May 10, 2021
By Camille Echols
Staff Writer
The struggles of teenagers are commonly overlooked by adults. They tend to be ignored and viewed as dramatic or less important because they are young. However, teenagers often go through the same experiences adults have to go through and sometimes even worse.
In “Dive” by Stacey Donovan, the reader takes a look into the life of V, who currently has more on her plate to deal with than most people her age. She struggles through her dog’s major injury, her father’s terminal illness, her mother’s drinking problem and her best friend ignoring her. On top of all that, she has to deal with new feelings of attraction toward a girl named Jane. Her life is incredibly hectic, and it only seems to get worse throughout the novel.
“Dive” is a coming-of-age novel that helps the reader see into the mind of a 15-year-old struggling with what feels like the weight of the world on her shoulders. She is still a kid, but she ends up facing much more heartache than anyone should ever face.
It is written from the first-person point of view, which gives the reader insight into V’s feelings and makes her a much more relatable character. Without seeing V’s struggles and emotions through her own eyes, the book would be significantly less original and interesting. The writing style is what makes this book especially notable, and it would not be the same without it.
The writing style could be considered choppy or clumpy as most of the paragraphs are around the same short size. And because the book is only 189 pages in length, the novel may feel a bit rushed and the characters may not seem fully developed.
If one’s struggles are nowhere near as daunting as V’s, one can still relate to the stress put on by these problems and feelings of loneliness even when surrounded by loved ones.
Many can identify with V as a character because she represents a struggling teenager. If one’s struggles are nowhere near as daunting as V’s, one can still relate to the stress put on by these problems and feelings of loneliness even when surrounded by loved ones. The isolation V feels plays a large factor in the novel, which helps readers feel as though they are not alone in having emotions similar to those V experiences.
This book is geared toward teenagers, as it is written as an inner monologue that makes it easier for people to connect with it. It is written like a teenager would generally think—dramatic, sarcastic and angsty—which conveys an originality younger audiences would most likely appreciate more than older audiences.
Since the book is quite short, it can be appealing to those who do not have a lot of time to read or are not interested in reading a lengthy novel. However, it would not be suggested for young children to read this book since it can be dark and sad at times.
V ends up fully developed by the end of the novel. After all the pain she went through, she still manages to persevere even though she originally felt as though she would not be able to get through it. It takes a lot for her to realize she is not as truly alone as she felt, and she would be strong enough to get through everything that life threw at her in such a short time.
This book teaches readers lessons about dealing with loneliness and emerging on top after going through something tough. “Dive” is a good read for those who like Donovan’s unique style of writing, as well as for those who feel like they are alone in the world and need to know that someone else is struggling too.
