Weetzie Bat is an eccentric high schooler with a bleached blonde
flattop and punk style living in Los Angeles in the 1980's. She
befriends a fellow eccentric named Dirk, a high schooler with James
Dean-style good looks, and together the two of them search for true
love. Dirk finds his true love in Duck, a blonde surfer boy, while
Weetzie Bat finds her true love in My Secret Agent Lover Man, a movie
producer who casts her in his movies. The four friends move in together
and soon raise a family together when they have their daughters Cherokee
and Witch Baby. The family supports each other as they deal with
death, divorce, infidelity, AIDS, and everything else that comes with
living in modern American society. Though unconventional, the
characters create a family bond that carries them through good times and
bad and teaches them about true happiness. Part fantasy, part drama, and part comedy, this book is recommended for young adults and adults alike and is appropriate for a public or school library collection. Block's unique writing style creates a vivid picture of L.A. in the 1980's and tells a compelling story with minimal use of words. Her characters struggle to find "happily ever after" while dealing with the darker issues that come as they transition out of high school and into adulthood. As a reader, you are drawn into Weetzie Bat's eccentric world and come to see the beauty in a family that accepts differences, values uniqueness, and is willing to create their own version of happily ever after.
Awards
2009 Children's Literature Association Phoenix AwardLearn More
Find out more about Francesca Lia Block and her books on her website. You can also connect with her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.You can also watch a reading of the movie screenplay for Weetzie Bat (Part 1) below...
Block, Francesca Lia. Weetzie Bat. New York: Harper & Row, 1989. Print.
978-0060736255; Hardback; $15.00; 88 pages
Also available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.
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