Chopsticks [Paperback]

Jessica Anthony (Creator), Rodrigo Corral (Creator)

Book Description

Release date: February 2, 2012

After her mother died, Glory retreated into herself and her music. Her single father raised her as a piano prodigy, with a rigid schedule and the goal of playing sold-out shows across the globe. Now, as a teenager, Glory has disappeared. As we flash back to the events leading up to her disappearance, we see a girl on the precipice of disaster. Brilliant and lonely, Glory is drawn to an artistic new boy, Frank, who moves in next door. The farther she falls, the deeper she spirals into madness. Before long, Glory is unable to play anything but the song "Chopsticks."

But nothing is what it seems, and Glory's reality is not reality at all. In this stunningly moving novel told in photographs, pictures, and words, it's up to the reader to decide what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along....

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Spellbinding and inventive, this title will attract teens and compel them to reread and revisit each clue to the hauntingly ambiguous ending."

(School Library Journal, starred review)

"...seeing deceits and red herrings laid bare in photographs and documents, rather than reading about them, makes the book’s punches hit hard."

(Publishers Weekly)

"Eerie and edgy—and effective as Poe."

(Kirkus)

"Like the young artistic love it describes, Chopsticks is beautiful and strange and haunting. The story’s crooked path is made luminous by its extraordinary images."

(Junot Diaz)

"Reading Chopsticks is like watching people kiss in the street: it’s private, it’s beautiful, it’s lonely, it’s wild, it’s secret, it’s everywhere and you can’t look away."

(Daniel Handler, author of Why We Broke Up)

Book Description

Glory is a piano prodigy.

After her mother died, she retreated into her music. Her father raised her with the goal of playing sold out shows at Carnegie Hall and across the globe. Brilliant and lonely, Glory is drawn to Frank, who moves in next door. She loses herself in his paintings and drawings, mix CD’s and late-night IM conversations. Soon, Frank becomes both her connection to the world--and her escape from reality.

Before long, Glory is unable to play anything but the song “Chopsticks”; F and G notes moving closer together, and farther apart.

Now, Glory has disappeared. But nothing is what it seems. And we must decide what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill; Original edition (February 2, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595144358
• ISBN-13: 978-1595144355
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful February 6, 2012

By Brittany Moore VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Glory and Frank are now neighbors. Glory is a piano prodigy with a dead mother and a demanding father. Frank is a Mexican immigrant doing poorly in school. They fit together though and everything is okay. Until Chopsticks. They both become obsessed with the song and Glory accidentally plays it when she's not supposed to. Over and over again. They need to find their sanity. They need to find their place in the world. All they need is to be together.

It's a little tricky reviewing a book with hardly any words in it, but I can say that this was breathtaking. Much like a book written in verse, so few words hold volumes. The pictures and illustrations were well done and told a story of struggle and love. They seem like such a sweet couple. The only problem with this storytelling, is you feel very outside the loop. It's almost like finding someone's journal and looking through it. You are completely engrossed and don't want to stop until the end, but you know that it's not your life, and that it has all already happened. The story has already been played out. I did love it though. I took my time, but read it all in one sitting. This is definitely a book you'll want to purchase, that way you can look through it again and again. I would love to see more books like this, their better than graphic novels because they are so much more intimate. It just feels like you're seeing someone else's private moments. Pick this book up, you have no excuse, it's such a quick read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A love story and a mystery - a unique experience! February 9, 2012

By Jen @ A Book and a Latte

Format:Paperback

Chopsitcks is a novel where the written story is very much secondary to the format. I read this story via its iPhone app, which is such a unique way to experience a book! The story is told with pictures, notes, letters, music, instant messaging conversations, and YouTube videos laid out scrapbook style. The book app is interactive, but you can simply flip through the pages in order or randomly if you'd like. Or, you can do what I did, and slowly explore each page (in order) - tapping the page to move things to discover what's underneath, listening to the music, and watching the videos.

Chopsticks is both a love story and a mystery. I think readers could look through it a second time and experience it differently; and it would have a different ending. Glory is a teenage piano prodigy who falls in love with Francisco, the boy who moves in next door. Her father is both her piano teacher and manager, and forces her to go on a European tour - partly for her career, but mostly to separate her and Frank.

While on tour Glory begins to mentally spiral and starts only being able to play chopsticks at all her performances. Frank is the only one who can calm her, but the more intense their relationship becomes, the worse Glory gets... and the lines between real and imagined become blurred.

Chopsticks is one of the most interesting books I've read in a while. I've already gone back through it again, trying to gleam more from all the material. The only reason I didn't rate this book higher is because though I loved the scrapbook style of the novel, I didn't feel as emotionally tied to the characters as I usually do with books you read. I could sense Glory's ups and downs, happiness and sadness, but I didn't feel connected to her. Instead I felt like a detective, trying to solve her mystery - which was great in its own way.

I really enjoyed exploring this book, and highly recommend both the paperback and iPad/iPhone app editions, for the experience and the story! 3.5 stars.

Review originally posted on A Book and a Latte - bookandlatte (dot) com

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars I want to hang this book up in my room. May 4, 2012

By Yil

Format:Paperback

Chopsticks is a book told in pictures. It's a book that's filled with pictures. Lots and lots of some of the most prettiest pictures that I've ever seen. I was worried when I started out the book that I wouldn't understand was happening in the story very well. But it's very easy to follow. Even though the plot's really simple, the pictures help bring it to life and I feel that I like the book a lot more because it is told in pictures.

*Note: The book is mainly consists of pictures and drawings but there is (a minimum) number of words.