Book Title: The Storyteller
Author: Antonia Michaelis
Date Started: January 12th 2014
Date Completed: January 15th 2014
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Contemporary, Fantasy
Rating: Five stars
Review:
I wasn't completely sure about The Storyteller when I first heard about it, but after being given it as a gift, I decided to read it anyway. And I was utterly blown away. Almost immediately I was invested in the characters and I was gripped by the story and where it was going.
Anna lives in her own little soap bubble; things may happen outside of it but it's never real. Not until she realises the boy who sells drugs by the bike sheds is looking after his little sister all by herself. Not until she hears him telling his sister her own little fairytale. And not until murders start to reflect that fairy tale. Anna doesn't know who to trust or what to do; only that she can't stop helping this boy that seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The Storyteller is translated from German, and yet it still manages to hold that absolutely hauntingly beautiful melancholy about it. There's always a hint of sadness in every page, but sometimes there's light reflecting off it too. I can't accurately describe how it's done but Michaelis can somehow make opposites out of words and recreate feelings and senses perfectly. I loved it.
Furthermore, I found it so easy to connect with the characters, despite the lack of 1st person. I've always preferred 3rd person, however I do appreciate that it's harder to get the reader to relate to the protagonists, since they're not inside their head. But I was able to slip into Anna's mindset without even thinking about it when I began reading, and I found it extremely hard to get out of again.
The story of this novel is dark. And I don't mean dark like there's the evil in a character etc. I mean dark as in it addresses issues in it in a very good way, but uses them to make the plot real and actually scary. I, personally, love this. To me, it means that the author isn't afraid to admit that things like this happen out there, and we shouldn't treat them like nothing, because they are genuinely scary things. And the way she has the characters deal with these issues proves to the reader that even though these terrible things happen, there are ways to get around them.
Don't for one second take that to mean there's happy ending. In fact, the ending was the most beautifully orchestrated finale to a book that I might have ever read. And there was truth in every word that makes me wonder how much fiction is actually included.
Although this is a book with some kind of romance, I have to say that the mystery was brilliantly done. As always, I was trying to work out what was going on and how everything happened. But at the same time, I was so caught up with the people themselves that I missed the blindingly obvious and inevitable truth. It was done very cleverly that I don't think I wanted to see that truth. So I didn't.
I would actually like to just have a storybook with Abel's fairytale in it. Michaelis could certainly make a living writing fairytales (and the proper, twisted kind). Furthermore, the way it was intertwined with the plot was ingenious and the final clue towards the mystery and the character's feelings.
The Storyteller stays with you. It hasn't been long for me, since I read it, but I haven't really been able to stop thinking about it. It is a thought-provoking book, and it makes you question all the things you think are right and wrong with the world. It's the kind of book written for me.
Like I said earlier, it didn't take me long to get emotionally invested with these characters, and I still haven't completely come to terms with the fact that their story is finished.
When I was reading, I felt like I was Anna. I went through her story, and I related to her so well. I'm not sure if that's a personal thing or if Anna is just a generally relatable character. I felt torn when she was; scared when she was etc. I think she was a brilliant protagonist and an amazing example of being human.
Abel, at times, scared me. And I think that was the point. But at the same time, I did love him. The whole point of Abel's character, and why Anna was constantly conflicted, is the fact that he is a danger to the people around him and he really hasn't got things worked out. This isn't the 'confused pretty-boy' that you often find in Young Adult fiction. This is the rough, aggressive, real version. I felt he was beautifully written and he felt like a real person to me.
Micha was adorable, and again, very well written. I don't usually get along with younger characters, because I feel they're portrayed unrealistically, but actually Micha was exactly what I expected a girl of her age to act like. She had a key role in the whole book and it was executed well.
The pace of the book began quite quickly, and what I thought was going to be more of a thoughtful contemporary book became a heart-pounding mystery that found itself right to my heart. I literally couldn't put the book down throughout almost the whole thing.
The balance between the murders and the emotional story itself was incredibly well done, and intertwined with each other so they worked at the same time but also took turns in taking the limelight. I'm not joking when I say I actually couldn't stop reading when it was around eleven at night.
I would recommend The Storyteller to older readers, as there are some more mature themes running through, and I think you have to perceive what's going on in a thoughtful way. But I think it's a must-read for any teenager, no matter what they like. The mystery is especially engaging and the emotional side of the story was one of the best I've read.
