Thursday, April 19, 2012

[Review] Among Others by Jo Walton

Published Date: January 3rd, 2012
Published Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: Raincoast Books
Received Format: Paperback
Pages: 304

Synopsis:
Startling, unusual, and irresistibly readable, Among Others is at once the compelling story of a young woman struggling to escape a troubled childhood, a brilliant diary of first encounters with the great novels of modern fantasy and science fiction, and a spellbinding tale of escape from ancient enchantment.

As a child growing up in Wales, Morwenna played among the spirits who made their homes in industrial ruins. But her mind found freedom in the science fiction novels that were her closest companions. When her half-mad mother tried to bend the spirits to dark ends, Mori was forced to confront her in a magical battle that left her crippled--and her twin sister dead.

Fleeing to a father whom she barely knew, Mori was sent to boarding school in England--a place all but devoid of true magic. There, she tempted fate by doing magic herself, in an attempt to find a circle of like-minded friends. But her magic also drew the attention of her mother, bringing about a reckoning that could no longer be put off...

Combining elements of autobiography with flights of imagination, this is a stunning new novel by an author whose genius has already been hailed by dozens of her peers.





My Thoughts:
The story is magical, breathtaking, and marvellous! I can hardly find the words to describe this book, it is a book that speak for itself. I am left speechless. I finished the book in one sitting.

 When Raincoast Books offered this book in their newsletter, I knew this book would be different and would be beautiful. I couldn't believe that I left it on my bookshelf for so long (shame on me! *hits self*)

 The setting of the book is stunning. I love a history background in a book and this book seemed to sew the timeline in perfectly. It was as if I stepped into a world where you see the pieces and landscape form in front of you, merging, turning into one image.

I ADORED the main character, and it is so rare to find a MAIN character to love. I don't know, Morwenna just captivated me. Haha, it seemed like she casted a spell on me. She was so concrete, relatable and very loveable. I think every girl wants to be her because yes she was relatable but she was strong. She present a kind of strength that I wish I possess. I did have similarities to Mori, such as she did not like math but liked chemistry. When she mentioned who gives a crap about the time when two trains meet, I almost stood up and applauded (did was partially because I was doing some similar math questions to the one she mentioned). She was a part of a set, she had a twin (I have a twin, and  thank god she is still alive). I felt that Moriwenna, Morganna and my sister and I would had been great friends. Oh that reminds me that I LOOOVEE their names, especially Morganna! I always had been a fangirl for the name Morganna (because of Prince Author and Merlin epicness). Now back to Morwenna, she seemed very mature, and almost feel like she have an air of magic around her.

 The conversation between the characters are not boring and armature. It is not the typical "Hi dad, I don't want to go to school". The interaction between the characters are so real. Some books I read seemed to force words into people's mouth and it just sound so odd and choppy. I can't explain it but really, the conversations in the novel seemed to flow like water.

Okay I had mentioned magic so many times in this review that I have to talk about the magic in the novel. The magic in the novel is not the typical magic with books. It is not the BAM, here is a spell, BOOM, there goes a transformation. The magic in this novel is subtle, smooth, calm, and almost nonexistent. It seems to guild softly through the wind of the novel or in a seeping mist.

This novel is also in a format of a diary entry. I don't think I had read a diary entry format book in a LONG time. This book reminded me of how I love it.

 And of course, the amount of SF and fantasy novels mentioned in the novel can last you a life time of TBR. So if you are looking for book suggestions, especially SF and fantasy, read this book, trust me you will get a whole library full! 

I am NOT surprised at all that this book is a nominee for the Hugo Award for best novel this year! Congratulation Jo! You really deserved it! And once again, THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH Raincoast Books for providing me this book. It is already the second book of this year that made me squeal! 

How I feel about this book is how I feel toward this picture:

I see its softness and delicacy. It is so real and so unbelievable at the same time. Oh gosh, it is so hard to explain my feelings.

I also want to mention how I love the cover. It is so different and so captivating. I can stare at it for hours seeing the images moving.

2 comments:

  1. This book sounds amazing! Subtle magics can be so beautiful!

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    Replies
    1. I loooved the subtle magics! The book is beyond what my words can describe. :) Thank you for stopping by~ <333

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