“Two days ago, the famous concert pianist Gloria ‘Glory’ Fleming disappeared from Golden Hands Rest Facility, an institution for musical prodigies here in the Bronx.
Praised by critics as ‘The Brecht of the Piano,’ Ms. Fleming is known for her modern innovations on classical repertoire. The young pianist received rave reviews until six months ago, when exhaustion caused an infamous performance at Carnegie Hall. Fellow patients at Golden Hands recall the seventeen-year-old regularly playing the whimsical children’s waltz ‘Chopsticks,’ an obsession which worsened during her tenure at Golden Hands.
The evening she went missing, Gloria Fleming had apparently played the waltz for over seven hours.”
This book probably has less than two thousand words in it, but it tells a complete story through drawings, photos, screenshots, texted conversations, and musical scores. It’s the story of a young romance-piano prodigy Gloria and her next-door neighbor Francisco. The book follows the pair through Francisco’s banishment to boarding school, through Gloria’s breakdown and disappearance, and other events in their lives.
I loved the format of this interesting book! Not only is the story captivating, but it’s just so wonderful to look at. Francisco is an artist, and the book is peppered with his beautiful drawings and paintings, as well as things like the admittance letter to the rest facility Gloria goes to, ticket stubs, and snapshots. If you like John Green-type stories, about teenage romances, with a little mystery and philosophy mixed in, this one’s for you.
Happy Reading!
Book’s website: http://chopsticksnovel.tumblr.com/
If you like this one, you might try:
Why We Broke Up “This novel tells the story of Min Green and how she and Ed Slaterton met at a party, saw a movie, followed an old woman, shared a hotel room, and broke each other’s hearts.” (From the website)
The Fault in Our Stars A tragic, tragic, love story-heavy on the philosophy. Somehow, it has the same feel as Chopsticks to me.
Looking for Alaska A boarding school romance-mystery-philosophy book. I promise. You’ll love it!
A Better World through Books 