Today we'll be looking at a book that has been described as "Part Little House on the Prairie, Part X-Men". Seriously. I read it a few years ago and it's true -- a sparkling mix of on-the-farm life and science fiction, with a dash of heart.
I ordered it off of Amazon last week and am anxiously awaiting its arrival. I dash home from work every day to check the mailbox, hoping that there is a shiny new book in it. Maybe today?
"Piper decided to jump off the roof. It wasn't a rash decision on her part.
This was her plan -- climb to the top of the roof, pick up speed by running from one end all the way to the other. Jump off.
Finally, and most importantly, don't fall.
She didn't make plans in the event that she did fall, because if you jump off of the roof of your house and land on your head, you really don't need any plans from that point on. Even Piper knew that."--from The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
Don't those first few sentences pique your interest?
First of all, I love the name Piper. My mom had a friend in high school with that name and it always intrigued me. How did someone decide that was a name? But it's a nice-sounding name and it brings to mind the Scottish Highlands and brass instruments and the color green.
Second, I love that the author begins with a sentence that seems crazy -- someone's jumping off a ROOF?? Why?! And then comforts you with, "It wasn't a rash decision on her part." The emotional roller coaster has already begun and we're just two sentences in!
Third and finally, the morbid undertaker-style humor gets me. ("...you really don't need any plans from that point on.")
The tone of this book is such fun -- the authorial voice is crisp and subtle and never detracts from the story.
I am curious about what a film adaptation would look like. I had a discussion with friends a few nights ago about how people get angry when a film is created based on a book -- they don't realize it is an ADAPTATION because it's a different medium. Some things can only be done in books (can you imagine a movie-long voice-over? It isn't often done). It's interesting to see what's left out of a story (like Hunger Games which was for a younger audience, so the violence was filmed with a handheld camera so you couldn't see the grisly details -- the book was much more graphic) and what's added in.
Have you read The Girl Who Could Fly? Could you see it as a film? If you haven't read it, are the first few lines tugging you in?
Yep, I totally want to read it now!! Like, maybe I'll put it next on my list. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI think you told me about it before, but now I really want to read it. Thanks for the suggestions!!