the_wonky_librarian's profile picture

the_wonky_librarian 's review for:

The List by Patricia Forde
5.0

"The List" has everything I want from a book: a compelling heroine, mystery, adventure, hope and villainy.

The concept (restricted language) is both terrifying and tempting. If you read it on a day that you've enjoyed beauty - a walk, time with a loved one, art - the notion of just 500 words seems criminal and insane. That said, if you read it on a day that you've also watched corrupt media and politicians (naming no names), it's easy to see the allure of limiting language so that people can no longer lie and manipulate so readily. This is why the story is so rounded: as a reader, you keep changing your mind.

I want to read it for a second time and I need my friends to read it, too, so we can debate the concept!

As a teacher, I can see a great deal of potential for this book in my classroom. It's currently my number 1 book of 2017 and it'll take a lot to top it.