And all I have to say (at this incredibly late hour) is
Holy. Crap.
Oh, and
Always.
It is a pleasure to be a part of the blog tour for Hazel Prior's debut novel Ellie and the Harpmaker. I confess it was the title that drew me in when Berkley approached me about a possible review. It sounded a bit fey, a bit on the ethereal side. The comparisons to the exquisite Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Finedecidedly did not hurt. And so I readily accepted and opened my review copy to the first page.
A thought:
Some things are easier to hide than others.
A fact:
Harps come under the "others" category. So do small boys. As you know by now, I am such a sucker for a good epigraph, and this one did the trick nicely. As did the novel's opening lines: A woman came to the barn today. Her hair was the color of walnut wood. Her eyes were the color of bracken in October. Her socks were the color of cherries, which was noticeable because all the rest of her clothes were sad colors. And so we are introduced to one Dan Hollis and the particular way that he sees the world and …
Some things are easier to hide than others.
A fact:
Harps come under the "others" category. So do small boys. As you know by now, I am such a sucker for a good epigraph, and this one did the trick nicely. As did the novel's opening lines: A woman came to the barn today. Her hair was the color of walnut wood. Her eyes were the color of bracken in October. Her socks were the color of cherries, which was noticeable because all the rest of her clothes were sad colors. And so we are introduced to one Dan Hollis and the particular way that he sees the world and …
Oooh must be really good then! Can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteWasn't it incredible? I already want to read it again!
ReplyDeleteI agree. The book's resolution was both different and better than I had ever anticipated. I had expected to be disappointed by certain aspects of the outcome, but ultimately I wasn't. And that is some good writing.
ReplyDeleteOh yes Team Katniss definitely. It was a brilliant conclusion, I loved it!
ReplyDeleteLoved it. When will you share your more detailed thoughts oh trusted reader friend?
ReplyDeleteI wanted to cry like a baby when I was done. AMAZING.
ReplyDeleteI love that you stayed up so late to finish it. I'm sure that will be me sometime soon. :o)
ReplyDeleteSomeday I'll read these....
ReplyDeleteFeeling really out of touch with this release...
:)
Yay! Glad to see more Team Katniss out there!
ReplyDeleteI did cry like a baby when it was over. I'm reading a lot of people who weren't happy with it, or at least certain aspects, but I thought it was excellent. Not perfect, but very very good.
ReplyDeleteChachic, it really really is. REALLY. :)
ReplyDeleteLori, in a word--yes!
RJ, precisely. I was ready to be upset over a couple of things and, almost out of the blue, I wasn't. Damn fine storytelling.
Alexa, wasn't it? My mind is still spinning a bit, actually. And I may have read the last few pages several times...
Amy, *grin* soon! Stuck back at work again at the present moment. Grrr.
Makayla, you know I cried at the most unexpected moments. Took me by surprise. But, wow, the end. There were tears.
Alicia, I'm sure it will be. There's just no stopping past a certain point. And it's not that far in at all. :)
Britt, yeah. I recommend them. Incredible entertainment.
Enna, yup. I was so behind her. All the way.
Brenda, well, how could you not? It was stunning to see it all come to a conclusion like that. Are there really that many unhappy with it? That's too bad. There were a couple threads that I'm not sure went in the direction I think they would have or should have. But I have to say I ended it unbelievably pleased.
I'm re-reading it now. My brain kept jumping ahead and I don't feel that I was adequately able to stay in the moment for most of the book. But it was that way with the first two, too.
ReplyDeleteJena, they really are the kind of books that keep your brain hopping, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteYES.
ReplyDeleteJane, *highfive*
ReplyDelete