I have only read two A.S. King books to date (the phenomenal Glory O'Brien's History of the Future being the other), but I feel that I've read enough to know that A.S. King is a writer like no other. As such, her books are difficult to parse into a review that accurately captures the spirit of the book. You can find many reviews of this book that has garnered starred reviews from Bookpage, SLJ, Horn Book, BCCB, Booklist, and SLC. I instead, will offer a haiku review:
Girl appears. Helps weirds. Twisted stories buried deep. What truths does earth keep?
Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is a book that defies categorization, and is one of the
most unique and affecting books that I've read this year.
Harry Black is a conscientious objector to the war; he is
also an artist. His brother Ellis is a soldier; he is also a writer. They don't
see eye-to-eye, however, both risk his their lives for his country. Harry is a
firefighter—tasked with responding to the fires that break out during the
devastating air raids on the city of London. In a rare wartime opportunity,
Harry and his brother meet up for a beer at a London pub. Soon after they
separate, the block where the pub stood is bombed to obliteration. Harry finds
himself in the hospital in a hazy, surreal state of shock. Ellis' whereabouts
are unknown. There is also a curious young German girl in the
hospital—Agatha.
It is in this otherworldly scenario that Harry draws and
thinks, and digs to the tune of an unknown musician who plays with great beauty
amidst the horrors. The reader has the benefit of understanding the musician's
purpose. The story is told in prose, in Harry's sketches, and in the haunting
speech of the musician, whose words turn often to song,
I've a story to tell of Harry Black,
who went to the Underworld and how he came back;
of the love for his brother, who'd pushed him away.
Of London by starlight, under attack,
of bombs falling, of people calling
through darkened streets,
of sirens and wayfarers, of lost souls,
of vicious women and mindless dogs.
These are the things of which I'll sing.
There are many books about WWII, the
Kindertransport, the bombing of London. None are like this one. Read it.
My copy of Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black was provided by the publisher.
I try to squeeze in a few adult books between reviewing for SLJ and AudioFile.
My two latest adult reads were Where the Crawdads Sing and Convenience Store Woman. I loved them both. I won't post a review of Where the Crawdads Sing because it is wildly popular, and good reviews may be found almost everywhere. It has cross-genre appeal (nature, crime, mystery, society) and more than a few surprises.
Here's my short review of Convenience Store Woman, an homage to those who don't fit the mold.
Convenience Store Woman will give you greater respect for the perceived
"otherness" of others, and will compel you to examine the seemingly
benign social mores to which you likely adhere. Short and
thought-provoking.
by Jory John
Illustrated by Lane Smith
Random House, 2018
Below is my review of Giraffe Problems as it appeared in School Library Journal. Oct 2018, Vol. 64 Issue 10, p55, 2 p.
PreS-Gr 2-In a follow-up to Penguin Problems, John and Smith team up
again and bring their zany brand of comedy. Edward the giraffe has a
problem with his neck—it's just too necky. Who wants such a long neck?
"Everybody stares at it. This guy. That guy. Him. Her. Them. Whatever
that is. Her again." Edward envies his fellow African animals, who
generally respond unfavorably. When Edward admires the zebra's classic
stripes, the zebra snaps, "Quit staring at me," but it takes a
self-effacing turtle named Cyrus to convince him that his neck is just
perfect. A foldout page reveals Edward using his neck for its intended
purpose. In a beautiful introduction to the uniqueness of a giraffe's
spots, Smith has created large, block-printed spots in natural colors to
adorn the end pages. The textured print continues throughout, visible
in the hides of animals, the bark of trees, and the textured ground of
the African plain. Of course, there is the theme of self-acceptance and a
bit of sublime silliness as well, especially in Edwards's fruitless
attempts at camouflage and in the expressively simple eyes of Cyrus the
turtle. VERDICT This book will appeal to older preschoolers as well as
elementary school kids, and would lend itself perfectly to dramatic
interpretation or an art lesson in sponge or block printing.
Gideon Quinton is the book's main character, a rising middle-schooler whose
family has recently relocated to Nevada. He is the story's main character, but his new
neighbor, Roona, drives the plot. She and her mother are most everything that
the Quintons are not. Against all odds, she and Gideon become inseparable.
I don't want to say that this is a book about depression and incarceration
and a troubled family because I don't want that to put you off from reading it. What
I want to say is that if you have a child or were a child, or are a child, or
know a child that comes from a perfectly nice, safe, and boring family—be
thankful, be grateful, be kind—and read this book because you need to know that
there are other families that are just as loving as yours, but they're struggling
and they need you look on their struggles with compassion rather than
judgement.
If you have a child, or are a child, or were a child, or know a child
that comes from a family struggling with depression or an incarcerated
parent—be caring, be resilient, be persistent—and read this book because you
need to know that there are other families out there that are just like yours. You
are not alone.
With a sprinkling of magical realism and hopefulness, Shaunta Grimes does a stellar job of tackling difficult topics for young readers. I hope you read or listen to her
book.
