LIFTED surprised me in several ways.
- The plot went deeper than I anticipated. This isn't just a story of a girl pushed by peer pressure to doing something as stupid as shop lifting a time or two. This is a well-researched description of how people - teens or otherwise - can get sucked into the edgy world of stealing for thrills. I remember listening to Wendy at a writing conference last August, and she talked about the amount of research that went into this book. I have to admit that I didn't initially understand that this topic needed much research, but as I read about Poppy's shoplifting experiences and the adrenalin rushes, I gained a clearer picture of how this activity could become accelerated and addictive.
- An interesting plot twist surprised me. (Spoiler alert!) I was totally prepared for Poppy to learn that her beautiful, popular, messed-up "friends" were NO friends at all, and that she was better off without them. I also expected her to realize that the faithful Bridgette was the "true" friend, but Ms. Toliver avoided this clichéd ending by creating characters that could not be categorized as either black or white - including Poppy.
- While realistic, the amount of swearing in the book, surprised me. I am not prudish by any means, and I realize that teens swear a lot. Because Poppy was attending a private Baptist school in Texas, she gained immediate attention from her new school mates because of her nose piercing and her rough language. One reason I wish there were fewer curses is because it pretty much eliminates the book's chances of being adopted by a school or district's literature approval committee. And I can see merit in such a book being studied - if not in language arts, in teen living type classes. There's lots to be considered in this story of Poppy's problem.
Overall, I found
Lifted a darn good read. I also related to Poppy and her situation because once upon a junior high time in my life, I was sucked into "lifting" some sailor hats for my "popular" friends. My "habit" started and ended with that once experience - the fear of getting caught outweighed any rush I felt, AND my friends' response to my daring was disappointing - to say the least.
