Another Faust
Author(s): Daniel & Dina Nayeri
Pages: 387
Published by Candlewick Press
Release Date: August 25th 2009
Source: Gift
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary: (From Goodreads)
One night, in cities all across Europe, five children vanish — only to appear, years later, at an exclusive New York party with a strange and elegant governess. Rumor and mystery follow the Faust teenagers to the city’s most prestigious high school, where they soar to suspicious heights with the help of their benefactor’s extraordinary "gifts." But as the students claw their way up — reading minds, erasing scenes, stopping time, stealing power, seducing with artificial beauty — they start to suffer the sideeffects of their own addictions. And as they make further deals with the devil, they uncover secrets more shocking than their most unforgivable sins. At once chilling and wickedly satirical, this contemporary reimagining of the Faustian bargain is a compelling tale of ambition, consequences, and ultimate redemption.
My Review:
Another Faust was an engrossing and slightly creepy read. It was definitely creative, and I did find it an original twist about the "original faust."
I mentioned that this book is creepy. Not really....but Madame Vileroy did creep me out. Also, how Bice can freeze time and walk in it alone for hours. Those two things creeped me out, though I'm not exactly sure why.
This story is fascinating. The sell-your-soul to the devil takes on a fresh new take. Five Faustian teenagers. The plot was incredibly well woven in my opinion. It comes together for a fantastic mystery of a novel, with an explosive ending with revelations on each character. I have to admit, I did love the ending. It was an open ending, and it wasn't a happy ending for everybody.
The characters in Another Faust were entertaining. They are not your usal bunch of characters. They're ruthless, cunning, tortured, mysterious, and lonely in a very dark way. I found them absolutely superb to read about. I found that Victoria was annoying at times, and by the end of the novel I was fed up with her, but she is a character that you're supposed to hate, right? She did give me a twinge of annoyance on my thoughts of this book, though.
The one thing that I did not enjoy about this novel was the paragraph or two they would have at the start of every chapter. I understand what they were there for, but I really did not get why they needed to be used. i found myself skipping over a few, since I felt as if the paragraphs were so irrelevant to the book.
Overall, Another Faust is a truely dark tale. Not to mention
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1 comment:
I have forgotten all about this book until recently. I wanted to read it when it came out. The original Faust, as you put it, is a creepy tale. I wonder if a modern twist would make it more accessible for a younger generation?
Have you read Another Pan? Same author, but a twist on Pan with an Egyptian mythology undertone. I want to read that one too.
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