The Brave Bookshelf Dispatch
Books, brave conversations, author news, writer advice, and one internet thing I’m probably overthinking.
Hello Book friends and nerds!
I’ve been watching the new Carrie series on Amazon Prime, and I have to say, I think I like this version better than the original 1976 movie.
Now, before anyone comes after me, I love the movie starring Sissy Spacek and directed by Brian De Palma. And of course, there’s Stephen King’s original 1974 novel.
But what I appreciate about this new adaptation is how much more developed the characters feel.
They’re not simply good or evil. They’re complicated. They have reasons for doing what they do, even when those reasons don’t excuse their behavior.
Take the popular blonde bully, for example. In the original movie, she’s your typical mean girl. She’s cruel because, well, she’s mean.
In the new series, we get a better understanding of where that cruelty comes from. We see why she’s so angry and hateful. It doesn’t make her behavior acceptable, but it makes her feel more like an actual person.
And I appreciate that.
The same goes for Carrie’s mother, Margaret White.
Margaret has always been a terrifying character, especially because of her religious beliefs and the way she treats Carrie. But this version gives us more insight into why she believes what she does.
I also appreciate the changes to her backstory, particularly that this version doesn’t rely on rape to explain her relationship with sex and religion.
Instead, there’s more emphasis on how Margaret views the outside world as dangerous and sinful, while their home is supposed to be a sanctuary of purity.
The addition of a father figure also adds something different to the story.
And I especially like that Carrie confronts her mother about never telling her about menstruation. It’s a moment that deserves attention because Carrie’s lack of knowledge about her own body is one of the most disturbing parts of her upbringing.
But there’s another scene that really got to me.
The School Active Shooter Drill
This is where I think the new adaptation does something particularly interesting.
Carrie has grown up completely sheltered. No television, no internet, and very little understanding of what happens outside her home. In fact, she’s never been to school, and the government or the city knew of her existence until her father died in a construction accident. They find Carrie and her mother in a closet, frightened and praying.
So when her school conducts an active shooter drill, she has absolutely no idea what’s going on.
And this isn’t a simple announcement over the intercom.
The school has someone pretending to be a shooter, carrying a gun and moving from classroom to classroom.
The other students know the routine. They’ve done it before. They stay quiet and wait for it to be over.
But Carrie?
She’s terrified.
And I don’t blame her one bit.
Can you imagine being completely unaware of school shootings and suddenly finding yourself in a classroom where someone is walking around pretending to shoot students?
What really caught my attention, though, was Margaret’s response.
She goes to the principal and complains about the drill.
And while Margaret certainly has some questionable beliefs, I found myself agreeing with her on this one.
Why are we putting children through something that could traumatize them? Why have we accepted that kids need to practice hiding from someone with a gun?
Why are we teaching children to conform to the threat of school shooters instead of doing more to stop the shooters?
I agree with Margaret here.
I think our gun laws need to change. It’s ridiculous that school shootings have become such a concern that children have to prepare for them as part of their education, along with fire and tornado drills.
And the fact that the other students treat the drill as routine makes Carrie’s reaction even more disturbing.
She’s the sheltered one—the girl who knows almost nothing about the outside world.
Yet in that moment, her terror feels like the most reasonable reaction in the room.
That scene really stuck with me.
Why I’m Enjoying This Version More
So far, what I appreciate about this adaptation is that it takes a familiar story and brings in issues kids and schools are dealing with today.
Bullying, religion, isolation, school safety, and the way adults’ beliefs and decisions affect children.
The original Carrie is already a powerful story about cruelty and what happens when someone is pushed too far.
But this version seems more interested in examining why people behave the way they do, including the people we’re supposed to dislike.
And that’s something I enjoy in storytelling.
Give me a villain with a believable reason for being awful. Give me characters who make me question their choices, even when I don’t agree with them.
I don’t need everyone to be likable.
I just want them to feel human.
Which brings me to this week’s book.
On the Bookshelf: Six Must Die by Victoria Wlosok
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Apparently, I’ve been in the mood for stories about people with secrets and questionable motives, because my latest read was Six Must Die by Victoria Wlosok.
And if you’ve ever thought an escape room sounded like a fun group activity, this book might make you reconsider.
A year ago, an escape room fire killed Matt Cesari and left Steffi Zamekova with missing memories of what happened that night.
She also lost her friends and the life she knew.
Now, on the anniversary of the tragedy, Steffi receives a mysterious invitation to another escape room.
Because apparently surviving one disastrous escape room isn’t enough.
She reunites with her former friends, hoping to find answers about Matt’s death.
But everyone has secrets, and it quickly becomes obvious that this isn’t going to be an ordinary game.
What I really enjoyed about this book were the unreliable narratives and the twists and turns.
I love a mystery where I’m constantly questioning what the characters are telling me. Who’s lying? Who’s leaving something out? And can I trust anything I’m being told?
That’s what kept me reading.
However, I did have a few issues.
Some of the twists felt forced, almost as if certain information was deliberately being kept from the reader just to make the mystery work.
And while I enjoyed the ending, I also found parts of it predictable.
It wasn’t a complete surprise, although there were still a few things I didn’t see coming.
So, for me, Six Must Die earns four stars.
It’s an entertaining YA thriller with plenty of secrets, suspicious characters, and twists to keep you guessing, even if some don’t work quite as well as others.
And as much as I enjoy mysteries, I think I’ll stick to escape rooms where everyone gets to leave alive.
Click below to read my full review and get the book!
One More Thought...
Between Carrie and Six Must Die, I’ve been thinking a lot about how much a character’s history affects the way we see them.
I don’t necessarily want to forgive a character for doing something terrible.
But I do want to understand what brought them to that point.
And sometimes, knowing why someone behaves badly makes a story even more unsettling.
I’m curious: Do you prefer villains who are simply evil, or villains whose behavior has a believable explanation?
Hit reply and let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Until next time, happy reading!
Kim
The Brave Bookshelf • Young Adult Author • Ask The Girl