Release Date: August 12, 2014
Publisher: Soho Teen
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Edelweiss
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website
National Book Award-finalist Adele Griffin tells the fully illustrated story of a brilliant young artist, her mysterious death, and the fandom that won't let her go.
From the moment she stepped foot in NYC, Addison Stone’s subversive street art made her someone to watch, and her violent drowning left her fans and critics craving to know more. I conducted interviews with those who knew her best—including close friends, family, teachers, mentors, art dealers, boyfriends, and critics—and retraced the tumultuous path of Addison's life. I hope I can shed new light on what really happened the night of July 28.
—Adele Griffin
From the moment she stepped foot in NYC, Addison Stone’s subversive street art made her someone to watch, and her violent drowning left her fans and critics craving to know more. I conducted interviews with those who knew her best—including close friends, family, teachers, mentors, art dealers, boyfriends, and critics—and retraced the tumultuous path of Addison's life. I hope I can shed new light on what really happened the night of July 28.
—Adele Griffin
The concept for this book was SO COOL. I mean, it was like a documentary version of a book. Complete with interviews, paintings, pictures, magazine features, newspaper articles, emails– this really seemed like the biography of someone’s life. I thoroughly enjoyed The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone and found all of it as a whole utterly compelling. I was taken with Addison, and it almost seems as if she’s a real person, with the different voices presented with little snippets of interviews from her mother, father, brother, boyfriends, best friends, teachers, and more. I’d previously read Adele Griffin’s All You Never Wanted, which I unfortunately did not enjoy, but this one – this one is pure genius.
While there are only some taken interviews directly from Addison (previously “recorded”), we as readers learn more about her from the people around her: why people loved her, why they hated her, the problems she faced and how she came about to being this famous artist in New York. I love how it slowly progresses towards her death, starting with her childhood, moving into her breakdown, and then to her fresh beginning and fame. The narrative structure is brilliant!
You seriously need to check out this book for yourselves because you will believe how amazing it looks. All the mediums put together in one book (and this is me talking about the eGalley!) create such an awesome project. Adele Griffin brings to life this bohemian, can’t-help-but-love-and-hate artist literally as well as through her words. A beguiling read that I couldn’t put down!
If you like this, try...
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews ● Goodreads
- Without Tess by Marcella Pixley ● Goodreads
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adele Griffin is a two-time National Book Award finalist and the highly acclaimed author of numerous books for young adult and middle grade readers. Her works include Sons of Liberty and Where I Want to Be, and most recently, Loud Awake and Lost. Adele lives with her husband, Erich; their two young children; and their dog, Edith, in Brooklyn, New York.
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My tribute to Addison Stone
As apart of this blog tour, each blogger needs to create something to Addison Stone. Since I really suck at art, I decided to go with a poem that’s about Addison. Free verse (can’t make things rhyme and have a proper meter) but hope you enjoy!
the shooting star
A long-limbed spirit,
with wide doe eyes,
takes in the world,
and finds so much more wonder
than what the normal person
can behold.
(However)
Snakes twist up her arms –
a poisonous reminder –
of when it went too far:
the cuts, the stain, a ghost.
(However)
These arms will not be corrupted,
these hands will not remain still.
The life she creates –
not from fire,
not from stone –
renews others’.
(However)
such a creature
cannot last.
A flash of white –
a falling angel,
a dying wish –
tumbling
down,
down,
down,
leaving behind a wake
of dust and shock.
(However)
she will not return.
Hope you enjoyed it. Clearly I’m not a poet, but it was an attempt!! Check out some of the other stops on the tour’s tributes as well as more photos and paintings on the Addison Stone Tumblr!
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Giveaway time!
Enter to win...
A SIGNED hardcover of The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone!
Enter by clicking on the picture below which will take you to the rafflecopter:
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