Wow! Wow! Wow!Warning!
This is going to be a rave review complete with gushing, exclamation marks! and declarations of love.
Okay....deep breath!
To start - for my job, I end up reading (skimming) through a lot of YA and teen books. Sadly, a lot of it is dross.
I usually don't bore you with a review for these books as I try to keep my posts on the positive side. I usually follow the principle of "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all".
Sometimes the book is just not my thing, but often the 'dumbed down' stories just make me want to cry for the young people who think this is all there is to reading. We all have comfort reads and sometimes in our life we all need an easy, uncomplicated read. But bad writing and poorly constructed plots do my head in.
Maybe that helps to explain why I have also embraced the whole Classic Club thing so wholeheartedly. A chance to focus my reading onto books and genres I love.
So it is with much delight and fanfare that I present to you Book One in The Colours of Madeleine: A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty.
Wow! Wow! Wow!
Okay, time to pull myself together and write something sensible!
This book stands out from the crowd.
It is quirky, funny and clever. Whimsical, charming and mesmerising also springs to mind.
I love the writing and the colourful phrases.
Madeleine and Elliot are characters to fall in love with. They're authentic, real and believable, just as I believed in Gandalf and Bilbo every time I read LOTR. They have presence. Their predicaments became mine and I couldn't wait to see where Moriarty was taking us all next.
As the last chapter loomed large I began to moan "no, no, no" - I didn't want this story to end.
I want more and I want it now!
As I was reading it I was trying to work out why I enjoyed this so much.
When you read a lot of average stories, finding one that stands out and grabs you and makes you read it as quickly as possible, but as slowly as possible at the same so you can spin out the pleasure for as long as possible - that's a good sign!
A Corner of White transcends genre and generation.
This book is not just YA or contemporary fantasy.
This book could be loved and cherished by anyone of any age.
It is easy to read, uncomplicated and fun.
Sadly, the rest of you have to wait until October for Pan Macmillan Australia to release this book (and for those of you in the UK and US, you have to wait until April 2013!! You poor things.)I'll try not to gloat too much!!
Wow, what a great lot of bookie gushing! I simply must add this to my TBR.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading so many very ordinary YA books - this was an absolute delight.
DeleteBut I have since found out that Macmillan are planning on selling this as an adult novel. That knowledge changes my review a little - this is not an adult novel.
Adults looking for an easy, comforting, quirky read will enjoy this as much I did, but an adult looking for an adult fantasy novel with adult concepts and attitude will be very disappointed.
As an adult novel this is a holiday read, something to get you through a long flight, a trip to hospital or to doze over by the pool with a cocktail in hand!
I think Macmillan (and Moriarty) will regret their marketing decision.