January 27, 2015
This review is weird to write, because I liked this book. Really, I did! In fact, I shelved it with my "semi-favorites" - I enjoyed it that much. But then I thought about it, and realized that it's glittery, trippy exterior had masked its faults, and that Abarat is worse than it seems.
Here's why I liked Abarat: Abarat is not a book. It's an experience.
The whole thing is exquisitely bizarre and beautifully grotesque; populated by an odd cast of characters ranging from John Mischief (whose 7 brothers grow from horns on his head) to Rojo Pixler, entrepreneur and owner of the industrialized island of Pyon, to Christopher Carrion, the Lord of Midnight, who wears a water-filled collar swimming with nightmares.
It takes place in the Abarat; an archipelago of 24 islands, where on each island is a different, unchanging time of day. (And there's one mysterious 25th island.) Each island contains its own wonders; the Nonce (three o'clock in the afternoon) is the home of dragons; Pyon (3 o'clock in the morning) was recently industrialized and is the location of Commexo City; the Gorgossium, Isle of Midnight, is perpetually shrouded in red mist and home to the evil Carrion family.
[image error]
Click here for a bigger picture.
And that's what this book is about. Supported by more than 100 vivid, colorful illustrations, Abarat is a book about, well, the Abarat. It's fascinating, lavishly produced, and interesting in it's minutae. It's full of delicious details and designs; for example, look at the next picture upside-down.
But it's about not much else, which leads me to the problems.
(As a side note: I'd also like to mention that I love names and the ones here delighted me. Here are some: Mespa, Gorgossium, the Nonce, Mater Motley, Deuxdeux, The Yebba Dim Day, Soma Plume, Hoobarokus, Speckle Frew, Qualm Hah, the Requiax, and many more.)
Here's why Abarat is a bad book:
Abarat's plot is an excuse for a tour through the islands. This would be fine if the book was still interesting minus the setting; alas, it is not. In fact:
Here is basic plot of Abarat: Candy goes to the Abarat, Carion/Other villains try to catch her, Candy escapes, meets new friends, is attacked by more baddies, escapes, rinse, repeat.
Of course, it's not bad as it sounds - there's multiple villains, each with his or her own agenda, so there's always some tension over what each villain wants with Candy, and how Candy will get away this time. Besides, there are other subplots, such as the one where John Mischief helps a crew search for a guy named Finnegan Hobb. But in the end, nothing really happens. The plot is very muddy - Candy's goal is to... escape the baddies? Return home? Defeat Carrion? And as for John Mischief: we never really understand where and how he'll look for Hobb. It's all very boring, especially with the lack of character.
Ah, the lack of character. There's not much to say about it other than two things:
1. They're flat, and their colorful exterior makes them seem flatter.
2. Candy is given too much time. Developing special abilities? Don't care. Sure, she has my sympathy, and I'm (kind of) rooting for her, but the only way to make a powerful action scene is for us to understand all/most parties and to care for some of them; thus, the scene makes our hearts pound with excitement and concern. The action scenes here bogged down the story.
As for the prose: it's serviceable, and at times elegant, at times awkward. The thing that bothered me most was that capital letters were used to indicate shouting.
And for this last criticism... it's hard to explain, so I quote my friend Kirkus Reviews:
"Yet there is a peculiar lifelessness to all this imaginative fecundity; fascinating in its minutiae, the world fails to cohere about a compelling narrative or charismatic central character. Like the dozens of illustrations by the author, it dazzles with color and detail, but on closer inspection proves curiously flat, all surface and no depth. Still, with three promised sequels on the way, many readers will, like Candy, want to “trust [the sea] Mama Izabella” to take them somewhere worth the trip."
...and that's all I have to say about Abarat.
So will you trust Mama Izabella to take you on a ride?
(larger image)
(larger image)
Recommendations: If you love the bizarre and are looking for a book that explodes with color and otherworldlyness, (presumably to combat boredom), and wouldn't mind the flat characters and meandering plot, you might enjoy the Abarat.
If not, here are some stellar fantasy titles I recommend:
- Daughter of Smoke & Bone and Lips Touch Three Times. Like Abarat, these are "sensation books" - books which introduce you to otherworlds, which burst with sensations, books which might be short on depth but are abundant with beauty. In these two cases, the prose is also lush and gorgeous, characters have some depth, and the world rings true. (MY REVIEW of Smoke&Bone)
- Possibly Keturah and Lord Death; it's another "sensation book," this time presented as a quiet fairy tale. Once again, it has an exciting plot and delicious prose, but lacks depth and the world has holes. (MY REVIEW)
- Sophisticated fantasy for Middle Grade: The Well Between the Worlds and The Folk Keeper
- Sophisticated fantasy for Young Adult: Seraphina, Seven Realms (MY REVIEW), and Gifts
Here's why I liked Abarat: Abarat is not a book. It's an experience.
