Pink

Wilkinson, Lili. (2009). Pink. New York: HarperCollins Publisher.

Paperback | $16.99 USD | ISBN-13: 978-0061926549 | 320 pages | YA Fiction

Where does Ava fit in? Ava is brilliant, but doesn’t feel challenged at her school. The boys are immature and are constantly cursing at each other. She wears all black clothing every day and has dyed her hair black. Her girlfriend, Chloe, has perfect skin, always has a floppy paper book in her hand (or a cigarette,) and thinks school is a complete waste of time. Ava is the brightest in the class without even trying, but she wants a change. She is happy with Chloe as her girlfriend, though she is surprised Chloe picked her.  Ava really just wants to branch out on her own. She doesn’t want to feel like a nerd just for turning in her homework. She applies to Billy Hughes School for Academic Excellence and gets a full scholarship. Everyone seems perfect there. Chloe is not happy she left her. Things are about to change.

Ava’s parents are professors at the local uni and are glad that their daughter is not “normal.” They encourage her to be progressive and don’t mind that she is a lesbian. But they start to worry when Ava begins to change while attending Billy Hughes.  First, Ava dyed her hair back to its normal color and she started to wear “pink.” She believes her new school is the perfect place to “change” and try out more than a new wardrobe.  She wants to try out a new personality and maybe even a new sexual preference. She always thought she wanted a boyfriend.  Her new friends (nicknamed the Pastels) want her to try out for the school musical. She fails miserably but because they want to set her up with Ethan (a handsome lacrosse player who is in the play) she joins the Crew. Crew turns out to be full of freaks and her new friends worry that she is in this group. Ava tries to balance the demands of her new friends, while surviving in the Crew.  All this time, she still has a secret girlfriend in her old life back home. After a lot of time and effort, Ava becomes a contributing member of Crew to the musical. She even kisses Ethan at one of the Cast parties. She is confused about her own desires, and she begins to think she is smearing the lines of trust and betrayal with her new friends at her new school.  Then Chloe shows up at the school musical.

Ava is a teenager, so figuring out her wardrobe, her academics, her future plans and her sexuality is all part of the territory, but things really get complicated once all of these worlds collide. What will she decide? Will she come out? Will she hide behind her new appearance? What will her new friends or the Crew think of her being a lesbian? More importantly, will Ava learn to be comfortable with who she is? Ava’s story in Pink allows for teens to stand in her shoes and anyone reading the book can see that trying to figure out the answers to these questions that teens ask themselves is no easy task. This book would be useful for all school and public libraries looking to provide a diverse array of materials for young readers. Many teens struggle with the same thoughts that Ava does. We learn through her story that Ava had to experience life to really figure things out on her own.

Lili Wilkinson won several awards for Pink, including the Highly Commended Barbara Jefferis Award, Stonewall Award Honor Book, Amelia Bloomer Listee and Rainbow Room Listee. (http://liliwilkinson.com.au/books) An interesting fact about Australian author Lili Wilkinson is that her mother is Australian author Carole Wilkinson, best known for her work on The Dragon Keeper.