I enjoyed the heck out of this book—Moriarty is a refreshingly original voice in YA fantasy literature.

For the first chapter or so, I was concerned about the level of whimsy, but light, quirky tone is balanced by a world that is grounded and complex. The story itself is quiet, yet exciting and well-told.

Recommended for Pratchett fans, aficionados of Pushing Daisies, and anyone who enjoys non-traditional fantasy fiction. ( )

Esta es una historia de ausencias. Madeleine y su madre han huido, en misteriosas circunstancias, de la vida que llevaban. Viven en un rincón lluvioso de Cambridge, Inglaterra. Mientras tanto, en el Reino de Chelo, Elliot busca a su padre, que desapareció un año atrás, la misma noche en que el tío de Elliot fue hallado muerto a la vera del camino. La versión oficial dice que un ataque Púrpura de nivel 3 es el responsable de esa muerte, pero los rumores en el pueblo aseguran que su padre podría haber asesinado a su propio hermano, para luego fugarse con una profesora de la escuela. Elliot se niega a creer esa historia y está decidido a descubrir la verdad. Cuando Madeleine y Elliot comienzan a intercambiarse cartas de un mundo al otro (a través de una grieta que no se había abierto en siglos), todo lo que sucede en las vidas de ambos comienza a interrelacionarse. ¿Puede una grieta blanca contener un reino entero? ¿Puede un desconocido proveniente de otro mundo ayudarte a resolver los problemas (y descubrir los misterios) de tu propio mundo? ¿Y podrán Madeleine y Elliot encontrar las piezas faltantes de sí mismos antes de que sea demasiado tarde? Primer volumen de una nueva saga, sumamente original por su temática y sus personajes. Un estilo de escritura novedoso, dinámico y de alto nivel literario. ( )

3.5 stars-3 for the first 300 pages and 5 for the last 73. I did very complicated mathematics to come up with that 3.5 rating, so be amazed. And I love Jaclyn Moriarty, so I rounded up. All very scientific, I assure you.

The pacing is similar to her Ashbury High novels. For most of the book, you have a vague sense of deeper mysteries to be solved, and the revelations come fast and furious in the last quarter of the book. The difference is, this book had more of a traditional narrative style, and her Ashbury High novels are all letters, notes, memos, emails, etc. For me, that epistolary style kept me more engaged while I was waiting for the big reveals. The wait took more patience with A Corner of White , and I didn't find it as funny as the Ashbury High books. When she did throw in letters or articles, those tended to be the parts I liked best. I hope that doesn't mean my attention span is devolving.

Anyway, I thought the ending was well worth the wait, and the slower-moving beginning of the book gave me enough time to build up affection for her characters. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the color attacks in the kingdom of Cello, but I do like how her fantasy world was completely different from any I've read before. I'll definitely be picking up the sequel.


( )

Madeleine Tully is a 14 year old girl living in Cambridge, England, with her mother after being uprooted from her "real" life after she and her mother, Holly, ran away from her father. They had been fabulously wealthy and now they struggled to live on much less. Elliot Baranshi is a 15 year old boy who lives in Bonfire, The Farms, in the Kingdom of Cello, His father went missing a year ago and he spends most of his time trying to find him. These two wildly different kids discover a crack between their two worlds, completely by accident, and start sending notes to each other.

I enjoyed this book very much. The descriptive language used was beautiful and conjured up pictures in my mind of the ordinary and the extraordinary alike. Madeleine was a bit of a spoiled brat, who was very self centered, but that's probably because she was used to having anything she wanted in her previous life. I liked her friends, Jack and Belle, just fine, though. Elliot was definitely the more likeable of the two. He was kind and earnest and thought of others before himself all the time. Our journey with Elliot and Madeleine was one of mutual discovery, but I think they learned much more through their letters by asking questions and then looking inwards for the answers, so there was character growth for both of them. The world building was done very well and made this an even more enjoyable read.

In summary, I enjoyed this book as much for the beautiful, descriptive language used by the author as for the plot, which was also done well.

4.5 stars. ( )

A Corner of White isn't quite like anything else I've ever read...but I really, really liked it. Primarily a quirky nonsense fantasy---reminiscent of Roald Dahl, Lewis Carroll, and Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland series---it also contains elements of a contemporary young adult novel, where the 14- and 15-year-old protagonists come to realize some uncomfortable truths about themselves in the context of their normal, everyday lives. The combination is fresh and fun and unexpectedly compelling, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. ...Which will arrive rather sooner than later, I hope. ( )