"We were right inside the story. The past was so close we could touch it."
NO SPOILER REVIEW!!!
Book: All the Bad Apples
Book: All the Bad Apples
Author: Moïra Fowley-Doyle
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Magical Realism, LGBT
Synopsis: The day after the funeral all our mourning clothes hung out on the line like sleeping bats. 'This will be really embarrassing,' I kept saying to my family, 'when she shows up at the door in a week or two.'
When Deena's wild and mysterious sister Mandy disappears - presumed dead - her family are heartbroken. But Mandy has always been troubled. It's just another bad thing to happen to Deena's family. Only Deena refuses to believe it's true.
And then the letters start arriving. Letters from Mandy, claiming that their family's blighted history is not just bad luck or bad decisions - but a curse, handed down through the generations. Mandy has gone in search of the curse's roots, and now Deena must find her. What they find will heal their family's rotten past - or rip it apart forever.
What I thought about it…
I thought this book will end my reading slump... but it didn’t.
I can’t form a coherent thought about this book. It felt like I understand it but kinda not understand it at the same time. The only reason I kept on turning the pages is because I was intrigued by the story – I wanna know what happened to her sister, I wanna know what’s that curse she’s talking about and how it started.
A few chapters from the beginning I felt like the book is not for me so I would put it down after a few pages but then I will pick it up again cos I wanna know what’s going to happen next. It has a lot of positive reviews on Goodreads and I wanna know why so I keep on reading anyway.
The Characters
I can’t relate to Deena’s character. I don't understand her mind (though this is her POV). I felt like the characters were not clearly illustrated. I think the problem (imo), is that the whole story is not described in detailed and that I can’t imagine it. Though I know I don’t have to imagine what the character looks like down to the last detail, I still want to know anyway, so I can picture them doing this and that. I’m having troubles imagining the whole thing. The book is more focused on the back-story, on the curse, that it didn’t pay much attention to the development of the main characters hence I’m not quite attached to them.
What didn’t work for me…
At the end of the book, I was confused and shook that I don’t know what’s the reality and the metaphor (or if there is). I was really confused that I thought maybe Deena is mentally unstable? Or maybe Mandy is? Is she just realizing things? She has schizophrenia? And why was there a magic in that apple sapling? This book has left so many unanswered questions in my mind. It was like a story inside a story inside a story and it makes me woozy.
Also, what does apple stands for here? (Like, metaphorically) Did I miss something?
My Verdict
It’s not a bad book; I’m just a lazy reader. It’s actually nice and the message is very deep. There are so many, many issues in this book that need to be addressed and discussed. I will still recommend this because it’s so empowering. I love how it encourages each and every one to stand up and be you no matter what and that being yourself is not equivalent to being a “bad apple”.
MY RATING
★☆☆☆☆
No comments:
Post a Comment