The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone

I got this book through the Amazon Vine program to review. This book was a breath of fresh air after reading a number of rather mediocre books over the last couple weeks.

This was a very well done fictional biography about an eighteen year old girl named Addison Stone who was gaining fame as an artist when she died. The book is a series of interviews with people who knew her and excerpts from interviews with her. There is a lot of speculation as to whether her death was an accident, suicide, or something else.

This book was incredibly engaging and impossible to put down. I just had to know Addison Stone's history and had to understand her and how she died. I could not put this book down.

I really really enjoyed this book. As mentioned the show more book is a collection of interviews with friends, family, and Addison’s agent. There are photos and interviews of Addison Stone taken from art magazines that interviewed her. I really enjoyed the candid photographs of these imaginary “real-life” people, they make the story and history feel completely real.

This book takes a look at a number of topics: the art world, fame, and mental illness. Addison Stone is a genius at art, but it comes with a cost. She is constantly haunted by voices, especially the voice of a young girl named Ida. Addison descends into madness but then comes back and goes on to be a wildly successful artist. Of course her success is only half the story.

Overall I really loved this book. It was cleverly done, different, and absolutely engrossing. By the end I was convinced that Addison Stone was a real person (even though she’s not). This book was impossible to put down and I highly recommend it to readers of all ages. show less

I've never read a book like THE UNFINISHED LIFE OF ADDISON STONE. And I've read many other books by the author, Adele Griffin, who, by the way, is amazing. ADDISON STONE has been pitched as a "docu-novel." It's set up as somewhat of a biography of the fictional title character, Addison Stone, a young artist who left small-town New England for big-city New York only to end up dead at eighteen. Her death becomes scandal. Some say it's an accident. Some say one or even both of her boyfriends could be involved. Some think that her history of mental health problems points to suicide.

But everyone agrees: Addison Stone was a prodigy, one of a kind. And there will never be another like her.

THE UNFINISHED LIFE OF ADDISON STONE is a unique show more reading experience. With visual art -- pieces by Addison, discussed in the book -- mixed in, along with portraits and snapshots of Addison, the book is narrated not only by the people Addison knew (from childhood besties to boyfriends to frenemies and teachers and family and the press) but her body of work. It's easy to forget that this is a fictional account, that Addison is a character, and not a real girl. That these paintings and illustrations are work commissioned by Adele Griffin for her book, that the girl in the photos is not Addison, but a model.

In short? Read this book. Read it now. It's beautiful and intense and the kind of book that stays with you, that makes your world both bigger and smaller. Meet Addison Stone, and hold her close to your heart. show less

I LOVED the concept for this book. It was totally engrossing and unique. Tens are going to eat this shit up! This story pieces together the life of Addison Stone through interviews, emails, articles, photographs, and paintings. Addison was a famous New York Artist who tragically died when she was only 18, this book attempts to piece together her life from people who knew her best or thought they knew her. Addison came from humble beginnings with a broken home and some severe mental problems. Art was her escape. When she was 17 she won some major art scholarships that enabled her to study in New York. She promptly became a splash and the next IT girl. New friends, new lovers, and new artwork awaited her, but her mental problems followed show more her to the city. This is her story, not in her own words but in the words of the people that surrounded her.

I loved the mix of narrative and art in this book, it makes it read even faster. For fans of young fiction and the New York art scene. show less

I have not read many docu-novels. In fact, I could count how many on one hand. I have to say that after reading this one that there should be more docu-novels. This book is my first introduction to author, Adele Griffin. Wow, Mrs. Griffin can write. For a spilt moment I actually believed that this book was based on a real person. This is kudos to the author's writing skills and how well this book was put together. I read that the author was thinking of just writing the docu-novel and then she imagined Addison as a real person, so she added pictures and artwork of Addison's. This is what pushed the book over the top for me. If it had just been a book it would have been fine but the pictures really helped tell the story.

I liked the way show more that the author presented this book in interview format with the interviews being short. It was like having conversations with the people. I felt like I was there listening to all of Addison's friends and family remember her life. No matter how you slice it up, the end result is still tragic. A young life was taken so soon in the peak time. Addison is forever remembered in The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone. show less

This is the fictional biography of art prodigy Addison Stone. The concept was interesting, but I found the story choppy, the way it jumped back and forth between different interviews and news stories. I’m sure many young adult readers will love this, but in the end I just felt way too old for it. Plus, I think people like me who live in more rural areas just “don’t get” the New York art scene.

