SickFic: Double SickFic for 39 Clues
We haven't had a SickFic post for awhile. For those who do not know, SickFic is where I evaluate portrayals of chronic illness in literature. We have an established point system, which is explained in this post.
Today's book up for review is the 39 Clues series. It gets two evaluations, because it portrays two different diseases. If you want just a review of these books, I reviewed the first series earlier. Yes, first series, because they have written THREE SERIES. Not three books. Three series. And I just can't stop reading them. But now, we have to address the chronic illness aspect.
So, the first portrayal up is their portrayal of asthma.
In 39 Clues, one of the two main characters, Dan Cahill, has asthma. Seeing as asthma is too often portrayed as a character flaw, and not an actual disease, I was glad to see it taken on this way. But how does it hold up?
Accuracy: 9
For the most part, the portrayal is spot on. There is a place every once in awhile where you want to cringe with inaccuracy. However, I will give them some leeway because the inaccuracies are usually misunderstandings of characters that might not know that.
Humanity: 10
This character is one of the most developed in the series. He's not just a blob of liability to the group, he has traits and quirks and personality.
Permanence: 8
In later series, the asthma definitely lessens in severity. But he still has it, and that's actually still fairly accurate. In the first series, he is eleven. In the second two series, he is thirteen. Many children with asthma will have little to no asthma later in life, especially for boys. I do think it was some laziness in not wanting to not deal with it in writing anymore, but it's not wrong.
I will also allow the "sometimes it's a problem, sometimes it's not" because that's the nature of the disease. He seems to be triggered mostly by dust. He goes into a mine in one book and has a full-blown, life-threatening asthma attack; but two books later he (is an idiot) and goes into another mine and nothing happens. He goes inside an Egyptian tomb and gets some symptoms that go away. He goes inside a Turkish sleeze-place and has to leave to the street due to the dust's effect. It's inconsistent. But I'm okay with that, because that's how it should be.
Encouragement: 10
Doesn't stop him at all, and sometimes he's even stupid about it.\
The Cripple-Card: 9
He tries it once or twice, but no one buys it. The same rules apply to him. His sister tries to use to use it on his behalf once or twice though.
The You Must Have Faith Penalty: -0
If it could be cured by will power, he would have done it.
The Stereotype Penalty: -0
Luckily, asthma doesn't have that many stereotypes. But the one that it's a character flaw is not perpetuated, or the stereotype that it's nerdy, quiet, socially-inept kids that get it.
Bonus: +5
The point of the story is finding the 39 Clues to stop someone evil from getting world domination. Has nothing to do with the asthma. So, good job.
Final Asthma Score: 51/50
But then, in book five, (I think--the amber room one. Whichever that was. "The Black Circle"), they introduced a brief, minor character with hemophilia named Nataliya Ruslanova Radova. And yes, she is connected to the Russian Royals. And they didn't do quite as well with that one.
Accuracy: 3
Don't ever pull the "I can't leave this room or I will die from bleeds." Don't ever do that.
Humanity: 10
She has a lot of fight and purpose. She doesn't have tons of characteristics, but she's also a minor character, and the development of her character is a comparable level to other characters of her importance to the whole story.
Permanence: 10
It's portrayed is completely permanent, which it is.
Encouragement: 4
Basically, it tells hemophiliacs that they get to sit in one room for the rest of their lives. But she still does what she needs to do and is a successful person.
The Cripple-Card: 7
A lot of rules don't seem to apply to her, but that has more to do with her being a Lucian (something in the story) and a Romanov than a hemophiliac.
The You Must Have Faith Penalty: -0
The Stereotype Penalty: -5
The stereotypes abound. I can forgive Amy explaining hemophilia to Dan as you die from papercuts. She's a fourteen-year-old girl, and so there's some limitation of the character's understanding at play there. But when Nataliya herself reinforces those ideas, we've got a problem. I really wish I could give points back for combatting the stereotype that women cannot be hemophiliacs, but I just can't excuse all the other stereotypes.
Bonus: +5 (see the other bonus)
Final Hemophilia Score: 34/50
So there you have it. SickFic over and out.
Today's book up for review is the 39 Clues series. It gets two evaluations, because it portrays two different diseases. If you want just a review of these books, I reviewed the first series earlier. Yes, first series, because they have written THREE SERIES. Not three books. Three series. And I just can't stop reading them. But now, we have to address the chronic illness aspect.
So, the first portrayal up is their portrayal of asthma.
In 39 Clues, one of the two main characters, Dan Cahill, has asthma. Seeing as asthma is too often portrayed as a character flaw, and not an actual disease, I was glad to see it taken on this way. But how does it hold up?
Accuracy: 9
For the most part, the portrayal is spot on. There is a place every once in awhile where you want to cringe with inaccuracy. However, I will give them some leeway because the inaccuracies are usually misunderstandings of characters that might not know that.
Humanity: 10
This character is one of the most developed in the series. He's not just a blob of liability to the group, he has traits and quirks and personality.
Permanence: 8
In later series, the asthma definitely lessens in severity. But he still has it, and that's actually still fairly accurate. In the first series, he is eleven. In the second two series, he is thirteen. Many children with asthma will have little to no asthma later in life, especially for boys. I do think it was some laziness in not wanting to not deal with it in writing anymore, but it's not wrong.
I will also allow the "sometimes it's a problem, sometimes it's not" because that's the nature of the disease. He seems to be triggered mostly by dust. He goes into a mine in one book and has a full-blown, life-threatening asthma attack; but two books later he (is an idiot) and goes into another mine and nothing happens. He goes inside an Egyptian tomb and gets some symptoms that go away. He goes inside a Turkish sleeze-place and has to leave to the street due to the dust's effect. It's inconsistent. But I'm okay with that, because that's how it should be.
Encouragement: 10
Doesn't stop him at all, and sometimes he's even stupid about it.\
The Cripple-Card: 9
He tries it once or twice, but no one buys it. The same rules apply to him. His sister tries to use to use it on his behalf once or twice though.
The You Must Have Faith Penalty: -0
If it could be cured by will power, he would have done it.
The Stereotype Penalty: -0
Luckily, asthma doesn't have that many stereotypes. But the one that it's a character flaw is not perpetuated, or the stereotype that it's nerdy, quiet, socially-inept kids that get it.
Bonus: +5
The point of the story is finding the 39 Clues to stop someone evil from getting world domination. Has nothing to do with the asthma. So, good job.
Final Asthma Score: 51/50
But then, in book five, (I think--the amber room one. Whichever that was. "The Black Circle"), they introduced a brief, minor character with hemophilia named Nataliya Ruslanova Radova. And yes, she is connected to the Russian Royals. And they didn't do quite as well with that one.
Accuracy: 3
Don't ever pull the "I can't leave this room or I will die from bleeds." Don't ever do that.
Humanity: 10
She has a lot of fight and purpose. She doesn't have tons of characteristics, but she's also a minor character, and the development of her character is a comparable level to other characters of her importance to the whole story.
Permanence: 10
It's portrayed is completely permanent, which it is.
Encouragement: 4
Basically, it tells hemophiliacs that they get to sit in one room for the rest of their lives. But she still does what she needs to do and is a successful person.
The Cripple-Card: 7
A lot of rules don't seem to apply to her, but that has more to do with her being a Lucian (something in the story) and a Romanov than a hemophiliac.
The You Must Have Faith Penalty: -0
The Stereotype Penalty: -5
The stereotypes abound. I can forgive Amy explaining hemophilia to Dan as you die from papercuts. She's a fourteen-year-old girl, and so there's some limitation of the character's understanding at play there. But when Nataliya herself reinforces those ideas, we've got a problem. I really wish I could give points back for combatting the stereotype that women cannot be hemophiliacs, but I just can't excuse all the other stereotypes.
Bonus: +5 (see the other bonus)
Final Hemophilia Score: 34/50
So there you have it. SickFic over and out.
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