35. Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block

Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block

ISBN: 0-06-020534-2

HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 1989

113 p.

Plot Summary

Living in Los Angeles, or as she prefers to call it, “Shangri-L.A.,” Weetzie Bat hates high school because she cannot find anyone that understands her or the magic of living in the city.  With her bleach-blonde flattop and eclectic style, she stands out from the rest of the students, until she finds her soul mate in Dirk.  Instantly connecting, Dirk confesses to Weetzie that he is gay.  Unfazed, Weetzie simply exclaims that they will go Duck-hunting together, each searching for their perfect boyfriend.  When Dirk’s grandmother gives Weetzie a family heirloom, she dusts it to discover a tiny genie pop out.  Only worried about the happiness of herself and Dirk, she wishes for a house and two boyfriends, one for her and one for Dirk.  When all of her wishes come true, Weetzie realizes that everything is not perfect and sometimes Shangri-L.A. can be Hell-A, but happiness is what matters.

Critical Evaluation

Weetzie Bat reads like a modern fairytale, blending magical elements of genies and witches with the realistic struggles of young adults learning to cope with what life throws them.  Weetzie views Hollywood as a magical place with the memories of stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin all around her.  However, despite the whimsy quality of the story, the novel contains several heavy topics that are anything but magical.  In searching for her secret agent lover man, Weetzie attempts relationships with physically abusive and drug-addicted men, with one of them giving her a bruise on her arm.  Once the genie grants her wish, she runs into a man named My Secret Agent Lover Man and the love connection is instant, as is Dirk’s with Duck, demonstrating the literal way Weetzie’s wishes were granted.  In contrast to most fairytales, Weetzie and Dirk find their loves in the first half of the novel, giving the relationships time to grow and encounter problems rather than instantly result in a happily-ever-after.  My favorite aspect of the novel was the importance that Weetzie and Dirk place on family.  Although Weetzie’s parents divorced when she was young and Dirk’s parents died years before, they recognize the power of having a support group.  Because Weetzie and Dirk only have each other and their significant others, they all move into the cottage that Dirk’s grandmother left them when she passed away and form an unconventional family.  When Weetzie discovers that My Secret Agent Lover Man does not want to have children, she is devastated until Dirk and Duck convince her that they should have a baby together and raise him or her together.  Although they do not know which of the three men is the father, they all love the baby the same.  Weetzie Bat shows readers that it is possible to create a family where there wasn’t one before and that family can bring support and happiness to all within it.

Reader's Annotation

In the lights and glamour of Shangri-L.A., Weetzie and Dirk form a bond as strong as any.  With happiness in mind, Weetzie makes three wishes to a tiny genie, sending them on a trip through the ups and downs of love.

Information About the Author

Author Francesca Lia Block is renowned for her groundbreaking novels and stories—postmodern, magic-realist tales that transport readers through the harsh, gritty landscapes of contemporary life to transcendent realms of the senses where love is always our saving grace.

Born in Los Angeles, where she still lives, Block’s work pulsates with the language and images of the city’s sprawling subculture. Lauds a reviewer for the New York Times Book Review, “Block writes about the real Los Angeles better than anyone since Raymond Chandler.” (information from author’s website: http://www.francescaliablock.com/bio)

Genre

Young Adult – Fantasy/Realistic

Curriculum Ties

English - Reading Comprehension and Literary Response and Analysis

This novel can also be used in a unit on fairytales for students to read a new take on the fairytale.

Booktalking Ideas

1. Discuss the importance of having a “family.”

2. Focus on the relationship between Weetzie Bat and Dirk.

3. Talk about the absence of adult role models.

4. Identify the fairytale feel of the novel.

5. Address the incorporate of homosexuality in the novel.

Reading Level/Interest Age

12+

Challenge Issues

The novel has a few challenge issues, such as mentions of abuse and drug and alcohol use, as well as homosexuality and premarital sex.

When confronted with complaints about this novel, librarians should become familiar with the material and its content.  Turn to reviews from publications such as Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, and Booklist, as well as reviews from teens that have read it.  Also, it is beneficial for librarians to present reasons backed by the ALA in support of intellectual freedom.  As stated in the Library Bill of Rights:

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include Book in Selection? 

I had previously read Violet & Claire when I was in junior high and loved it, so I wanted to read another of Francesca Lia Block’s novels.