’89 Walls by Katie Pierson
Review by Lauren
Source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own
is not in the cards for Seth. He spends his minimum wage on groceries and fakes happiness to distract his
mom from the MS they both know will kill her. It’s agony to carry around a
frayed love note for a girl who’s both out of his league and beneath his
dignity.
finishing high school on top. But that cynical, liberal guy in her social
studies class makes her doubt her old assumptions. Challenging the rules now,
though, would a) squander her last
summer at home, b) antagonize her
conservative dad, and c) make her a hypocrite.
and Quinn’s passionate new romance takes them both by surprise. They keep it a secret:
it’s too early to make plans and too late not to care. But it’s 1989. As politics suddenly get personal,
they find themselves fighting bare-fisted for their beliefs and each other—in the clear light of day.
Review: ’89 Walls was an emotional read about teenagers Seth and Quinn, who are falling for each other when it might be too late. College is fast approaching and Seth doesn’t plan on going, while Quinn is going to another state. Seth’s mom is suffering from MS, and while she loves Seth and wants him to succeed, she also relies on his help as they can’t afford a nurse to come stay with them. As for Quinn, she is from a well-to-do family who doesn’t have to worry about money and she knows that she can easily leave home to attend college and better herself for the future.
It seems like an odd pairing, but they work for the most part. They do have issues that they have to overcome and they don’t always agree on things. Their relationship starts as antagonistic in social studies class, as Quinn tends to parrot her father’s conservative views and Seth likes to fight back with more liberal thoughts. These obviously come from their life experiences, but they have a lot to learn from each other.
There are a lot of adult themes in this book, and I feel like Pierson handled it well. I liked that the book took place in 1989 because it’s interesting to see how things are different, and yet still the same, in today’s time. ’89 Walls was worth reading, but it wasn’t a favorite of mine. I would still recommend it to those that like contemporary/realistic novels that deal with some tougher topics.
Interesting period to follow, well maybe because I was bornd this year lol and haven't read anything a book set during this period. It sounds like a really interesting book with all the topics aborded.
I like relationships that start out antagonistic and then end in love for some reason. I think because the tension is always there. I like that this deals with tough situations. I think I might like this. Great review!
I like that their relationship isn't perfect and more realistic.
Loving the simple cover. I'm always intrigued with books that feature characters with disabilities so this may well be one I'll check out.
Well , you know I am all about some good emotions in what I read, so great to hear
I would read this for the period alone. I was a teenager in 1989 so I would love to see how well the year is depicted.
Definitely sounds like they're opposites, but opposites attract, right? Glad the more adult themes were handled well! 🙂
I also think it would be really interesting to see how things differ, and I really like that we get to see their relationship develop. I think I will check this one out!
Sounds like an interesting read and thanks for your honest review.
Doesn't sound like my thing, but I'm kind of interested since I was born in '89.
It does sound interesting, but I prefer happier themes…
I liked your review, because I felt a little lost by the official summary. This sounds like a pretty good read and I like the idea of setting it 1989. It's funny to think how long ago that is now to my kids and this younger generation! I sound old to myself even saying that 🙂
Thanks for the review and for all of the reader comments! I had a hard time pitching this book to agents who thought it was "outdated." Once I basically said, "Look, we're old. Our teens think this is historical fiction" they started paying attention. 🙂
'89 Walls sounds interesting. I like that both characters have different political views yet still find a way to learn from one another. I agree, that even things have changed in the present time, a lot still remains the same! Great Review Lauren 🙂
Lindy@ A Bookish Escape
I like that it's set in the late 80s, do you feel like she did a pretty good job of staying true to the era?