Picture drawn by Maggie Stiefvater, 2009. Header made by S.F. Robertson, 2010.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Reminiscent Reviews- Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab

Reminiscent Reviews is a new feature I decided to do when I was talking with Jordanna Fraiberg and Daphne Grab in August 2012 and I realized that I wanted to recommend their books again. The other plus to this feature is that I'll slowly but surely be moving all my Myspace reviews here onto Blogspot, which will be good in case something ever happens to Myspace. Basically, I'll be reposting my old reviews and then be doing an update on what the author has been up to since that book. Hope you all enjoy!

Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab
"Matisse Osgood is a New York City girl through and through. But when her father gets sick and Matisse's parents decide to leave Manhattan for a small town in upstate New York, her perfect world crumbles. When rumors again surround Matisse at her new school and her father's symptoms worsen, Matisse realizes that the friends she's making in Prague are the kind you can count on. They help Matisse find the strength to reach out to her father, who may not be as far from her as she thought. And one particular farm boy shows Matisse that country living is a lot more magical than she ever imagined."- summary from Amazon

Grab's debut is absolutely riveting and is told with such emotion and tenderness, which made it an absolute joy to read this book. The characters are very realistic and complex, especially Matisse, and it's just fascinating to read about her. She felt very real to me as a reader, and it's great when an author is able to convey and make that connection. Filled with wit, realism, and warmth, this is another debut book you do not want to miss.

Update: Like with Jordanna's last week, this book came out in 2008 and Grab has been MIA since then. She has a new book coming out later this year called The Girl in the Wall, and it's a thriller. She also was very sweet and is replacing my lent out lost copy of Alive and Well. Also, I don't mention it (and not sure why I didn't) but I did almost cry while reading this book and that NEVER happens. I am not a crier by any means so if an author can get me to almost cry by reading about what their characters are going through, that is a BIG plus. Please check this book out!

2 comments:

  1. Hi Book Chic! I don't know if you remember, but we met at BEA. I've just gotten settled in for the summer and seriously cracked into the blogosphere - which I didn't realize you ruled. I must compliment your productivity and commitment. I will be channelling you for the next few months. Or longer.

    I'd never heard of this book, but this glowing review makes me want to hunt it down. Adding it to the list~

    Regards,
    Courtney

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    1. If you tell me where we met, I'll have a better idea, lol. I met so many people that week and am horrible with names. And I hardly rule the blogosphere- I'm just one of many, though I've been around for a while longer than most. Thanks for the compliments though and I'd love to keep in touch with you!! Definitely read this book too- it's AMAZING.

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