Random House Childrens Books
Featuring: Vanessa Sheller; Tim Macbeth
ISBN: 0375870407 EAN: 9780375870408 Kindle: B008LMEHH6 Hardcover / e-Book Add to Wish List
Duncan has to write an English paper on literary tragedy,
but more on his mind is which quad room he'll be getting to
live in for the nine months of the high school year. He's
less than delighted to end up in the dark corner room that
nobody wants, but the previous occupant has left him a pile
of CDs telling his story. Maybe THE TRAGEDY PAPER is half
written....
Tim is an albino boy aged seventeen when he meets Vanessa
on his way to the high school. Shy and hating the stares of
others, he gets swept along by her confidence and doesn't
tell her his eyes hurt in strong sunlight. But lovely
Vanessa has a boyfriend, and he's possessive. Interspersed
with Tim's tale we get Duncan adjusting to his senior year
and growing apart from his friends as he becomes absorbed
in the details of what we know from hints will be a sad
story.
Preoccupation with a reckless game amid heavy snow and
elements of tragedy run through both Tim's and Duncan's
minds; they have similar personalities and Duncan ends up
alienated and in trouble with the staff. Tim is at a
disadvantage from the start but does little to help
himself, trying instead to be like the other teens. While
this is not a cheerful tale it emphasises the difficulties
of growing up and living up to everyone's expectations as
well as having fun. Either boy would have benefited from a
more mature perspective, but of course that's exactly what
you don't bring with you to school.
THE TRAGEDY PAPER is full of the kind of details that seem
important to young adults, but at least in this school
quite a lot of the students are actually concerned with
getting good grades. Boarding school is a dangerous
environment because it is pressure cooking the young people
into the mindset of their peers and the slightly older
students. Adult supervision is provided, but if the
students decide not to talk through problems, there is
little anyone can do. Elizabeth Laban helps us into Tim's
world and along with Duncan we come to understand why his
life turned out as it did. Duncan, at least, has a choice.
Perfect for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why and
Looking for Alaska, Jennifer Weiner, #1 New York
Times bestselling author, calls Elizabeth LaBan’sThe Tragedy Paper“a beguiling and beautifully
written tale of first love and heartbreak.”
It
follows the story of Tim Macbeth, a seventeen-year-old
albino and a recent transfer to the prestigious Irving
School, where the motto is “Enter here to be and find a
friend.” A friend is the last thing Tim expects or wants—he
just hopes to get through his senior year unnoticed. Yet,
despite his efforts to blend into the background, he finds
himself falling for the quintessential “It” girl, Vanessa
Sheller, girlfriend of Irving’s most popular boy. To Tim's
surprise, Vanessa is into him, too, but she can kiss her
social status goodbye if anyone ever finds out. Tim and
Vanessa begin a clandestine romance, but looming over them
is the Tragedy Paper, Irving’s version of a senior year
thesis, assigned by the school’s least forgiving
teacher.
Jumping between viewpoints of the
love-struck Tim and Duncan, a current senior about to
uncover the truth of Tim and Vanessa, The Tragedy
Paper is a compelling tale of forbidden love and the
lengths people will go to keep their secrets.
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