Review: Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta

Lumatere Chronicles, Book 3
Book 1: Finnikin of the Rock
Book 2: Froi of the Exiles review

Tags: YA, fantasy

Summary

Princess Quintana, carrying the child that prophecy predicts will be the one to break Charyn’s 18-year curse of barrenness, is in hiding. Numerous groups are trying to seek her out, whether it’s to kill her or take her unborn child in the power struggle for Charyn’s throne. But no one is looking for her more desperately than Froi, father of Quintana’s child, and whose recent discoveries about his own family history make him more confused than ever about his loyalties toward Lumatere, Charyn, and Quintana.

Review

How do you follow up perfection? It’s usually impossible—but this is Melina Marchetta we’re talking about, and she can do anything she wants to when it comes to writing. Still, when she actually managed to write a second book in a trilogy that was so astoundingly amazing, it was going to be a hard one to follow up for sure. While QUINTANA OF CHARYN didn’t do it for me as Froi of the Exiles did, it was still an overall satisfying ending to one of the most emotionally draining and ambitious YA fantasy series in recent publishing history.

QUINTANA OF CHARYN made me think for the first time in this series of why I like these characters when most of them can be so horrible, to themselves and to one another. Because in this installment, I think I was removed enough from their situations to be appalled at how they talked to and treated one another. If they were real, they’d be given restraining orders. We’d think they are off their rockers. We’d hiss in their faces about how they should be ashamed of themselves, about how saying you’d be willing to destroy yourself and others out of your love for her is more scary than romantic. Marchetta’s characters often seem like they’re acting out a dangerous dramatization of romance, one that borders on mentally abusive.

So how come Marchetta gets away with writing arguably abusive characters that we (hopefully) intelligent readers support fiercely, when we’re the ones who skewer portrayals of abusive characters as love interests in YA fiction? I don’t know. I’ve been turning this over and over in my head ever since I finished reading, and I still haven’t figured out why I’m okay with loving Froi, Quintana, Lucian, Isaboe, and the others, when in any other circumstance I would’ve condemned the sympathetic portrayal of such characters. Is it because I sympathize with their horrifying childhoods and feel that their experiences explain the way they interact with one another? (But the children of abusive upbringings can grow up to be positive role models.) Is it because they are good with no one except the few that they love with all their broken hearts? Possibly. Quite possibly that.

Reading what I’ve written, this probably doesn’t qualify as an actual review, more like my musings on my confusion over my feelings for the book. Stylistically and emotionally, QUINTANA was a lot like Froi of the Exiles for me: in the beginning I was frustrated with how unlikable so many of the characters were, and in the last hundred pages I was tearing up at every sentence on the page. While it didn’t have that Punch for me as Froi did, it’s still Melina Marchetta. It’s still the Lumatere Chronicles. It is so worth reading and falling for.

Cover discussion: I like the Australian cover a lot more than the US one. This is a pretty, calm, bashful model pretending to have the eerily raw fierceness that Quintana possesses. It's Quintana's strength that makes her alluring, not her outward appearances. And the Australian cover gets that.

Candlewick / April 23, 2013 / Hardcover / 528pp. / $18.99

e-galley received from publisher and NetGalley for review.

Review: Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta

The Lumatere Chronicles, Book 2

Tags: YA, fantasy

Summary

For the past three years, Froi of Nowhere has devoted himself to serving his queen, Isaboe of Lumatere. An unexpected royal assassin’s mission into the heart of neighboring Charyn, however, uproot his life once more. For Charyn has been in the throes of a long curse as well, and at its center seems to be Quintana, the mad princess who declares herself to be essential to the curse-breaking prophecy. As, reluctantly, Froi begins to care about the people he meets in Charyn, he discovers just how deeply he is entangled in the affairs of Charyn…

Review

Once in a blue moon I find that I would rather not write a review for a book, because there is just no chance I will be able to find the right words to express just how magnificent I think the book is. Unsurprisingly, as with nearly all of her books, Melina Marchetta’s latest, FROI OF THE EXILES, is one of these times. It just doesn’t seem possible that FROI is “just a book,” or “just a story.” FROI is an experience. It’s an event. It’s altogether unforgettable.

