“A CORNER OF WHITE: BOOK 1 OF THE COLORS OF MADELEINE,” by Jaclyn Moriarty, Arthur A. Levine Books April 1, 2013, Hardcover, $17.99 (young adult)
I don’t usually use a publisher’s book description, as I believe a person who reviews a book should be able to recount what happened. In the case of “A Corner on White,” however, I feel it is necessary to include it. You see, I did not finish the book. I tried. I picked it up three different times, but could not get into Jaclyn Moriarty’s novel.
From the Arthur A. Levine Books:
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…
I have a reading rule: Give a book 50 pages and if you can’t get into it, move on. That’s what happened for me here. As intrigued by the story description and cover as I was, I just could not fall in love with it or even pretend to have any interest in it.
After reading a number of other reviews, it appears this is a book readers will either really like or never want to pick up. There’s not much middle ground. So that you can make a decision for yourself, I’ve included links to other reviews:
“’A Corner of White’ has the kind of originality that sends sparks flying into the air. The kind of originality that has been lost for a looong time. Jaclyn Moriarty has completely and utterly blown me away with the way she can grab hold of a story and render it into something made of brilliance in its whole entirety.” —Lottie Eve, Book Adoration
“Without that connection to the characters, I was bored all the way through this 373 page book. My reading slowed down a lot because I found myself not wanting to go back to it. I just didn’t care about the people involved, so I couldn’t get invested in their goings on.” —Christina, A Reader of Fictions
“I liked how Moriarity created two such different settings for her characters. Even though, one was the real world, it seemed just a little off kilter and, even though Elliott’s world was a fantasy world, it seemed ‘real’ in many ways.” —Booklogged, A Reader’s Journal
“With all the weaving plot threads within the contemporary and fantasy world, Moriarty failed to develop her main characters to a depth that would make me fall in love with them. As a result, I struggled to finish ‘A Corner of White’ several times, which is sad because I admired the lovely, crisp prose and delighted in the world-building from the beginning.” —Holly, Book Harbinger
“If just the creativity and imagination in this book weren’t enough, I was genuinely moved by these characters. Even, surprisingly, to the point of tears (These came, I am sure, from pure pleasure of being a a part of the characters lives and a true sense of empathy). ‘A Corner of White’ defies genres. Not only is it a vivid experience, it’s also emotionally resonant. The story, while deliciously crazy, somehow had a ring of truth to it. Utterly heartfelt and moving.” —Inkrush
“I was so confused throughout this entire book. I ALMOST did not finish this book, which is rare for me – once I start a book, no matter what, I finish it. I really did not understand what was what most of the time. … I was bored. A lot. It took me several attempts to continue reading, and to finish. The author’s writing style is really dry, so I’m not really seeing how the publisher is saying that this book is ‘funny.’ Because I didn’t really catch on to the humor. Which is sad.” —Eater of Books
