Publisher: Amulet Books
Genre: YA Mystery/Realistic Fiction
My Rating: 5/5
Anna and Abel couldn’t be more different. They are both seventeen and in their last year of school, but while Anna lives in a nice old town house and comes from a well-to-do family, Abel, the school drug dealer, lives in a big, prisonlike tower block at the edge of town. Anna is afraid of him until she realizes that he is caring for his six-year-old sister on his own. Fascinated, Anna follows the two and listens as Abel tells little Micha the story of a tiny queen assailed by dark forces. It’s a beautiful fairy tale that Anna comes to see has a basis in reality. Abel is in real danger of losing Micha to their abusive father and to his own inability to make ends meet. Anna gradually falls in love with Abel, but when his “enemies” begin to turn up dead, she fears she has fallen for a murderer. Has she?
“Go away princess. Leave your outlaw alone. You won't change him... go away, Anna, far away, and don't ever come back. The fairy tale doesn't have a happy ending.”
It's been so long since I've read a book this good! The Storyteller had left me a gaping hole in my heart that can only be refill with an equally amazing book like this. I have a feeling that it will take a long time for that to happen. The writing is flawless and the way the author wrote it seems magical. Antonia Michaelis is truly the
finest in the art of writing. Never was a moment where I was bored, I couldn't even tear my eyes away from the book!
finest in the art of writing. Never was a moment where I was bored, I couldn't even tear my eyes away from the book!
I absolutely love everything about this book. I love how it started out seeming like a young romance story and unfolds to be a more poignant and deep story. The words were magical and were weave with an utmost artistry that are rare in young adult books. The settings seems to have an old fashioned aura to it and the beautifully written prose added authenticity to the feeling.
The characters were impossible not to love. Abel is the storyteller and he told the story to his sister, Micha but the audience later grew to also include Anna. I like to think that the story is a way for Abel to tell Micha the truth about their life but since Micha is still young, he did not want to destroy her innocence. Thus, he created a story that is both magical and poignant to tell his sister in hopes that one day she will understand. SPOILER:[Too sad though that he will not be there when she does! *SOBS EVEN LOUDER]. I love EVERY WORD of Abel's story. The writing style is magnificent! Antonia had managed to carved not one but two beautiful and enchanting stories in one book. Every words is beautiful and there's so much you can quote from this book.
What is more amazing is that the fact that this is a translated book. It is a widely known fact that a translated book is never as good as the original but this book defies that law. Whoever translated this, you deserves an award and a million of unending thanks from me because you are the reason that I can even read this. But of course, billion more unending thanks and love for Antonia Michaelis for writing this piece of art in the first place!
This book is going to last in my mind for a very very long time. I am surely going to read this again sometime in the future but not soon, as my heart will need time to recover from this deep and gashing wounds inflicted solely by the amazing powers of a well written story.
“Just a tiny little pain,
Three days of heavy rain,
Three days of sunlight,
Everything will be alright,
Just a tiny little pain...”
