Tuesday, August 16, 2011

ARC Review: Wintertown


Wintertown by Steve Emond
Release Date: December 05, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 336, Hardcover
Young Adult
Source: Prince Bookie ARC Tours
Overall: Fabulous!

Every winter, straight-laced, Ivy League bound Evan looks forward to a visit from Lucy, a childhood pal who moved away after her parent's divorce. But when Lucy arrives this year, she's changed. The former "girl next door" now has chopped dyed black hair, a nose stud, and a scowl. But Evan knows that somewhere beneath the Goth, "Old Lucy" still exists, and he's determined to find her... even if it means pissing her off.
Garden State meets Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist in this funny and poignant illustrated novel about opposites who fall in love.


My Thoughts:

Every once in a while I come across a book that I really don't know what to say about it.  Wintertown is one of those books for me.  As the description says, "Garden State meets Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist."  I haven't read either of those books but I've heard about those books and wasn't really sure what I'd be finding inside the pages of Wintertown.

Evan and Ivy are the characters we follow through this part illustrated part written tale.  They grow up as childhood friends until Ivy's parents split and she is forced to follow her mother.  There Ivy has lots of growing pains and goes through her own personal tragedies which undoubtedly affects her personal character and growth.  When Evan and Ivy are reunited on her yearly Christmas visit to her father, a two week span in which Evan and Ivy have to make up for the rest of the missed year, Evan is shocked and slightly stunned at the differences in Ivy.  As time their time goes on Evan tries to break away at Ivy's exterior to figure out what changed her and to find the girl he once knew so well.  On the other side of that mystery is a girl who just wants her best friend to be who is he is, deep down.  She hates the confines of his personality and passion that his father has instilled on him and tries to show Evan what he is missing out on in life even if it falls on deaf ears and blind eyes.

Evan and Ivy story isn't an easy one.  There is a mix of personal mystery, sweet romance, hilarity, and a tale of coming to age.  You pair all of that with the fabulous illustrations you find within the book and you have a story that is truly explained from all sides as well as completely entertaining and fulfilling read.

1 comment:

  1. This review has totally got me interested in this, it sounds really entertaining but meaningful too!

    Great review!

    ReplyDelete

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