Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is defined as an instance of placing close together or side by side, for the purpose of comparison or contrast.
I can't help it. I find myself doing it all the time. If I read two books in close time proximity one often suffers due to its juxtaposition to the other. That is what happened to the Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen. It is a good book with a strong message of the importance of family and not "going it alone." But the books suffers in comparison to other books I've recently completed, The Fault in Our Stars (John Green), and Why We Broke Up (Daniel Handler.) These books are so good, the characters so fleshed out, the setting so realistic, and the writing so spectacular that almost any other book would not compare favorably.
So what is a book blogger to do? What do you do? Is there any way to avoid making comparisons between books when writing reviews? Or do comparisons actually help make the reviews more helpful? All three of the books that I mentioned above deal with teenagers in crisis, trying to make sense of their lives, and all of the teens show growth along the way. Though the stories are vastly different, they do have quite a bit in common, too. If you were to ask me which is my favorite, or if I would rank them 1-2-3, I could tell you easily.
Share your thoughts.
