Bibliographic Information: Block, F.L.
(1989). Weetzie bat. New York: Harper
Collins. ISBN: 9780060736255
Plot Summary: Weetzie
Bat hates high school because nobody understands where they live: in a Los
Angeles dream; everything is colored fountains, quirky fashion, and the pink
clouds of an electric sunset. She and her best friend Dirk spend their time
driving in his ’55 Pontiac, throwing back beers, snacking on Oki Dogs, and
going to clubs “dressed to kill”; that is, they are in search for a “duck” for
each of them (boys). After falling for all the wrong ducks again and again,
Dirk’s grandma passes away and leaves them her Hollywood bungalow and magical
genie lamp. Weetzie makes three wishes: for Dirk to find his “duck”, for her to
find her Secret Agent Lover Man, and for them to live happily in a house
together. It isn’t long before her wishes are granted, and soon Weetzie’s new
family is making movies together and desiring a baby. Together they face the
difficulties of parenting, adulthood, AIDS, and most significantly, love.
Critical Evaluation: Block’s
sparse and poetic prose makes for a very lyrical read, matching the tone and
setting of this post-modern fairytale. Though Weetzie makes naïve decisions
with no thought to circumstance (one night stands, choosing to have a baby on a
whim), she always acts out of love and acceptance. Even Weetzie’s own parents,
now divorced, seem to have lead superficial lives, caught up in the Hollywood
fantasy of becoming stars in the industry. Her mother, an alcoholic, just
complains and dreams about how her life used to be. Charlie Bat, Weetzie’s dad,
hasn’t been completely disillusioned; however, and now lives in New York, where
he likes to take Weetzie and his granddaughter to museums and other more
cultural activities. Charlie tries to set an example for Weetzie, warning her
of the façade of Hollywood life, but she continues to make films with MSALM and
they seem to live a full and happy life. For Weetzie, that may not mean
“happily ever after” but it certainly means “happily.” She must learn on her
own, and the ending of the book leaves her future unknown.
Reader’s Annotation: Weetzie
and Dirk each find their sweethearts
and start a quirky family set in shimmering Los Angeles. Their undying love and
acceptance of each other holds strong through thick and thin.
Author Information: Gale’s
Contemporary Author Online states “only a few years after her first
publication, Francesca Lia Block had carved out a unique piece of literary turf
for herself and the characters she has created. With the publication
of Weetzie Bat, she set the agenda for a new direction in young adult
novels for the 1990s: stories of the Los Angeles subculture replete with sex,
drugs, and rock 'n' roll--stories for adults and young adults alike. With a
cast of characters ranging from Weetzie
Bat, a punk princess in pink, to her lover, My Secret Agent Lover Man, and
her best friend Dirk and his boyfriend, to their common offspring, Witch Baby
and Cherokee, Block's novels create postmodernist fairy tales where love and
art are the only cures in a world devoid of adult direction. Praised and
criticized for her edgy tales of urban adventure, Block was somewhat in awe of
her instant success and of the stir her books created.
But reach people her stories have. Block's "technicolor
love song to Los Angeles," as Publishers Weekly commentator
Diane Roback described Weetzie Bat, sold steadily through several
printings and has been translated into seven languages, including French,
Italian, German, and Japanese. There have been several sequels to that original
novel, each one focusing on a different character and exploring new variations
on the theme of the curative power of love and art.
Genre: Fiction
Subjects: Relationships,
LGBTQ, Los Angeles, punk, fairytales, magical realism
Curriculum Ties: Untraditional
Families
Booktalking Ideas: Introduce
the dreamy Los Angeles settings with a collage or snow-globe, borrowing images
from the book, like pink clouds, genie’s lamp, canaries, T-Birds.
Reading
Level/Interest Age: 16+
Challenge
Issues/Defense: Due to LGBTQ themes, allusions to AIDS, and references to
drinking alcohol, this book may be challenged. IIf so, refer to:
1. The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection
documents.
2. The California Department of Education District Selection Policies,
Reading Lists, and Resources for Recommended Literature:
Pre-K-12.
4. Mixed book reviews from School Library
Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.
5. Book selection rationale.
6. If necessary, The San Francisco Public
Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.
Reason Selection: This is one of the most poetically written young adult novels and deals with important issues including LGBTQ.
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