Chopsticks

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral
Release Date: February 2, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 272
Format: Paperback
Source: OWN
Interest : YA Contemporay
Challenge: 2012 Reading Challenge, 2012 YA Contemporary Challenge
Buy The Book: Amazon

After her mother died, Glory retreated into herself and her music. Her single father raised her as a piano prodigy, with a rigid schedule and the goal of playing sold-out shows across the globe. Now, as a teenager, Glory has disappeared. As we flash back to the events leading up to her disappearance, we see a girl on the precipice of disaster. Brilliant and lonely, Glory is drawn to an artistic new boy, Frank, who moves in next door. The farther she falls, the deeper she spirals into madness. Before long, Glory is unable to play anything but the song "Chopsticks."

But nothing is what it seems, and Glory's reality is not reality at all. In this stunningly moving novel told in photographs, pictures, and words, it's up to the reader to decide what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along....

 

I first heard about this book over the summer, and I have been dying to read it ever since. As most of you know, I am a huge fan of books where the author uses other, non-traditional means to weave their tale. The bulk of Chopsticks is told through the use of photography, along with the aid of instant messages, notes, drawings and doodles to tell the tale.

I was pleasantly surprised at how the story itself, sucked me within the first 5 pages and I couldn't tear myself away! Literally! I began readiang this as my family and I headed home from ALA, it went from the car with me, straight into the resturant where we ate our lunch, and right back into the car as we finished our journey home. Yep, I couldn't even put it down to eat! It was that amazing!

Chopsticks is the story of young piano prodigy Glory. In the first few pages we learn that she has mysteriously gone missing, and we are then thrown into a flashback of her life. Between loosing her mother, her father's obsession with her gift of playing the piano, and her whirlwind career which takes her traveling around the globe, it's of no wonder this poor girl went a little mad! I'd probably bang out chopsticks endlessly too if I were forced to play the piano all day! So who can blame her for seeking solice in the arms of the super cute boy next door? But what exactly did happen to Glory?

Jennifer and Rodrigo did such an amazing job with this novel! The story captivates you in just a few short pages, and has you in a  hypnotc trance until the very last page! I loved how they weaved the story and used the aid of so many different forms of communication in such a way that I felt like I was seeing everything through Glory's eyes. I felt like I was a part of this story, and couldn't tear myself away from it. Chopsticks is very artisistically, well thought out, and cleverly done!