The whole thing is exquisitely bizarre and beautifully grotesque; populated by an odd cast of characters ranging from John Mischief (whose 7 brothers grow from horns on his head) to Rojo Pixler, entrepreneur and owner of the industrialized island of Pyon, to Christopher Carrion, the Lord of Midnight, who wears a water-filled collar swimming with nightmares.
It takes place in the Abarat; an archipelago of 24 islands, where on each island is a different, unchanging time of day. (And there's one mysterious 25th island.) Each island contains its own wonders; the Nonce (three o'clock in the afternoon) is the home of dragons; Pyon (3 o'clock in the morning) was recently industrialized and is the location of Commexo City; the Gorgossium, Isle of Midnight, is perpetually shrouded in red mist and home to the evil Carrion family.
[image error]
Click here for a bigger picture.
And that's what this book is about. Supported by more than 100 vivid, colorful illustrations, Abarat is a book about, well, the Abarat. It's fascinating, lavishly produced, and interesting in it's minutae. It's full of delicious details and designs; for example, look at the next picture upside-down.
But it's about not much else, which leads me to the problems.
(As a side note: I'd also like to mention that I love names and the ones here delighted me. Here are some: Mespa, Gorgossium, the Nonce, Mater Motley, Deuxdeux, The Yebba Dim Day, Soma Plume, Hoobarokus, Speckle Frew, Qualm Hah, the Requiax, and many more.)
Here's why Abarat is a bad book:
Abarat's plot is an excuse for a tour through the islands. This would be fine if the book was still interesting minus the setting; alas, it is not. In fact:
Here is basic plot of Abarat: Candy goes to the Abarat, Carion/Other villains try to catch her, Candy escapes, meets new friends, is attacked by more baddies, escapes, rinse, repeat.
Of course, it's not bad as it sounds - there's multiple villains, each with his or her own agenda, so there's always some tension over what each villain wants with Candy, and how Candy will get away this time. Besides, there are other subplots, such as the one where John Mischief helps a crew search for a guy named Finnegan Hobb. But in the end, nothing really happens. The plot is very muddy - Candy's goal is to... escape the baddies? Return home? Defeat Carrion? And as for John Mischief: we never really understand where and how he'll look for Hobb. It's all very boring, especially with the lack of character.
Ah, the lack of character. There's not much to say about it other than two things:
1. They're flat, and their colorful exterior makes them seem flatter.
2. Candy is given too much time. Developing special abilities? Don't care. Sure, she has my sympathy, and I'm (kind of) rooting for her, but the only way to make a powerful action scene is for us to understand all/most parties and to care for some of them; thus, the scene makes our hearts pound with excitement and concern. The action scenes here bogged down the story.
As for the prose: it's serviceable, and at times elegant, at times awkward. The thing that bothered me most was that capital letters were used to indicate shouting.
And for this last criticism... it's hard to explain, so I quote my friend Kirkus Reviews:
"Yet there is a peculiar lifelessness to all this imaginative fecundity; fascinating in its minutiae, the world fails to cohere about a compelling narrative or charismatic central character. Like the dozens of illustrations by the author, it dazzles with color and detail, but on closer inspection proves curiously flat, all surface and no depth. Still, with three promised sequels on the way, many readers will, like Candy, want to “trust [the sea] Mama Izabella” to take them somewhere worth the trip."
...and that's all I have to say about Abarat.
So will you trust Mama Izabella to take you on a ride?
(larger image)
(larger image)
Recommendations: If you love the bizarre and are looking for a book that explodes with color and otherworldlyness, (presumably to combat boredom), and wouldn't mind the flat characters and meandering plot, you might enjoy the Abarat.
If not, here are some stellar fantasy titles I recommend:
- Daughter of Smoke & Bone and Lips Touch Three Times. Like Abarat, these are "sensation books" - books which introduce you to otherworlds, which burst with sensations, books which might be short on depth but are abundant with beauty. In these two cases, the prose is also lush and gorgeous, characters have some depth, and the world rings true. (MY REVIEW of Smoke&Bone)
- Possibly Keturah and Lord Death; it's another "sensation book," this time presented as a quiet fairy tale. Once again, it has an exciting plot and delicious prose, but lacks depth and the world has holes. (MY REVIEW)
- Sophisticated fantasy for Middle Grade: The Well Between the Worlds and The Folk Keeper
- Sophisticated fantasy for Young Adult: Seraphina, Seven Realms (MY REVIEW), and Gifts
