Magic Under Glass
Jaclyn Dolamore
Bloomsbury USA
240 pgs. (ARC)
Who knew I would enjoy the story of a trouser girl, a sorcerer with no backbone, and an automaton?
Magic Under Glass combines a little Jane Eyre, in the form of a wife who is supposed to be crazy, with some magic realism. Nimira dances in a show that barely keeps her fed. Dolamore gives the impression that "trouser girls" are the lowest forms of dancers but somehow Hollin Parry is able to see something more in Nimira and offers her a job. She thinks about what her mom would think if she were still alive and decides she would be better off facing the unknown than staying with the troup.
Once Nimira gets to Parry's place and meets the automaton Erris, she realizes she's made the right choice. Parry is alone and has money. Maybe they can live happily ever after?
Then, Nim finds that Erris is more than he seems. He can "speak" to her by playing piano keys in a system she devised. Soon, it's all either of them want to do...But how can you love a machine?
Dolamore's writing is believable and pulls at your heartstrings. The short conversations between Nim and Erris were made all the more poignant due to their brevity and the chance they may be overheard. The plot moves quickly with a few spots of predictableness and some problems that were too easily solved. You found yourself rooting for Erris and wanting more than anything for them to discover a way to make him live.
I give this 3 copies. I think students will like it but the premise will make it a hard sell. Once I convince one student though, I can see them telling a friend.
ARC provided by Around The World Tours. This cover is NOT the one on the ARC but it's so much better, I had to include it.
That was a very good review, thank-you. I may consider buying this book now, well done.
ReplyDeletehttp://readwritereview.blog.com/