A Novel by Mariana Collette

A novel by Mariana Collette

I enjoyed this book because I found it easy to relate to on many levels. Throughout the book Lola hadfeelings of isolation and loneliness even when she was not alone. This is shown in the quotation "I never knew that you could feel lonely when there are other people around you but you can. And also, just because you are alone, doesn't mean that you are lonely. Sometimes, when I am completely alone, I feel just fine."

She describes her feeling loneliness by saying "Loneliness creeps in and takes a long, long time to go away." I can relate to this feeling and understand that sometimes it feels like that feeling will always be there even though rationally you know it won't.

One of the main themes of the story is trying to fit in and find your place in the world. An example of Lola trying to make friends and fit in with the crowd is when she is smoking. The reason I think she is trying to use smoking as a tool to find her 'group' is because in the story Lola states that "I don't even like smoking." This made me wonder about what could be causing her to do it if it isn't something she enjoys. Perhaps it could be out of boredom, to look stereotypically 'cool', to attract attention or maybe to try to appeal to a group’s general interests for instance smoking or drinking.

Lola also experiments with drinking by bringing a hip flask of vodka to school. I can relate to this scenario as I have done the same in the past. She says drinking is 'better with friends'.This illustrates that she wants her friends to perceive her in a new light and she may think people will like her more and want to be around her if she likes doing the things they do.

The book also explores the idea that people are not always what they appear to be at first glance. The quiet, shy girl sitting at the back of the class with her head down is more than likely to want a friend or even someone to keep her company. She may feel like she doesn't belong or fit in or 'click' immediately with people, after reading Lola Night I think sometimes the more extroverted or outgoing people could make an extra effort to include the more introverted or shy people around them.

Another thing I could relate to with Lola was that she didn't have a typical upbringing. Lola went through a lot of trauma in a short space of time with her grandmother’s incarceration and death as well as her mother’s hospitalization and moving in with Alison and her family. Eventually Lola doesn't know what 'normal' is anymore because of all the changes in her 'normal', this is shown in the quotation "But now I don't know what normal is anymore. Normal is just what you know. But then when you know too much, the stuff you thought was normal, doesn't seem so normal."

Lola shows great strength and resilience which is inspiring and gives me a sense of hopefulness about things always getting better no matter how dark and messed up things are.

In conclusion, I feel that Lola Night explores issues that are relevant to the youth of today. It reflects what is happening for teens throughout the western world and the struggles and challenges they face daily. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading about the current challenges that young people face as they try and find their place in society.