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A review by joaniemaloney
The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou
4.0
I only knew about this book through Canada Reads, and this is the third one I've read, with [b:The Complete Essex County|6096829|The Complete Essex County|Jeff Lemire|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1246923893s/6096829.jpg|6273933] and [b:The Best Laid Plans|4441294|The Best Laid Plans|Terry Fallis|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1284295895s/4441294.jpg|4489501] to go. Having heard the radio debates before reading this, I did keep in mind that this didn't get a very positive reception from the judges, but after reading it, that is a disappointment because like Georges Laraque said, this is quite an accessible book. And although by the end of the week that word did seem to carry a negative connotation, I don't mean to say that the writing is too simple or the book is 'dumbed down' for the masses, but that the story is relatable because it talks about the process of working towards a life's dream and the disappointment that is always lurking beneath it all. I suppose this was always the choice to take out of the race, along with the graphic novel, but both deserved better.
This story centers around Digger (Tom Stapleton), who is a wrestler preparing himself to make the Olympic trials for the 2000 Sydney Games, and Sadie, a swimmer who is doing just the same. Their stories do not intersect at all to start off with, which is all well because the peripheral characters that make up the support system for these two are worth getting to know: their coaches, fellow trainees and confidants, parents, etc. Fly, Digger's friend, was easily my character for the humour he brought to whatever situation he happened to be in.
I am about as far from an Olympian as you can be, and I still enjoyed this story very much. I was looking forward to Sadie's story because I do enjoy swimming, albeit for leisure, but Digger's training was just as gritty and real - at some points it was like a chess match, his mind furiously going through the moves he could use to gain points and take down his opponent. The descriptions for the sports never do get tiring for me, I could nearly smell the chlorine from the pool, sense the constant pressure to keep shaving time off from their swims, sweat dripping from the athletes as they grind through their practices.
I'm not sure how long this book will stay in the public's conscience - even the Vancouver Games are fading fast from our memories - but it is a worthy read. It's not often I care about both protagonists; all too often the prose will be wonderful to read but the fates of the characters don't seem to be foremost on my mind. Not with these two. I cared about Sadie and Digger's journeys, and whether or not they'll finally make it to the Olympics to give it their all.
I'd definitely recommend this book. Angie Abdou has an almost methodical prose, in a complimentary sense, because the pacing ticks along and there's never a boring moment. The story moves. Some chapters are written with a near short story flourish because she compacts everything so smartly within the boundaries, but strung together, it makes quite a visceral read.
This story centers around Digger (Tom Stapleton), who is a wrestler preparing himself to make the Olympic trials for the 2000 Sydney Games, and Sadie, a swimmer who is doing just the same. Their stories do not intersect at all to start off with, which is all well because the peripheral characters that make up the support system for these two are worth getting to know: their coaches, fellow trainees and confidants, parents, etc. Fly, Digger's friend, was easily my character for the humour he brought to whatever situation he happened to be in.
I am about as far from an Olympian as you can be, and I still enjoyed this story very much. I was looking forward to Sadie's story because I do enjoy swimming, albeit for leisure, but Digger's training was just as gritty and real - at some points it was like a chess match, his mind furiously going through the moves he could use to gain points and take down his opponent. The descriptions for the sports never do get tiring for me, I could nearly smell the chlorine from the pool, sense the constant pressure to keep shaving time off from their swims, sweat dripping from the athletes as they grind through their practices.
I'm not sure how long this book will stay in the public's conscience - even the Vancouver Games are fading fast from our memories - but it is a worthy read. It's not often I care about both protagonists; all too often the prose will be wonderful to read but the fates of the characters don't seem to be foremost on my mind. Not with these two. I cared about Sadie and Digger's journeys, and whether or not they'll finally make it to the Olympics to give it their all.
I'd definitely recommend this book. Angie Abdou has an almost methodical prose, in a complimentary sense, because the pacing ticks along and there's never a boring moment. The story moves. Some chapters are written with a near short story flourish because she compacts everything so smartly within the boundaries, but strung together, it makes quite a visceral read.