Alyzon Whitestarr
Isobelle Carmody
Publisher: Ford Street Publishing (first published by Penguin Group)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925272185
Reviewer: Tim Harris

One of my favourite things about non-realist fiction is the capacity it gives writers to use fantastical elements to express nebulous, intangible concepts. In Alyzon Whitestarr, Isobelle Carmody does this very well, presenting a nuanced exploration of human nature and our equal capacity for both good and evil through the lens of Alyzon's heightened senses, all the while telling a great, suspenseful story.

The narrative's pacing is spot on. There's always something to keep the pages turning, be it mystery and intrigue, character drama, or thriller-like suspense, but the story never feels unfocused. The prose itself is also very good. It reads well, and the odd combination of Alyzon's practicality (which often leaves her rolling her eyes at the antics of those less firmly grounded in reality) with her often poetic way of thinking provides for both clever lines and great imagery. Carmody's use of symbolism is subtle enough that it doesn't get in the way of the story, without being so subtle as to be wasted.

Carmody does a great job of the balancing act of making her characters both distinctive and complex. The fantastic is again deployed to great effect here, summing up each character's essence in a few images, and most characters also have some quirk that gives readers an easily memorable handle to remember them by. A lesser writer might leave it at that, but Carmody combines this with a depth of characterisation that really brings her characters to life and makes them feel more real. This complexity provides a stark contrast to those characters which Carmody presents as distinctly unreal. These seem uncannily one-dimensional, as if they are more expressions of the metaphysical malaise the narrative centres upon than they are humans.

Alyzon Whitestarr is an extremely enjoyable read. It is rare that a story combines nuance and accessibility so well. I would recommend it for readers aged fourteen and up who aren't afraid to ask difficult questions regarding the human condition. ( )

http://www.johblogs.com/2011/06/alyzon-whitestarr-by-isobel-carmody.html ( )

Reviewed by Breia "The Brain" Brickey for TeensReadToo.com

Alyzon isn't like the other people in her family. She wasn't born with a special gift, and she thought that she would always be the ordinary one in a family of super-talented people. When she experiences an accident that gives her powers of her own, Alyzon realizes there is more going on than what she initially figured.

Her new power enhances her senses so that colors are more vibrant, her memory is the best it's ever been, and her sense of smell is better than all of her other senses. Excitement and intrigue follow Alyzon as she tries to figure out exactly what her powers can be used for.

Will these changes help or harm her family?

ALYZON WHITESTARR by Isobelle Carmody is one of those books that you will want to reread over and over again, with wonderfully written characters who make you feel like they are part of your own family. Ms. Carmody shows her readers what it's like to be the oddball in the family, but makes it enjoyable every step of the way. Definitely a 5-star read. ( )

A thought-provoking fantasy set in this reality from the perspective of the plain, untalented teenage daughter who comes from a poor but an incredibly artistic family, who finds her senses are extended after she's in an accident. I don't agree with all of it's philosophy, but it's a fantastic book.

I rather liked that it was set in reality, not fantasy land. I’m not sure why, but I did. I found myself being drawn into it. It was captivating and very hard to put down. The fantasy element was a bit difficult to cope with at first, but it soon became part of the story – and more importantly, part of the character. Part of Aly. Essentially, it was a book about the battle between good and evil. It was about what one expresses through art – through music, through painting, and through what you write. Aly comes from a musical family, except for her mother who is a painter. She’s seen as the odd-one out, but her talent would have to be for writing. No one seems to realise it; in fact, I don’t think I realised it until I wrote it. Aly has a way of putting things into words, just as her father has a way of putting things into his music. “Being angry isn’t the same as being young.”
It had some interesting ideas in it. It was saying something about the world; about people and about life. It wasn’t just trying to tell a story. But it also was a story about being a teenager. About relating to others, about friendship, about school and how people view you because you are a teenager. It was about compassion, and bonds between people.

I thought it clever, the way Alyzon gave information about her family which later turned out to be important, but in a way that it didn’t seem important at the time. I liked her family, how they were dysfunctionally functional. I liked Alyzon’s friends; I liked how they trusted and related to each other, and took each other’s peculiarities in their stride.

It's just a book I felt I really got something out of. It is different, captivating and interesting. It is moving, and it has something to say, as well as a good story to tell. Rereading it, I wish there was less superfluous description, but such detail is simply part of its style, and took several rereads before I even noticed it. ( )