Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books

Amazon.com

Lanky lizards! The slinkster-cool novels in Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat series have finally been compiled into one delicious volume. All of the ethereal, mesmerizing titles are here--Weetzie Bat, Witch Baby, Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys, Missing Angel Juan, and Baby Be-Bop--together like the big, beautiful family described on their pages. Block's unique, poetic style immediately draws readers into an intoxicating magical-realist world populated by empathetic, original characters (as well as a few ghosts, fairies, and genies): "He kissed her. A kiss about apple pie à la mode with the vanilla creaminess melting in the pie heat. A kiss about chocolate, when you haven't eaten chocolate in a year. A kiss about palm trees speeding by, trailing pink clouds when you drive down the Strip sizzling with champagne. A kiss about spotlights fanning the sky and the swollen sea spilling like tears all over your legs."

We cheer for these young women and men as they struggle with the universal trials of growing up, finding love, and letting go--all within the vivid, glittering, urban embrace of Los Angeles. Block's stories about finding yourself, being true to your dreams, and believing in what might seem impossible will inspire teens and adults alike with the resounding messages of hope and the transformative power of love. --Brangien Davis

Book Description

Francesca Lia Block's luminous, postmodern fairy tales chronicle the thin line between fear and desire, pain and pleasure, cutting loose and holding on in a world where everyone is vulnerable to the most beautiful and dangerous angel of all: love.

Customer Reviews:

LOVE!.......2007-08-11

All five novels are truly exceptional. Francesca Lia Block has a wonderful mind and a very unique writing style that is so welcome in this world of the normal traditional authors of today. I recommend the Wheetzie Bat books to anyone who wants to read something captivating and perhaps even a bit 'out there' (but in the best of ways.)

Magical writing that brings to life characters in search of love and personal identity. Very highly recommend to all readers.......2007-08-11

Generations of young women and their lovers and friends grow up surrounded by genies, by love, and by the magical world of urban Los Angeles. Dangerous Angels is a compilation of the original Weetzie Bat book series, five novels that make up stories two generations--their love stories, deaths, births, and artistic adventures. The text is vivid, rich with sensual description and the hipster-cool slang that surrounds Weetzie's family. The magical-realist style intertwines angels, genies, and spirits with real-world issues of finding and nurturing love, having sex, creating identity and independence, being gay, and coping with death. The result is a remarkably engrossing, readable, and magical writing style that brings to life both Los Angeles and the characters, and deals with difficult, even controversial issues, that are rarely found in other young-adult books. I very highly recommend it.

It is difficult to do a plot summary of the Dangerous Angels books because the compilation contains so many books and the plot of each book is secondary to all the other factors that make up the text. In one story, Weetzie finds love for herself and for her best friend when a genie grants her wishes. In others, Weetzie's daughters struggle with their own identity and the power and music of their group of friends. In another, Weetzie's best friend comes to terms with his homosexuality. The plots are important, but what matters more is what character growth they prompt, what issues they deal with, and what text surrounds them.

The primary theme of the book is love--the most beautiful and most dangerous angel. Love, however, is mixed in with themes of personal identity, family, independence, and sexuality. The author does not skate over difficult and controversial issues, but neither does she subject them to lengthy angsting. Instead, life difficulties, like its genies, are presented as facts and are treated with the same open acceptance. In my opinion, this makes the book a wonderful and eye-opening read for young adults that is still relevant to grown-ups.

Finally, the delight of Dangerous Angels is the writing style. It is urban magical-realistic and richly, sensually detailed. Action, both of the characters and of the overall plot, is presented in short direct sentences. Description is also presented in short direct sentences. But in both cases, characters act and the world appears in ways that are distinctly magical. The end effect is a quickly-paced, no-nonsense style that nonetheless makes the books sing with lush description and very real magic. It makes very little sense to discuss the style when it so easy to simply quote it. One example: "Fifi's house was a Hollywood cottage with one of those fairy-tale roofs that looked like someone has spilled silly sand. There were roses and lemon trees in the garden and two bedrooms inside the house--one painted rose and the other aqua. The house was filled with plaster Jesus statues, glass butterfly ashtrays, paintings of clowns, and may kinds of coasters. Weetzie and Dirk had always loved the house." The writing style is a joy to read and sweeps the reader into the magical world of Weetzie and her family, bringing to life their stories and their challenges. It is unlike any other book you'll read, and I highly recommend it to all readers of all age groups.

