Today I am participating in the A More Diverse Universe tour to raise awareness of POC authors in the fantasy and sci-fi genres. This is Aarti’s brainchild, and you can read more about it on her announcement post. To see a list of all of the participants, check out this post.
Aarti’s announcement post included some suggested authors, and although I did some research and considered other authors, I ended up choosing one of her original suggestions…Hiromi Goto. Why? Well, for no other reason than I liked the expression on her face. I have known a few people whose face (to me) just radiates serenity and happiness…it’s a look that is mesmerizing to me. Whether or not the person is really serene and happy is another story (and in Goto’s case, it could be said that it’s a mask hiding an evil genius for disturbing characters). But when I saw Goto’s picture, my first thought was that she had The Look. So, that’s how I ended up reading Half World. Partly for the story. And partly for The Look. Yes, yes. I know I’m weird.
To quote Goto’s website, “Hiromi is an active member of the literary community, a writing instructor, editor and the mother of two (big) children. She has served in numerous writer-in-residencies and is currently in BC, working on an adult novel and a graphic novel.” There’s a great interview with her over at indiebound that I recommend, as well as this blog post which is incredibly apropos.
Now…on to the book.
Half World is the story of Melanie Tamaki, a young girl who is pretty much an outcast. She has no friends and a mother who has checked out. One day she returns home from school to find her mother has disappeared. Then she gets a mysterious and threatening phone call (on a disconnected line…cue Twilight Zone music). Come back to Half World, Mr. Glueskin says. Or else. And so the scary times begin.
I’ll let the character Gao Zhen Xi explain Half World:
“The Three Realms-the Realm of Spirit, the Realm of Flesh, and Half World-are meant to be connected. We should move from one to the other, in due time, as each individual lives, dies, half lives, then becomes Spirit. But someone or something divided the sacred cycle, dooming our Realms to an ungenerative deterioration. I don’t know why! I don’t know why!” (p. 100)
Melanie ends up on a quest through Half World to save her mother, and to return the Realms to the connected state that is supposed to be. Of course, Melanie has NO IDEA what she is doing, but she finds some helpful (albeit odd) friends to help her stand against the evil Mr. Glueskin, a baddie of the highest (not to mention most disgusting) order.
While I normally avoid comparing authors to other authors, I’m gonna do it with this book. But I’m not comparing the writing, just the mood. It was like reading Geek Love and Charles de Lint at the same time. Fantastical almost creature-like people (like Geek Love but not) in a dreamlike setting (like de Lint but not). So I ended up with that same disgusted appreciation for the characters I had throughout Geek Love and that same dreamy happiness that de Lint inspires that makes me sad when the book is over.
AAAAAAAND. There are illustrations. Major bonus points for illustrations. Not that the book needs bonus points. I truly lucked out in my choice (hah…maybe I should choose all my reads based upon the expression on the author’s face). The illustrations are by Jillian Tamaki (yes, just like Melanie) and look like this:
Only the ones inside the book aren’t in color. But that’s probably a good thing. Who wants to see Mr. Glueskin in color???
This is Teen book (long aside: I actually checked this out at the library. When I asked the librarian where the YA (and I said Y-A) section was, he looked at me with a blank face. “Young Adult?” I tried. And then I swear he sneered, “The Teen section is over there.” Ass.).
Anyhoosie. I wouldn’t classify it as solely YA (or even Teen). This is one of those smartly written YA books that will appeal equally to teens and adults. Go Goto.
I never thought of picking books based on The Look of authors. There’s a Tumblr of British mystery writers looking serious. I wonder what you’d make of that.
Sounds like a good one!
Chrisbookarama´s last [type] ..Friday Bookish Buzz: Buzzing Fall In
This might be too fantastical for me.
bermudaonion(Kathy)´s last [type] ..Review: When in Doubt, Add Butter
Maybe I should start picking books based on an author’s face.
Now I really want to finish Half World. I started it a few weeks ago, got sidetracked and haven’t picked it up since.
Vasilly´s last [type] ..Sunday Salon
“Teen” section? hahahahahahahahahaha definitely an ass
Trisha´s last [type] ..Book Review: The Iron King
I’m surprised a librarian is so elitist. His community deserves better.
