Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Review : The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

PublisherArthur A. Levine Books 

Release DateApril 28, 2015
Pages: 352
Source: ARC

The Story:

Not since THE BOOK THIEF has the character of Death played such an original and affecting part in a book for young people.

Flora and Henry were born a few blocks from each other, innocent of the forces that might keep a white boy and an African American girl apart; years later they meet again and their mutual love of music sparks an even more powerful connection. But what Flora and Henry don't know is that they are pawns in a game played by the eternal adversaries Love and Death, here brilliantly reimagined as two extremely sympathetic and fascinating characters. Can their hearts and their wills overcome not only their earthly circumstances, but forces that have battled throughout history? In the rainy Seattle of the 1920's, romance blooms among the jazz clubs, the mansions of the wealthy, and the shanty towns of the poor. But what is more powerful: love? Or death?
via Amazon

Rating





My Review

Just know, I absolutely adored this book!


Opening Line:

The figure in the fine gray suit materialized in the nursery and stood over the sleeping infant, inhaling the sweet, milky night air.

Plot:

The premise of 
The Game of Love and Death was fantastic! Love and death are personified and for centuries they play a game. Each chooses a player. The players are destined to find each other. Insert Flora Saudade and Henry Bishop. In the wake of their crumbling lives, if they choose each other and courage, Love wins the game  . . . However, if they do not, Death wins. And Death has never lost.

The Game of Love and Death pacing was in tune and real. Flowing smoothly, I never felt forced out of the story by slowness or winded by forced quickness. touched on a few sensitive topics without making it awkward. I appreciated the diversity in the story. Brockenbrough's writing is eloquent and invoking. She hits chords and I caught myself leaning back in my seat, rereading sentences because they were so beautifully written. The Game of Love and Death is soulful and romantic, hypnotized by the story, dying to know who will win the Game. All in all, I definitely recommend The Game of Love and Death to anyone willing to read it. Because you really ought to!

Character Breakdown:

Flore Saudade - Feisty and daring, is a likable character who makes the reader want to break away from convention and rise above the small-mindedness of an ignorant society.

Henry Bishop - Wholesome and soulful, Henry has the jazzy musician aura down to a T. He gives the reader the feels -- making them root for Love to win the Game.

". . . And something else she couldn't identify. Some people, like some songs, simply aded up to more than the sum of their parts." - page 112

Here is one of my favorite quotes from 
The Game of Love and Death:

Flora: People were funny about things they couldn't see. If they couldn't see it, it wasn't there. Or at least,it didn't affect them. But the world didn't work that way, did it?THere were things all around that you couldn't see, and those things had power. - page 10

Meet the Author:



Martha Brockenbrough (rhymes with broken toe) is the author of two books for adults and five books for young readers.
She's the founder of National Grammar Day (every March 4), and she's written game questions for Cranium and Trivial Pursuit. The former editor of MSN.com, Martha has interviewed lots of celebrities, including the Jonas Brothers and Slash (his favorite dinosaur is the diplodocus). Her work has been published in a variety of places, including The New York Times. She also wrote an educational humor column for the online encyclopedia Encarta for nine years. 
She lives in Seattle with her family. Her favorite kind of food is Indian, although Thai runs a close second. Besides writing, she likes board games, playing music with the family band, travel to places far and near, drinking lots of coffee, and working out really hard at the gym.
***Check out Martha Brockenbrough's website for more information about her and  The Game of Love and DeathHERE

Happy Reading!



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