These stories changed my life!.......2007-05-22

I first picked up Witch Baby when was thirteen..then promptly devoured the rest. Weetzie Bat, Goat Guys, Baby Be-Bop, Missing Angel Juan..... The stories transport you to a modern fairytale land. When I was growing up, these stories inspired me to pursue my fairytale dreams in this midst of harsh realities.

My favorites change as I travel through different phases of my life...Angel Juan is one of the best breakup stories ever! Goat Guys addresses the problems of being swept up in the material world and finding balance. Baby Be-Bop is about discovering your true self through your family. Weetzie and Witch Baby give two different perspectives...having a boyfriend/having babies, or being an outcast/finding where you belong.

Block transport her readers into a sensual world where genies and angels mix and mingle with the "real" people. She ask us to see the beauty beyond the hurt and ugliness of their lives. She lovingly paints a picture of modern day Los Angeles, all the while reminding us that the common denominator in our daily lives is love.

I can understand who some people might find these stories trite...Block goes off on fantasmagoric verbal riffing on every other page. She rhapsodizes about food, music, flowers, colors. If you enjoy Angela Carter or Colette, anyone who uses words like rich paint on a canvas...then you will find these stories satisfying as a Oki Dog Burrito.

apple pie a la mode indeed!!.......2007-04-24

i can't even begin to describe how much i love this book. i read it when i was about 15 or 16. i was trolling through the public library and saw all the weetzie bat books but they were all individual. i fell in love. some time later i went back and i found them in one big, fat collection and i was completely thrilled.

there's such a wonderful dreaminess to this book. the writing is so beautifully detailed. even now, almost 8 years later, i'm still constantly reading it. this book has a permanent place in my heart.

Young adults deserve better (so do adults).......2007-01-27

The characters and the story are shallow, totally lacking in depth. The writer seems to free associate and wanders from page to page. It was like reading a comic book plot or worse.I read books for my teens before they read them. This book was a huge disappointment. It is not appropriate in other ways either. I do not recommend it at all.

Average customer rating:

Magical
Wonderful Weetzie
thumb up for originality, thumb down for substance
Not your typical Young Adult novel
Winsome Weetzie Tries Too Hard, But Largely Succeeds

Weetzie Bat
Francesca Lia Block
Manufacturer: Recorded Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0788706012

Book Description

Ten years ago Francesca Lia Block made a dazzling entrance into the literary scene with what would become one of the most talked-about books of the decade: Weetzie Bat. This poetic roller coaster swoop has been repackaged with a sleek new design and is available in both hardcover and paperback editions. Rediscover the magic of Weetzie Bat, Ms. Blocks sophisticated, slinkster-cool love song to L.A.the book that shattered the standard, captivated readers of all generations, and made Francesca Lia Block one of the most heralded authors of the last decade.

Customer Reviews:

Magical.......2007-07-26

It's my understanding that the Weetzie Bat books have quite a following, and I can understand their cult status, as Block herself has a bit of a cult angle to her fan base. I however, entered into the world of Weetzie Bat, the title character, completely unaware of what to expect.

The book is quite short, quite fluffy, and quite quick to get through - under an hour or two easily. Although it's probably meant for younger readers, the poetic prose (which I'll get to later) makes it enjoyable for more artistically inclined older readers as well.

The story is Cinderella-esque in nature, or at least a pastiche of fairy tale motifs. Weetzie Bat is a cool LA chick that befriends a gay guy and makes 3 wishes on a magical lamp. The wishes come true but not without their challenges - mostly challenges to the standards we are accustomed to in the modern world including extended families, multiple fathers, and the realities of diseases like AIDS.

