Sandpiper

by Ellen Wittlinger

Book Overview

With honesty and humor, the critically acclaimed author of Hard Love tells the story of two outcasts--teenage girl Sandpiper Hollow Ragsdale, who meets a guy who calls himself the Walker--whose unlikely friendship gives them each a reason to keep trying.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689868022
• ISBN13: 9780689868023
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Length: 227 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 8.7"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Definately Not a Black Sheep

First of all, when I read reviews, it'd be nice to be reading ones that are written by people who have actually read this book. Not even the two editorial reviews featured on this book's main page can agree on an age for Piper. Also, Walker wasn't responsible for the accidental death of a girl, it was a boy -- his nephew. That being said, "Sandpiper" is a worthwhile read about a girl who has reached a difficult point in her life. Sandpiper's mother is getting remarried and her new stepsister is everything she isn't. Her biological father, who she was once close to, has become a serial dater and can't deal with the fact that his teenage daughter is maturing and becoming much like the young women he dates. And Sandpiper, who has the reputation of a slut at her school for dating guys for short periods of time and giving oral sex, has a tough problem to deal with when one of her many scorned exes returns with plans for revenge. Piper finds solace in her poetry inspired by famous poets, and these poems are scattered throughout this book, providing an introspective view into Piper's mind, as well as a break from everything else. She becomes friends with the Walker, a mysterious guy who walks everywhere he goes and doesn't have a family or a home. It becomes clear that Piper and Walker must save each other from themselves, and maybe even more than that. However, as many reviewers have said before, the character of Derek, the vengeful ex, is a bit too one-dimensional, and it's almost a little frustrating that his madness is never really explained, aside from the fact that he was mad at Piper for dumping him. This is a decent young adult book, and teenage poets would definately enjoy it. I would consider it appropriate even for younger teens, to caution them about the consequences of careless sex, if nothing else. Luckily, this book does not preach. Insightful, entertaining, and darkly comical at times, "Sandpiper" definately earns the privilage of being read twice -- at least, for me it does. ~Ash

Excellent novel for teens who have just reached puberty

I disagree with people who think that younger teens should not read this book. They are the ones who should read it - both girls and boys. If you search online for "percentage teens sex," you will learn that about 1 in 3 or 4 teens have had oral sex by the time they leave middle school, often casually, like playing spin the bottle. Sandpiper shows, in a powerful and nonjudgmental way, all the dangers of casual sex. It also shows how a true friendship can develop between a girl and a boy.

Learning to live with the past

Sandpiper, by Ellen Wittlinger is a story about a girl named Sandpiper who is notorious for her short term, unattached relationships and for her need to get the attention of boys to feel valued and important. After one of her ex-boyfriend becomes violent, Sandpiper decides to change her lifestyle and to forget about her past. In her struggle to do this, she accidentally meets a boy named Walker, who, because of a mysterious past, lives without a family or home. As their friendship grows, Sandpiper discovers his hidden guilt over the accidental death of a young girl and the reason for his isolation. She realizes that Walker's inability to accept his past is what made him alone and through this knowledge, Sandpiper is able to live with her own past and help Walker come to terms with his.

Amazing.

I absolutely loved this book! I signed it out from the library and finished it before I went to sleep the same night! It was great. Ellen Wittlinger is one of my favorite authors, and this is her best yet.

An absorbing read for older teens

Seventeen-year-old Sandpiper Hollow Ragsdale has a bad reputation. Even Sandpiper's younger sister Daisy knows that kids at the high school call her older sister a slut. Sandpiper has figured out that giving oral sex to guys can get her some much-needed attention and a sort of power. The only problem is that she doesn't even like the guys she "dates," and she's more than willing to dump them after a few days or weeks. That kind of approach doesn't fly with her most recent boyfriend, Derek, who thinks that Sandpiper owes him --- and his friends --- even more. Sandpiper certainly can't talk to her parents about Derek's threats or about the reasons for her self-degrading sexual behavior. Her mom is getting remarried and can only think about plans for the upcoming lavish wedding. Her stepfather-to-be, Nathan, brings his daughter Rachel into town for the wedding. Rachel is everything Sandpiper isn't --- cute, petite, perky, the kind of girl who pleases parents and waits until marriage for sex. Sandpiper's father, Rags, has plenty of problems of his own --- he's a serial dater of younger women, and he doesn't know how to even look at Sandpiper now that she's developed breasts. Then Sandpiper meets a mysterious loner simply called the Walker, because he walks incessantly around their small Massachusetts town, refusing to ride in cars even in the pouring rain. She doesn't know anything about Walker's past, not even his real name (at first); all she knows is that he offers her platonic friendship without any sexual demands. When Derek starts to act on his threats, Walker and Sandpiper must come clean about their pasts so that they can help each other and find a new, more genuine kind of relationship. Sandpiper's own narration of her story alternates with her autobiographical poetry, often written in the style of famous poems ("The Love Song of Piper H. Ragsdale," for example). Surprisingly, the novel doesn't offer Piper's poetic gifts as healthier opportunities for her to increase her own self-worth, instead focusing on family and genuine romantic relationships as the best solutions. Both the characters of Derek and Walker are taken to extremes; Derek is a one-dimensional thug, and Walker is a little too wise and philosophical for his years. Piper herself, though, is a complex, sympathetic (if not always entirely likeable) character. Ellen Wittlinger's novels for teens don't shy away from tough subjects. In SANDPIPER Wittlinger explores the current widespread belief that oral sex is not "real sex." The novel's subject matter and its weighty tone make it appropriate for older teens. --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl