Steal art, not books! (Actually, steal neither): The Last Painting of Sara de Vos, by Dominic Smith

http://us.macmillan.com/

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos

Dominic Smith

Sarah Crighton Books: Farrar, Straus, and Girox, 2016

ISBN: 9780374106683

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a wee smidge bit fascinated by art theft. The definition of wee smidge bit in this case could also be defined as “crazy enough to have a would-steal hit list.” But can you blame me? That art is mesmerizing, and I grew up in a city with a ridiculous unsolved art heist! This, I believe, probably played a small role in my decision to initially major in art history when I started college (just yesterday guys, it wasn’t over a decade ago or anything…). It was a fling that didn’t last for practical reasons, but we’ve kept a small flame burning as part-time lovers. The initial tete a tete lasted a course or two long enough to leave me with lasting curiosity, appreciation, and the sense that had I stayed the course, I may have specialized in Flemish works. Those colors, you guys!

The plot to The Last Painting of Sara de Vos, therefore, is right up my alley. Flemish painting? Check. Stolen painting? Check. Forged painting? Check. Spanning centuries, decades, continents? Check. Female painters? Ummm...rare and wonderful check, please. Did I mention I really enjoy art theft stories yet? So yeah, I RSVP’d yes to this party, and I wasn’t disappointed by anything but a lack of an explanation as to how said thefting actually went down, but you know what? The rest is pretty solid, and has bonus meta-con-artistry, beautiful imagery, adeptly drawn characters, clear yet elegant language, the timeless sense of a piece of masterful art, and a patina of mystery. Because it is summer and I don't want your brains to rot,  I'm assigning you a grown up book with some big words.  And because the publisher description is what grabbed me and there's some sun I want to get after, I am sharing that below!

These Shallow Graves, by Jennifer Donnelly: when good girls go jouralist

These Shallow Graves

Jennifer Donnelly

Delacorte, 2015

NetGalley advance digital copy

In picking this book up, I will admit to hoping it would be a book with a mix of costume drama, drama, some historically inappropriate heat, a smidge of feminsim, smoldering gazes, more costumes, and a dramatic plot twist or fifteen.  Basically, I was hoping for the Luxe meets House of Mirth meets Newsies meets sexy gilded age crime thriller murder fun times.  Or something like that.  I mean, doesn’t the publisher summary lead you to believe this?

Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo dreams of becoming a writer—a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly. Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort shot himself while cleaning his pistol. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was a partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun. The more Jo hears about her father’s death, the more something feels wrong. Suicide is the only logical explanation, and of course people have started talking, but Jo’s father would never have resorted to that. And then she meets Eddie—a young, smart, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper—and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. But now it might be too late to stop. The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and this time the truth is the dirtiest part of all.  (Random House summary on NetGalley)

DUM DEE DUM DUM DUMMMMMM.  (Mathnet theme music, anyone?)

I probbbbably read toooo much into this, led by my hope for a delightfully costumed scandal novel I could rip through.   I’ll cop to believing (or hoping) this would be darker, more serious, and more mature, so I was a bit perturbed to discover the treacle in my treacle tart a bit sweeter and perhaps corn syrupy than I'd hoped for.  However, I when I got around to rearranging my expectations, I found that  I was enjoying myself enjoying this turn of the century book on society, news, and unexpectedly, forensic science. Yes, forensic science. Which was actually a pleasant albeit gross surprise.  So...it was definitely not totally historically accurate on that count, nor were the dialogue or actions of the primary characters.  This is a really fun, exciting, feminist story - perhaps a bit more than would have been realistic, but feminist, nonetheless.  The writing, dialogue and pace can be choppy, and at times the historian inside was rolling her eyes at those points, but overall, it's a really fun story, with likable characters, interesting social commentary, and lots of smoldering intrigue. In fact, weirdly, I’d actually rate the Luxe, despite the obvious wayyy over the top sexytimes as slightly more historically appropriate.  But whatever.  If you want a smutty costume drama book, read the Luxe.  Good for fans of Newsies, or those still recovering from the devastation of the House of Mirth who hoped against logic it would end differently!  I’m wondering if some recently published titles (like Sarah Donati’s The Gilded Hour) might scratch the itch I was looking to scratch when I picked this one in August!

Smuggle up with Greenglass House, by Kate Milford

Greenglass House
Kate Milford
Clarion Books: New York, 2014
ISBN: 9780544052703

Miles is readdddy to party...or rather enjoy a quiet winter holiday break with just his parents in their smuggler friendly inn, Greenglass House, so named for the beautiful stained glass windows and rumored to be the site of the founders hidden treasure.  Winter break usually means an empty inn instead of the usual motley crew of offbeat smugglers, and Miles is just cracking the spine on a good book when he is interrupted by the jingling summons that portends a guest.  One guest leads to another and then yet another, and suddenly, unexpectedly, the inn is nearly full of a curious cast of characters.  Even more curious is that each guest seems to have some prior knowledge of the others, and soon things become even more complicated when break-ins occur resulting in the disappearance of personal items that have a curious connection to the Inn and it’s founder, and a massive snowstorm rolls through and traps them all for the forseeable future.  Miles is understandably perturbed that his vacation has been a bit ruined, until Meddy, who arrives with the housekeepers, enlists his help in a role playing game that may or may not double as a way to find out the secrets the guests all seem to be keeping before anything else goes missing.  Before long, Miles realizes he may be on a hunt for more than personal treasures, as might the thief in their midst.

This is perhaps one of the most excellent middle grade novels I’ve read in years, and I don’t say that lightly (don’t worry Penderwicks, you still have real estate claims on my soul).  It is incredibly fun to read, never panders to the age of the intended audience, keeps even seasoned readers guessing until the twist of an ending, and frankly, warms the cockles of the blackest hearts!  It made me feel super cozy in the dead of the worst winter in my own memory.  There is treasure, adventure, mystery, and friendship.  Themes of challenging yourself, courage, and creativity abound, and this book deserves serious accolades for not only having a non-white (he’s Chinese) protagonist (huge snaps on this front alone), but one adopted by (white) parents of a different race. In short, Kate Milibrand doesn’t sugarcoat or tidily wrap up Miles’ occasional feelings of abandonment, deep love for his adoptive parents, shame about fantasizing about his birth parents, or about how he feels about the confusion he sees in strangers when they see him with his parents.  It’s extraordinary and I hope all youth librarians take note to include this wonderful book in their arsonal.  Excellent for kids aged 9-99, fans of the Goonies, and anyone who likes a good story!  

PS.  Thanks for putting this on my radar, Sam!

Twenties Girl, by Sophie Kinsella: Let's put on the ritz and flap around together this summer, doll.

Twenties Girl
Sophie Kinsella
Dial Press Trade: New York, 2010
ISBN9780385422032

Twenty-something Lara's life is not going so well these days.  Her boyfriend has dumped her, and to add insult to injury, her new business partner has run away to follow a man to Bali, with no plans to return, leaving Lara to keep things running on her own.  When Emma attends her great-aunt Sadie's funeral, things reach a head: the ghost of Sadie as she was in her twenties (in the 1920s) begins to haunt her.  Sadie appears only Lara, proclaiming that she won't be able to rest in peace until she is reunited with her favorite necklace.  Lara, and the ghost of Sadie, are launched on a mad quest through London to fulfill Sadie's last wishes, and get to know each other better as they discover secrets hidden with the missing necklace.  Though there are romantic elements typical of Kinsella's other works, this book is a departure in that the relationship of most central importance is firmly platonic.  It is a fun, light, occasionally romantic read with lots of 1920s fashion and culture nods, and an undercurrent of mystery.  I'd recommend it to female readers 15 and up.