The book is not exactly coherent- meaning it reads more like a long form poem than an actual plot based story with the typical climaxes and denouments. However it is beautifully written and challenges the reader to question the status quo if they are willing to analyze the enchanting words laid out by Block.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book but I didn't really get a lot out of it...it was sweet and frothy, but altogether, left me feeling empty.

Wonderful Weetzie.......2007-07-02

I think I want to marry her. Ok, so really I just want to go out for coffee and share our writing. I want to incorporate some of her magic into my writings. I love it.I posted about reading Necklace of Kisses a while back. Well, when I finished that, I checked out some more Block books from the public library. First, I read Weetzie Bat. I wasn't quite as impressed with it. The beginning felt too quick. No story development. But, gradually, that improved, and I found myself loving Weetzie. I do not, however, see this as a young adult novel. It is very adult. As all of Block's books have been, so far. I love them, and they may be written on the reading level of a teenager, but they are not what I would call teen material. A little too heavy on sex and drugs, etc...

thumb up for originality, thumb down for substance.......2007-06-10

My opinion is really divided on Block. On the one hand, I love her ultra-modern, dreamily yet manically poetic retelling of fairy tales (here is the genie with the three wishes, and the "be careful what you wish for, you just might get it" moral). On the other hand, her characters are flat and rather obnoxious (teenagers that try too hard to be weird, one of my biggest pet peeves as I was a naturally wierd kid), and I often feel like I'm drowning in urban, commercialistic images. Her prose and style is so manic that it just flies from one plot point to another (they get their wishes, they get their men, they get pregnant, the cry about the possibility of AIDs, they live happily ever after) that it feels like a teenager or child is telling the story wistfully. That's probably on purpose, but it just doesn't feel deep or meaningful or even worthwhile. She can modernize fairy tales into beautiful poetry, but I'm just not feeling it. Grade: B

Not your typical Young Adult novel.......2006-11-05

This book is not for everyone - it's quirky and "alternative", containing some hip, punk elements from the late '80s. Some teens' parents might not approve of some of the subject matter. But if taken in the context of its genre (fantasy/magical realism), its all okay. Weetzie Bat tells the story of a girl named Weetzie, her best friend Dirk, his boyfriend, Duck, and Weetzie's boyfriend, My Secret Agent Lover Man. Together they live in a magical cottage in L.A. and create a loving family with strong bonds.

Winsome Weetzie Tries Too Hard, But Largely Succeeds.......2006-04-26

I got this book as a gift from a boyfriend who loved it, and it took me forever to actually get around to reading it, even though it is very short. I finished reading it sitting on a bench in a park in Manhattan, an appropriately precious setting for a book like this. At times, and especially at the start, I found that the book was trying too hard to be different and charming, but by the end I found it did create a unique world for itself and succeeded in what it set out to do. It is certainly an important book, given the time it was written and the social situations it presents, and it serves as an excellent young adult book for those who want to read about actual aspects of life and not sugarcoated teen romances.

Average customer rating:

A definite drop in quality from the first book.
I love anything that Block writes
Animals
Stunning in a childlike way
Dark and Magical

Witch Baby (Weetzie Bat)
Francesca Lia Block
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064470652

Amazon.com

One of kids' favorite characters in Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat series is Witch Baby: a tangly haired, purple-eyed girl who can curl her toes into cashew shapes. She's a bit of an outsider, more in touch with feelings and portents than the rest of the gang from Shangri-L.A. In Witch Baby and Missing Angel Juan, we're able to watch Witch Baby work through some of her feelings of alienation. Her willingness to explore darker emotional realms is a real inspiration, and, in fact, she seems more evolved and "whole" than the others. In Missing Angel Juan, Witch Baby finally finds a way to create her own sense of belonging. She finds out more about her history and her unique needs to push through some of the shyness and moodiness that has always kept her separate from others.

