Rather unfortunate that I should chose to read this novel right after Please Ignore Vera Dietz, which also features a death of a loved one and the aftermath. This provoked too much comparison/contrast between the two novels and left this one a bit wanting. I do enjoy when the arts have the power to heal. The romance was well developed, though I was a bit iffy about their age difference. Also, there were points in the book when I wondered why her parents didn't just call the main character on her cell phone. So it was clunky in places, but overall a good read. "Somewhere, things must be beautiful and vivid. Somewhere else, life has to be beautiful and vivid and rich. Not like this muted palette -a pale blue bedroom, washed out sunny sky, dull green yellow brown of the fields" (Sandell 1).Life is simple for 15 year old Cora Bradley, too simple. She seeks to find adventure and a meaning to life, but with the tragedy of her brothers death over her and her family’s head, she struggles to do just that. In A Map of the Known World, Lisa Ann Sandelll writes a typical coming of age story of Cora's battle with high-school, family drama, and personal insecurities that come along with being a teen. Personally, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. The story-line is very traditional; it’s another story that suppose to appeal to our demographic as we are suppose to relate to the struggles Cora went through. In many ways this is true, everybody struggles with high-school, family, and personal battles every once and awhile, but as kids we live it everyday. The book, as emotion packed and very heartfelt, was not a very interesting read. The thing most notable about this book is Lisa Sandells' use of language throughout the story. She uses a variety of syntax and rhetorical appeals that give passages and phrases in the book depth and meaning. In one specific passage, she uses repetition with “live”. She says “I wish I could say we all lived happily ever after. I can't. But I can say we lived. Our love for Nate lives, and he's left us this piece of himself in his art; it was his gift to us” (Sandell 78). By doing so the author emphasizes the idea of life, and more specifically what Cora’s meaning of life is. As it relates to the story line it gives the reader a chance to understand Cora’s character better. She lives in a world where everyone is upset over her brothers death, so her use of “live” in the passage allowed me to realize that Cora is a kind-hearted, loving girl, who despite the tragedy of her brothers loss, is able to find happiness and “live”. Word count: 367
What do You think about A Map Of The Known World (2009)?
This was a little gem of a book.Full review to follow soon...
—AllieTheAwesome
