Skip to main content

A Corner of White

I enjoyed Jaclyn Moriarty's Ashbury/Brookfield series (my thoughts) quite a bit and I was  eager to see what she would do with a fantasy book. What she did is amazing. A Corner of White is absolutely wonderful. It is a combination of contemporary and fantasy that does both well and brings to life a cast of characters that you want to know and love.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
This is a tale of missing persons. Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge (in our world).
Elliot, on the other hand, is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle was found dead. The talk in the town of Bonfire (in the Kingdom of Cello) is that Elliot's dad may have killed his brother and run away with the Physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth.
As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unraveling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds -- through an accidental gap that hasn't appeared in centuries. But even greater mysteries are unfolding on both sides of the gap: dangerous weather phenomena called "color storms;" a strange fascination with Isaac Newton; the myth of the "Butterfly Child," whose appearance could end the droughts of Cello; and some unexpected kisses...


Madeleine is a girl of The World. She has lived in many exotic locales,but now lives with her mother in Cambridge and they don't have much money. Elliot lives in the Kingdom of Cello where there are attacks by antagonistic Colors, magic, and strange happenings in the political landscape of the Kingdom. When a crack between the two worlds opens up the two begin writing letters to each other. Elliot knows of The World. They study it in Cello. Madeleine thinks Elliot is a fantasy nerd with too much time on his hands but she plays along. Sort of. One of the brilliant things about Moriarty's construction of this novel is that she has Madeleine challenge the fantasy world she created. Through her she mocks it, points out the nonsensical in it, and therefore makes it all the more believable. Ingenious. There are times in the book when the town of Bonfire and its inhabitants seem more real than Cambridge.

The first part of the book is a bit confusing and not much is clear. I couldn't help being drawn into these characters lives and their story even if I didn't fully understand what that story was at first. Moriarty has strong control over the narrative and the style of her writing had me eager to keep reading until all was clear. In the meantime I was falling in love with both Madeleine and Elliot in all of their confused uncertainty about their lives. They are very different but have the same essential struggle. Both feel the void left by their missing fathers and both are shying away from facing the harsh realities before them.  Their letters to each other are a mixture of complaint, advise, and friendly banter that are delightful. The supporting characters are all fascinating and complex too. Both Madeleine and Elliot have hard things filling up their lives. Things that any reader can identify with, yet the tone of this book remains lighthearted and fun. The hard things are there, but life is still happening and Madeleine and Elliot both embrace life with wholehearted enthusiasm. 

There were a few elements of the story I questioned while I was reading. Why is this here? This seems unnecessary. But then the end comes and I knew. It is all necessary. All of it lays the foundation for the end which took me by surprise and in a most delightful way. It made me love the book even more. I absolutely can not wait for the sequel. I am satisfied with this ending, but as soon as I finished I wanted more. I didn't want to leave this world or Madeleine and Elliot behind.

I read a galley received from the publisher via NetGalley. A Corner of White will be available April 1, 2013.

Comments

Anonymous said…
EEEEEEEE, I am so excited for this one! Jaclyn Moriarty is fantastic, and I love that she's branching out into new realms.
Brandy said…
IT'S SO GOOD!!!! I love it so much more than her other books and I liked them a whole lot.

Popular posts from this blog

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak  by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein...

TTT: Characters I'd Follow On Social Media

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly themed blog hop created by  The Broke and the Bookish  and now hosted at  That Artsy Reader Girl . This Week's Topic: Characters I'd Follow On Social Media I love this topic. I actually have my students create social media pages for characters for extra credit assignments, so I've always thought this was fun to think about. It actually really requires some character analysis to do well. Which social media fits this character's personality? What would they post about? How much of their inner lives would they share? Here are the characters I would follow, where I would follow them, and why: Lizzie Bennet on Tumblr because you know her blog would be a beautiful mix of nerdy fangirl thoughtfulness and feminist manifestos. I love following people like that. Darcy on Twitter: He would use it rarely, but when he did, it would be to the point and oh so entertaining. Amy March on Instagram because it would be beautifully aesthetic, and...

Favorite Kissing Scenes

When thinking of a favorite things post I could do for February I decided it would have to be kissing. I've already done couples and I was feeling in the mood to do something fluffy and Valentine's related. So kisses it is. I read more MG than YA, and the YA I read tends to not focus on romance so this was actually harder than I expected it to be though a few jumped into my head right away. (And one of my choices does actually come from a MG book. One is adult. Gasp!) The actual scene from the book is quoted followed by my thoughts. The king lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her. It was not a kiss between strangers, not even a kiss between a bride and a groom. It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen's shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day . - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner Turner doesn't write the...

The Penderwicks in Spring

The Penderwicks is not just one of my favorite ongoing series; it is one of my favorite series of all time. I'm always astounded by the depth of emotion and diverse, realistic relationship dynamics Birdsall is able to capture with these characters. The Penderwicks in Spring  surpassed my expectations even though they were astronomically high already. It is now my favorite, having edged out  The Penderwicks on Gardam Street . Minor spoilers for first three book are in this review. If you haven't read this series, get started: The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy  The Penderwicks on Gardam Street The Penderwicks at Point Mouette   Spring is coming to Gardam Street and Batty and Ben Penderwick couldn't be more excited. The season is bringing with it anticipation and new opportunities. Nick Geiger, the Penderwicks' neighbor, is returning home on leave from the Army after being at war. Both Skye and Ba...

Shadowshaper

Shadowshaper  by Daniel José Older is everywhere. Best of lists. Award buzz. Blogs everywhere. It's one of those books everyone is reading and talking about. I had it on my TBR but decided I definitely needed to read it before the year was out just so I could weigh in on one of the most talked about books of 2015 if asked. It is deserving of every good thing said about it. Every. One. Sierra was looking forward to a relaxing summer break. Her plans involved hanging out with her friends and painting. They did not involve being chased by zombie like creatures and threatened by a magical power connected to her family's heritage she has never heard of. When murals begin fading all over her Brooklyn neighborhood, Sierra is perplexed. When her grandfather, who had a stroke, begins to apologize and starts repeating strange phases and insisting Sierra get the help of a boy she barely knows to help her finish her mural, Sierra is concerned but mostly about her grandfather. Then at a...