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Weetzie Bat [Paperback]

Francesca Lia Block
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews)

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Book Description

July 6, 2004 Weetzie Bat

Fifteen years ago Francesca Lia Block made a dazzling entrance into the literary scene with what would become one of the most talked-about books of the decade: Weetzie Bat. This poetic roller coaster swoop has a sleek new design to match its new sister and brother books, Goat Girls and Beautiful Boys. Rediscover the magic of Weetzie Bat, Ms. Blocks sophisticated, slinkster-cool love song to L.A.the book that shattered the standard, captivated readers of all generations, and made Francesca Lia Block one of the most heralded authors of the last decade.


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Weetzie Bat + The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian + Speak
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An offbeat heroine shares a Hollywood cottage with three equally quirky companions; in PW 's words, "Block's first book is related in a breezy, knowing voice; her strange and sparkling tribute to growing up in L.A. is a rare treat for those sophisticated enough to appreciate it." Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up-- A brief, off-beat tale that has great charm, poignancy, and touches of fantasy . Weetzie, now 23, is a child of Hollywood who hated high school but loves the memories of Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin, plastic palm-tree wallets, and the roller-skating waitresses at Tiny Naylor's. She wears a bleached-blond flattop and Harlequin sunglasses, covers her '50s taffeta dresses in glittery poetry, and sews fringe down the sides of her minis in sympathy with the plight of the Indian. Nobody understands her, least of all her divorced bicoastal parents, until she meets Dirk, who takes her slamdancing at the hot clubs in L.A. in his red '55 Pontiac. When he tells her he's gay, they decide to go "duck-hunting" together. He meets his ideal blond surfer, and Weetzie finds her Secret Agent Lover Man. They all move in together, make movies that become underground successes, and have a baby. This recreates the ambiance of Hollywood with no cynicism, from the viewpoint of denizens who treasure its unique qualities. Weetzie and her friends live like the lillies of the field, yet their responsibility to each other and their love for the baby show a sweet grasp of the realities that matter. As in Rosemary Wells' None of the Above (Dial, 1974), these kids spend no time considering college or career. Their only priority is finding love and keeping it once they find it. " 'I don't know about happily ever after. . .but I know about happily,' Weetzie Bat thought." --Anne Osborn, Riverside Public Library, Calif.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: HarperTeen; 10 Anv edition (July 6, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0060736259
  • ISBN-13: 978-0060736255
  • Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Francesca Lia Block, recipient of the prestigious Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award. has been publishing novels, short stories, essays, memoirs and poetry since 1989. Her work has been translated into many languages. Ms. Block lives in Los Angeles where she teaches writing workshops that are also available online.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars This girl can't help it either July 28, 2004
Format:Paperback
You've got to be a very particular type of person to love the book "Weetzie Bat". The right reader is the one who is (or once was) into the quirky, crazy, and bizarre. Anyone who's ever felt at any time that sometimes life is just too darn frumpy should read this story. For me, "Weetzie Bat" won me over when its protagonist and her best friend went to see "The Girl Can't Help It" starring Jayne Mansfield. Any book that mentions that splendid splendid movie (it's right up there with "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?") has my unequivocal love. If you like books that create little worlds where reality is rarely fixed and true love conquers all (eventually) then you'll enjoy taking a wild and wacky run through the insatiable "Weetzie Bat".

Weetzie lives in L.A. and has just met a very cool guy named Dirk. The two are perfectly suited for one another in every way. Dirk wears his hair in a black mohawk and drives a '55 Pontiac. Weetzie sometimes wears feathered Indian headdresses and sometimes makes her clothes out of kids' bed sheets. Together they paint the town red and have wonderful times. When Dirk confesses to Weetzie that he's gay she's delighted. Now the two can go Duck hunting. But finding the right Duck is hard, and after too many bad dates and bad Ducks (which is pretty much the same thing) the two feel bad. Weetzie's one goal is to find her Secret Agent Lover Man. Then, one day unexpectedly, she's given three wishes. After being told that world peace and "a million more wishes" never really work she wishes for a Duck for Dirk, a Secret Agent Lover Man for herself, and a house for them all to live happily ever after in. When the wishes start coming true, things start getting REALLY interesting.

Author Francesca Lia Block is a big fan of sentences that use the word "and". Here's a typical Block sentence: "They all lived together and wore red and ate plantain and black beans, or wonton soup and fortune cookies, and made silkscreened clothing they sold on the boardwalk at Venice beach". She's a fan of the extravagant explanation and the outrageous description. If you're reading this book in the right mood, they're great. I found myself loving portions of this book, much to my surprise. Consider the following sentences, appearing after Weetzie gets a really good kiss: "A kiss about apple pie a la mode with the vanilla creaminess melting in the pie heat. A kiss about chocolate, when you haven't eaten chocolate in a year. A kiss about palm trees speeding by, trailing pink clouds when you drive down the Strip sizzling with champagne".

In the end, this book's just a big ole love letter to Los Angeles and teenage dream worlds. I can see why it's so popular and I can see it getting the same kind of audience as those people who loved, "Boy Meets Boy". For anyone who thinks they're just a little different from everyone else and that's a-okay, this book is for them. It's "Stargirl" all grown up. Some people need some magic in their lives. "Weetzie Bat"

delivers that magic hand over fist.
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20 of 24 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars a fun wacked-out feminist fairy tale September 29, 1999
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
What a bizarre read! I had no idea that young adult fiction like this existed when I was a teenager, but I'm really glad to know that it does. Homosexuality, single parenthood, non-traditional families...how this book could make it onto the bookshelves in these conservative times of ours is beyond me, but it gives me hope, and really makes me admire the courage of the author. While I think that other readers in their twenties, like me, would enjoy the whimsical writing style and charming story, I think this would be a great book for younger readers (probably grades 6 and up). It conveyed the messages of acceptance, unconditional love, compassion for others, and the bonds of love and family that we create with our friends more beautifully than a lot of more serious texts I have read. Fabulous!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars so it's not Sweet Valley High...get over it... August 27, 1998
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I first read Weetzie Bat in 9th grade....and I was almost shocked by how good it was. I know the book's not especially realistic, but it was one of the first I'd ever read that dared to be honest enough to say that sex can be both an enjoyable, natural thing, as well as an incredibly scary, dangerous thing...that someone who's gay could be a kind, funny, foolish normal person...things I'd always sort of suspected, but that no one had ever told me. Besides, even if all that stuff still bothers you, Francesca Lia Block's style is just to incredible to pass up....I don't know how to describe it, but her prose is just so rich and original, you can almost taste it...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars A little quirky
This book is a little odd and not what I was expecting at all. When I finished it, I didn't know how I felt about it, but I kinda like it. Read more
Published 22 days ago by c_rey
5.0 out of 5 stars A quirky classic
I just re-read Weetzie Bat after almost 20 years. Nostalgia on overload! I'm an East Coast girl who happened to have been born in LA. Read more
Published 1 month ago by littlebrownpony
5.0 out of 5 stars =)
Haven't read it yet. But I had a great service from you all. I'll keep looking for books here. Really recomended for internet shopping.
Published 9 months ago by Paola
5.0 out of 5 stars Batty for Weetzie Bat
A quick, breezy read that made me feel like I'd just entered a parallel universe of kookiness, creativity, love and independence. Read more
Published 13 months ago by PennyKF
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books ever!
Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat will always be one of my favorite books. Technically it is in the YA genre, but it's a great read for any age. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Karli
4.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettably Lovely
Living in L.A. - or Shangri-LA - punky Weetzie Bat befriends the most beautiful boy in her high school only to discover that he is gay. Read more
Published 17 months ago by E. Kristin Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic
I remember getting into Francesca Lia Block's books when I was younger and my opinion has not changed since: She knows how to write. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Candice Davis
4.0 out of 5 stars Fresh and Fun!
When I was in my twenties, my friend and I moved to L.A. It was a short lived move for me, since I got a job offer back home, but reading this book took me right back to the City... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Midnyte Reader
3.0 out of 5 stars A pinch of magic and whimsy
Weetzie Bat is a whimsical, quirky little tale full of a very specific brand of humor. There really is nothing out there like it. Read more
Published on March 31, 2011 by Erika (YA Lit Crave)
2.0 out of 5 stars Just disappointing.
First, the good: Weetzie Bat is a fun character who pushes the boundaries of both reality and society. Read more
Published on November 6, 2010 by Alex
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