“Long time, no read, eh?”

That sounds about right 🙂 I’ve spent the free time I’ve had in the last few months pushing through completing The Rainbow Maker’s Tale to get the ARC version completed. I’m currently doing the final edits, small re-writes in scenes which aren’t quite working, before the final proof reads get done and it goes for release. This has been a long time coming – over a year on from the intended release date. I think last year I spent more time reading, blogging and marketing, instead of writing, which is really what you need to do if you want to finish a book 😉 At the start of this year I decided 2013 would be about the writing – and so far, I’ve stuck to that promise reasonably well.

I’ve not read a huge amount so far this year, mainly when I was on holiday and so allowed myself some ‘free’ time. I’ve been away again, and with some long journeys and a bit of relaxation time, I found some time to read. And, so here’s my first review in a l-o-n-g time 🙂

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   Still reeling from the suicide of his best friend Tess, seventeen-year old Brendan struggles to overcome addiction and identity issues. Walking the ledge outside his Manhattan apartment has become its own sort of drug, as he stands night after night with his arms outstretched, ready to fly away. Sarah can see him from her window, and begins journaling about a boy on a ledge. Paige and Nate, a young couple in another building, can see both teens from their fire escape. None of them know the others are watching, but a strong desire for freedom resides in each of them, and as their lives begin to intertwine, that desire will be tested. Anyone can jump, but not everyone can fly… Sharp, humorous, and deeply layered, this chronicle of a suicidal teen’s survival explores the reality of addiction and other tough issues, but does so easily, through the use of multiple perspectives, intelligent dialogue and authentic characters. Equal parts romance, contemporary drama, and coming of age, this highly engaging and intensely beautiful novel challenges our cultural perceptions in the battle for balance.

Rating: 4* 

This was an unexpectedly enjoyable read. I have to admit that the blurb didn’t really bowl me over, and so this book has wallowed on my kindle for a fair while. I just began reading it on a whim, deciding to clear off some of the oldest books on my TBR list…I was quickly sucked in.

I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives that the third-person narrator moves through. It delivers the story in a nicely balanced way, drawing together the different elements. Each was well defined, and noticeably different from the others, and so made them realistic. I also found the dialogue pace-y and well-written.

The plot is not as ‘heavy’ as the blurb suggested to me – yes, it covers some difficult areas, like drugs/drink, self-harm, violence and grief – however, each difficult element was integrated with the characters in believable ways. The examination of relationships: parental, friends, boyf/girlf and business were all intricately woven between the various character perspectives and action of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed it, found it well-written and quick to read, when I sat down with it (reading the last half in a couple of days). NB. Given some of the subject matter, I would recommend for ages 16 and up.