Book Description

Once upon a time in the city of Shangri-L.A., someone left a baby on a doorstep. She had wild, dark hair and purple eyes and looked at the world in a special way.

The family that took her in called her Witch Baby and raised her as their own. But even though she tried to fit in, Witch Baby never felt as though she truly belonged.

So one day she packed her bat-shaped backpack, put her black cowboy-boot roller skates, and went out into the real world to find out who she really was....

"[In] this sequel to the extraordinary Weetzie Bat, Witch Baby is at odds with her complicated family. She's a glowering personality whose excesses trouble both herself and others. Still, Witch Baby's quest for meaning ends on an up beat [and] generosity and love triumph in a far-from-perfect world. [Block uses] exquisitely crafted language to tell a story whose glitzy surface veils thoughtful consideration of profound contemporary themes." —SLJ.

1992 Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (ALA)
Best Books of 1991 (SLJ)
1992 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)

Customer Reviews:

A definite drop in quality from the first book........2005-08-03

Francesca Lia Block, Witch Baby (Harper, 1991)

The adventures of Weetzie Bat and Co. continue in this second book in the cycle, though Weetzie takes a background to Witch Baby here. Witch Baby is almost the darker side of Weetzie's coin, and gets into a number of the same messes (the names and dates change, but the situations sound somewhat similar). Block's Acker-esque fasination with ways to twist language continues apace.

The book's major failing, as compared to its predecessor, is that Block lets her prejudices bubble much closer to the surface here, and the books smacks far more of politics than did Weetzie Bat. Political polemic and novels do not mix (though, to be fair, it's easier to do in fiction than poetry; a handful of poets can do it successfully, while perhaps a dozen novelists have managed it over the years). While Block seemed to have the trick down in Weetzie Bat, here it comes off as pedestrian at best. (To be fair, though, unlike most political screed masquerading as fiction, it never gets in the way of the story or interferes with the pace.)

I hope the politics calm down in the series' later books, and that this was just a dip in quality easily remedied. Guess I'll find out as I keep going. ** ½

I love anything that Block writes.......2003-04-18

Block has to be one of the most beautiful, most creative writers in the whole world! I love her writing style. It is so easy to get lost in her books with all of her wonderful descriptions.... pretty soon you are breathing the musky air of her world.
Witch Baby is adorable with her purple hair and her bad attitude.
The story that Block included within this book about the people who find the glowing globe of blue and then die after decorating themselves with it was haunting....
I felt so bad for Witch Baby because she felt so unwanted....
I love the scene when she dances on the pancakes after hiding in the trunk when Dirk and Duck go on vacation.

Animals.......2003-04-05

A Review by Brittany

This book is about a baby that a family took and called her Witch Baby and raised her as their own. She grew up in Shangri, Los Angeles. She had purple eyes, wild, dark hair and looked at the world in a very special way. Even though Witch Baby tried to fit in, she never felt as if she truly belonged. One day she packed her bat-shaped backpack and put on her black cowboy-boot roller skates and went into the world to find out who she really was.

The realism of this book is that there are some real character names like Rachel and Dirk and two other names, there are such things as surf boards and surfing and water and cars and roads, and a few other things, but other than that there is not a lot. The conflicts in this book there are a few like in the beginning Witch Baby wants to go with Dirk and Duck on their little adventure to one of their moms house. Then there was the conflict when Dirk and Duck found out that Witch Baby snuck into their car and ate all of the fig-newtons. The relevance of this book to todays world is that it almost has a lot of the same things we do as in cars, roads, people, water, surfing, surfboards, etc;. This book is pretty boring. So basically I did not like this book.

The kind of person that might enjoy this book is a person that enjoys mystery.

Stunning in a childlike way.......2002-11-26

Never, EVER think that this book belongs on the children's fiction table. Well, it belongs there, obviously. But it would also fit in very comfortably in the adult fiction section.

