Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Week 2: Appeal Factors

The Debt of Tamar by Nicole Dwek

With a sweeping story line and exotic settings, The Debt of Tamar is an epic story of love, loss, and how lives that are seemingly disparate are intertwined more than we know. When Jose Mendez escapes with his family from the Spanish Inquisition to the Ottoman Empire, he sets off a chain of events that trickle down to modern day. Fast paced, and incredibly compelling, this story is effortlessly readable and incredibly exciting.


I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Intriguing, fanciful tone threaded throughout what would otherwise be a typical teen angst story, challenges the reader to question what is reality and what is fantasy in this story of twins Jude and Noah who have had a falling out in their teen years. Told from Noah's perspective from the younger years, and Jude's perspective in the later years, the story of how they got to where they are is pieced together as the reader progresses. Both Jude and Noah are sympathetic and identifiable characters, and the reader can understand their choices and heartaches. Readers will root for their reconciliation and will enjoy much of the heartache and happiness along the way.


Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O'Keeffe by Dawn Clifton Tripp

Set in her early career as an artist, this novel of Georgia O'Keeffe's life explores her love affair with the photographer Alfred Stieglitz. Georgia's strong character is almost at odds with her era and Stieglitz. Their affair, though full of love, is also full of palatable frustration and heartache as O'Keeffe's career continues to thrive. As Stieglitz makes efforts to shepherd Georgia in the direction he feels she should go, they travel, alone and together, giving ample opportunity for the settings to play a role along with the human characters. Bittersweet in tone, this is a lovely novel that gives depth to a famous personality.

2 comments:

  1. Based on your review, I'll Give You the Sun sounds like it has really good character development, which I think is a common thread for many teen novels. It seems like teens enjoy characters they can relate to during their crazy, hormonal, adolescent age. Definitely a good recommendation!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's definitely a good read. Great character development, well paced. Keep it in mind :)

      Delete