (about how rotten the world is) during the first one hundred pages. But then watch what happens. A softness will creep in, like an unexpected, unwanted attraction. Slowly it will gnaw on your dulled sensitivities. This will most likely result in the book being hurled across the living room with one mean-spirited flick of your wrist. You may even consider revenge against the author by ripping out page after page (of what should be recognized as mastery of description and characterization) and then designating such craftsmanship and good will as kindling. Stubborn as you are you'll probably try to ditch Chloe for good, and get back to what you're far more comfortable reading...Bush bashing blogs, global warming studies and all the wonderful things occurring overseas. While reconfirming your worst suspicions of the human condition you'll eventually find yourself glancing over your shoulder, wondering how Jordy and Chloe are doing on your coffee table.
That darn book won't leave you alone. You can't ignore it. After seeking comfort from a cup of leaf bits and warm water you sigh in defeat and surrender on your favorite chair. This time, however, the book's softness isn't annoying. The optimism tugs at your heart strings. It's doing its job. It's making sure you realize just how cynical you've become.
Don't panic, though. By book's end you'll discover you actually appreciate where you've been led; shackled like the rest of us, yet left holding the key.
What our two protagonists end up showing the reader is whether young or old or somewhere in the foggy middle, all we really have is what we share with others. And if we can find that delicate balance between opposites and common ground, love, hope can never completely sneak away without us. Not even us grumpy old cynics.
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