Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony

Title: Chopsticks
Author: Jessica Anthony
Illustrator: Rodrigo Corral 
Publish Date: February 2, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 272
Buy the Book: Barnes & Noble 
Rating: ★★★★

After her mother died, Glory retreated into herself and her music. Her single father raised her as a piano prodigy, with a rigid schedule and the goal of playing sold-out shows across the globe. Now, as a teenager, Glory has disappeared. As we flash back to the events leading up to her disappearance, we see a girl on the precipice of disaster. Brilliant and lonely, Glory is drawn to an artistic new boy, Frank, who moves in next door. The farther she falls, the deeper she spirals into madness. Before long, Glory is unable to play anything but the song "Chopsticks."

But nothing is what it seems, and Glory's reality is not reality at all. In this stunningly moving novel told in photographs, pictures, and words, it's up to the reader to decide what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along....

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony can only be describe as, well, surprising. When I received this book, I hadn't formed an opinion on it from the cover or the synopsis and decided to just let everything play out. It is honestly like nothing I have ever read before to put it plainly and here's why:

The story of Glory is told through pictures, newspaper articles, instant message conversations, and so on. It's hard for me to find a category that this book would fit under to accurately describe what it is like. It's not like a childhood picture book or even just a photography book, these images and words (used sparingly) tell a story that I actually liked. 

When there is nothing to compare it to, it is hard to find a good way to critique and rate such a book. If I base it simply on the plot, I love the story and longed for there to be an actual written story with it. Although the images tell the story, there is something about descriptions and narrative that make the characters come to life in my mind. That was lacking in this novel which was disappointing. The quality of the images and the story they portrayed was amazing, it didn't lack a lifelike quality to them that they could've. I could see all those people in the photos really living this life and that was nice.

Oh how to rate a book that I don't even know how to critique. It was unique and definitely an interesting read for those who don't mind reading less and looking more.