Witch Baby is a girl who has never quite felt at home in the family who adopted her. This book is all about her trying to fit in, to relate to the people around her, and to find her true niche in life. Although it all sounds very cliche, this is one of the most rewarding books I've read in a long time. The print is large, the book is small enough to read in an evening, and you walk away feeling as if it was more than worth the effort.

Written in fairly plain, even childlike language, using slang that could seem forced in another context, but fits in nicely, it is truly a work of art. At times it is hard to fit Witch Baby into an age bracket - at times she seems little older than ten, but at others she could be seven or eight years older than that.

With characters such as My Secret Agent Lover Man, and Angel Juan, again it seems childlike in its outlook. However, issues confronted in the book, like acceptance of homosexuality, being adopted and finding your true roots are deep and well presented in this book. In this kind of book, a younger reader could encounter, for example, homosexuality in a non-judgemental light, and completely accept it at a younger age.

This book is a jewel to read.

Dark and Magical.......2002-07-01

Witch baby the book stands out among the other works in the Dangerous Angels series just as Witch Baby the character does from her colourful, sparkling, and seemingly wonderful almost-family in glittering LA. The story of Witch Baby is written from the point of view of a mysterious, elf-like little girl with a dark, secretive, and magical nature about her. She lives in a world of family, friends, sunshine and movies, but never feels that she really belongs to it. Is it because she's the daughter of a witch? Because she never knew who her father was? Whatever the reason, Witch Baby is determined to find her place in the world (most importantly in her own family), and opens peoples eyes in her own mysterious Witch Baby way. I love this book because it really makes the reader see things from a unique point of view, using the colourful imagery and feeling that Francesca Lia Block is known for. This is a particularly good read for adolescent and teenage girls, but I would encourage anyone to try it, because I think everyone can relate to Witch Baby and her struggle to fit in at some point in their lives.

Beautiful Boys: Two Weetzie Bat Books (Weetzie Bat)

Average customer rating:

I love the weetzie bat books..but

Beautiful Boys: Two Weetzie Bat Books (Weetzie Bat)
Francesca Lia Block
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060594357
Release Date: 2004-07-06

Book Description

Two darkly magical Weetzie Bat stories about the search for self from Francesca Lia Block: Missing Angel Juan and Baby Be-Bop.

Customer Reviews:

I love the weetzie bat books..but.......2004-07-08

This book, like Goat Girls has 2 previously published stories:Missing Angel Juan and Baby Be-Bop, both in which are fantastic. Missing Angel Juan is a story about Angel Juan and Witch Baby who fall in love. Baby Be-Bop is just as amazing as Angel Juan but has 3 different parts. It has a really interesting plot with Francesca's amazing writing style. If you want to buy this book, I'd reccomend Dangerous Angels instead because it has all 5 stories, and not just 2 like this one. All the weetzie bat stories rock.

Average customer rating:

If your heart is a broken teacup ,,
MISSing ANGLE JUAn
loved loved loved this book
The Tale of Witchbaby and Angel Juan
Angel Juan' Discovery

Missing Angel Juan (Weetzie Bat)
Francesca Lia Block
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064471209

Amazon.com

Book Description

Lonely City

A tangly-haired, purple-eyed girl named Witch Baby lives in glitzy L.A. She loves a guy named Angel Juan. When he leaves for New York she knows she must find him.

Looking For Love

So she heads for the city of glittery buildings and garbage and Chinese food and drug dealers and subways and kids playing hip-hopscotch.

Finding Trouble

Her clues are an empty tree house in the park, a postcard on the street, a mannequin in a diner. Angel Juan is in danger, and only Witch Baby's heart-magic can make him safe.

When Angel Juan leaves L. A.—and Witch Baby—to play his music and find himself in New York, Witch Baby, wild and restless without him, follows. The story that ensues "is an engagingly eccentric mix of fantasy and reality, enhanced—this time—by mystery and suspense. It is also magical, moving and mischievous, and—literally—marvelous."—SLJ.

1994 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)
1994 Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (ALA)
Best Books of 1993 (SLJ)
1994 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)
1993 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA)

Customer Reviews:

If your heart is a broken teacup ,,.......2007-04-21

First sentence: "Angel Juan and I walk through a funky green fog."

When Angel Juan leaves for New York, a shattered Witch Baby follows him and finds angels and uncles, ghosts and monsters. One of these ghosts accompanies her through the city, with her camera showing her what's truly happening despite appearances. There are treehouses and shivering cold, feasts and Ferris wheels, museums and menacing mannequins. Block articulates the pain and panic of loss so beautifully, so poetically, so wrenchingly deeply.

Another in the beautiful Weetzie Bat series ... If your heart is "a teacup covered with hairline cracks," or if your teacup heart has already broken into jagged pieces, this book will show you how to save yourself.

MISSing ANGLE JUAn.......2005-09-11

Full of magic, demons, ghosts, and angels this book will hook you on the first sentence. This is a story of love and letting go. Fantasy lovers will relish in this books beauty.

loved loved loved this book.......2004-07-26

Missing Angel Juan is easily my favorite Francesca Lia Block book. i loved witch baby from the moment i first read about her, way back in Weetzie Bat. i enjoyed watching her grow, and now her story of love, lonlieness, and redemption takes center stage, in this beautifully written book. her feelings of loss over angel juan's departure are easy to relate to, as is her restlessness in a city of dangerous angels. her exodus to new york is both transcendant and haunting, and left me both satisfied and shaken. perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the book is the character Cake, if only because such a thing could really happen. in all, it's one of the best books i've ever read, though far too short, and it left me screaming out for more, though grateful that i'd had the privelege of reading it.

The Tale of Witchbaby and Angel Juan.......2002-01-06

Another Block book that comes in the middle of her Weetzie Bat series, this story focuses on WitchBaby and Angel Juan, two teenagers in love. There are tears, fear, love, romance, sex, drugs, and alcohol in this story, all of which are combined into the most magical plot you will have ever laid eyes on. These two lovers run through New York City, having grown up in Los Angeles, and find many adventures. As you read the Weetzie Bat series, this puts different perspectives into view. Enjoy -- you won't regret reading it.

Angel Juan' Discovery.......2001-11-30

Missing Angle Juan is about a young girl named Witch Baby who's boyfriend Angle Juan leaves to go to L.A. to get away from eveeything and to think by him self. Witch Baby took that the wrong way and went looking for him in L.A. when she got to L.A. she went to an appartment where here almost grandfather lived and stayed there during the night. Withch Baby carries around a camera and takes pictures of everyting from fire files to farries and even boys dressed up like girl with braided pigtails. she meets her almost grandfather as a ghost. She was not frightened of him.
He shows her a round L.A. and they see lots of clues to where Angle Juan is. They find an empty club house in a tree, a postcard on the street, a mannequin in a diner, and pictures that they found at the empty fair grounds in the photo booth. Angle Juan is in danger and only Witch Babies heart-magic can save him...
Missing Angle Juan is a very good book. It is full of adventures and filled with supprises around every corner. Although this book was good it was kind of hard to read. The writer definatally had the skill for writing but she made sentences a paragraph long so you kind of miss the point of the story.

Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys (Weetzie Bat)

Average customer rating:

Another triumph from Ms. Block
poetic and dreamlike
"Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys" - my review
Slinkster Cool
not francesca's best work.

Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys (Weetzie Bat)
Francesca Lia Block
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064470954

Book Description

Once there was a slink-chunk,
slam-dunk band called The Goat Guys

Cherokee Bat danced and sang. Witch Baby, Cherokee's almost-sister, pounded the beat on her drums. Raphael played the guitar, and Angel Juan kept the rhythm on his bass. They made music that sparkled like fireworks, and audiences loved them.

But with success came power, and power was a dangerous thing. Cherokee and The Goat Guys were swept up in it-and soon it was threatening to destroy them.

Until Cherokee realized that it was up to her to save them all . . .

