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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
More like a 3.5. I didn't care for the art so I couldn't get what the fuss was about.
You know when you start a book and have to triple check the front cover to confirm it's stamped a novel? That's The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone. With news clippings, photographs, paintings, and interviews, Addison's story comes alive. I fell in love with this youth whose light burns out all too soon.
Addison Stone is a larger-than-life, fast-track artist. She leaves small town Rhode Island for the big City (New York City, obviously), and quickly becomes entrenched in a glamorously, manic lifestyle. Addison is a high schooler, and á la Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan, tailspins out of control with the fame and scene that surround her. To sum up, "She always liked the brink, and anyone who was standing on it" (166).
This is a fast read, uniquely written, and oh-so-believable. It is also filled with thought-provoking one-liners and adolescent thrills (imagine swinging from a chandelier or playing a prank on the Guggenheim). Enjoy tragic, unfinished life of Addison Stone, and you'll be looking for her everywhere.
Favorite quotes:
"'What do you see behind your eyelids?' I asked her.
'The whole world. Only more of it,' she answered. 'There's a lot more behind my eyes than whatever's in front of them'" (27).
"'Cyclops'--that was about hurting for a guy so bad you were like a Cyclops, get it? Like, as if you had your one dumb eye perma-stuck on that guy" (37).
"It was like being drunk on fear" (45).
"He wasn't model-hot, but he was sort of asshole-hot. He was the guy with the best shoes and the quickest, cruelest put-down" (94).
"When I look back, I realize I'd put my own life on hold, I was a glorified gardener, pruning and watering and watching for every new mood blossom on the Addison Stone tree" (126).
"'You're burning yourself out,' I'd argue. 'Your mom wants to see you. And you need to rest. At least if you're in Rhode Island, you know that you're not missing anything. There's nothing to miss'" (199).
"I'm spinning and spinning. My brain is like a big echoing train station filled with announcements I can't hear, and I'm trying to decide which trains I should board, but I can't make any decisions because it's too noisy" (204).
Addison Stone is a larger-than-life, fast-track artist. She leaves small town Rhode Island for the big City (New York City, obviously), and quickly becomes entrenched in a glamorously, manic lifestyle. Addison is a high schooler, and á la Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan, tailspins out of control with the fame and scene that surround her. To sum up, "She always liked the brink, and anyone who was standing on it" (166).
This is a fast read, uniquely written, and oh-so-believable. It is also filled with thought-provoking one-liners and adolescent thrills (imagine swinging from a chandelier or playing a prank on the Guggenheim). Enjoy tragic, unfinished life of Addison Stone, and you'll be looking for her everywhere.
Favorite quotes:
"'What do you see behind your eyelids?' I asked her.
'The whole world. Only more of it,' she answered. 'There's a lot more behind my eyes than whatever's in front of them'" (27).
"'Cyclops'--that was about hurting for a guy so bad you were like a Cyclops, get it? Like, as if you had your one dumb eye perma-stuck on that guy" (37).
"It was like being drunk on fear" (45).
"He wasn't model-hot, but he was sort of asshole-hot. He was the guy with the best shoes and the quickest, cruelest put-down" (94).
"When I look back, I realize I'd put my own life on hold, I was a glorified gardener, pruning and watering and watching for every new mood blossom on the Addison Stone tree" (126).
"'You're burning yourself out,' I'd argue. 'Your mom wants to see you. And you need to rest. At least if you're in Rhode Island, you know that you're not missing anything. There's nothing to miss'" (199).
"I'm spinning and spinning. My brain is like a big echoing train station filled with announcements I can't hear, and I'm trying to decide which trains I should board, but I can't make any decisions because it's too noisy" (204).
http://librarianosnark.blogspot.com/2015/01/review-unfinished-life-of-addison-stone.html
Reads like a reality television show, which I ate up even though I'm not much for reality tv. I do think teens will love this book. The ending was a little anticlimactic for my taste.
Addison Stone is the enigmatic artist whose death shocked the world into a state of disbelief. This book is her biography with insider interviews from the people she was closest to. Before you begin Googling “who is Addison Stone,” don’t bother, she is not a real person. This cleverly written mock biography is so convincing, I was sure that I was reading about a real person. It feels as if I had heard her story before.
It has been nearly a year since I listened to the audiobook version of this book. The story is so haunting, and the voices of the characters seems so convincing, I honestly can’t get this book out of my mind. One thing I missed by listening to The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone was the artwork featured in the book, (which I eventually remedied by purchasing my own copy of this novel.) The author had hired a few artists to create pieces of artwork for the novel, including images representing Addison Stone.
The entire book is told through interviews and articles. The unique structure of the book creates a fragmented image of Addison Stone. Some of the stories are contradictory. Eventually, you begin to realize that everyone has a motive when telling their side of the story. Most of the characters try to assure how close they were to Addison Stone, as if they wanted to claim her success for themselves.
I recently ended up reading the novel once more (this time in book form), and I really liked the structure of the book. The structure really reminded me of a celebrity’s biography full of interviews, magazine covers and personal photographs. I really loved seeing “Addison Stone’s” artwork which really made her come alive in my eyes.
Before reading the novel, I thought this was a mystery novel trying to find out who killed her or how she died. Instead, the question asked throughout the novel isn’t how, but why did she die? If you are expecting a straightforward answer to this question at the end of the novel, you will not find it. Instead, you have to distinguish for yourself which story sounds reliable enough to be taken as truth. The biographer (narrator) isn’t very reliable either as she uses Addison Stone’s death in order to sell her book. I ended up realizing why this story sounded so familiar. Celebrities are painted in such a way as to be mysterious, glamorous and unreachable. If a celebrity dies young, then they are canonized and their music, art, movies, books etc. becomes an instant success, as with subsequent documentaries, movies, and biographies based on their life.
Addison Stone is the poster child of a promising celebrity whose life ended too soon. In many ways, her death becomes more significant than her life. As the readers of her biography, we also become part of the chain of trying to define her. I was hypnotized by the interviews of Addison’s life. I was astounded by how Adele Griffin was able to create such a believable character.
I would recommend this book to: art lovers, fans of the photography in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and to those who enjoy books told through interviews and articles.
It has been nearly a year since I listened to the audiobook version of this book. The story is so haunting, and the voices of the characters seems so convincing, I honestly can’t get this book out of my mind. One thing I missed by listening to The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone was the artwork featured in the book, (which I eventually remedied by purchasing my own copy of this novel.) The author had hired a few artists to create pieces of artwork for the novel, including images representing Addison Stone.
The entire book is told through interviews and articles. The unique structure of the book creates a fragmented image of Addison Stone. Some of the stories are contradictory. Eventually, you begin to realize that everyone has a motive when telling their side of the story. Most of the characters try to assure how close they were to Addison Stone, as if they wanted to claim her success for themselves.
I recently ended up reading the novel once more (this time in book form), and I really liked the structure of the book. The structure really reminded me of a celebrity’s biography full of interviews, magazine covers and personal photographs. I really loved seeing “Addison Stone’s” artwork which really made her come alive in my eyes.
Before reading the novel, I thought this was a mystery novel trying to find out who killed her or how she died. Instead, the question asked throughout the novel isn’t how, but why did she die? If you are expecting a straightforward answer to this question at the end of the novel, you will not find it. Instead, you have to distinguish for yourself which story sounds reliable enough to be taken as truth. The biographer (narrator) isn’t very reliable either as she uses Addison Stone’s death in order to sell her book. I ended up realizing why this story sounded so familiar. Celebrities are painted in such a way as to be mysterious, glamorous and unreachable. If a celebrity dies young, then they are canonized and their music, art, movies, books etc. becomes an instant success, as with subsequent documentaries, movies, and biographies based on their life.
Addison Stone is the poster child of a promising celebrity whose life ended too soon. In many ways, her death becomes more significant than her life. As the readers of her biography, we also become part of the chain of trying to define her. I was hypnotized by the interviews of Addison’s life. I was astounded by how Adele Griffin was able to create such a believable character.
I would recommend this book to: art lovers, fans of the photography in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and to those who enjoy books told through interviews and articles.
*A copy of this book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for my participation in a blog tour.*
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone is unlike anything I've ever read. It's dark and gritty and unsatisfying in the best way possible.
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone is about a teenage artist named Addison Stone who dies one summer at age eighteen. This novel is composed of stories about Addison told by her family, friends, and fans. The novel jumps around from one story to another, with different characters and different perspectives shedding light on Addison's life. The format is unlinear, with a collection of stories that take place at different points on Addison's timeline, so the reader has to gradually piece everything together as new details are revealed.
Not only is this book intriguing and mysterious, but it also touches on a lot of heavy topics. Addison's struggles with mental illness make this story a dark and gritty one, not to mention her death, which is the main focus of the novel. The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone definitely isn't a fun and light book to fly through in one sitting. I think this is the kind of book that should be read in small doses, so the reader has lots of time to think about it.
Even though Adele Griffin assures readers that Addison is entirely fictional, the book reads like it's nonfiction, so its easy to get caught up in the drama and forget that you're not reading the tragic biography of an artist who died young. The format and topic of this book make it seem like it's a true story about a real girl named Addison Stone, and at times, it's hard to believe that The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone is actually fictional. One of the most interesting things about this novel is that it includes a lot of photos of Addison, her friends, and her art, and the photos definitely make everything about Addison Stone's life feel more real. When reading, it is rare to be able to attach a face to a name, but The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone gives you a real girl to match the description of Addison. This format makes the reading experience much more unique and interesting than it would be without the pictures.
Art plays a big role in this book, and I love the glimpses of the "art scene" Addison becomes a part of when she moves to New York City. I'm not an artist, but I was totally sucked into the intriguing, gritty world of artists in New York. The "art scene" is a very rich setting and community that comes across so vividly through various characters' descriptions. Art is a huge part of Addison's life, and it's a huge part of the book, too. Addison's art is very creative and unique and unprecedented, as is the format of the story, so Addison's art and the format of this book are reflective of each other.
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone is dark, mysterious, and unlike anything I've ever read before. Adele Griffin has created something amazing here, folks. The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone blew me away, and I recommend this book to anyone looking for a story that is totally different from anything else in the Young Adult category.
More of my rambling can be found at readwriteramble.blogspot.com
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone is unlike anything I've ever read. It's dark and gritty and unsatisfying in the best way possible.
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone is about a teenage artist named Addison Stone who dies one summer at age eighteen. This novel is composed of stories about Addison told by her family, friends, and fans. The novel jumps around from one story to another, with different characters and different perspectives shedding light on Addison's life. The format is unlinear, with a collection of stories that take place at different points on Addison's timeline, so the reader has to gradually piece everything together as new details are revealed.
Not only is this book intriguing and mysterious, but it also touches on a lot of heavy topics. Addison's struggles with mental illness make this story a dark and gritty one, not to mention her death, which is the main focus of the novel. The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone definitely isn't a fun and light book to fly through in one sitting. I think this is the kind of book that should be read in small doses, so the reader has lots of time to think about it.
Even though Adele Griffin assures readers that Addison is entirely fictional, the book reads like it's nonfiction, so its easy to get caught up in the drama and forget that you're not reading the tragic biography of an artist who died young. The format and topic of this book make it seem like it's a true story about a real girl named Addison Stone, and at times, it's hard to believe that The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone is actually fictional. One of the most interesting things about this novel is that it includes a lot of photos of Addison, her friends, and her art, and the photos definitely make everything about Addison Stone's life feel more real. When reading, it is rare to be able to attach a face to a name, but The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone gives you a real girl to match the description of Addison. This format makes the reading experience much more unique and interesting than it would be without the pictures.
Art plays a big role in this book, and I love the glimpses of the "art scene" Addison becomes a part of when she moves to New York City. I'm not an artist, but I was totally sucked into the intriguing, gritty world of artists in New York. The "art scene" is a very rich setting and community that comes across so vividly through various characters' descriptions. Art is a huge part of Addison's life, and it's a huge part of the book, too. Addison's art is very creative and unique and unprecedented, as is the format of the story, so Addison's art and the format of this book are reflective of each other.
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone is dark, mysterious, and unlike anything I've ever read before. Adele Griffin has created something amazing here, folks. The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone blew me away, and I recommend this book to anyone looking for a story that is totally different from anything else in the Young Adult category.
More of my rambling can be found at readwriteramble.blogspot.com
I was initially intrigued by the blurb of this book and was interested to learn all about Miss Addison Stone. What I learned was that this young girl, so full of life, had her share of problems just like the rest of us.
Addison was an up and coming brilliant artist. One to watch and boy did people watch. When she walked in the room, every eye was on her. It wasn't that she was beautiful, which she was, but the way that she carried herself with confidence that not a single person was better than her.
This book is chalked full of interviews from every person that had a hand in Addison's life, trying to piece the time she spent here back together and let the world know whom she really was.
I thought the way the book was written was BRILLIANT!!! I loved every second of it and found myself reading every chance that I could get to find out more about this mysterious girl.
The story itself is very sad and it is kind of a wake up call to all of us to keep an eye on our children, friends and family at all times. you never know when we could lose them and to cherish the moments that we have together.
Check out my video about Addison & her best friend Lulu on Youtube:
http://youtu.be/7HILIP8Lt-s
Addison was an up and coming brilliant artist. One to watch and boy did people watch. When she walked in the room, every eye was on her. It wasn't that she was beautiful, which she was, but the way that she carried herself with confidence that not a single person was better than her.
This book is chalked full of interviews from every person that had a hand in Addison's life, trying to piece the time she spent here back together and let the world know whom she really was.
I thought the way the book was written was BRILLIANT!!! I loved every second of it and found myself reading every chance that I could get to find out more about this mysterious girl.
The story itself is very sad and it is kind of a wake up call to all of us to keep an eye on our children, friends and family at all times. you never know when we could lose them and to cherish the moments that we have together.
Check out my video about Addison & her best friend Lulu on Youtube:
http://youtu.be/7HILIP8Lt-s
Wow! That was just, wow!
This book focuses on Addison Stone and her untimely (or was it?) death. The story is pieces of interviews with those who knew Addison, emails Addison wrote, transcriptions and pieces of interviews with Addison, all put together to reconstruct her life and death for us. The format was very interesting and pleasing to read. And the story! I was sucked right into to the light that is Addison Stone and I wept, real tears, for Addison Stone. My heart broke, for Addison Stone. She was so real to me. This was a great read.
This one gets book hangover status
This book focuses on Addison Stone and her untimely (or was it?) death. The story is pieces of interviews with those who knew Addison, emails Addison wrote, transcriptions and pieces of interviews with Addison, all put together to reconstruct her life and death for us. The format was very interesting and pleasing to read. And the story! I was sucked right into to the light that is Addison Stone and I wept, real tears, for Addison Stone. My heart broke, for Addison Stone. She was so real to me. This was a great read.
This one gets book hangover status
A unique and blazing novel of the life and death of a young artist, this novel for teens brilliantly captures the rise and fall of a legend. Even as a little girl, Addison was a gifted artist who impressed teachers and won contests. As she grew into a teenager, her family life grew more complicated and her mental health more fragile. Addison began to hear voices, particularly a young woman named Ida who was a ghost in her grandparent’s home. But Ida would not let go of Addison, even when she returned home and Addison was eventually hospitalized and treated for schizophrenia. Through it all though, Addison created art, art good enough to get her noticed in a city like New York where she moved after high school. Addison had “it” that combination of charisma and talent that quickly got her noticed. It got her an agent, rich boyfriends, friends in the art world, and moved her further into chaos. But in the end, the question is what killed her? Which of her boyfriends took her life as she created a final work of art?
This piece of fiction is stupendous. It reads so realistically that one might even begin to search Addison’s name of Google to see more of her work or watch the video of her swinging on the chandelier. The use of photographs is brilliant. Weaving Addison firmly into the story through art and photos. The art is also a fascinating component. Meant to be worthy of attention from the biggest galleries in the world, the art is luminous on the page, and bravely done. It forms a short lifetime of work, showing in a way that words could not the talent that was lost.
Griffin uses a structure of interviews with those who knew Addison. This includes her parents, her friends from high school, boy friends, art critics, and many more. Done any other way, this book would not have worked. Written with such skill, the interviews are elegantly done, never taking a straight look at Addison, but instead a wonderful wandering one that is typical of documentaries. It also works because we get to see Addison through other characters’ eyes, through the lenses of love, envy, desire. In the end the different voices create a death chorus for Addison, sung in a beautiful harmony.
Wow, just wow. This is an incredible work of fiction where the author captures just the right tone and format to take fiction to a new level and create reality fiction in a new and amazing way. Appropriate for ages 15-18.
This piece of fiction is stupendous. It reads so realistically that one might even begin to search Addison’s name of Google to see more of her work or watch the video of her swinging on the chandelier. The use of photographs is brilliant. Weaving Addison firmly into the story through art and photos. The art is also a fascinating component. Meant to be worthy of attention from the biggest galleries in the world, the art is luminous on the page, and bravely done. It forms a short lifetime of work, showing in a way that words could not the talent that was lost.
Griffin uses a structure of interviews with those who knew Addison. This includes her parents, her friends from high school, boy friends, art critics, and many more. Done any other way, this book would not have worked. Written with such skill, the interviews are elegantly done, never taking a straight look at Addison, but instead a wonderful wandering one that is typical of documentaries. It also works because we get to see Addison through other characters’ eyes, through the lenses of love, envy, desire. In the end the different voices create a death chorus for Addison, sung in a beautiful harmony.
Wow, just wow. This is an incredible work of fiction where the author captures just the right tone and format to take fiction to a new level and create reality fiction in a new and amazing way. Appropriate for ages 15-18.
This isn't a mystery. Addison Stone, and young and exceptionally promising artist, has died. Her friends and family and fans all narrate what led up to her death, with various and interesting levels of unreliability. It's clear very, very early on that Addison has something like schizophrenia; I'm not sure what is supposed to be surprising about the (very well-written, interesting) story or why it's classified as a mystery.