As always, Marchetta pulls off the miraculous feat of having characters that initially seem unlikable but then grow so much on you you find you kind of, sort of, maybe want to date them. If you remember Froi from Finnikin of the Rock, you’ll probably remember him as an angry and petulant adolescent with a hard childhood. Froi starts out much the same way in this book, but he grows until we see how truly noble, how fiercely loyal, he can be when his heart runs away from him.

Other characters, both old and new ones, get plenty of page time in FROI OF THE EXILES. We get heart-wrenching pictures of the rebuilding of Lumatere, the hurts that remain from the time of the curse, the difficulties of keeping happiness and hope alive in a crowd of hopelessness, resentment, and suspicion. We also get new problems in the Charynites and their curse, revelations about Froi’s past, and tensions between old characters we feel protective of and new characters that we perhaps love even more. Marchetta weaves brilliant tapestries of plot and conflict together, surprising and astounding us with their complexity.

Characters, setting, plot…I may have to go ahead and call FROI OF THE EXILES flawless. Not that I’m surprised. FROI simply reiterates the fact that Melina Marchetta can do anything when it comes to writing. It was a wonderful reading experience and I look forward to finding out more about Froi, Quintana, and the others, in the next book, Quintana of Charyn.

Cover discussion: Umm... is that supposed to be Froi? I don't know how I feel about that...

Candlewick / March 13, 2012 / Hardcover / 598pp. / $18.99

e-galley received from publisher and NetGalley. Thank you!

Review: Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

Tags: YA, contemporary, Italian Australians, ethnic biases, families

Summary

Josephine Alibrandi is 17, lives with her single mother, and must deal with her critical and past-obsessed grandmother. Little throws this opinionated and feisty girl off guard in her female-dominated world, but if anything can cause her to rethink all that she thought she understood about the world, the arrival in her life of a potential love interest, a deeply suffering friend, her long-absent father, and a shocking family secret just might.

Review

At long last, I’ve picked up and finished my favorite author’s debut novel, which also happens to be the last book of hers that I read. It’s fascinating—and quite odd, to tell you the truth—to read her first book last: it’s like peeking at a great author’s first draft. Nevertheless, LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI was an enjoyable, if not spectacular, contemporary read featuring a feisty main character and a discussion of ethnic discrimination in Australia.

The great maturation of Melina Marchetta’s writing style over the past 20 years shows. Much of the character development in LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI takes place in the form of dialogue: Josie’s grandmother, in particular, talks a lot about their family’s history, and Josie is often at odds with her grandmother as to where they stand regarding their position as Italian Australians in Australian society. Sometimes the character development feels choppy, for Josie will be acting like an immature brat one day, and in the next chapter, she will talk about how she feels herself changing as she learns more and more. Um, from where does this growth naturally progress? I scratch my head in confusion.

The best part of LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI is probably Josie. In a genre where all too often female protagonists will be much blander than their authors intended for them to be, Josie is loud-mouthed, mean at times, unafraid to make her thoughts heard. She is very direct with the family members she disagrees with over various issues. Because of Josie’s opinionated point of view, readers are able to be immersed in a discussion over ethnic biases that existed in Australia at the time of this book’s writing, that may still exist today. Josie is unafraid to voice her complaint about how she is treated and thought of differently by her classmates. Sometimes this feels like too much telling and not enough showing, but it’s Melina Marchetta. Which means that even not at her fullest potential, she is still worth reading.

LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI may not have claimed my heart as Saving Francesca and Jellicoe Road have, but it’s still, I think, a must-read for Marchetta fans, who will be able to appreciate just how far their beloved author has come.

Similar Authors
Cath Crowley
Sarah Dessen

Cover discussion: I'm... indifferent about this one, I think. Sure, I think the model could be Josie, especially given Josie's propensity to, uh, speak her mind at every opportunity. But I'm not quite sure what the oversaturation is supposed to accomplish.