I really enjoyed reading this one.   As I mentioned, the focus is not on finding a man and thus fulfilling all your needs, but rather more holistic.  Kinsella usually has plucky, if slightly lacking in confidence/brains protagonists, but I think the reason I liked this much more is because the romance with a dude is just kind of background, a device which actually tries and strengthens the development of the protagonist and her growing friendship with Sadie, which is truly the relationship at the heart of this book.  Sure it is a silly premise, but it is a rare Chick Lit find in that it is smart enough to realize that romance doesn't solve everything; people need personal growth and development in addition to their white knight (or lady equivalent).  Most important: it is a really fun read.  Older teens and ladies* who don't get carded anymore, make sure to throw this in your beach bag this summer (along with a bottle of water and sunblock - don' be a dummy!).

*Especially read this if you're digging what appears to be a revival of 1920s culture - I'm looking at you, all you recently opened speakeasies!  But honestly, if anyone wants to don a flapper dress, drink some giggle water, and learn the Charleston with me, I'm available. 

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn: Sometimes books for grown ups happen, even to the best of us

Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn
Crown: New York, 2012
ISBN: 978-0297859383

By all accounts, Amy and Nick Dunn are the perfect couple, from looks on down to their marriage.  When the recession leaves both of them unemployed, they move from New York to Nick's suburban Missouri hometown to care for his terminally ill mother.  Using the remainder of Amy's trust fund, Nick opens a bar and they settle into a life very different from their urban one, until Amy disappears with signs of a struggle on the fifth anniversary.  Nick and the police are left bewildered, with few leads.  All is not as it seems in this contemporary noir though things are starting to point to Nick.  Told in alternating chapters between Amy's diary recalling their past, and Nick's narrative voice in the present, this novel is suspenseful and engaging.  It is easy to see why this became such a bestseller, and it is recommended for adults and mature teens aged 16 and up, for sexuality and violence (and sheer plot complexity).  

Out of the Easy, by Ruta Sepetys: Smith girls aren't easy...even in the Big Easy

Out of the Easy
Ruta Sepetys
New York: Philomel Books, 2013.
ISBN: 978-0-399-25692-9
ARC provided by NetGally

The world is not kind when you are the daughter of a prostitute.  It is 1950, and Josie Morraine is about to turn eighteen.  Working in both a bookstore and as a maid in the brothel that employs her mother, Josie has lived alone and supported herself since she was 12. She is eager to escape her mother’s shadow and the steamy underbelly of New Orleans to start a better life for herself.  Though Josie’s defacto guardian, the infamous, fierce madam Willie Wooley, has provided her both with employment and protection in the rough French Quarter, she doesn’t agree with Josie’s dream of leaving New Orleans for an elite New England college education.  When a wealthy, kind businessman suspiciously dies the same day he has visited bookstore, Josie can’t help but pay attention as it becomes more and more evident that her mother’s gangster boyfriend may be involved, and that Josie and her friends may be in danger as a consequence.  Caught between doing the easy thing, the right thing, and following her dreams and heart, escaping her past is not going to be easy for Josie.  This well written, coming of age story is best for older teens and adults due to mature themes, and is a strong recommendation for both public and school libraries, as well as summer reading lists.  

With an opener like “My mother's a prostitute. Not the filthy, streetwalking kind.”  I think we can safely start placing bets on both how soon after publication this will be banned, how many times it will be banned, etc.  But I hope there are librarians brave enough out there to put this whore book on their library shelves - it is well worth the headache of dealing with the pearl clutchers who won’t make it past page one.  Out of the Easy is well crafted, with solid, engaging writing, and a really sympathetic, admirable protagonist.  Josie has it tough, and we sympathize with her, but Sepetys is deft in making sure we never feel pity for her; she has a hard life, but she’s working harder, holding her head high, and trying to stay respectable to change it.  

