Friday, April 19, 2013

Brad About Books: One Plus One Equals Blue by MJ Auch

Read from April 11 to 12, 2013
ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS BLUE
Expected Publication Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt (Macmillan)
Format: ARC
Page Count: 272 pages
Source: Publisher

Twelve year-old Basil knows he’s special—he’s been associating numbers with colors since he was a kid. His gift (or curse) has turned him into somewhat of a loner, but his world begins to change when he meets Tenzie, the new girl in school who has similar freakisms. She, too, has synesthesia (a condition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another). At first, Basil is somewhat annoyed with Tenzie’s pushiness, but after Basil’s estranged mother returns, his life is turned upside down . . . and Tenzie may be the only person to help him put it back together again.

Once again, MJ Auch has written a thoughtful coming-of-age novel that explores friendship, family, and fitting in.



Wow. One Plus One Equals Blue is a beautiful and heart-wrenching read that made me happy, made me sad, and most of all, kept me engaged the entire time.

This book is filled with so many emotions. Our main character, Basil, made me really connect with him. I felt bad for him whenever he would be bullied or picked on by kids in his class, and I really appreciated that bullying and the affects it has on kids was thrown into the book. And since we got to see through the eyes of someone who has a disability and is being bullied really made me connect to Basil. And Tenzie was great as well! She's going through the same problem, but she has a better outlook on it - Tenzie is probably my most favorite thing about One Plus One Equals Blue.

The writing style is also very connectable. Auch's poetic words flowed seamlessly off the page, and I couldn't get enough of this book. Right from page one, I was sucked into the mysterious and vibrant world of Basil and Tenzie, and MJ Auch did a phenomenal job at crafting together this world. 

Another thing I thought that was so cool is that what are main character's have (synesthesia), the author has it too, which means that Auch knew exactly how to describe this condition to the reader and let us explore it. I loved that part, as well as One Plus One Equals Blue entirely.

Overall, One Plus One Equals Blue is a stellar novel that should not be missed. I can't recommend this book enough!

M Y   R A T I N G

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