Adult / Realistic Fiction / Fantasy (? Reader must decide)
I gave this book 5 of 5 Stars
It’s California in the 80s, and for eight-year-old Ivy, it seems like everyone – and everything – in her world is changing. Her big brother doesn’t want to play make-believe any more, she gains a stay-at-home dad in exchange for a working mom, and her forever best friend has decided Ivy is babyish and has moved on from their friendship. As her world becomes more complicated, Ivy clings to her creativity and imagination for escape and sometimes finds the lines between what’s real and imagined are quite blurry. In “The Deception Artist,” author Fayette Fox takes adult readers into the mind of a child whose keen observations and honest interpretations make for an engaging and often humorous story.
One aspect of “The Deception Artist” that is different from typical
fiction is that rather than following a distinct plot line, readers experience
a chunk of time in the life of Ivy – and it works. Though the title of the book
might imply otherwise, Ivy is not the only one practicing deception; truly,
she’s surrounded by models of deception ranging from people who tell little
white lies to whoppers. Insightful Ivy reminds readers that we are all
playing pretend in one way or another, and she becomes fairly adept at
evaluating when, why, and how she and others use lies.
Ivy’s impromptu alternative scenarios are clever, and humor is
found not only in her playing make-believe, but in young Ivy’s naivete. She’s
seen things on TV, after all, but not enough to be able to properly fill-in all
the blanks, which allows for some real laugh out loud moments. At the same
time, readers will find it painful to watch as Ivy’s friends and her brother
outgrow Ivy’s imagination and force her to grow-up sooner than she wants.
The writing is very well done and author Fox manages
to perfectly convey the tone of an eight-year-old without the book reading like
a book for kids. Ivy’s observations are keen, and readers will pick-up on
the nuances of what is happening between the adults. Fox’s characters are
richly written, with each being memorable and unique, but where Fox really
shines is in the use of figurative language. To begin, Ivy assesses people and
then associates them with a bug sharing the same characteristics, so in her
internal dialogue, she talks about Stink Bug Tommy, Caleb the Moth, Caterpillar
Christa, etc. The use of numerous stylistic devices gives readers very specific
snapshots of Ivy’s life. For example, when the bell rings signaling the
end of recess, Ivy thinks, “Across the playground, kids stop playing and flow
toward the classrooms like a dandelion puff in reverse.” Or when Ivy is
fighting her orneriness, she says, “Staying good is like trying to stay full.
It’s just a matter of time before you get hungry again.”
The only part of the book that left something to be desired was
the side story of “The Artist.” Ivy’s escape into her own future is one of the
most intriguing tangents of the book and will definitely pique readers’
curiosities, but the unclear direction it takes towards the end will likely
frustrate them as well. Despite this, I highly recommend “The Deception
Artist” because the writing is beautiful and Ivy is hands-down one of the most
memorable characters readers will experience in fiction.
This book was reviewed for Reader Views, which provided me a print ARC in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give.
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