I really loved this book, and read it (electronically) straight through from the first to last chapter. It was a “notable” book from this year’s TAB selection. I hadn’t realized, when I chose it, that it came from the same author as the Printz Winner, “The White Darkness.” I’m glad I didn’t remember the connection. “White Darkness” was 50/50 in my mind, while this brief novel sparkled. Pepper Roux is a young man in (late 1800s???) France who is slated to die age the age of 14 – a fate foretold by his aunt, who has a pipeline to the holy saints. He awakes on his 14th birthday full of dread and, because of the inevitability of this dire prediction, embarks on a number of amazing adventures. The book has a quirky, subtle humor infused with plenty of satire, irony and a dash of fantasy. The text is rich and paints an emotive tone. Not unlike the movie “Chocolat” this is a tale from another time and place that isn’t necessarily grounded in reality. But then, there is Colton Harris-Moore. Harris-Moore is the 19 year-old barefoot bandit recently caught in the Caribbean after stealing planes and boats. The reality of his implausible exploits makes this story slightly, ever-so-slightly, more believable. The lead character in the book, Pepper Roux, grows on you like an abandoned puppy and the characters he comes across are both fun and unique. Make no mistake, there are good guys and bad guys and little in-between, but at least one character, Duchesse, has a twist you might not expect. The morals of the tale are as subtle as the inferred jokes and my only sadness is that the middle schoolers the book is aimed at won’t necessarily get it. Steeped in Catholicism with an extremely foreign feel, the story is metaphorical and filled with phrases and high vocabulary that even I didn’t fully understand. My guess is that this is the type of book that will only move for dedicated readers in 9th or 10th grades??? Similar to the Montmorency series, it could catch on if marketed. At the very least, it’s a rare teen book that boys should enjoy. I’m putting it in that category of “quiet greats” like the Patrice Kindl tales. Something secret to enjoy.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
“The Death-Defying Pepper Roux” by Geraldine McCaughrean
I really loved this book, and read it (electronically) straight through from the first to last chapter. It was a “notable” book from this year’s TAB selection. I hadn’t realized, when I chose it, that it came from the same author as the Printz Winner, “The White Darkness.” I’m glad I didn’t remember the connection. “White Darkness” was 50/50 in my mind, while this brief novel sparkled. Pepper Roux is a young man in (late 1800s???) France who is slated to die age the age of 14 – a fate foretold by his aunt, who has a pipeline to the holy saints. He awakes on his 14th birthday full of dread and, because of the inevitability of this dire prediction, embarks on a number of amazing adventures. The book has a quirky, subtle humor infused with plenty of satire, irony and a dash of fantasy. The text is rich and paints an emotive tone. Not unlike the movie “Chocolat” this is a tale from another time and place that isn’t necessarily grounded in reality. But then, there is Colton Harris-Moore. Harris-Moore is the 19 year-old barefoot bandit recently caught in the Caribbean after stealing planes and boats. The reality of his implausible exploits makes this story slightly, ever-so-slightly, more believable. The lead character in the book, Pepper Roux, grows on you like an abandoned puppy and the characters he comes across are both fun and unique. Make no mistake, there are good guys and bad guys and little in-between, but at least one character, Duchesse, has a twist you might not expect. The morals of the tale are as subtle as the inferred jokes and my only sadness is that the middle schoolers the book is aimed at won’t necessarily get it. Steeped in Catholicism with an extremely foreign feel, the story is metaphorical and filled with phrases and high vocabulary that even I didn’t fully understand. My guess is that this is the type of book that will only move for dedicated readers in 9th or 10th grades??? Similar to the Montmorency series, it could catch on if marketed. At the very least, it’s a rare teen book that boys should enjoy. I’m putting it in that category of “quiet greats” like the Patrice Kindl tales. Something secret to enjoy.
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