Josie has created a rich chosen family for herself. I particularly enjoyed her relationship with Patrick.  (Spoiler alert:) Though Josie is certainly not naive after working for years to clean up in the mornings at a brothel (a. gross, and b. por ejemplo, she doesn’t bat an eyelash when she finds one of the prostitutes napping with an ice pack on her ladybits), she’s naive about a lot of life, and doesn’t quite understand the whole being gay insinuation, pretty much until its beating her over her head.  I really kind of loved that angle; it’s such a human quality to know so much, and yet so little!  (Spoiler over!)  The other characters, though occasionally of a type (cruel gangster, loving chauffer, sweet-natured cook, slimey business man, prostitute with a heart of gold, progressive Smith girl from a good family), are all well crafted - and who wouldn’t have a crush on tight-jean, leather jacket, motorcycle mechanic with a heart of gold, Jesse?  Whatababe.  It is also a testament to Sepetys’ writing that she has written a book about a lot of prostitutes, usually easy fodder for ridicule or criticism.  Though the reader understands the societal prejudices, Sepetys’s writing never creates a feeling of disgust, pity or stigmatizes them, except perhaps in the case of the truly lost woman, Josie’s monstrous mother.  In short - it’s a pretty solid, enjoyable read with an aura of suspense that makes it hard to put down!  

PS. It took me until approximately today (I've had had this one for a month and a half or so) that there is not a bird, but a girl behind the birdcage on the cover. Self-low-five!

Liar and Spy, by Rebecca Stead: Is one who spies and lies a spiar?

Liar and Spy
by Rebecca Stead
Wendy Lamb Books (Random House), 2012

ISBN:

9780385737432

Review Copy from NetGalley

Seventh grade is shaping up to be a difficult year for Georges (pronounced George).  After his architect father loses his job, he and his parents must sell their house and move to a nearby apartment in Brooklyn.  His mom is absent a lot, working double shifts as a nurse.  These are things Georges understands, but doesn't like.  He's also saddened that his former best friend has grown apart and now sits at the cool table without him, and frustrated to find himself being bullied at school.  Things start looking up when the move provides Georges with a new opportunity: someone has posted a sign in the building basement for a meeting of something called The Spy Club.  He meets outgoing fourth-grade home-schooled candy addict, Candy, and her furtive, dog-walking twelve year-old brother, Safer.  As Safer takes Georges under his and begins to indoctrinate him into the world of in-building espionage, a friendship begins to develop.   Soon, they are on the hunt to find the truth about a mysterious, suitcase toting man who wears only black.  This story about truth, friendship, and confidence is as simple and realistic as it is heartening.  While there are some difficult life events covered and revealed in the surprise ending (financial trouble, betrayal, bullying, and coping with sick parents), all are well addressed by the characters.  It is strongly recommended for school and public libraries serving students grades 4-7. 

I really enjoyed reading this (despite my NetGalley copy at times being formatted in size four font - what's up with that?); it's been a while since I've picked up a chapter book primarily housed in the Children's Department of your local library/bookstore.  If you haven't read Rebecca Stead's extraordinary When You Reach Me,  you should rectify that immediately.  Liar and Spy is another wonderful example of something I noticed about Stead's writing while reading the previous title, other than that I enjoyed them both.  Stead never ever talks down to her readers (who are presumably largely comprised of kids aged 9-13), nor does she dumb down difficult life problems that other writers gloss over for a similar audience.  She treats them and her child characters with the same respect as she does adults.  Stead writes wonderfully normal kids, who experience the same sadness, frustration, excitement, and life challenges as her readers, and she does it in a way that refrains from preaching.  Keep it up, Rebecca Stead!

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner: Build bridges, not walls!

The Maze Runner

by James Dashner
Delacorte Press: New York, 2009

ISBN: 978-0-385-73794-4

A boy comes to in a rising elevator.  He is disoriented, scared, and clueless as to where, or who, he is.  He has no memory from life before, even of how old he is, only that his name is Thomas.  When he disembarks, he finds himself on what appears to be a small working farm, populated only with other teenage boys.  This, as he comes to find out, is the Glade.  The Gladers have lived here for two years and also have no memories prior to their own arrivals.  They have, however, discovered that the Glade is located in the middle of a giant, treacherous maze, whose walls shift daily, enclosing them inside nightly, protecting them from the monsters that lurk beyond. But things are changing; the first ever girl arrives a day after Thomas, in a coma, but clutching a note that simply says “She’s the last one.  Ever.”  Thomas, begins feel like he remembers things about the maze, and the mysterious girl, though he can’t fully recall what.  He’ll have to, because the Gladers are facing a whole new set of challenges: they’ve been cut off from all supplies, and the walls have stopped shifting to protect them at night.  Will they find a way out of the maze, and discover who they are and why they are even inside it before it is too late? Because of some violence and death, this book is recommended to middle school boys, and will have appeal to fans of The Hunger Games.

