If you don't live in the same YA-obsessed world I do, or if you've managed to not talk to me or read my Twitter in the past few weeks, you may not have heard of the book I'm going to talk about. I've got Kelly (a college friend of mine) over at Stacked to thank for turning me on to Siobhan Vivian. I happened to win a drawing for a copy of her latest book Not That Kind of Girl. I read it and loved it...of course. (Because I mean seriously, we all know I was that judgey Natalie that you find at the beginning of the book.) Then I moved on to her other books. A Little Friendly Advice was exactly what I was hoping it would be; an interesting look at what it means to be a friend and what happens when you've got a group of friends cobbled together over time. Somehow without knowing, I manage to save the best for last.
Same Difference follows Emily, a budding artist, as she goes to an art day-camp in Philadelphia who finds herself but starts to lose everything she's previously known to be real. On the surface, it sounds like a very Becky book. And it is. Plot, structure, character, and depth are all present, accounted for, and quite excellent. What really threw me over the top on this one was the setting. I visited Philadelphia for the first time this summer with Gretchen. I am not (as you will learn if you watch the first link) well-versed in art. I enjoy it, and wish I had more skill. We visited a lot of the touristy sights while we were there. Reading Same Difference I was able to relive some of those moments. I remember standing directly in front of Van Gogh's sunflower painting just like Emily and being amazed at the distinct brush strokes you could see. A few of the other landmarks and locations were familiar to me. (I don't want to give away too much of the book because I want you to go read it....now!)
The feel of the city was right on in the book. At least the feel that an outsider has of the city. Despite living close, Emily doesn't know the city well, so when she felt turned around or lost or in awe of certain things, I felt like I really knew what she was going through. I don't think I realized how much I loved really knowing the location and setting of a book.
It got me thinking about why this was such a surprise to me. I've been reading a lot of realistic fiction recently, which is a bit of a change for me. With fantasies and sci-fi, it's up to the reader to pull from the books and description and your imagination to put together the setting. But with realistic fiction, it's there. Looking back, a lot of books I've read recently were not set in specific locations. And those that were, I've never seen in real life (Anna and the French Kiss...I'm looking at you!). I've traveled a great deal, but a few of the biggies like NYC or the east coast beach scene are totally unknown territory for me. It makes me wonder what I've been missing with other books. Not that they weren't great, but would they have had a whole other layer to them if I'd been familiar with the setting? I'd like to think that the authors to a fabulous job making those places come to life, but then I remember The Time Traveller's Wife, a book set in part at the Newberry Library in Chicago. I spent a month studying there. I read the book before I went there, but upon touring the library I really started to get it. He was always panicky about the stairwell, and I got it when I read it, but the feel of the actual stairwell and what it must have been like to suddenly be trapped there was so much more vivid seeing it.
Are you like that with books? Do you have first hand knowledge of a book setting? Do you think it changed how you read the book? Also...anyone know any good books set in Madison, WI, Dubuque, IA, or Washington D.C. I can read?? I could totally rock those books.
Same Difference follows Emily, a budding artist, as she goes to an art day-camp in Philadelphia who finds herself but starts to lose everything she's previously known to be real. On the surface, it sounds like a very Becky book. And it is. Plot, structure, character, and depth are all present, accounted for, and quite excellent. What really threw me over the top on this one was the setting. I visited Philadelphia for the first time this summer with Gretchen. I am not (as you will learn if you watch the first link) well-versed in art. I enjoy it, and wish I had more skill. We visited a lot of the touristy sights while we were there. Reading Same Difference I was able to relive some of those moments. I remember standing directly in front of Van Gogh's sunflower painting just like Emily and being amazed at the distinct brush strokes you could see. A few of the other landmarks and locations were familiar to me. (I don't want to give away too much of the book because I want you to go read it....now!)
The feel of the city was right on in the book. At least the feel that an outsider has of the city. Despite living close, Emily doesn't know the city well, so when she felt turned around or lost or in awe of certain things, I felt like I really knew what she was going through. I don't think I realized how much I loved really knowing the location and setting of a book.
It got me thinking about why this was such a surprise to me. I've been reading a lot of realistic fiction recently, which is a bit of a change for me. With fantasies and sci-fi, it's up to the reader to pull from the books and description and your imagination to put together the setting. But with realistic fiction, it's there. Looking back, a lot of books I've read recently were not set in specific locations. And those that were, I've never seen in real life (Anna and the French Kiss...I'm looking at you!). I've traveled a great deal, but a few of the biggies like NYC or the east coast beach scene are totally unknown territory for me. It makes me wonder what I've been missing with other books. Not that they weren't great, but would they have had a whole other layer to them if I'd been familiar with the setting? I'd like to think that the authors to a fabulous job making those places come to life, but then I remember The Time Traveller's Wife, a book set in part at the Newberry Library in Chicago. I spent a month studying there. I read the book before I went there, but upon touring the library I really started to get it. He was always panicky about the stairwell, and I got it when I read it, but the feel of the actual stairwell and what it must have been like to suddenly be trapped there was so much more vivid seeing it.
Are you like that with books? Do you have first hand knowledge of a book setting? Do you think it changed how you read the book? Also...anyone know any good books set in Madison, WI, Dubuque, IA, or Washington D.C. I can read?? I could totally rock those books.
It is always nice to be able to picture the setting of a book. I can get into it a bit more, visual it better.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any books by this author but I'm going to have to check them out. Thanks!
I am still meaning to read this author, I have heard such good things about the Robot book.
ReplyDeleteI don't read a ton of contemporary fiction, but it can definitely be exciting when you recognize a landmark. I know I feel that in movies too, like I've been there. I've stood on that bridge.
Also, I very much like the new blog design. It's very fun.
How to Say Goodbye in Robot is Natalie Standiford, but you should read that too! I think you'd really like Vivian's books. Remind me in March and I can bring copies of whatever you haven't read!
ReplyDeleteI didn't used to read a lot of contemporary fiction til I found authors I liked that did it well.
I like the new design too! A little more laid back.