Furthermore

Furthermore

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Grade: A-

“Unfold your heart. Sharpen your ears. And never say no to the world when it asks you to dance.”

There was no way I could resist this beautiful cover. It’s an Alice in Wonderland story no less. In this one our hero- Alice – is a girl born without color in a world rife with it. She joins Oliver, a local boy whose given her quite a bit of grief in the past, on a quest that’s very near and dear to Alice’s heart. Mainly, to find her father.

This was a beautiful written book. It’s the first Tahereh Mafi book I’ve read and she’s certainly got a way with words. There’s something almost musical about several sections and very beautifully descriptive. I’ll definitely be checking out more of her work.

I like the message of the story. (It is a children’s book- found in the children’s section at Barnes and Noble. Employee: Would you like to join the Kid’s Club? Me: Not really, this is for me.) Alice is different and Alice very much knows that fact. I thought she was pretty real in this honestly because she’s not very happy about it. And she does sort of let her own unhappiness color her view of events and other people.

But there’s a message here of accepting your differences as well as your gifts and talents. The story itself is a lot like Alice in Wonderland, a series of adventures tumbled into and through. But I did appreciate that Alice learns not just to accept herself but other people and that they might not be what they seem.

Also the worlds are very well-written. I felt like I had a good understanding of them, their workings and their systems naturally- without anything ever feeling like an exposition dump.

I think the one thing that threw me off a bit with this one was there were times when Alice and Oliver didn’t seem very kid like. Occasionally I wanted to slap him and then that would change and I was rolling my eyes at her but I’m not very familiar with twelve-year olds I admit so that could just be me. They both seem to even out and grow up as things progress.

Recommend: Yes. I think people of all ages will enjoy this one!