Knopf / May 9, 2006 (reprint) / Paperback / 320pp. / $8.95

Personal copy.

Review: The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

Tags: YA, contemporary, grief, family

Summary

It’s been two years since Tom Mackee’s beloved uncle was killed in the London terrorist attacks, and he and his family are still reeling from it, closed off from one another in their own spheres of pain. Tom quit school and “works” at a local student union/pub alongside his former friends, who, despite his coldness towards them, have stubbornly refused to give up on him.

Tom lives with his single, pregnant aunt Georgie, who has problems of her own. She feels like she can’t let her unborn child’s father, Sam, back into her life, not after what happened between them during their years-long relationship. However, with the patient love, shared pain, and quirkiness of his friends and family, perhaps there is a way for Tom, Georgie, and everyone else to heal.

Review

I have never read a book by Melina Marchetta that I haven’t loved, which makes her one of a kind. THE PIPER’S SON takes beloved characters from Saving Francesca and makes them hurt—makes us hurt in reading about their struggles—and yet leaves us with a story so powerful, so resonant, so complex, that it’s hard to imagine that such an accomplishment was achieved at the hands of a human being.

Readers of THE PIPER’S SON should not expect the same tone as was in Saving Francesca. THE PIPER’S SON is dark. That’s because Tom Mackee is angry. Two years after his uncle’s death and Tom is still simmering, still resentful, still pushing everyone away and not taking care of himself. You’d hate him for being so self-absorbed if it weren’t for how subtly Tom heals throughout the course of the novel.

Melina Marchetta’s characterization isn’t simply splendid. Her dialogue isn’t simply witty and spot-on—it’s revitalizing. The dialogue comes across as simultaneously natural and like the most wonderful thing you’ve ever read in fiction. The characters in THE PIPER’S SON really do come alive through their interactions with one another. Even Tom, so stuck in a cycle of self-torment is he, reveals himself to be capable of being vulnerable, of healing, of loving through his exchanges with others.

I had high expectations for THE PIPER’S SON and Marchetta didn’t let me down. THE PIPER’S SON is evidence of Marchetta’s incredible maturation as a writer since her wonderful book Saving Francesca. A must-read for Marchetta fans, and a book that will continue to astound me every time I think back to it.

Cover discussion: I don't think that's really Tom in the picture, but I do like the image--the stark contrast between cool colors and black.

Candlewick Press / March 8, 2011 / Hardcover / 336pp. / $17.99

Personal copy.

Review: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Tags: YA, boarding school, family, turf wars

Summary

Taylor Markham’s mother abandoned her by the Jellicoe School when she was eleven. Now a Year 12 student, Taylor is in charge of the Jellicoe students holding their own in a traditional turf war against the townies and the visiting Cadets. At the same time she also worries about the disappearance of Hannah, the one adult she’s close to in her life.

Interspersed with Taylor’s story is the story about five teenagers that Hannah is writing. The stories interweave beautifully as Taylor discovers what all these people have to do with her past.

Review

Everyone wants to discover life-changing things, whether they come in the form of events, people, paintings, or books. If you’re lucky, you will experience these encounters more than once.

I was lucky. I read JELLICOE ROAD. This extraordinary book changed my life, and maybe it will change yours, too.

To tell the truth, JELLICOE ROAD kind of ruins you temporarily for all other books. For several days after I finished this book, I wandered around in a daze. I picked up books, halfheartedly read the first few pages, then put them down and wandered away. Nothing seemed to match the magical dream-come-true that was genius author Melina Marchetta’s third novel.

It starts out confusingly. What’s going on? Why is there so much tension between all these people? Who are they, anyway? What do they want? Why are they so serious about their situation? But then, invariably, you’ll get sucked in. It’s probably a little like how the average person might fall in love: you can’t pinpoint exactly when someone became special to you, all you can say is that it happened, and you can’t even remember back to a time when they weren’t special to you.