Book talk hook: (Yeah, I'm back on the sauce.  For now.) Briefly summarize the disorientation experienced by Thomas, asking the group to close their eyes and imagine that feeling.  Then continue with a brief summary, emphasis on the danger, excitement of trying to find a way out, and the shock at having a girl show up, bearing that super showstopper of a confusing message.  Hook, line, stinkers!

Review continued:

Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein: The spy that made me cry

Before I begin my review, I'm placing a big fat spoiler alert on it.  As per usual, I will never intentionally drop any bombs without fair warning.  But this book has such a major gasp-inducing reveal that essentially rewrites the entire prior story, that this is your major spoiler warning!  If you fully trust my judgment that this may be one of the best, if not the best, new books I've read this year (and maybe more, it is really that great!), then just stop reading and go and get at a copy right now!
If you're on the fence with my superior judgment skillz, just keep reading, judger.  I will do my very best not to spoil the story!

Code Name Verity
by Elizabeth Wein
Disney Book Group: New York, 2012
Nook Copy: ISBN-13: 9781423153252

     It is 1943 and war is omnipresent in Europe.  It is the reason a young female British operative is being interrogated after crashing in Nazi-occupied France.  By her own admission in the first lines of the book ("I AM A COWARD"), uncertain that her pilot, her best friend, has even survived the crash, she has lost hope of escape and agrees to trade her knowledge in writing to forgo being tortured any further.  While at first glance this seem solidly to be a work of historical fiction, this complex, tightly wrought story is one of the strongest portaits of female friendship short of the real thing, and has a reveal that will have readers jaws on the floor and flipping back to look for clues.  While it is marketed to a YA audience, it will do best with sophisticated readers grades 10 and up, and will find a foothold with the adult audience.  It is strongly recommended to all high school and public libraries. 

In case you have short term memory loss and have forgotten what I said earlier: this is THE best, if not one of the best things I've read all year (perhaps even longer!), in total seriousness with no exaggeration.  Behold a tweet I made upon finishing:

Yes.  I cried in public on a park bench.  And then again on the subway platform the next day THINKING about it.  Girl Scouts honor here, I am not exaggerating - people in my neighborhood now think I'm crazier than the hobo that normally occupies that bench.  It should come with a "has been known to make people cry in public" disclaimer on the cover.  This book is truly fantastic.  Get at it immediately!

It should probably also be required reading for dudes mystified by ladies and lady friendships.  At its core, it is a story of the strength and power of female friendship, and our love for our dearest friends.  The truth in this line slays me: 

Jasper Jones, by Craig Silvey: Australian YA for the win, rave #4320

Jasper Jones

by Craig Silvey

New York: Alfred A. Knopf

ISBN: 978-0-375-866661

Thirteen-year-old Charlie Bucktin is sick of his small Australian town and looking forward to spend his summer writing and hanging out with his best friend. However, the moment he awakens from a midnight knock on his window and opens it to find the local teenage pariah Jasper Jones seeking his help, his plans and life derail. Charlie, not wanting to seem immature, agrees and climbs of out the window into the night.  In doing so, he becomes privy to Jasper's horrible discovery: a body hanging from a giant hollow eucalyptis in the isolated grove that Jasper hides in when his alcoholic father gets to be too much.  To protect Jasper from taking the blame for a crime he did not commit, the boys hide the body, vowing to find the killer on their own.  Holding onto this unspeakable knowledge, Charlie is catapulted too soon into adulthood in a town filled with fear, racism, and finger pointing, experiencing first love and the agony of both keeping secret this terrible and unraveling a few more in the process.  This timeless coming of age tale is haunting, and charged with emotion, humor, and the unbearable sadness of growing up and away your own childhood.  Skillfully written, this novel often operates from very nostalgic, almost adult voice, and is strongly recommended to teens grades 9-12 who will best understand this way of thinking. 