UPDATE: I just saw a color version of this book and WOAH!!! It's BEAUTIFUL!

Adele Griffin tells the "biography" of an up-and-coming artist on the NYC scene named Addison Stone. Addison Stone was a mystery... in her life and in her death. She lived in her own world, had her own demons, and created so much beauty in so little of time. Dead before the age of 20, so many people wondered why... and what would her legacy ultimately be? A former (and very brief) teacher of Addison chose to take on the task of getting to know everyone in that inner circle... anyone who could shed light on the the true Addison Stone. And Addison Stone turns out to be a girl many people thought they knew, but maybe only a few people really did.

My Thoughts:
The idea show more of this book is SO cool!! I met Adele Griffin at BEA (and because I freaking LOVE her, I was 2nd in line!!), and when she explained that this book was a fiction non-fiction, I was so intrigued. I have never read a book like that before. I've never even heard of a book like that before. I think it's the coolest idea ever. I mean, as an author that has to be so fun to create this character in your head, and then "interview" everyone this character knows and get their take on your character's life. Not sure that my explanation there actually made sense, but what I'm meaning to say is it sounds like it would be really fun to write a book like this.

So reading the actual book was just as fun. It's about this girl who was basically born with an amazing talent. She was made to create art. Not only because she was super talented (which she was), but also because her soul was made to be eccentric. Throughout the book you get to see actual pictures of Addison, along with pictures of her art. It's all in black and white, but I was told the final copies will be in color, and I'm really excited to see what those look like!!

Addison goes from free spirit child, to troubled teen, to young adult living on her own in New York City on the brink of fame and fortune. She is someone who was hard to relate to most of the time because she was very troubled and also had a unique way of thinking about life. She also just doesn't react to things the way I would and seemed to be sort of an enigma. But at the same time Addison had very teenagery immature moments that I thought were plain and common. For instance her inability to let go of her ex-boyfriend Zach Frat. She was in love with someone else, but still had this obsession with getting back at Zach. I've DEFINITELY been there before. And it was really immature, but who can help themselves when it comes to ex-boyfriends?

Anyway I don't have better words for this book other than cool and unique. It really feels like an actual biography and I had to remind myself multiple times that none of these people really exist. (But it would be really awesome if Lincoln Reed did because HELLO!! Sexy!!). I had fun getting to know this frustrating intriguing girl. I kind of wish it was longer though because I felt like I was just getting into to it and it was over already. But also that is sort of the point when you have a life cut short. I definitely think everyone should give this book a try. It's going to be like nothing you've ever read in YA Fiction.

OVERALL: A fiction biography that highlights the life of an It-Girl in NYC and how she got there. I enjoyed the book and also wanted more from it. I loved the images throughout the book and how they just added to the realness of it. It made me forgot that I was reading Fiction at times as it is really true to the biography format and feel. I would definitely recommend this cool and unique book!!

My Blog:
show less

This is the most unique and creative book that I have ever encountered. With the help of model pictures and donated pieces of art, Adele Griffin has been able to create the most realistic fictional-documented story I have ever read.

It always amazes me when I read a book where the main character's voice is barely present in the story, but, her presence, essence and livelihood is. With the supporting characters, the model who poses as Addison Stone, the website, etc. - they all bring together an unforgettable story dedicated to a girl who was, who could have been and who will live on.

Addison Stone's story is told by multiple points-of-views, her parents, brother, best friends, ex-boyfriends, colleagues and others; and when you start to show more think that the author could not possibly introduce us to another 'person', she does, and does so brilliantly. There never once was any confusion as to who was who. Each character brings in their own voice and gives life to who Addison Stone was. Often times I found myself wanting to go on the internet to connect to their stories and timelines, just to be reminded that this is all fictional...

The mystery as to what happened to Addison Stone, how and why she died, starts to unravel very quickly. She was consumed by creativity and passion. So much so, it became difficult to read her low and manic points... it becomes obvious as to who her true friends are; those who cared the most speak freely and genuinely. Others who were guarded and too frank were too quick to point the finger and claim innocence to any negativity in her life, it was obvious that truths were being twisted and reimagined. But overall, everyone's take did add up to create a realistic personality.

There is so much to say about this book! I could go on and on, but it would be so much simpler if you all were to go and read it for yourself so we can discuss it! I highly recommend this! Especially to those who love contemporary and/or documentaries.

* An ARC was sent by the publisher for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. show less