The narration and plot progression of the book reads like a dream: choppy and distracted in a whimsical manner. Don’t expect a conventional story arc, or you’ll probably get really frustrated. Best if you just let it happen as it does.

JELLICOE ROAD reads like someone laughing through tears. I couldn’t help but smile as Taylor, Jonah, and the others endeared themselves to me even before I could figure out what was going on between them all, even as their painful discoveries about their tragic pasts tugged at my heartstrings.

A story this magnificent, this heartbreaking, shouldn’t have this much hope…but it does. That’s the beauty of this book. Melina Marchetta has written a book that is so much more than a simple story in words: it takes on a life of its own.

Similar Authors
Cath Crowley

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 (duh.)

Cover discussion: 4 out of 5 - Something about colors and abstractions.... oh, does it even matter, since the inside is so precious?!

HarperCollins / March 9, 2010 / Paperback (reprint) / 419pp. / $8.99

Copy bought.

Waiting on Wednesday (90)

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

Award-winning author Melina Marchetta reopens the story of the group of friends from her acclaimed novel Saving Francesca - but five years have passed, and now it’s Thomas Mackee who needs saving. After his favorite uncle was blown to bits on his way to work in a foreign city, Tom watched his family implode. He quit school and turned his back on his music and everyone that mattered, including the girl he can’t forget. Shooting for oblivion, he’s hit rock bottom, forced to live with his single, pregnant aunt, work at the Union pub with his former friends, and reckon with his grieving, alcoholic father. Tom’s in no shape to mend what’s broken. But what if no one else is either?

An unflinching look at family, forgiveness, and the fierce inner workings of love and friendship, The Piper’s Son redefines what it means to go home again. [summary from Goodreads]

The upcoming US edition of The Piper's Son (already out in Australia) now has a cover...and my my my, do I like it! Is that you on the cover, Thomas Mackee? Mind turning around so I can, er, have a face-to-face conversation with you? *cough*

In all seriousness, though, Melina Marchetta is one of my favorite authors, and there is no way she will disappoint me with this book. No way. I'm looking forward to slightly revisiting all of my beloved characters from Saving Francesca, as well as learning more about Thomas Mackee, that endearingly sullen, wannabe-rebellious musician.

The Piper's Son will be released in hardcover from Candlewick on March 8, 2011.

Review: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

In honor of Jellicoe Road winning the Printz Award (I haven't read it yet but you can be sure I definitely will; if anyone has written a review about it please do link me to it so that I can peruse!), I am putting up a review of a related, beloved book...

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

hardcover

paperback

Francesca Spinelli's proactive mother has forced her to attend St. Sebastian's School for Boys, recently made co-ed by giving the girls a toilet. Francesca would rather go to St. Pius with her friends, instead of being stuck at Sebastian's with an unusual group of people, including Siobhan, her ex-best friend and infamous slut; Tara Finke, feminist and activist extraordinaire; Justine, an accordian player; Thomas Mackee, whose specialty is farting and teasing girls; Jimmy, an over-friendly upperclassman who terrifies young kids simply by asking them questions and who seems determined to make himself a fifth member of Francesca's family; and Will Trombal, their surly prefer who Francesca can't stop thinking about.

She thinks that's bad, but it gets worse when her mother succumbs to depression and lies in bed for months at a time. Almost too late, Francesca realizes that she is more like her mother than she realized, and that the family needs her energy to feel complete.

Australian author Melina Marchetta's second book is jam-packed with wit and poignancy. It will make you laugh over and over, as well as tug at your heartstrings. Francesca is a resilient protagonist with endearing conflicts to face, and Will kind of reminds me of Viktor Krum from Harry Potter--unless he's suddenly waxing eloquent, of course, and then it's just swooooon! Anyway, Saving Francesca is a nearly perfect novel; now it just needs a large fan base.

Rating: 5/5

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Personally I'm a fan of the hardcover image, but I own the paperback. I dunno, there's just something about those eyes on the hardcover...

So the participatory question is: what other Aussie writers do you enjoy and recommend? I'd like to read them!