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FindingJane
May 14, 2015FindingJane rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Mr. Gidwitz ranges further afield for inspiration as he weaves this story of Jack and Jill. There are more than Grimm fairy tales at play here. In nursery rhyme, these two careless children travel no farther than up and down a hill in search of water. But, in Gidwitz’s novel, they are cousins who yearn desperately for acceptance from family and strangers and go to almost ridiculous lengths to get them. In the end, the perilous and health-destroying quest seems to have led to a great deal of nothing, the coveted prize a non-magical worthless object that has inadvertently caused the deaths of many innocent and guilty people alike. But, as with any life-altering passage, it is the journey itself that builds the character, strengthens the mind and leads to true growth and real friendship. The children suffer, as many in fairy tales do, but they find true joy and happiness and the stories outline exactly how that happens. As with the previous volume, “A Tale Dark and Grimm”, Mr. Gidwitz peppers his novel with warnings although not as many. He takes a contradictory attitude in which he warns that these tales are not for children but then “forgets” to warn us about truly nasty passages involving bodily fluids, horrific stenches and mass destruction. Given the origins of many of the original tales, I leave it up to the reader to decide if modern children are made of sterner stuff. This novel draws and repels in equal measure. But, above all things, it is a ripping good yarn of searching, adventure, sacrifice and love.