Image Source: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bvV3ubdrMWA/UVEaKjxdVDI/
AAAAAAAADoc/G6JOduRi6MM/s1600/michaelis%2Bstoryteller.jpg
I wasn't completely sure about The Storyteller when I first heard about it, but after being given it as a gift, I decided to read it anyway. And I was utterly blown away. Almost immediately I was invested in the characters and I was gripped by the story and where it was going.
Anna lives in her own little soap bubble; things may happen outside of it but it's never real. Not until she realises the boy who sells drugs by the bike sheds is looking after his little sister all by herself. Not until she hears him telling his sister her own little fairytale. And not until murders start to reflect that fairy tale. Anna doesn't know who to trust or what to do; only that she can't stop helping this boy that seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The Storyteller is translated from German, and yet it still manages to hold that absolutely hauntingly beautiful melancholy about it. There's always a hint of sadness in every page, but sometimes there's light reflecting off it too. I can't accurately describe how it's done but Michaelis can somehow make opposites out of words and recreate feelings and senses perfectly. I loved it.
Furthermore, I found it so easy to connect with the characters, despite the lack of 1st person. I've always preferred 3rd person, however I do appreciate that it's harder to get the reader to relate to the protagonists, since they're not inside their head. But I was able to slip into Anna's mindset without even thinking about it when I began reading, and I found it extremely hard to get out of again.
The story of this novel is dark. And I don't mean dark like there's the evil in a character etc. I mean dark as in it addresses issues in it in a very good way, but uses them to make the plot real and actually scary. I, personally, love this. To me, it means that the author isn't afraid to admit that things like this happen out there, and we shouldn't treat them like nothing, because they are genuinely scary things. And the way she has the characters deal with these issues proves to the reader that even though these terrible things happen, there are ways to get around them.
Don't for one second take that to mean there's happy ending. In fact, the ending was the most beautifully orchestrated finale to a book that I might have ever read. And there was truth in every word that makes me wonder how much fiction is actually included.
Although this is a book with some kind of romance, I have to say that the mystery was brilliantly done. As always, I was trying to work out what was going on and how everything happened. But at the same time, I was so caught up with the people themselves that I missed the blindingly obvious and inevitable truth. It was done very cleverly that I don't think I wanted to see that truth. So I didn't.
I would actually like to just have a storybook with Abel's fairytale in it. Michaelis could certainly make a living writing fairytales (and the proper, twisted kind). Furthermore, the way it was intertwined with the plot was ingenious and the final clue towards the mystery and the character's feelings.
The Storyteller stays with you. It hasn't been long for me, since I read it, but I haven't really been able to stop thinking about it. It is a thought-provoking book, and it makes you question all the things you think are right and wrong with the world. It's the kind of book written for me.
Like I said earlier, it didn't take me long to get emotionally invested with these characters, and I still haven't completely come to terms with the fact that their story is finished.
When I was reading, I felt like I was Anna. I went through her story, and I related to her so well. I'm not sure if that's a personal thing or if Anna is just a generally relatable character. I felt torn when she was; scared when she was etc. I think she was a brilliant protagonist and an amazing example of being human.
Abel, at times, scared me. And I think that was the point. But at the same time, I did love him. The whole point of Abel's character, and why Anna was constantly conflicted, is the fact that he is a danger to the people around him and he really hasn't got things worked out. This isn't the 'confused pretty-boy' that you often find in Young Adult fiction. This is the rough, aggressive, real version. I felt he was beautifully written and he felt like a real person to me.
Micha was adorable, and again, very well written. I don't usually get along with younger characters, because I feel they're portrayed unrealistically, but actually Micha was exactly what I expected a girl of her age to act like. She had a key role in the whole book and it was executed well.
The pace of the book began quite quickly, and what I thought was going to be more of a thoughtful contemporary book became a heart-pounding mystery that found itself right to my heart. I literally couldn't put the book down throughout almost the whole thing.
The balance between the murders and the emotional story itself was incredibly well done, and intertwined with each other so they worked at the same time but also took turns in taking the limelight. I'm not joking when I say I actually couldn't stop reading when it was around eleven at night.
I would recommend The Storyteller to older readers, as there are some more mature themes running through, and I think you have to perceive what's going on in a thoughtful way. But I think it's a must-read for any teenager, no matter what they like. The mystery is especially engaging and the emotional side of the story was one of the best I've read.
Image Source: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bvV3ubdrMWA/UVEaKjxdVDI/
AAAAAAAADoc/G6JOduRi6MM/s1600/michaelis%2Bstoryteller.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment