James, B. (2009). The Heights. New York, NY: Square Friends.
ISBN-13: 9780312607364
•Plot Summary
Henry was rescued on a rainy day in San Francisco, but Catherine's Earnshaw's father. Raised as brother and sister, the two are instead in love, and inseparable. At least, until the day Catherine's father dies, and her real brother, Hindley, takes over the household. Henry is taken from his known existence, placed in a violent public school, forced to live in the basement, and told to avoid Catherine unless he wants to become a ward of the state. As Catherine begins to make new friends, and falls for a boy of similar social standing (Edgar), Henry's feelings become more and more unpredictable. Trapped between the two worlds, and forced to take care of Hindley's pregnant/spoiled wife, Henry finally also resorts to terrorizing Edgar's sister (Isabella). By the end, Catherine is terrified of Henry, but falls to her death. Although there are no witnesses, Henry is placed in a juvenile detention center for two years.
•Critical Evaluation
A retelling, modernized version of Wuthering Heights. To rework such a beloved classic, for teen audiences, was a brave concept. Unfortunately, Henry's predicament, and therefore the troubles of those surrounding him, pales in comparison to the original. Not being in a posh private school, and not forced to flee the house as in the original, Henry's life is still better than most of his public school peers can claimed to having. The rationale behind some of the behaviors, especially by Catherine, are not comparable at all to the original. She just seems like a teen girl trapped in a bad situation, and neither seem like the tortured souls of Bronte's novel.
•Reader’s Annotation
Lackluster, contemporary account of the Bronte original.
•Information about the author
Brian James has authored almost twenty books for children and teens, and writes in a home office surrounded by action figures, stuffed animals, and his favorite CDs. He credits his creativity as originally coming from his setting up plays with his action figures, and fondly recalls that growing up in Philadelphia, he wanted to be a Jedi knight. His period as an author began when he moved to Manhattan, where he lived for almost ten years.
Currently, James lives with his wife and two cats in upstate New York. His favorite television shows tend to be from the comedy and science fiction genres, and if he could travel in time, he has stated he would go as far into the future as it is possible to go. If he ever ceases to write, he believes he'd probably become a teacher.
•Genre
Drama
•Curriculum Ties
Classic literature
English
•Booktalking Ideas
New slants on the classics, immigrant experience, teen violence
•Reading Level/Interest Age
Grades 9-12/Ages 14-18
•Challenge Issues
N/A
•Why did you include this book in you’re the titles you selected?
I've been a fan of Wuthering Heights since the sixth grade, and I was curious to see how a modern author, especially a man, would rework the material for teen audiences. Had I never read the original, this retelling would probably have been compelling enough to keep my interest, but I found it didn't really keep my attention until the chapter where Catherine dies, and then was lost again in the aftermath section.
