The Fool Reversed [Hardcover]

Susan Whitcher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2000

"[A] probing, acutely observed novel about a girl's dangerous first liaison. Anna is only 15 when she falls in love with Thorn, a peot nearly twice her age, and begins a sexual affair . . . Readers will see that Thorn is a predator, pushing Anna into unsavory situations . . . Memorable scenes and insights." -Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Whitcher (Enchanter's Glass) has hit her stride with this probing, acutely observed novel about a girl's dangerous first liaison. Anna is only 15 when she falls in love with Thorn, a poet nearly twice her age, and begins a sexual affair. Anna, an aspiring poet herself, takes Thorn's self-serving behavior as signs of artistic integrity: "He won't settle for what's ordinary," she tells her friend Dylan. "Thorn told me once, if he can't be good, at least he'll never be petty." Readers will see that Thorn is a predator, pushing Anna into unsavory situations, including a sexually decadent, adults-only costume party at which he all but delivers her to one of his patrons. Capable of sharp, introspective analysis, even without the help of the tarot cards for which the book and many of its chapters are named, Anna is blind when it comes to Thorn. While it seems a bit unbelievable that none of Thorn's associates is bothered by his treatment of Anna, the individual characters are carefully constructed and very real, from the pretentious Thorn to Dylan, a wild-haired teen with both street savvy and wisdom ("You don't have to be anybody special... to be miserable," he tells Anna. "But for contentment, you have to be a philosopher"). The conclusion, in which Dylan is shot by two newly introduced characters, is jarring in comparison with the book's otherwise deliberative pace, but doesn't compromise the impact of Whitcher's memorable scenes and insights. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up-Whitcher's writing is cohesive, well constructed, and compelling, which makes this disturbing novel all the more bleak. Anna, 15, loses her virginity to Thorn, an English professor/poet. He is clearly manipulative and perverse-he pressures her into sleeping with his boss and he, in turn, sleeps with her best friend, Pauline. Dylan, a teenaged boy whom Anna meets accidentally, provides ballast in her life. The two tell each other that they are otherwise romantically engaged but their friendship grows, as does his disapproval of her adult lover. In a horrific party scene (reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut), Dylan is arrested and Anna prevails upon Thorn to get him out of custody. This leads to a believable, yet frightening discourse in which Thorn warns Anna about how careful they need to be about their relationship in front of the authorities. Dylan's rescue reveals his life to be more unfortunate than he had led Anna to believe. Nevertheless, after a violent climax in which she is almost raped by some reckless teens, he rescues her and their romantic future seems likely. The adult lover, in the meantime, never receives censure from any other quarter. While Whitcher's alarming plot, skillfully embedded themes, and clear voice are reminiscent of Francesca Lia Block's The Hanged Man (HarperCollins, 1994)-both protagonists even obsess over the tarot-Block's heroine seems to become empowered by The Hanged Man's denouement whereas Anna simply changes alliances. This disconcerting book demands discussion rather than solitary reading.
Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (March 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374324468
• ISBN-13: 978-0374324469
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,117,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fools rush in, June 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Fool Reversed (Hardcover)

I find it questionable that anyone would go online to savage someone's book. Why not spend the time and energy praising the merit of a book one has enjoyed? Having said that, I would like to weigh in as a fan of Susan Whitcher's THE FOOL REVERSED. To my mind it is a captivating, well-written novel which, in addition to its entertainment value, serves as a sharply realized cautionary tale for today's youth. As a teacher, I have witnessed more than my share of Annas, and my respect for Ms. Whitcher stems largely from her refusal to shy away from a situation which less gifted writers would avoid. If sheltered sensibilities find the material uncomfortable or objectionable, then so be it. Many situations in life are uncomfortable and objectionable, but they still must be dealt with. In essence, I applaud Susan Whitcher for this edgy but compassionate contribution to Young Adult fiction.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty engaging, October 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Fool Reversed (Hardcover)

At its basic level, this is a story of a young girl who foolishly lets herself be decieved and used by an older man. I enjoyed the fact that she actually did realize her mistake unlike most teens today refuse to.Anna [the young girl] is very smart though and I found the book entertaning.I finished it in one day.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars first love deceived, September 1, 2000

By 

A. Flores (San Antonio, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fool Reversed (Hardcover)

Sex scenes are not graphic, but are unsettling, BUT!....teens are having to face these issues on a more regular basis, and why not in books written for them with a lesson included? I think this book teaches a lesson about not getting involved in a relationship with an older man. But instead of finding herself on her own she falls immediately into another relationship. I found that a disappointment. The ending was a little unbelievable. But all in all I would recommend it to older ya readers. -YA Librarian