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A review by aunt13soc1al
Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce
4.0
While I didn't know what I was getting into based on the synopsis, and I try not to read reviews ahead of time, this wasn't quite what I was expecting. This wasn't so much a fairy tale/fantasy book as it was an exposition of relationships and reactions. Under mysterious circumstances, that may have happened to others previously, Tara disappears while in the woods. Everyone blames her then boyfriend, Richie, but no trace of Tara is found, and after a while, the family and those involved move on. Twenty years later, Tara shows up on her parents' doorstep. For her it's only been a few months, for them, twenty years have passed. Shocked, they call their son, Peter, who comes, but cannot grasp the unbelievable tale Tara weaves to explain her disappearance.
Tara's parents are happy to have her back, but something isn't quite right. Peter, with the help of a doctor, tries to determine if Tara is who she claims to be, for how can she be his sister if she hasn't aged a day in her absence? After losing his girlfriend, his best friend, and the family he had become a part of, Richie cannot move on and is stuck in a never ending loop. Upon Tara's return, he only wants to find out what happened, and maybe pick up where they left off.
For a relatively short read, the character development in this book is astounding. Joyce pulls you into a story which in its simplest form would only take a few pages to tell. But you're not there for the story; Joyce moves from character to character giving you various perspectives which could be distracting, but only serves to enhance the story. From Tara's own thoughts, Peter's apprehension, and Richie's stunted life, along with a psychiatrist who just doesn't get it, this story unfolds an intermingled mix of truth and fantasy. What is possible? Why did Tara come back? Will she choose to stay despite the consequences? What really happened to her in the other world? Can she and Richie pick up where they left off?
In many ways, I think Tara came back to fix the broken pieces in each person who was affected by her sudden disappearance, but then again, maybe not. Joyce lets the reader come to their own conclusions on Tara's motivations, what is truth, and what is fantasy. And is she hiding a deeper secret?
Tara's parents are happy to have her back, but something isn't quite right. Peter, with the help of a doctor, tries to determine if Tara is who she claims to be, for how can she be his sister if she hasn't aged a day in her absence? After losing his girlfriend, his best friend, and the family he had become a part of, Richie cannot move on and is stuck in a never ending loop. Upon Tara's return, he only wants to find out what happened, and maybe pick up where they left off.
For a relatively short read, the character development in this book is astounding. Joyce pulls you into a story which in its simplest form would only take a few pages to tell. But you're not there for the story; Joyce moves from character to character giving you various perspectives which could be distracting, but only serves to enhance the story. From Tara's own thoughts, Peter's apprehension, and Richie's stunted life, along with a psychiatrist who just doesn't get it, this story unfolds an intermingled mix of truth and fantasy. What is possible? Why did Tara come back? Will she choose to stay despite the consequences? What really happened to her in the other world? Can she and Richie pick up where they left off?
In many ways, I think Tara came back to fix the broken pieces in each person who was affected by her sudden disappearance, but then again, maybe not. Joyce lets the reader come to their own conclusions on Tara's motivations, what is truth, and what is fantasy. And is she hiding a deeper secret?