I found Blu’s Hanging to be entertaining, yet very disturbing. This book made me really think about the ways that different people handle death. I found it really hard to relate to a father pretty much abandoning his children after his wife died. He only abuses and screams at them. I would see an event such a death being one to bring a family closer together rather then tear them apart more. But in the middle of the story, when the author explains the father’s actions, it really helped me understand that he may have been suffering more then the children, and that looking at the children only brought him more pain. The children to Poppy were basically the reason his wife was dead. In his eyes, the wife killed herself to save her children. He was much closer to his wide after having become so close to her when they both had Leberacy. I started to have more positive feelings toward Poppy at this point in the novel.
I was also somewhat disturbed on how sexual and animal abuse were used in the story. I found it interesting how some of there beliefs and lessons they learned from their mother played into this. For instance, the first time Blu was sexually attacked was by the neighbor their mother had told them not to ever go by. The first time he disobeyed the rule, he was attacked. This really shows how the mother really protected them, but when she was gone, it was as if her lessons of protection were gone as well.
I found the idea with being able to see spirits with dog tears very interestingly played in the story as well. They discussed how this worked, and then later in the story the children had to slowly bury all these dogs they were trying to take care of and had grown to love. I really enjoyed how the rule of the mother was played throughout the whole story with the dogs between praying for the dogs and using their tears. I found it very sad how they always told the dying or dead dog their mother would help take care of him.
When Ivah is given the chance to go to a better school in Honolulu, I wished she would have received more support not necessarily from her father since he was never around, but from her siblings. I think Blue and Maisie both knew and understood how much Ivah has to give up to take care of them, but they won’t allow her the chance to take care of herself for a change. Blu seemed to not really grow up very much in this book and had a really hard time finally accepting that he was old enough to step into Ivah’s shoes so she could go to school. I was glad that Big Sis and the teacher went so far out of the way to help Ivah, but I think the others needed to be more supporting of her.
I was also somewhat disturbed about the last sexual abuse act in the book by Paulo to Blu. It was exciting that Blu was trying so hard to earn money to go to Honolulu, but at the same time, I think he knew that going to Paulo would only cause problems. I think it was somewhat selfish for him to go there to wash the car when he knew what Paulo had done to others. I think he knew it could jeopardize his sister’s leaving but he did it anyway. Right away when Blu planned on going alone to wash the car, I knew what was going to happen and wished that he would really think about what he was doing.
I didn’t really like how the story ended. I think it could have left on a happier, more complete note besides the home with the father would was out of it and the children would were scared. I would have liked to actually see Ivah going to college or at least getting on the plane to go. Maybe a chapter of what it was like after she was gone. The ending where it stands was very disappointing for me.