Saturday, March 17, 2012

Review: Winter Town - Steve Emond

Where I got it: ARC from publisher for review
Rating: 5 stars  
Cover Rating:5  stars (I love how the snow is little hole punch scraps. It's a great cover. Simple.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: December 5, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 323 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

It's winter again, which means Evan is eagerly awaiting his childhood friend's arrival. The Lucy that comes this year though, isn't what Evan was expecting. After her parents divorced she went south to live with her mother. Little by little that has been changing her. This year Lucy shows up with piercings, dyed hair and a distant attitude. At first Evan is completely taken aback. He wanted his old Lucy, slowly he sees beneath the surface and catches glimpses of his old friend. She grew up with him, but has been spending the last few years growing up alone. They are in different universe now, but they both want to share the same one again. The timing might not be right though, they both have to figure out who they are and where they are going.

I really loved this novel. It was a calm little coming of age romp. I loved the style of this novel. There was lots of text and some comics and doodles and drawings all mixed in together. The comics are of Aelysthia, an imaginary place that they created, and there journey through it. I really loved how the comic and the story ran parallel to each other, it was a nice add-in. Very much reminds me of the movie  Garden State and listening to The Shins. It brought to mind Pete Hautman's The Big Crunch too.The perspective switches halfway through, so that instead of following Evan we follow Lucy for the second half. I think this works out very well, because Evan has the shock of seeing Lucy again and noticing all her difference in the beginning. Then, Lucy has a lot of secrets up her sleeve which we get to find out in the second half. This book was funny and at times crushing. Lucy and Evan are both very interesting characters, as are Evan's various friends. Evan is a studious geek, and Lucy has kind of gone a little wayward. Her family life is happy happy, so she struggles with things. They contrasted and complimented each other nicely. A completely authentic story about growing up and trying to figure out where you are headed in life. A fantastic read for high school students, boys and girls alike. Make sure you pick this one up soon. It was truly an amazing read.

First Line:
"'You could have at least stayed until the ball dropped,' Evan said, making no effort to hide his disappointment."

Favorite Lines:
"Lucy came home to a cluttered living room that seemed to be missing a floor. You know, those things for walking on."

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