Sci-fi tends to evolve with time, and I was hesitant if I would enjoy this (relatively) older book.
This book is about a girl who is debilitated by a car accident caused by her Mother. It explores her angst and determination to foil her Mother's evil plans with the help of fairies.
This is one of those books where you can hear a message if you think too deeply about it.
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the prose in the foreword written by Ursula Le Guin.
( TODO - read works by Le Guin )
Novel Sci-fi
(or Sci-fi that I had never heard about)
Oak Leaves
Oak leaves were used as payment for passage into the afterlife.
Fairies
The fairies described in this book were not the kind made famous by Disney but instead relied on descriptions from old folklore where fairies came in all shapes and sizes. They could look like gnarly trees but very rarely looked human.
This depiction in the book reminded me of the similar portrayal of a Genie (Disney's Alladin) as opposed to the traditional description of a Jinn in Persian and Arabic texts.
Ear Piercings
Ear Piercing disrupts magical power.
Karass
Karass- A network or group of people somehow affiliated or spiritually linked. (Kurt Vonnegut).
Morwenna's discovery of her clique hid a beautiful message directed to the lonely people who find refuge in their science fiction. Her affinity with the book club and relationship with Wim caused her to alter her views on suicide.
Thoughts
Here are some of my thoughts on a couple of the narratives in the book -
Narration Style
This book is written as journal entries spanning one school year from Summer until Christmas Break. This first-person narration style was a good break from the other sci-fi I've been reading and helped me be more invested in Mor's character.
Sci-Fi Books
I eventually got weary of the endless list of sci-fi books referenced in each journal entry. There were at least a hundred books cited in total. This establishes Mor's character as an avid sci-fi reader. However, I can see average readers quickly getting lost in passages referencing events and critiques of sci-fi books. This was the reason I deducted one star from my rating.
Is it Real? Metaphors?
Throughout the book, I kept questioning whether Mor's encounters with the fairies and her Mother's evil magic were a figment of her imagination. I also wondered whether her twin sister was a dual personality.