Customer Reviews:

Another triumph from Ms. Block.......2006-04-15

I have read this book as well as the first Weetzie Bat book, and it is fantastic. It really describes life in L.A very well, and is poetic and enticing without being try-hard. I did find the quirkiness to have a bit of an "off" about it, and I guess now I thought it was slightly forced. It is much more depressing than the other Weetzie book. The storyline is clever though: Cherokee's parents go away to film in South America, leaving Cherokee and her almost-sister Witch Baby with their group the Goat Guys. Cherokee gets goat hoof boots, but then they make Witch Baby's finger bleed because she got cut on the zipper. A very good book, I would recommend it to anyone. Sad yet cool, very very very good writing. A masterpiece.

poetic and dreamlike.......2005-11-17

A creative story about a girl named Cherokee. She's in a band but all of the members are having self image issues making them not sound so great. She goes to her friend Coyote for help and strength for he is magical. He helps her friends find inner strength but their power corrupts themselves and endangers their lives. She comes to Coyote for more help but he can't help, it is all up to Cherokee to save her friends lives. Francesca Lia block is one of my most favorite writers for her style is so unique and poetic and this story is a good example of that.

"Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys" - my review.......2005-01-24

This being the fifth book I've read by Francesca Lia Block, I thoroughly enjoyed it as I do with all of Block's books I've read. Although, "Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys" was definitely a little more on the depressing side compared to her other books.

"Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys" is about how Cherokee, With Baby, Raphael, and Angel Juan have to live on their own while the adults are gone making a movie with My Secret Agent Lover Man. Coyote is supposed to take care of them, but he doesn't help much.

I really liked this book because of how it deals with the four young teenagers growing up and learning about some scary things the hard way. When the four start a band call the Goat Guys, the experience opens up a door full of drugs, alcohol, sex, fame, and love in all of the wrong places. This is where the depression comes in. It was hard to read about how these teenagers' lives just kept going down and down. Cherokee tried to help, but by giving everyone in the rooms gifts that Coyote helped her make, she only opens up the door of trouble even more. Throughout the book, Cherokee struggles to keep everyone together in the happy family they once were.

Slinkster Cool.......2002-10-12

In my opinion, this is the darkest of the Weetzie Bat books, mainly on account of Cherokee's will to be happy and the more powerful will to help the people she loves. In the process, she becomes overwhelmed, and a hypnotic magic causes the band she's in to shoot too high, landing them in a mess of fans, drugs, sex, and of course, Rock 'n' Roll.

The imagery is glamorous and tasty, beautifully written, with plenty of culture to fufil the senses -- as all her books are.

This was probably my favorite of the Weetzie Bat books, and marks high on my list of favorite Francesca Lia Block books.

not francesca's best work........2002-07-18

i'm a huge francesca lia block fan and i was actually rather disappointed by this book. it seemed like it was forced as opposed to flowing like the rest of her books... i also found witch baby rather forced, although i loved weetzie bat and baby bebop. i suppose everyone has their bad days, or weeks or however long, though.

Average customer rating:

Good plot...if only the writing were better.
Doesn't get better than this...
Beautiful, by far one of her most touching
a some-what harsh (but brilliant) dose of trueth
Sort-of weird... sort-of interesting....

Baby Be-Bop (Weetzie Bat Books)
Francesca Lia Block
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

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ASIN: 0613021037

Book Description

Everyone has a story to tell ...

Dirk McDonald's life was almost perfect. He lived with this grandmother, Fifi, in a beautiful gingerbread cottage in Hollywood. He had the beach, and his surfboard, and Fifi's red-and-white 1955 Pontiac convertible.

But Dirk wasn't happy. Inside, he was harboring a deep, dark secret. And he was afraid that if he admitted it to anyone - even Fifi - he would never be accepted again.

Then one night, Dirk's magic lamp came to life. Suddenly, all the stories from Dirk's past came flowing out of it. On that night, his life changed forever. At last, Dirk learned who he really was, and that any love that is love is right.

