A Corner of White: Book 1 of The Colors of Madeleine

by Jaclyn Moriarty Narrated by Fiona Hardingham, Andrew Eiden, Kate Reinders, Peter McGowan

Overview

The first in a rousing, funny, genre-busting trilogy from bestseller Jaclyn Moriarty!

This is a tale of missing persons. Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge (in our world).

Elliot, on the other hand, is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle was found dead. The talk in the town of Bonfire (in the Kingdom of Cello) is that Elliot's dad may have killed his brother and run away with the Physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth.

As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unraveling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds -- through an accidental gap that hasn't appeared in centuries. But even greater mysteries are unfolding on both sides of the gap: dangerous weather phenomena called "color storms;" a strange fascination with Isaac Newton; the myth of the "Butterfly Child," whose appearance could end the droughts of Cello; and some unexpected kisses...

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for A CORNER OF WHITE

"Moriarty is the queen of epistolary stories, and her fans will find the teens' letters a familiar entree into this highly unusual fantasy.... [H]er irresistible characters help readers navigate a tantalizingly complex plot that will leave them eagerly awaiting the next book." -- HORN BOOK, starred review

"Quirky, charming, funny, sad: another winner from this always-surprising author." -- KIRKUS REVIEWS, starred review

"Lovely fantasy... The story is told through the teens' communications and an omniscient narrator. This mix allows readers to know Madeleine and Elliot and their problems intimately, but it also gives them an aerial view of events, helps them meet the richly drawn secondary characters, and allows them to see the ingenious way in which the protagonists' lives ultimately combine." -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred review

"The plotting is as innovative and riveting as the world-making here, and the characters are drawn with the same rich dimensionality you find in Pratchett's DISCWORLD or one of Diana Wynne Jones's fantasies. Moriarty's wordsmithery likewise compares favorably with those two masters, delighting and surprising readers with quirky turns of phrase, evocative, synesthetic metaphors, and swift, effective shifts in register." -- BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS, starred review

"A marvelous novel -- in every sense of the word -- with all the qualities of a literary classic. Just like the letters exchanged between the main characters, A CORNER OF WHITE slips through a previously unnoticed crack in the reader's heart and changes everything." -- Deborah Harkness, author of A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES

"An absolute delight of a novel: strange yet familiar, whimsical yet real, beautifully written and completely captivating. I can't wait for the sequel!" -- Garth Nix, author of The Abhorsen Trilogy

"Supremely original, smart, and delightful, this treasure of a book will appeal to readers of both realistic fiction and fantasy." -- Rachel Cohn, author of BETA

"Jaclyn Moriarty makes me laugh, hysterically -- and cry, unexpectedly. A CORNER OF WHITE is a startlingly original fantasy, a moving story of human resilience -- and a structural triumph." -- E. Lockhart, author of THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS and THE BOYFRIEND LIST

Kirkus Reviews

Another one of a kind from the inimitable Moriarty, this time, a barely epistolary fantasy series opener unlike anything else out there. Fourteen-year-old Madeleine lives in Cambridge, England, with her zany mother in uncertain circumstances, having run away from their fabulously privileged international existence. Meanwhile, Elliot lives in Bonfire, The Farms, Cello, a parallel reality that might be the real fairyland (although that's never explicitly stated, and this version seems utterly unlike most versions of fairyland). Through a crack between their worlds, they begin exchanging letters, although more of the novel is about one or the other of these two appealing characters than about their moments of intersection. Elliot wants to find his father, who disappeared mysteriously, while Madeleine wants to be found by hers and is also navigating friendship and her mother's deteriorating health. Moriarty's trademark wit and whimsy are on full display, with zingy dialogue that feels right if not entirely realistic and bizarre characters living unexpected lives that manage to be mundane and delightful at the same time. By the end, Madeleine's story feels somewhat resolved, but Elliot's has turned an unexpected corner that will bring their worlds much closer and bring readers more mystery and humor in the next volume. Quirky, charming, funny, sad: another winner from this always-surprising author. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169872880
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/01/2013
Series:	Colors of Madeleine Series , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

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