Mostly True Story Of Jack, The (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
I read a lot. And I read a lot of Fantasy. This is the first one in a while that has kept me thinking about it every time I had to stop reading. That I actually wasn't sure what was going on. And because the writing was good, not the opposite. Jack has spent his life being the ignored little brother. But while I occasionally had to raise my hand at the dinner table, Jack has to draw pictures of himself to tape into photos. It's not until he is sent to his Aunt and Uncle's house that people start noticing him. Too bad that includes Mr. Archer who thinks that if he can just get rid of Jack his problems will go away. What seems like an idyllic small town is filled with watching faces, a school house that children disappear from, A farmer's son who knows far more than most, a damaged and silent Frankie and his bully fighting twin sister Wendy.This is a brand of magic that you don't find often in books. No fairies or wizards, just Old Magic.4.5 stars I'll be honest - I read this book in two widely-separate sittings: a break of over three months - and it is not an "easy" read. The first time I read the library book and didn't finish - I bought it recently from B & N and polished it off. This is a unique book demanding mental engagement, a mystery adventure in small-town Iowa, surrounded by ripening fields of corn and blue skies. MG Field of Dreams this is not: Barnhill has created a very unique world and premise in the most unremarkable of settings: you will never look at Iowa the same way again. I find this the opposite of The Apothecary - a 3rd person POV with a 1st person feel. Strange, maybe it is just me. It goes to show the importance of scale - in one scene, a mother and her son (no giveaways here) can't even escape this small town. The climatic scene takes place in a picnic. Jack himself is an enigmatic figure and you have to pay attention to figure out who he is though it becomes obvious towards the end. Barnhill clearly loves her characters: even the minor ones are well-rounded, warts and all, the kind you can believe actually live in your community. I applaud the author, her agent and the publisher for getting this book out to market. Commercial blockbuster it is not but a unique literary vision this is: a magical fantasy bordering more on surrealism despite the traditional "good vs evil' line and even that trope is given unconventional treatment. Not an easy book to digest but I put this book up there with The Apothecary, The Peculiar and The Aviary for daring to stretch the boundaries of MG vision. Books like this remind me why MG is the golden age of reading and imagination.
What do You think about Mostly True Story Of Jack, The (2012)?
this was a cool story, loved the main character - Jack
—Rizwan
Kids enjoyed this--pretty bizarre in my opinion.
—cece
