Split & Wonderstruck

I'll be uncharacteristically brief for this posting; like Andrew noted, a lot has been written so far on these books.

To be completely honest, I wasn't completely sold on either of the books although both were good reads. Neither of them, though, really felt like anything "OMG special." I've already toasted books in the first rounds that I liked more than either of these two.

Considering my slavish love for The Invention of Hugo Cabret, I was surprised at how "m'eh" I felt about Wonderstruck. A nice little story, to be sure, but there wasn't that same propulsive narrative or sense of magic in Wonderstruck. It's probably not fair to compare the two, but, well, it was sort of inevitable on my part.

Split? Well, more than a little depressing. A bit ABC Afterschool Special at times. But I thought the voice of the protagonist was authentic and compelling, and more than a few of the scenes and situations in the novel had me flipping the pages as quickly as I could. To be honest, and I don't wish this too often, I wish the book was another 50 pages or so longer, to fully flesh out some of the secondary stock characters a little better and to more smoothly transition between some of the more abrupt narrative jumps.

Still, engaging enough that I grudgingly send Split off to the next round! Will Jenni make this unanimous?

Wonderstruck vs. Split

I think enough has been said about both these novels as they have progressed through the rounds, that I am just going to get to my pick.

I choose Split to move onto the next round. This book was powerful, brutal, honest and gives a real view into those who are faced with abuse, how they deal with it, and how it affects their lives after the fact. I was engrossed in this novel. I wanted to know if the mother was ever going to leave him, I wanted to know if Jace would continue to follow in a pattern laid out by his father. And I loved the relationships in this novel. I disagree with the previous post, as I felt that all of the secondary characters added alot to the story line- not necessarily as characters themselves, but getting to know them always added to the main characters. Jace had so many complex relationships in the novel, all serving different purposes in revealing more about who he is.

And I believe the author did an amazing job of just that-- revealing her main character, make us understand and feel for his situation, and in the end, want things to be okay.

I found this novel to be truly eye-opening, and I couldn't put it down. For that reason, I vote for it to move on.

(There was nothing wrong with Wonderstruck, it was an entertaining book, but for me it lacked the power that Split had.)

The book draw has been updated. It can be viewed here. We are waiting to hear on the last bracket to see what book A Monster Calls will be up against! If you have indicated that you will be in for the next round, your next book will go out right after Spring Break.

To play with an awful pun - because there are so few good ones - I was "split" on which book to put forward for the next round.  My choices were Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck, and Swati Avasthi's Split. And the problem is, I enjoyed them both, but for very different reasons.

Wonderstruck was fun and fantastical.  The weaving of the two plot lines through illustrations and text was seamless, and I roared through the book in one setting.  As long as kids don't get frightened off by the physical bulk of the book, I can see them truly enjoying what Selznick has to offer, and asking for more.

Split's story of abuse, and how it can devastate a family, was also a one sitting read.  I really became involved in the lives of Jace and Christian, and thought the topic was dealt with truthfully and respectfully. I also appreciated that there was not a fairy tale ending: no, dad doesn't miraculously reform, mom doesn't do the right thing and leave, and the boys are still kinda messed up.  Sounds more like real life.

Both novels had their flaws.  The ending of Wonderstruck was contrived to bring everyone together in an improbable, but happy ending. Split has some predictable secondary characters who really don't contribute much to the plot or characterization of Jace.

After much deliberation, though, I am going to plump for Split.  It is a story that can't be told enough: how individuals cope with abuse and conflict in their lives, and find the means within themselves to overcome.

From Jaylene at Riverbend part 2

I am posting for Jay who is off to England with our kids for Spring Break.


Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly is really two stories combined. The mystery of the key is interwoven to reveal life at the time of the French Revolution and maintains its importance right to the end. However, the love life component seems quite contrived. At times, the author tries hard to elevate the emotional welfare of the protagonist in hopes of connecting them to the past, but they just don’t work that well. Overall, this novel was a good read for grade 9 students.

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan is an unusual photographic novel where pictures (apparently worth a thousand lies) are used throughout to promote a mystery. Sometimes they even warrant their own alphabetical subsection within a chapter. For example, in Chapter 9 the pictures 9J, 9K, 9L, and 9M are sequential elements of the chapter. On each page, lines of text are crossed out which may or may not (you may get used to it) impact the flow of your reading. The question in this novel is how well do we really know the people we interact with on a daily basis. It is unbalanced in style, probably not a popular read for many students, and somewhat disturbing.

I pick Revolution to go forward.

From Jaylene at Riverbend

Freak Observer vs. Okay for Now

Okay for Now moves on to the next round...for now.