Leftovers by Laura Wiess

MTV Books, 2008
Review by Mary Senior Harwood

The title sets the tone for this novel. Who really likes the leftovers? Don’t we all want to have first pick, the turkey fresh from the oven?

The leftovers in this book are two best friends, Blair and Ardith, two fifteen year old girls from very different – yet in some ways eerily similar – families. Blair’s mother is a successful attorney who is vying for a judgeship at all costs. She seems blinded to the fact that her ambition has ruined her marriage and set her daughter up for physical abuse. Blair’s father is no better. When he isn’t working, he’s seeing his mistress. Blair gets only the leftovers of her parent’s attention.

Ardith’s family has no rules. And no morals. Ardith, the only one who seems to notice or care, locks herself in her bedroom as protection from sexual abuse by her father and brother. Because of her family, she is scorned by Blair’s mother as a “bad influence” and Blair is forbidden to see her. Ardith is the societal leftover in the story.

The girls take turns narrating the arc of the story. As the book opens, it is clear they are telling this story to someone, but you don’t know who until much later in the book. Their narration swings between a first person past account, I did this, she said that, to a more unusual second person present narration that indicates how each girl distances herself from her own life. It is the introspective version of the royal we.

A third girl, Della, plays a major role in their story. Blair’s mother “encourages” her to befriend the much younger Della, who is a twelve year old in a 16 year old’s body. Della’s family is rich and influential and Blair’s mother believes the friendship will help her ascent to the bench. Della becomes a pawn to Blair and Ardith, who believe they had to set Della up to trap Ardith’s brother and show the world what a scum he is. But did they really set Della up? All they did was not protect her from him. Was she anymore set up than the girl in the very first pages of the book who is forced to give a bathroom full of boys oral sex? Weren’t they parroting their own parent’s behavior? How much blame is there from the things undone?

The book is small but powerful. If I were reading this when my daughter was 15, I would be horrified. It is a cautionary tale without a fairy tale ending.

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