kmardahl 's review for:

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

4.0

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I was utterly fascinating by the way this story was written. It's a chorus of voices throughout the book, never an individual. "We came from this place. We came from that place. Our child was this. Our child was that." I know that is a poor example - I don't have the book in front of me anymore. At first, I was surprised and slightly annoyed. I wanted A story. Not multiple stories. And then the style grew on me. The style was definitely intentional. The individuals were a multitude, and yet they were individuals. Hmm. It's really hard to explain. The "we" voice simply made sense and made the entire story far, far more powerful. The individual stories became stronger together. This style made it possible to reveal sad and tragic events like death, abuse, or neglect in a way that flashed by you, yet crept under your skin.

The story moved me to sadness, happiness, sorrow, and rage. The book is the right size. This special style of writing needed not too much and not too little. It was just right.