From Publishers Weekly
In a boxed review, PW said, "Never has Voigt's writing been more poetic, more deeply resonant. In this bravura effort she harnesses the strength of the [Orpheus] myth to advance her own imaginative vision." Ages 12-up.
- myth to advance her own imaginative vision." Ages 12-up. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-- Like their mythological namesakes Orpheus and Eurydice, Orfe and Yuri are lovers. Orfe, in this case the female of the pair, is a singer/songwriter (rock) of spellbinding power, Yuri a recovering addict who succumbs to his weakness on the very day of their wedding. The narrator, Enny, begins Orfe's tale by recounting their school days, when ``the new girl'' strides into her bleak life to become her best friend. Like Sylvia Cassedy's Polly (M. E. and Morton, Crowell, 1987) and other heroines of the meek and the downtrodden, Orfe commands the respect of her peers by the sheer outrageousness of her behavior (most effectively, a talent for vomiting at will). As her protege, Enny ceases to be the brunt of their classmates' cruelty. And, up to this point, the book holds promise. Then the scene shifts to the present, where a grown and confident Enny discovers her friend singing on a street corner and becomes involved in the shaping of her career. As Orfe rises to the brink of musical success (from the depths of a heavy-metal band that exploits her projectile vomiting), allusions to Yuri find their way into the narrative, though readers never actually meet him or learn his story until the tragedy of their romance has been revealed. There are lighter moments to the tale, but its overwhelming tone is one of darkness and despair. As a character, Orfe never justifies her early promise, nor, for that matter, Enny's devotion. Characterizations, in general, are disappointingly flat and unconvincing. The style is awkward and ponderous, sentence structure often clumsy, transitions often abrupt. The plot is unfocused, undirected, and, generally, uninvolving. A firmer hand might have made this more successful; a lighter touch might have made it more palatable. Voigt is more than capable of both. --Marcia Hupp, Mamaroneck Public Library,
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