Customer Reviews:

Good plot...if only the writing were better........2003-06-09

The book is about a boy coming to terms with the fact that he is gay. Or rather, that he wishes the world could come to terms with this. Fair enough. But is it too much to ask that a book be grammatically correct and that syntax and diction make sense? Yes, I can understand that dealing with a "different" sexual orientation in a world that is mostly intolerant and abusive is hard, and that there are worse sins than choppy incoherent sentences. And please do both of us (you and me) a favor and do not accuse me of being homophobic, because I am not. Trust me, I am no more merciful than this with heterosexual protagonists.

There are just plain too many teenager-aimed books nowadays that have this sort of choppy, half-conscious, half-delirious, not quite stream of consciousness style (if you can call it that) of writing. It's been done so often, starting from years ago, that it is no longer shocking, surprising, dynamic, breathtaking, etc. It's just bad writing. I'll have to disagree with any of the reviews on this page that say that Block's writing is beautiful imagery or prose, etc. It's not.

There are a great many coming-of-age books that deal with people and sexuality that actually have intelligence and heart, and still manage to have good grammar and sentences that flow logically from one to the next. Read one of those instead.

Doesn't get better than this..........2003-03-29

I love everything Francesca Lia Block has written (except maybe The Hanged Man), but this one has to be my favorite. I could read it forever. Aboslutely heartbreaking and soul-wrenching. Dirk and Duck were my favorites in the Weetzie Bat series, and this was the story I always wanted to hear, exactly the way and wanted to hear it.

Beautiful, by far one of her most touching.......2002-04-25

this is by far my favorite FLB book, i think she captures the feelings of isolation and loneliness that comes with coming out and coming to terms with homosexuality so well and in her beautiful poetic prose style. Great book to read when your going through a hard time and want to know that love and acceptance is out there.

a some-what harsh (but brilliant) dose of trueth.......2001-06-27

This is one of Block's best works of art. It is a touching story of a young man with a secret. Travel with him through the world filled with smoke, hate, and love in disguise. Like many Block books, this one brought me to tears. It's a wonderful story for anyone with a secret or a love for imaginative literature!!

Sort-of weird... sort-of interesting...........2001-06-25

I thought this book was going to be a love story... it's not! I guess that kind of disappointed me. The first half is about Dirk growing up, some of it's really sad, it made me cry. The second half of the book, where "ghosts of Dirk's ancestors, including the mother and father he never knew, share tales of his past, present, and future through magical images, setting him free to know that true love in any form is right" is really confusing. The characters have a lot of hallucinations which I found to be really weird, and the simple message is kind-of hard to grasp through the writing. The 12 and up age recommendation for the book is crazy, I would say at least ages 15 and up. The writing is filled with flowery descriptions, but at the same time I feel like she could have showed more instead of telling the story. And I feel like the story isn't finished.

Average customer rating:

Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books
Francesca Lia Block
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEU8IQ

Average customer rating:

Goat Girls : Two Weetzie Bat Books
Francesca Lia Block
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF4VJ2

Goat Girls: Two Weetzie Bat Books (Weetzie Bat)

Average customer rating:

These are definately 2 good stories but..

Goat Girls: Two Weetzie Bat Books (Weetzie Bat)
Francesca Lia Block
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060594349
Release Date: 2004-07-06

Book Description

Two magical-realist coming-of-age Weetzie Bat stories from Francesca Lia Block: Witch Baby and Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys.

Customer Reviews:

These are definately 2 good stories but.........2004-07-08

Goats girls consists of two previously written weetzie bat books that are also published seperately and in dangerous angels. It consists of Witch baby and Cherokee bat and the goat guys. When I bought the book I was expecting two new weetzie bat stories, but if you haven't read them they are fantastic. Witch baby is about a little girl who has purple eyes and black hair, she feels like she doesnt belong and the story is about her and her life as she watches everyone. Cherokee bat and the Goat guys is also really good. Francesca has a really unique way of writing and her storys will capture your heart and your attention. But if you want to read these, I suggest just buying dangerous Angels, its got all 5 stories

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