Book Talk Hook:  Summarize the sitch.  Then ask what they would do.  If you have AV capabilities (are we still calling it that?), show the below book trailer to do the dirty for you. 

Okay, peoples.  Maybe it is the fear of imminent death due to everything being poisonous that prompts Aussie authors of YA to write like every book is their last, best, book.  Maybe there is something in the Australian water.  I like the first explanation best.  Irregardless.  I know I rave about it a bit, but the YA coming out of Australia is just so. so. good. you. guys.   Jasper Jones, by Craig Silvey is no exception to this rule.   But enough with my Aussieloveparade.  I also think that the book trailer for this movie is one of the best, if not the best I've ever seen:

This book.  Is seriously fantastic.  After moping my way through Monsters of Men being horribly overlooked for American awards this past year, I don't know if I'll be able to contain my rage if this one doesn't get any nods stateside.  Seriously.  Let me tell you all the reasons I scribbled down illedgibly on a post-it while reading it to remember exactly what captivated me about it:  

Lost in Translation: The Invisible, by Mats Wahl

The Invisible
by Mats Wahl
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.
ISBN: 0-374-33609-1


     A Swedish Law and Order without the Law part of the show, the point of this book may be lost in a cultural shuffle.  A case of a violent crime leaves a teenage boy missing with no trace and a detective weeding through the thinly veiled racism and anti-immigrant sentiment in the town to find him.  But the detective is not alone; in a plot device surely lost in translation, the boy is an invisible party following, almost haunting the unwitting detective, but ultimately more haunted by what has happened to him and his invisibility.  The narrative is very matter of fact, the description is stark, the ending frankly a little cheesy, and though some of the characters are developed more may be archetypes.  The book does hold a certain charm for mystery and crime lovers, or fans of Swedish writing, and has even been made into a movie.  It is recommended for libraries with large collections that contain the movie.

Apocalypse NOW! The Joshua Files: Invisible City

The Joshua Files: Invisible City. M.G. Harris (July 20, 2010).
Walker & Co: NY. ISBN: 9780802720955.
ARC Copy from ALA Midwinter 2010.

Josh may be just your average English schoolboy, but his dad is a renowned Mexican archaeologist working on finding a lost ancient Mayan scroll foretelling the end of the world in 2012. But when he is killed in a very suspicious plane crash on a fact finding mission in Mexico, Josh is left with more questions than answers about his father’s work, his dealings with a beautiful young woman in Mexico, and most importantly, about whether or not the crash was actually an accident. Josh sets off to find the answers to his questions in Mexico with two of his friends, but things get fishy almost immediately and he is separated from them and on the run for his life in the Mexican jungle. Josh discovers not only what his father was looking, but also a city lost to the known world deep in the Mexican jungle, and more shockingly that his family is deeply entwined in the prophecy regarding the end of the world in 2012. This story is an adrenaline filled adventure with a several jolting pensive moments, and is peppered with interesting historical facts about Mayan civilization (like how to read hieroglyphs) and fun sci-fi twists. It is recommended for boys in grades 5-8, particularly series readers, as this appears to be the first of at least two (The Joshua Files).

I procured my ARC copy of this book back in January at ALA’s midwinter, when the pub date of May 2010 seemed a long way off. And look at todays date, when I am finally posting the review I just wrote. Well played, madam. Since I figured I needed to read more books clearly marketed to boys, it was the first in my giant stack I picked up, and I was actually pleasantly surprised, largely because the writing, unlike many of the boy market generated books, is actually pretty solid, and the story, while somewhat predictable at points, manages to feel original and exciting! The author isn’t afraid to shock his readers; I actually got a little teary after the loss of a certain character. Allegedly. With 2012 and the predicted end of the world around the corner, I think this is a fun book to pick up, and easy to sell to boys of the upper elementary/middle school years. Mostly, I really want to see the real cover. My ARC cover promises me that the “final cover will include special effect.” Like WHAT. Because magpie that I am, I like me some shiny things, Walker & Co.!

