“A Corner of White” by Jaclyn Moriarty

It’s funny how things work out.  First, I read a book by a UK author that seems to have been “Americanized” (much to my dislike) and the next book I pick up is written by an Australian, set in Cambridge, and about as British as it gets.  “A Corner of White” was completely delightful.  Always great to read a book that makes you really want to pick it up and see what happens next.  Like many of the Australian works gracing YA shelves today, this book was challenging, unexpected, clever, rich, literary and very “fresh.”  I don’t know what it is about the “down under” crowd, but they have a gift at coming up with tales that seem totally new.  In this complex novel, there are two stories.  One is that of Madeleine, a girl thoroughly of the modern world.  Dealing with family issues and a drastically changed life, she sludges through the “grey” of Cambridge, missing her iPad, doing internet research for her homeschooling and struggling with the vagaries of teenage friendships.  In the parallel story there is Elliot Baranski, a citizen of the Kingdom of Cello, trying to solve the mystery of his father’s disappearance and help an ailing town pick itself up.  Cello is an interesting place – having both cars and dragons (supposedly).  Madeleine and Elliot are both a bit lost, desperately needing answers to questions and both seeking something they are unsure of.  Inexplicably, their worlds mesh.  It isn’t about worlds colliding, though – but kind of “bumping up against one another.”  Their interaction, like much of the tale, is gentle and subtle.  The voices of both characters are grippingly real.  You find yourself envisioning them as friends or colleagues.  The story paces and builds well, creating that critical page-turning quotient, but I had to force myself to slow down frequently to get all the little details.  “Deep” doesn’t begin to describe a book with so many threads that you may find yourself flipping back from chapter to chapter in order to be clear on how they connect.  History and Science also weave into the tale in unexpected and wonderful ways.  The first in a trilogy, this novel can stand on its own and has a satisfying resolution, but the next book should be fabulous if it measures up to this one.  My only two beefs (very minor) are the cover art (don’t I always complain about this??), which makes it look like a romance; and the ages of Madeleine and her friends.  They are supposedly 15, but read younger … which is highly unusual for a teen book (typically, it’s the reverse).  They aren’t out of bounds, though.  Fifteen is such a strange age … no longer kids but not quite as savvy as older teens.  It’s an age when parents think you are “grown up enough” to hear some truths, even though hearing them makes one want to curl up with a blankie.  It’s a betwixt and between age, which, I’m guessing, is what the author was going for.  A very satisfying read and one which definitely sated the palate.  Brava.