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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I loved the whole set up of being a fictionalized nonfiction and thought that was well executed, though I think I wish there had been less romanticizing and maybe more stuff talking about the toxicity of the cultures young creative types find themselves in
Didn't enjoy this book. The story was not engaging, the characters were not likeable.
The whole faux-"found photo" genre seems to be ever-growing, this is more of a contemporary mystery wrapped in a fake biography than the sort of Miss Peregrine-style fantasy that popularized the subgenre.
The story is basically the rise and fall of a teenage art phenom, relying on oral histories and news reports to help structure the tale as it goes along.
The concept is cool, and the execution is great enough to mask what is, really, a weaker-than-normal story. As a fast read with some nice quirks, it works, but it's not to say that the tale is going to hook anyone in on its own, either.
Overall, can I recommend it? Yeah, I guess, as a fun and different read. Just temper your expectations a bit and enjoy the ride.
The story is basically the rise and fall of a teenage art phenom, relying on oral histories and news reports to help structure the tale as it goes along.
The concept is cool, and the execution is great enough to mask what is, really, a weaker-than-normal story. As a fast read with some nice quirks, it works, but it's not to say that the tale is going to hook anyone in on its own, either.
Overall, can I recommend it? Yeah, I guess, as a fun and different read. Just temper your expectations a bit and enjoy the ride.
Wow this was beyond what I expected. This is an involved look at celebrity and mental health and I need some time to process. Expect a full review soon.
Wow, this was good. The pictures interspersed with the interviews really brought this story to a nê level
Really great concept of a reporter interviewing the people in Addison Stone's life. It got a little long for me though, and I'm not exactly sure it shed "new light" on the night she died. It's not as good as Violent Ends in giving you pieces to arrange. I did like having to consider what everyone really meant though, since other characters would contradict/challenge other claims. Interesting read, but not really essential reading. The photos/art were such a great touch though
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone tells the story of… wait for it…. Addison Stone, a promising artist full of talent and skill who died tragically and way too young.
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone made Addison seem so real. Like she was a legit real person and not just a character. I actually thought I was reading a biography until I tried to look her up.
It was obvious a lot of work went into creating Addison and her world. The book was filled with pictures of her, the people in her life, her art, magazine covers, etc. This really helped with the world building as it made her really seem like she was actually alive at one point of time.
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone isn't written like your average fiction novel. It’s essentially a biography about a character that is conducted through interviews given by other people which was nicely done.
Speaking of characters, I liked Lucy, Addison’s best friend since childhood, and Lincoln, her last boyfriend, the most as they seem to really be the only ones that genuinely cared her without expecting anything in return. Too bad I can’t say the same for some of the other characters.
You can read my full review at Paging Serenity
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone made Addison seem so real. Like she was a legit real person and not just a character. I actually thought I was reading a biography until I tried to look her up.
It was obvious a lot of work went into creating Addison and her world. The book was filled with pictures of her, the people in her life, her art, magazine covers, etc. This really helped with the world building as it made her really seem like she was actually alive at one point of time.
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone isn't written like your average fiction novel. It’s essentially a biography about a character that is conducted through interviews given by other people which was nicely done.
Speaking of characters, I liked Lucy, Addison’s best friend since childhood, and Lincoln, her last boyfriend, the most as they seem to really be the only ones that genuinely cared her without expecting anything in return. Too bad I can’t say the same for some of the other characters.
You can read my full review at Paging Serenity
Call it a fictional biography -- an outline of the life and art of a great artist who never actually existed.
That is the risky but clever approach taken in "The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone: A Novel," Adele Griffin's clever "biography" of the elusive genius. Interspersed with photographs and paintings, Griffin sculpts a portrait of a fictional girl through interviews, letters and anecdotes -- and the biggest problem is that it's more admirable as an experiment than it is as a novel.
Addison Stone was a street artist who instantly captivated the public, and became a mesmerizing It Girl for the New York art world. She was smart, gorgeous, cool and effortlessly charismatic... until she suddenly drowned, leaving the world still wanting to know more about her. So Griffin (writing as herself) set out to compile a biographical portrait of Addison.
Most of "The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone: A Novel" is made up of oral interviews presented as text, from people who knew Addison. Her family (who adored or resented her), her classmates, photographers, friends -- all give detailed snapshots of her life and personality. Her art and photographs are splashed across the pages, giving a visual window into her mind as well.
And occasionally, there are glimpses of Addison directly, such as interview clippings that are like little haiku pressed into a collage ("Kiss night was black as pitch") or emails (Not into calamari food poisoning hell"). But she remains a mysterious figure throughout the book, always with the feeling that you're not sure what pieces are missing from her puzzle.
My personal stance on biographies is that the more people and perspectives, the better -- the closest you can come to the "truth" is to create a mosaic of many different viewpoints, each showing unique perspective and experiences with the person. And the triumph of "The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone" is that Adele Griffin seems to know this -- there is no unified vision of Addison Stone. To her brother, he was a sister she loved; to her cousin, she was an attention hog; to her friends, "she can be a nightmare, but she's our nightmare."
And Griffin spatters the book with a snappy, edgy quality that seems to emanate from Addison herself, as if she made the world artier and cooler just by being in it. She also mixes together epistolary snips and snaps with pseudo-oral histories. As an experiment, it's an excellent one, and at times you can almost forget that this is technically fiction -- especially when she tosses in photographs of Addison, her lover, her life and her home.
But there is one flaw: you can't really connect to anyone in it. The format makes this kind of inevitable -- actual biographies are like this -- but at the end you find Addison fascinating, fearless, hauntingly strange and bright, but still elusive. As for the people who contributed, they are only seen in glimpses.
But despite that flaw, "The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone: A Novel" is a fascinating, paint-spattered, angular little experiment -- and definitely well worth reading for those who like experimental twists on fiction.
That is the risky but clever approach taken in "The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone: A Novel," Adele Griffin's clever "biography" of the elusive genius. Interspersed with photographs and paintings, Griffin sculpts a portrait of a fictional girl through interviews, letters and anecdotes -- and the biggest problem is that it's more admirable as an experiment than it is as a novel.
Addison Stone was a street artist who instantly captivated the public, and became a mesmerizing It Girl for the New York art world. She was smart, gorgeous, cool and effortlessly charismatic... until she suddenly drowned, leaving the world still wanting to know more about her. So Griffin (writing as herself) set out to compile a biographical portrait of Addison.
Most of "The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone: A Novel" is made up of oral interviews presented as text, from people who knew Addison. Her family (who adored or resented her), her classmates, photographers, friends -- all give detailed snapshots of her life and personality. Her art and photographs are splashed across the pages, giving a visual window into her mind as well.
And occasionally, there are glimpses of Addison directly, such as interview clippings that are like little haiku pressed into a collage ("Kiss night was black as pitch") or emails (Not into calamari food poisoning hell"). But she remains a mysterious figure throughout the book, always with the feeling that you're not sure what pieces are missing from her puzzle.
My personal stance on biographies is that the more people and perspectives, the better -- the closest you can come to the "truth" is to create a mosaic of many different viewpoints, each showing unique perspective and experiences with the person. And the triumph of "The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone" is that Adele Griffin seems to know this -- there is no unified vision of Addison Stone. To her brother, he was a sister she loved; to her cousin, she was an attention hog; to her friends, "she can be a nightmare, but she's our nightmare."
And Griffin spatters the book with a snappy, edgy quality that seems to emanate from Addison herself, as if she made the world artier and cooler just by being in it. She also mixes together epistolary snips and snaps with pseudo-oral histories. As an experiment, it's an excellent one, and at times you can almost forget that this is technically fiction -- especially when she tosses in photographs of Addison, her lover, her life and her home.
But there is one flaw: you can't really connect to anyone in it. The format makes this kind of inevitable -- actual biographies are like this -- but at the end you find Addison fascinating, fearless, hauntingly strange and bright, but still elusive. As for the people who contributed, they are only seen in glimpses.
But despite that flaw, "The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone: A Novel" is a fascinating, paint-spattered, angular little experiment -- and definitely well worth reading for those who like experimental twists on fiction.
Gorgeous and haunting. The Virgin Suicides with traces of 13 Reasons Why, part documentary, part art, this is a book that just sucked me in. I started this on audiobook, but ended up buying a physical copy and that's the right way to read this book. Griffin adds photos and art that really make you feel like you're reading a true story.
An interesting idea, and I have to confess that at the very beginning I wondered if this were a fictionalized version of truth. The art and photographs peppered throughout will appeal to a lot of teens (though it rather distracted me). The whole thing reminded me a bit of Night Film, though since it was all in retrospect, it lacked that adrenaline.
Personally, I was really irritated by this ridiculously self-indulgent girl and the swarm of people she attracted. I guess that's the sign of a good book-the character was well-drawn enough to annoy me. But I think I was really missing the lack of immediacy, too. I dunno. Maybe I just need to think about it some more.
RA notes: frequent, casual reference to underage drinking, drug usage, sex (though no graphic descriptions of it); gay roommate; suicide; mental illness; language
Personally, I was really irritated by this ridiculously self-indulgent girl and the swarm of people she attracted. I guess that's the sign of a good book-the character was well-drawn enough to annoy me. But I think I was really missing the lack of immediacy, too. I dunno. Maybe I just need to think about it some more.
RA notes: frequent, casual reference to underage drinking, drug usage, sex (though no graphic descriptions of it); gay roommate; suicide; mental illness; language