Survival (Florencia L.)

 K. L. Going

HarperCollins Publishers, 2009

Tough and real, Survival is a coming of age story which deals with unrequited love, betrayal, seek for validation and sibling rivalry. Rachel is a teen who has lived under her sister’s shadow her whole life. Ever since she can remember she has been told to grow up, without understanding what that really meant, therefore she has been subconsciously avoiding doing so. As the story develops, we follow her through her last years of high school and witness how she is forced to face the real world Just before her graduation speech, she realises the real meaning of surviving high school, and that those whom she loves the most can hurt her the deepest:

"This wasn't what we learned from high school; it was what we learned from life. It was what we would always have to learn again and again. No invisible line would be crossed, no diploma handed out, no age limit surpassed that would ever change this fact."

K. L. Going’s descriptiveness is overly vivid. The story is written in a diary entry format, which is interesting, although it makes room for many plot holes in the storyline and leaves several  typical teenage issues unresolved. Moreover, I believe that the relationship between the narrator and her sister is believable and young adults can relate to their dynamic. The writing is engaging and leaves you craving for more. Having said that, my main concern in this story is the development of the plot. Some character’s development still needs some work, mostly because the story is so short that there is no room for further progress. When it comes to the topics dealt with, such as the main character’s struggle to find herself and the betrayal from a family member, I consider that although they might be of interest for young adults, most of these topics are treated in a shallow manner and it makes it difficult to truly comprehend the context of the story. I would recommend this story as a light read but I would not choose it for a young adults class, as I feel it might not be able to grasp the intended readers attention, given the fact that most of the conflict resolutions are not included in the story.

Comments

  1. NKSeptember 21, 2022 at 6:46 AM

    Great retelling of the plot of this short story, Florencia. I like that you highlighted the main aspects of the story objectively and then, you provided a sincere opinion on whether it'll catch young adults' attention or not. Something that you mentioned was that some of the characters from the story need more development. I believe that, if we used this short story in the classroom, we could encourage students to work on the development of those characters, helping them reflect on the protagonists' lives and feelings. That way, students will feel more involved in the story and more eager to share it with others.
    Good job!

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