The Anatomy of Wings

The Anatomy of Wings by Karen Foxlee follows Jennifer Day, a young Australian girl reeling after the death of her older sister, Beth, and certain that the answer to her sister's death and her own lost singing voice will be found in a small box of Beth's possessions. This book alternates between the months leading to Beth's death and the months after, as Jennifer and her friend try to unravel the mystery of Beth's last days.

This Insomniac's opionion:

Okay, okay- I have a confession to make. I purchased this book solely based on the recommendation on the back cover. Because the recommendation wasn't made by just anyone, it was made by Markus Zusak! If you don't know who Markus Zusak is, I am going to do you a great, big, whopping favor- get yourself to the nearest library/bookstore/friend who has a copy of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and read it. Bam! Your life has been changed- you can thank me later! Unfortunately, this little gamble of mine didn't really pay off, as I didn't really dig this book all that much. If you are wondering what Mr. Zusak's recommendation said, here it is: "Sometimes you read a book so special that you want to carry it around with you for months after you've finished, just to stay near it. The Anatomy of Wings is one of those books." Really Markus(I can call you Markus, right? I'm sure you stay up on date on my blog in your spare time.)? Really? You would need an IV drip of Prozac and constant sunshine to ensure that you do not become suicidal if you dwell on this book for too long. I realize that "Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness"was actually a Smashing Pumpkins album(only spelled Mellon Collie, because that of course if much more cool), but it would have been a PERFECT title for this book! It is a depressing downward spiral of a teenage girl who makes mistake after mistake and ruins not only her life, but the lives of those around her. I am a mother of two little girls and this book had me constructing elaborate plans for the sound-proof rooms that I could lock my daughters in for the duration of their teenage years. So, while this book was surely well written, I did not enjoy it. In fact, it was painful to read and left me in a funk.

I just realized how long the above paragraph was. Apparently I can have very strong feeling regarding mediocre books- who knew?

Worth staying up all night for?

Uh, no. But, if you do crack open a bottle of wine to numb your emotions.

Rating:  3 out of 5 stars- 3 instead of 2 for the supreme ability to be able to change my mood dramatically while reading- that is a talent, my friends!

Want to add it to your Goodreads shelf? (Please, please make sure you are not on the verge of suicidal ideation if so, this may push you right over the edge!)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5795018-the-anatomy-of-wings


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