Intended Audience: Mature teens
Genre: Fictional Biography
Notes for Parents: Coarse language, sexuality, drug use, drinking, smoking, illegal behavior.
The Inside Cover
“From the moment she stepped foot in NYC,
Addison Stone’s subversive art made her someone to watch. And her violent
drowning left her fans and critics craving to know more. I conducted interviews
with those who knew her best—including close friends, family, teachers,
mentors, art dealers, boyfriends, and critics—and retraced the tumultuous path
of Addison’s life. I hope I can shed new light on what really happened the
night of July 28.” –Adele Griffin
What the cover doesn’t tell
you:
It’s written as a series of quotes from Addison’s
friends, family and colleagues, with additional information in author’s notes, and including many photographs
and reproductions of the artist’s work.
What’s good?
Learning
about the life of the enigmatic Addison Stone became addicting after just a few
pages. Witnessing the rise and fall of the young talent is a guilty pleasure,
and knowing more about how and why she died grows into a perverse need. This is
a realistic portrayal of a celebrity with both genius and severe mental
illness. It reveals the ups and downs of her personal and professional
relationships, a roller coaster ride that eventually leads to her untimely
death. The plot is steady, the main characters are interesting and well-drawn,
and the format is unique.Best Part: The visuals.
What isn’t good?
Do teenagers really become famous portrait
artists in this day and age? Enough to be pursued by paparazzi and featured on
TMZ? I wasn’t convinced. I would have had an easier time buying into it if
Addison was a singer, actress, or even author. Maybe even an activist poet, but
an artist known for simple portrait sketches seemed far-fetched. Regardless,
Addison is completely unlikeable. She’s self-centered, immature, aloof (yet
craves ridiculous amounts of attention), and is a terrible friend, daughter,
and sister. Also, though I love that pictures of her work are included, I found
most of the artwork didn’t really strike me as awe-inspiring.Worst part: On page 218, Addison’s friend Lucy talks about wanting to go to Nova Scotia because they both love Anne of Green Gables…Anne of Green Gables is based on Prince Edward Island! (Okay, that is mostly just a personal pet peeve, but still…)
Recommendation þþþoo
My feelings are mixed. I feel like I both loved
and hated the format. I liked all the photographs and artwork, but the number
of people “interviewed” was dizzying, as was the amount of information they
provided. However, the premise was good. Watching—with hindsight—as a talented
young woman is consumed by her mental illness despite having caring people all
around her, was fascinating. Ultimately, recommended.
Griffin, Adele. The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone. New York: Soho Press, 2014. (Hardcover)
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