In related but not news, while going to post this, I discovered that it is not actually coming out until July 20th, and that the author is in fact a woman. To which I say well played, because I really thought that with the way this character thinks and talks, said androgynously named M.G. Harris did not possess a Y chromosome. Well played Lady Harris! Finally – what is up with the new cover? The art is really gorgeous...but my ARC cover is much more cool grown up thriller book looking. Behold:

If you are an eleven year old boy trying to look cool, which are you going to pick up? I think my point makes itself. But more importantly: Where are those promised special effects?

The London Eye Mystery, by Siobhan Dowd: Eye Spy

The London Eye Mystery. Siobhan Dowd (2008).
NY: David Fickling Books. ISBN: 9780375849763.


Once upon a time, a book with narrator diagnosed with any sort of mental disability, such as Aspergers, were unheard of, barring a certain type of book that sensationalized the crazy (cough cough, Bell Jar, Girl Interrupted, I’m pointing at you). Then, along came The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime, which crept up beside us (and up the best seller charts) and suddenly, a more positive outlook and favorable portrayal of protagonists afflicted with mental handicaps wasn’t so strange or scandalous any more. Consequently, voices previously marginalized with mental health problems, particularly those with Aspergers, are now being heard more frequently, though not regularly, in popular fiction and literature. Just this year, Francisco X. Stork released Marcello in the Real World, a story told in the first person by a teenage boy with an Asperger-like condition (it’s on my To-Read shortlist, and totally has the most gorgeous cover of the year, in my always right opinion). However, these titles seem to reach a slightly older/teenaged audience, and don’t allow for much crossover to tweens and young teens. Three cheers then for The London Eye Mystery, which safely will amuse tweens, teens, and adults.

Ted Stark is our middle school aged protagonist who also happens to suffer from Aspbergers. He is extremely high functioning and intelligent, is obsessed with the weather, has some self-identified trouble recognizing body language in others, and describes himself as being wired slightly different than most people. Ted and family are thrown for a bit of a loop when his estranged Aunt Gloria and her son Salim come for a quick visit on their way to move to New York City. Salim and Ted bond, Salim shares his unhappiness about having to move and be lonely, and Ted tells us that he now is glad to have five real friends (his teacher, Mom, Dad and sister Kat are the other four). On a visit to the London Eye, Salim disappears, somewhere between getting on, and getting off the ride. Has he been kidnapped? Run away? Spontaneously combusted (one of Ted’s theories)? Kat and Ted are desperate to solve this mystery as the drama of a missing child case fills their lives and causes obvious tension and strain for everyone in the family. Ted, with his mind like a computer, and Kat, his sassy and bossy big sister, may be able to crack the case, but not before Ted learns how to tell a lie, Kat learns how to listen to Ted, and Ted learns a little bit more about how to blend in a world that doesn’t accept him as he is.

I think what I love about this book is that Dowd manages to capture Ted’s voice and alternative thought process in a way that feels both organic and authentic. It doesn’t feel like she’s trying too hard, or that she’s going for any easy, stereotypical cop-outs in creating this interesting and well developed character. She is extremely talented in getting us to see that Ted thinks and feels differently than we do, in his very unique and detached sort of way, but still manages to make him an empathetic, charming, and even funny character. I especially love the ongoing sub-plot within this book, in with straight arrow, logic loving, and 100% truthful Ted begins to see the merit in telling a little white lie every now and then. This story also handles the events surrounding a tragedy like a missing child very skillfully; we see and recognize he agony and the drama, but are somewhat removed from it because our narrator himself doesn’t feel like the others do, though feel the same emotions he does, in his own way.

Best for: Older middle school students (lads and ladies both), probably 12-14, mostly because the American edition of this book still contains a lot of British slang younger readers may find confusing (along with the narrative voice). Adults will enjoy this alter-narrative as well – especially you Brit culture vultures. You know who you are.

Book Talk Hook: I would read either the section in which Salim goes missing, orrrr read the scene of the first time Ted lies. I think the humor and the mystery are the best ways to sell this one to our target tweener audience.