Anya's Ghost

Anya's Ghost is a graphic novel with beautiful illustrations. It dives into the peculiarities of being a teeanger in high school. We have crushes. We have body issues. We have problems with friends. We have weird things that we've had to overcome in order to be "normal." Anya, however, has found another thing that has made her peculiar: a ghost.

After missing the bus, she decides to walk home through the park that is thick with woods. Anya accidentally falls into an old, uncovered well. After lighting one of her cigarette matches, she finds a skeleton and the 90 year old ghost of the girl that's attached to it. Anya gets out after staying in the well for a day with the help of a passing stranger. While picking up her things she accidently picks up one of Emily's pinky fingers and the ghost follows Anya home.

Emily follows her to school and experiences what modern day high school is like. Boys. Gym. Politics of girls. Friends. Family. Tests. There are many things that Emily ends up helping Anya out with. Or is she really helping? Something is strange with Emily. Wanting Enya to go out with a boy who is obviously bad news? What is this about new outfits? And how is Emily suddenly changing?

I liked this book because it was a light read. I was in need of a break and this was a good one for that. It was quick and had beautiful illustrations.

If you are in search of a good, clean, and quick book to you through a few a rough patch in books (or a book that you'd like your teen to read) this is a good choice.

Phantom of the Opera

I've been in a classic kick recently and picked up Phantom of the Opera. There were two reasons why specifically picked up this classic, one of my friends was consumed by the "phantom" character a few years back, and I love the musical that has been on Broadway and on the silver screen. I think the music they put to the story is majestic and the psychology  behind the mesmerizing and control that happens in the story.

For those who don't know the synopsis of the story, there is a ghost in the Paris Opera in the late 1800's. It does strange things and all the ballerinas, dancers, and singers believe that any shoe lace that breaks or pitcher that falls over is because of the Opera Ghost.

Unlike the play, there is a death in the Opera in the very first chapter. Joseph Buquet is found dead in the cellars of the Opera, supposedly hug, but with no rope. Inside the Opera, accusations of the Opera Ghost circulate, but nothing can be done. He is a Ghost after all.

Then, on the night of the gala when managerial positions are transferred to new owners, Christine Daae faints after her first and astounding performance and is rushed to her rooms. Having come to consciousness, she faces her old friend from the sea, Raoul, who has fallen desperately in love with her because her singing touched the hearts of angels. She orders everyone out and Raoul, listening at the door, hears her talking to a strange voice.

A few days later, after another performance, she is abducted and everyone is frantic about where she's gone. But after two weeks she comes back but refuses to sing as she had before. She sends a note to Raoul to meet her at the sea side village where they spent many years together. One night while there, after an argument between them, Raoul follows Christine in the middle of the night to a cemetery. She doesn't realize he is only a few steps behind her and watching because she is in rapture and completely lost to her own thoughts. Once at her father's grave, in the cemetery, the sound of her father's violin floats down from heaven. Raoul can hear it too. Christine leaves and he sees death leaving the cemetery also. Dun-dun-duuuun.

The story jumps back and forth between characters and time that it kind of game me a head ache. We jump between the new managers and their anger at being told they need to pay 20,000 francs or accidents will happen. They also remove Madame Giry from her position, watching over the Opera Ghost's Box #5. After the first month of not receiving a payment a terrible accident does happen. Carlotta, the main singer at the Opera house croaks. She fumbles with her voice badly and sounds like a frog. People in the audience don't know what to do because she is such a beloved singer. Her last time of trying before running off the stage, the chandelier drops from the ceiling of the Opera house, killing one (Madame Giry's replacement) and injures many, many more.

After that night, there is more jumping around of characters. A half-hearted wedding proposal, secrets are revealed about the Opera Ghost (one that I didn't know before was that the Ghost's name is actually Erik), and an a plot to run away. Of course the plot is found out by the Phantom, and Christine becomes abducted again by her "poor Erik."

Then it takes forever to for Raoul and this mysterious Persian, who knows almost everything about the Opera--from the lake underneath it to the rafters, to find a way into the "house by the lake" where the Erik is holding Christine. They find themselves in a torture chamber (not your regular rack and red-hot pokers mind you) and start going insane. They get a little of Christine's help, but she is tied up for most of it, and find barrels and barrels of gun powder. She has a choice it seems, to marry Erik, who looks seriously like death with red embers for eyes and the boniest fingers and frame, or everyone in the Opera about the house by the lake as well as those on the lake are going to be blown up.

She makes her choice, which I will leave you to read to find out.

Over all, I will say koodos to those who complied this story into the play/movie. I've, sadly, only been able to watch the movie (though, not so sadly, Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, and Patrick Wilson did a fantastic job in their roles).   They were able to add so many little parts of the book, though in the wrong order, into the movie. Most adaptions of books aren't at all like the book, but I was pleasantly surprised about how many little things that made mention to the larger scenes and characters that wouldn't make it in.

My favorite little moment between the two would probably be the Persian that is practically left out of the movie. He may not have a character stand in, but the monkey on the music box in Persian robes is supposed to represent him. Like I said, cute little things that represent bigger moments.

However, the biggest part of the book that I didn't like was the way it was presented. It is and older book, written in 1909-1910, and so the writing style is different (not that that is bad). It's the fact that it is so jumpy. It is written, third person and our narrator is...isn't given a name....? but is trying to find out the story behind the disasters that happen. It is second or third hand accounts of what happened that jump back and forth and back and to another place entirely. We are placed in the story, then backgrounds and flashbacks and narrator interruptions happen. It was somewhat disjointed and I found it rather obnoxious.

 The reader doesn't get solid, non-interrupted story until almost the end of the book when the Persian brings us up to speed on Erik's background and what happens with himself and Raoul. Even then there may be one or two parts where he jumps around too.

I think my favorite part all together was the description of the Phantom. Erik is nothing like Gerard Butler or any other renditions I've seen of the Opera Ghost. They don't give the book description justice.

In the end, I'm glad I've read it. I'm glad Christine fought a lot more in the book than she did in the movie, that made me happy, And now I'm more concerned for my friend who found liked the Phantom so much. Still it was a good read and I hope you like it too.