But this sounds awesome! I hadn’t heard of Hiromi Goto before this event, but as a fan of Geek Love and Charles de Lint, I must read this!
Liviania´s last [type] ..A More Diverse Universe Review: The People of Paper
Another Geek Love lover?! awesome.
Care´s last [type] ..Kindred
Sounds like an interesting read all right. The cover looks manga to me, is it? Or just a book with illustrations
Fence´s last [type] ..The left hand of darkness
What a boob, that guy. And did he then tell you where the Pre-Pubescent Section was? And I think I’d like this one…anything with pictures gets brownie points from me.
Sandy´s last [type] ..Sunday Salon: Bring on Broadway!
Ass is right. Thanks for this review, Jill. This one is on my list. I can’t wait to see all the blogs and books that are part of this event.
Hard not to get excited about this book when you compare it to Charles De Lint!
Lu´s last [type] ..This week in…
Wow , Geek Love and Charles de Lint in the same breath! I have to check this one out. I never would have found this out, so thanks for the review
Susan´s last [type] ..The Hobbit and Alan Garner – some fantasy musings
Yay, so glad you liked this book and that you liked to Goto’s awesome post that kicks off the event
I have looked for this book in multiple places since you mentioned some time back that you really enjoyed it, but I can NOT find it. It may have to be one of those purchases I make without knowing anything else. But sounds glorious.
Also, must read Geek Love.
Aarti´s last [type] ..A More Diverse Universe: The Schedule
Glad your book was a good one – I review mine next Saturday!
Sheila (Book Journey)´s last [type] ..It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
So this is a manga? Or an illustrated book?
My library labels YA as the teen section, too! I wonder why?
heidenkind´s last [type] ..TSS: She Said She Said
I have this one on my wishlist, and your review makes me want to pick it up sooner.
And crazy librarians who won’t respect books (or readers) shouldn’t be working there!
Athira´s last [type] ..The Sunday Salon: Reading a "challenging" author
I haven’t read anything by Charles de Lint or Geek Love, so just have to go with your imagery to get an idea of the feel for the book. It sounds fun though!
Literary Feline´s last [type] ..Bookish Thoughts: Sweat by Mark Gilleo
Any book with a Melanie heroine gets my attention
Seriously, I have looked at this before in our YA section and thought about reading it — on to the TBR it goes!
And he probably wasn’t a librarian if he was so sneery about it. Not everyone who works in a library is actually a librarian…
But everyone who works in a library should appreciate and be kind to readers!!
Care´s last [type] ..Kindred
I know exactly what you mean about the look in that photo: ‘mesmerizing’ is the perfect word. She seems so engaged with you, even through that photograph, that you can’t help but be curious about how she engages with the reader on the page and with the stories that she creates.
I re-read Half World this weekend, before leaping into its sequel/companion, Darkest Light, and I was a little anxious because I wasn’t sure it would measure up to my memory of it, but it did. It manages to feel fresh and familiar at the same time, and I love the complexity of it, especially the unraveled bit in terms of the way that the story in that book (the book within the book, that is) can be rewritten in multiple ways. Will you been checking the t-e-e-n section for the follow-up?
Buried In Print´s last [type] ..Hiromi Goto’s Darkest Light (2012)
This book sounds really good, and I didn’t realize from reading another review that it was classified as YA. (As an aside, I was taught in library school that “YA” was library jargon and that teenaged patrons, when surveyed, preferred the term “teen” to “YA”. But why that sneering library staffer chose to correct you, when the two terms are used interchangeably, I have no idea!) I haven’t read Geek Love or Charles de Lint, though.
Laurie C´s last [type] ..A More Diverse Universe: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
What a jerkface. He must have totally missed the memo that a whole bunch of brilliant and widely appealing YA lit has come out in the last few years…
I tried to read this one for Diverse Universe, but after the first chapter it just felt too…young. The content certainly wasn’t fluffy (I got as far as the wife biting her husband’s finger off, AAAHH), but the descriptors and dialogue seemed aimed at the younger end of the YA spectrum. Maybe it deserves another chance, though. (I wound up reviewing “Tales from Outer Suburbia” instead, which was also a very young YA book, so apparently I just can’t make up my mind.)
Laura´s last [type] ..More Diverse Universe: Review of “Tales from Outer Suburbia”