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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
I should disqualify myself from the get-go from reviewing this because I really don't enjoy magical realism, so a book narrated by a ghost starts out with a negative star for me. I also resent books with unreliable narrators, so a book with an unreliable ghost narrator starts with double negative stars.
But a book with an explicitly feminist take on all the doors that women open with eagerness and hope to seek love and happiness and fulfillment, finding only wolves behind them all? Sign me up. BUT---there are a lot of "buts".
I desperately wish that the author had written this as historical fiction. Her thorough research about life in Catholic orphanages during WWII shines through, and the details and sense of place are the strongest elements to the book.
The ghost world was just muddled and confusing and inexplicably detailed in some ways but utterly lacking in necessary detail in others. The world-building had giant holes in it that were not explained by the fact that ghost memories also have holes. Pearl's story had elements that were riveting, as did Marguerite's (and heartbreaking, and infuriating, and compelling) but altogether they were just mixed up and distracting from what could have been a really strong narrative about Frankie.
Flashes of brilliance that made it worth the trip: the storyline and reveal about Frankie's mother, the depth of feeling held by a first mother toward a child who has been relinquished, the rich historical detail in depictions of life in the orphanage.
But a book with an explicitly feminist take on all the doors that women open with eagerness and hope to seek love and happiness and fulfillment, finding only wolves behind them all? Sign me up. BUT---there are a lot of "buts".
I desperately wish that the author had written this as historical fiction. Her thorough research about life in Catholic orphanages during WWII shines through, and the details and sense of place are the strongest elements to the book.
The ghost world was just muddled and confusing and inexplicably detailed in some ways but utterly lacking in necessary detail in others. The world-building had giant holes in it that were not explained by the fact that ghost memories also have holes. Pearl's story had elements that were riveting, as did Marguerite's (and heartbreaking, and infuriating, and compelling) but altogether they were just mixed up and distracting from what could have been a really strong narrative about Frankie.
Flashes of brilliance that made it worth the trip: the storyline and reveal about Frankie's mother, the depth of feeling held by a first mother toward a child who has been relinquished, the rich historical detail in depictions of life in the orphanage.
Was anyone else a bit confused? I guess I should have read this book more quickly, but the wide cast of characters-both living and dead- doesn't help a simple-minded reader like myself. Bouncing between the two of them also didn't help me much. Repressed memories and flashbacks also confuse the heck out of me. I still got the gist of it, and I enjoyed it when I wasn't lost. The very end of the book was a great page turner. It just took a lot to get there. Reading the author's notes, she found her inspiration for this book through her late mother-in-law who was an orphan in Chicago during WWII and the stories she told about her time there. I think she has a solid base for this book and her main character Frankie (based off her MIL Fran) but adding the ghost whose POV we hear this story through (as well as her own story in bits and pieces as she comes to terms with her death) made it a bit scrambled and off the track. Heck, both their stories could be separate books altogether, but in one book it made it feel too crowded. I understand that the story of Pearl and Frankie share some elements but I was still a bit discombobulated reading this book.
Mock Printz Review: Nope, sorry, this one is dead last for me. I know she was a winner of the Printz in the past for Bone Gap, but this book just didn't stand out to me as an example of excellence for teen literature written this past year.
Mock Printz Review: Nope, sorry, this one is dead last for me. I know she was a winner of the Printz in the past for Bone Gap, but this book just didn't stand out to me as an example of excellence for teen literature written this past year.
This was one of those books that I just marvel at how beautiful the author's words are. I couldn't believe how intricate the story was. So many small details all telling this beautiful story of loss, family and finding your place. Loved it.
A gripping historical fiction novel taking place in Chicago ranging from pre-WW2, the war, and thereafter. Frankie and her siblings, Vito and Toni, live at the orphanage. Their mother is dead and their father can’t afford to take care of them. So the nuns do; offering refuge, food, education, and morality. There are many ghosts in Chicago whose stories are told and weaved throughout the nove; of Pearl and the golden girl who have endured their own suffering and wander the streets wondering if they will ever overcome it. Vito is sent off to war along with Frankie’s lover. Frankie and Toni are left behind as her father marries another; prioritizing her children over his own. Will Frankie fins peace in her life? Beautifully written and based on the author’s mother in law’s own experiences at an orphanage.
It took me a bit to figure out the narrator completely, and ultimately I really appreciated that particular perspective.
This is the story of Frankie (and somewhat of her younger sister Toni), who were brought to an orphanage in Chicago following their mother's death during the Great Depression. The author's note at the end explains that *this really happened* to the author's mother-in-law, who matter of factly grew up in a Catholic orphanage while her father remarried and raised his new wife's children. Somehow Frankie and Toni are able to mostly get over this, and keep their wits about them as war looms and starts taking people from them. But what gives this book its kick is that it is narrated by Pearl, who died before Frankie was even born. She’s an observer of the girls in the home, of the folks in the library, of people in their homes. Her unreliable advice and conclusions color how we hear the stories of others, though she hasn't figured out yet why she's still around...
I'm definitely a fan of Laura Ruby. This was beautifully written and full of interesting little mini-plots, although I would say the overarching plot didn't really go anywhere. There were two main narratives, one about Frankie (narrated by the ghost Pearl, who is just kind of floating around watching things happen) and one about Pearl's own life, and the life of Rita, another ghost she meets, as well as a few other living people besides Frankie that they are keeping tabs on. It was all very compelling, but ultimately didn't tie together as well as it could have. Maybe it's just because I recently read the amazing [b:The Vanishing Season|18634726|The Vanishing Season|Jodi Lynn Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1381868640l/18634726._SY75_.jpg|26430985] by Jodi Lynn Anderson, which makes use of the ghost narrator in a much more well-organized way.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated