We had a competent bout between two solid entries: in the blue trunks, Tune it Out by Jamie Sumner - and in the stangely glowing green trunks, The Radium Girls by Kate Moore. Here's a blow-by-blow (or perhaps glow-by-blow would be more apt given the latter of our fighters). Both books came out swinging with compelling stories. But early in the bout, it was clear to this humble judge that Tune it Out already had the advantage, with its longer reach, tighter footwork, and a reliance on skill over shocking slugging.
Ok, enough with the boxing metaphors. Overall, I found Tune it Out the better choice for its accessibility, linear plot, and relatable characters. While the premise of Radium Girls is compelling, and though I found moments that were both shocking and beautiful, it would be more of a niche recommendation for specific students.
I found the writing style of Sumner's entry to be more consistent in its tone, imagery, and structure. For me, the memory of ice cream in chapter seven started the rounding of the protagonist's characterization, but it was the look at Sensory Processing Disorder that made the book shine. The experience on the flight early in the novel and the fire alarm scene later was written with compelling vividness that brought this disorder into the limelight in a wonderful way. I also enjoyed the character of Well - an entertainingly fresh and positive character - though his struggle with fatherly acceptance wasn't quite enough to add dimensionality to him. Though relatively simple, the fact that it doesn't descend into the cliche of the main character being "discovered" keeps the book honest and, combined with its original premise, it becomes a charming enough for any reader.
On the flipside, Radium Girls' strength is in its historical relevance, and the legacy outlined in the epilogue that makes it just as relevant today in its controversy and comment on "bottom line" of large businesses. Moore captures the country’s romantic fascination with the miracle of radium, the glamour of glowing dial painters, and WWI prolific use of radium-painted objects like watches, compasses, dials. The image of Mollie Maggie sitting in the dentist chair as her corroded jawbone could be lifted out was shocking, as was her death four months later at twenty-four years old. And that was the overall impact of the book: the shock value. From buried reports, to pieces of jaw being admitted into evidence as part of a lawsuit, Radium Girls relies less on character development and consistent writing, and more on the immersive research done for book.However, there weren't many of the historical figures to whom I felt connected; the names came and went with a relative rapidity that didn't make me feel connected to them, and therefore a disconnection from the story was the result. Then there's Moore's style with an inconsistent tone that ranges from detached and journalistic, to inflammatory and enraged. Not that the latter wasn't warranted, and granted few students would really be impacted by this tone issue, but it was the lack of consistency that derailed me at times. I didn't feel riveted until part three during the testimony (pieces of jaw placed into evidence), collapse (hearing that her condition was fatal) and determination (bedside hearing) of Catherine Donoghue. It was in these last moments of the book that had me hooked, hoping she would live in time for the compensation to be legally possible.
But can a handful of moments shining with connection in the final rounds, combined with historical-modern relevance in its footwork, make Radium Girls beat out Tune it Out? From this judge's point of view, the decision needs to go to the blue trunks.
