Xiaoxi Sun Sun itibaren Stavky, Zhytomyrs'ka oblast, Ukraine
Book three of the series. I adore Crispin Guest!
Hey. Tom Franklin. I owe you an apology.* I actually took a mousey bookstore clerk up on a reading recommendation, and I am very glad I did. (Also, I am equally surprised as I am glad that bookstore clerks still give good recommendations.) Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is about two boys whose parallel lives in southern Mississippi ride on parallel rails, much like the train tracks of Delta music lore. One white, one black. One poor, one poorer. One made it to Oxford, one was left behind to languish as an outcast in a small town that has imprisoned him without bars. There is so much to like about this book. First, it depicts the race dynamics of the South as I know them, rather than the crrrazy exagerrated way that most people still think of them. Second, he got the dialect just right -- respectful, but accurate. Third, you really wonder who killed those girls... was it one person or the whole community's eagerness to jump on an outrageous story? Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth = read it yourself. Welcome to the southern canon, Mister Franklin. I am very glad to know you. * = I used to work at Page & Palette. Remember that botched signing for Poachers?
I liked this book for its original plot and strong female character, but I became a bit tired of the great bus chase. It's a good coming-of-age book, especially for someone who feels different from everyone else. It made me pause to think about my special savvy.