Oh my -- my, my, my. We often talk about books with food adjectives. One book might be "popcorn", another, an "appetizer". This one is a veritable feast. My first adult book in a while, it is right up there with "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" as an all-time favorite. A flowing, lyrical novel which pushes prose to the very edge of poetry, it is the tale of family, loss, love, art, madness, mysticism, death, creation, and more. A set of twins tell the story in alternating chapters. There is the boy, Noah, who begins his narrative at 13, while his sister, Jude, speaks from age 16. The sometimes dizzying threads interwoven between the them create a rich, deep kaleidoscope of pain and redemption in many shades of grey. This is not a novel that has clear black and white delineations. It was a long story, and one I really had to focus on, but it was a book I could barely put down. I laughed, I cried, and I was drawn in. A good background in artists and their respective styles will help, as the references are plentiful. The lessons are frequent, and each carries a bit of poignancy (there is a good deal of fan art online highlighting the great number of memorable quotes). Already in my "top 20 of all time", it is easy to see the appeal for teens, not to mention the New York Times Bestseller ranking and numerous awards. Make time for this one. It transports and transforms the reader. Brava, Ms. Nelson.
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