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Kindle Edition eBooks Details
  • 07/2017
  • 9780998696928 B07144H7PJ
  • 274 pages
  • $4.99
Lisa Manterfield
Author
The Smallest Thing
The very last thing 17-year-old Emmott Syddall wants is to turn out like her dad. She’s descended from ten generations who never left their dull English village, and there’s no way she’s going to waste a perfectly good life that way. She’s moving to London and she swears she is never coming back. But when the unexplained deaths of her neighbors force the government to quarantine the village, Em learns what it truly means to be trapped. Now, she must choose. Will she pursue her desire for freedom, at all costs, or do what’s best for the people she loves: her dad, her best friend Deb, and, to her surprise, the mysterious man in the HAZMAT suit? Inspired by the historical story of the plague village of Eyam, this contemporary tale of friendship, community, and impossible love weaves the horrors of recent news headlines with the intimate details of how it feels to become an adult—and fall in love—in the midst of tragedy.
Plot/Idea: 8 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 7 out of 10
Character/Execution: 9 out of 10
Overall: 8.25 out of 10

Assessment:

Plot:   This novel adapts the historical case of a town consumed by the plague to a modern tale of a township surviving under quarantine. The book follows a young woman, Emmott, who yearns to leave her village as she comes of age amidst extraordinary circumstances and discovers a love for her community. Emmott’s emotional growth is paced appropriately in parallel with the reaction to and fight against the mysterious disease plaguing the town.

Prose:  Composed from a first-person perspective, the novel is well-written, though occasionally the descriptions seem to belie the character’s life experience. For the most part, the narrative voice feels organic, and it deftly balances interiority with action. The dialogue is similarly effective and authentic.

Originality:  The characters and township are adapted from an actual historical event and updated to fit in the modern world. The overall concept is a clever idea and the book offers an original story, executed satisfyingly.

Character Development: Emmott’s characterization is well-crafted and her progression to maturity in the face of crisis is handled skillfully. The result is a character that is much more complex and multi-dimensional than many YA protagonists. Secondary characters, particularly love interest Aiden and Emmott's father, are well-rendered and what they represent to Emmott remains pertinent to the emotional and external conflicts and resolutions in the story.

Blurb:   This book offers a thrilling modern adaption of a lesser-acknowledged but important historical tragedy.

 

Date Submitted: August 21, 2018

Formats
Kindle Edition eBooks Details
  • 07/2017
  • 9780998696928 B07144H7PJ
  • 274 pages
  • $4.99
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