My Library in the Making

(This review was originally posted at My Library in the Making.)You know how some things are only good at first? Well, The S-Word is exactly that. Angie, the protagonist, had a voice that immediately captivated me. She made me want to read on... so read I did, but shortly after, she lost me. Why did she suddenly want to protect Lizzie's honor? Was it because of love for a friend regained? Was it guilt? This never became clear enough for me, and soon, I just thought she was being even more hypocritical than the people who had tormented Lizzie, the people who pushed her to end her life.The detective thingy that Angie had going on really surprised me, but only because I'd assumed that this was a ghost story of sorts. Anyway, just as she started irritating me, the plot also confused me by venturing to random places, and everyone was too damn vague for anything to make sense. Or maybe that was the result of telling a story from the perspective of someone who had less attention span than a baby.Another problem I had was with Lizzie's character. Somehow, she didn't feel too real, and I guess it says a lot that we learn more about her from her diary entries—which I thought were weak plot devices to reveal things about her—than from Angie who'd used to be her best friend. Also, if I remember correctly, this is the first book I've read that dealt heavily with suicide, and for that I applaud the author. But this being the first, I've never had to point out that I don't think I could ever sympathize with anyone who committed suicide because I believe it is a crime that brings about only a perpetrator. Harsh, maybe, but that's how I've always looked at it.I was able to correctly guess, like, half of the revelation about Lizzie, thanks to over-foreshadowing, and it was Angie's secrets that made my jaw drop. That led to the satisfying ending that saved the book for me by being what I'd wanted The S-Word to be: a reminder that the best revenge is to live well.MY FAVORITE PART was, like I said, the ending.