. tata.lifepages | Gifted | YA fantasy |
I don’t think I’ve ever felt pages fly in my hands so much as I did while reading The Thin House. It was such an easy and fun read, that I couldn’t make myself put it down until it was finished. At first I had thought because of the age of the main character (I believe it was 11 years old) that it was going to be a middle grade fantasy or a light YA fantasy, but I was mistaken. The story was divided into these detailed segments that introduce you to a certain “monster” of the Thin House and with each segment Finn’s character was developed and a hidden life lesson was presented to the reader. I was astounded by Finn’s maturity for a child, he frequently talks and thinks in what appears to be an elaborate and wise manner. However, I only really noticed that this novel was much more mature and intense than what I thought it would be by the mention of adult topics in certain segments, such as abuse, death and suicide. A trigger warning could probably be introduced at the start of the book.
From all the diverse characters introduced, my favorite was Chester. I just found that cuddly little jackalope adorable and I love how protective he was of Finn. I was also delightfully intrigued by a certain ‘happening’ that occurs when Chester is given something he had been craving throughout the entire novel. I hope to find mentions of this circumstance in the subsequent books of the series. I also felt immediately connected to Eden, I loved the scenes where she appeared and the story got even better after she was introduced.
Even though the story is divided into segments for the unique monsters, it has an underlying plot that keeps the reader interested about multiple aspects that unfold as the story progresses such as: the grandparents background, why Finn’s mom doesn’t visit the place and whats behind that creepy grandfather clock? I love it how the author connects events at the end of the book to small hints given throughout the story, so that the reader has that delightful nostalgic moment where he remembers that hint and goes “Ahhhh, that’s why!”. The novel is beautifully written, each monster is described so well that I had a clear visual on my mind and I must say I was even a bit scared! It speaks of family, friendship, stories, grief, etc, making the reader ponder at each underlying lesson. I hope to read the second book in the series! You can check out more about the author and his books over at his website.
tata.lifepages 