A Corner of White Review

As a librarian, I read SLJ reviews every month, and based on the reviews I decide which books to purchase for the library. Then I usually decide which books to read next based on books that are in the library collection. But when I read the review for A Corner of White, I was dying to read it. The summary I'm including below isn't the one I read in SLJ, but it definitely does it justice.

A Corner of White Summary:
She knew this. That philematology is the science of kissing. That Samuel Langhorne Clemens is better known as Mark Twain. That, originally, gold comes from the stars.

Madeleine Tully lives in Cambridge, England, the World – a city of spires, Isaac Newton and Auntie's Tea Shop. Elliot Baranski lives in Bonfire, the Farms, the Kingdom of Cello – where seasons roam, the Butterfly Child sleeps in a glass jar, and bells warn of attacks from dangerous Colours.

They are worlds apart – until a crack opens up between them; a corner of white – the slim seam of a letter. Elliot begins to write to Madeleine, the Girl-in-the-World – a most dangerous thing to do for suspected cracks must be reported and closed. But Elliot's father has disappeared and Madeleine's mother is sick. Can a stranger from another world help to unravel the mysteries in your own? Can Madeleine and Elliot find the missing pieces of themselves before it is too late?

A mesmerizing story of two worlds; the cracks between them, the science that binds them and the colours that infuse them.

A Corner of White Review:
First of all, right off the bat, I loved the cover. It's full of so many bright colors, which I'm instantly drawn to. And it touches on some of the major themes of the book. Colors are a critical part in both of the main characters' lives. For Madeline, who lives in the real world, she loves dressing in lots of bright colors, and living a bright and vibrant life. For Elliot, his mythical kingdom is plagued by Colour attacks, which I thought was a really unique and intriguing concept.

One of the main reasons why I love this book is that it has so much depth to it. Both of the characters are very unique, and are exceptionally well developed. And I really liked that one of the characters were based in reality, while the other lives in a mythical land with fantastical elements. The story was a little slow in the middle, but overall was really beautifully written. And the last fifty pages were exceptionally done. There was a major plot twist that I definitely did not see coming. And I'm eager to see where the series goes.

If you're looking for an original storyline with excellent imagery and character development, give this one a try.