SFF Chronicles News
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- Oct 20, 2013
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9th July 2013 09:32 PM
Tim James
This book is listed as a young adult book, and one of the tricks with writing such a thing is to not dumb it down for the reader. For me the best kind of young adult book is to deal with issues that are universal, that could be an ‘adult’ book but maybe do not linger on detail and bad language quite as much.
Dealing with a central character that is sick with cancer is certainly a step in the right direction and Hoffman manages to do an excellent job at walking the line between young adult and adult.
It is the story of a young man kept away from his friends and school because of a tumour in the brain, and is now in recovery following months of painful chemotherapy, how through a gift from his father he learns to ‘stravigate’ between realities, crossing into another world much like our own, but different at the same time. This is an alternate Italy, called Talia set more in the sixteenth century, a world similar and yet filled with differences, and how he is pulled into the intrigues of that world, and finds himself straddling two worlds loving life in one and looking forward to regain life in the other.
It is an easily read adventure that really sells the other world Venice and the society there, which makes the book really work, with strong characters and full of interesting ideas.
Perhaps the end is a bit quick (SPOILER)
Lucien’s cancer returns and the consequences are a bit rushed and seem a little ‘easy’ if that is the right word, but the fact that you are convinced he is going to get better makes the end that much more real.
All in all though an entertaining read that is a lot of fun and well told.
Tim James
This book is listed as a young adult book, and one of the tricks with writing such a thing is to not dumb it down for the reader. For me the best kind of young adult book is to deal with issues that are universal, that could be an ‘adult’ book but maybe do not linger on detail and bad language quite as much.
Dealing with a central character that is sick with cancer is certainly a step in the right direction and Hoffman manages to do an excellent job at walking the line between young adult and adult.
It is the story of a young man kept away from his friends and school because of a tumour in the brain, and is now in recovery following months of painful chemotherapy, how through a gift from his father he learns to ‘stravigate’ between realities, crossing into another world much like our own, but different at the same time. This is an alternate Italy, called Talia set more in the sixteenth century, a world similar and yet filled with differences, and how he is pulled into the intrigues of that world, and finds himself straddling two worlds loving life in one and looking forward to regain life in the other.
It is an easily read adventure that really sells the other world Venice and the society there, which makes the book really work, with strong characters and full of interesting ideas.
Perhaps the end is a bit quick (SPOILER)
Lucien’s cancer returns and the consequences are a bit rushed and seem a little ‘easy’ if that is the right word, but the fact that you are convinced he is going to get better makes the end that much more real.
All in all though an entertaining read that is a lot of fun and well told.
