Chopsticks

May 03, 2012 Steph Sinclair rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Visual people

Recommended to Steph by: Found it while browsing my local bookstore

Shelves: 2012-release, i-own-it, young-adult, contemporary, 2012-favs, 2012-reads, all-time-favorites, awesome, deserves-every-one-of-those-stars, didn-t-disappoint, i-didn-t-see-that-coming, i-loved-it, i-really-enjoyed-it, made-me-think, omg-that-ending, penguin, original-and-creative, pass-me-my-tissues, pure-win, realistic-fiction, short-and-sweet, so-glad-i-read-this, strange, surprised-me, yeah-baby-5-stars

I have a confession to make. I actually bought this book without reading any reviews. That is highly unusual for me because I rarely buy any books (I'm a library girl through and through) and when I do, it's under two circumstances: 1) I've read it before, loved it and would read it again or 2) It comes with the highest recommendations from my most trusted reviewing friends. Chopsticks is a bit of an enigma for me because out of all the books to choose from at Books-A-Million, I chose it simply...more
I have a confession to make. I actually bought this book without reading any reviews. That is highly unusual for me because I rarely buy any books (I'm a library girl through and through) and when I do, it's under two circumstances: 1) I've read it before, loved it and would read it again or 2) It comes with the highest recommendations from my most trusted reviewing friends. Chopsticks is a bit of an enigma for me because out of all the books to choose from at Books-A-Million, I chose it simply because of its first impression. I was just about to leave out the door, unable to decide on which book to invest in or which one to waste my money on, when this huge "photo novel" with the weird title caught my eye, sitting on the end of a top shelf. One glance through the book and I knew it was for me: The entire story is told in photos of everyday things. It amazed me in five seconds, so I bought it.

When you first look at the cover, what do you think it's going to be about? Well, for me I thought it was going to be your usual girl meets boy, yada, yada, yada. But Chopsticks is so much more than that. You see, depending on how you interpret the novel, it could actually tell two different stories. It could tell the simple contemporary story of sixteen-year-old Gloria "Glory" Fleming, a piano prodigy, who falls in love with Francisco Mendoza, a boy who becomes her escape from her stressful life. Sounds fluffy, right? Well, it can also tell the deep and dark story of a lonely, broken, child star pushed so hard to perform to perfection that she slowly loses her mind, causing you to question everything you see in the book or thought you saw. Do I have your attention yet?

Chopsticks is simply brilliant. The amount of time and skill it took to arrange the photos to tell this mind-bending story is commendable. The phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" definitely fits the bill here because there are hardly any narrative text in the book, yet I felt a very strong connection to the characters. This book really doesn't need the extra words. Instead, the reader must follow the pictures of Francisco's drawings, Glory's concert programs, family photos, letters and images of household belongings. Chopsticks is very intimate in that way because it feels like you've been peeping into someone else's life for eighteen months in only 272 pages. It's the kind of book that you could zip through in thirty minutes, but by the ending it'll make you go back and re-read it more slowly. It's that easy to miss something.

I went out on a limb and purchased Chopsticks and I'm so happy I did. It took me on what I thought would be a simple fun read to an involved story that I couldn't stop thinking about after I finished. I know I could read again and still have a healthy appreciation for the complexity of the story. So, if you are a visual person like myself and you're looking for something totally different from your usual fair, Chopsticks may be the book you've been looking for.(less)

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Aug 05, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: visualstorytelling, age-high-school, words-and-pictures, design, graphic-novels

Whoa. I don't even know what happened in this unique scrapbook of a mystery. It reminded me a little bit of Black and White, a little bit of Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence, and a little bit of the movie Black Swan (not in the scary sense, just in the sense of "what the HECK is going on?"). Intriguing and unusual. Has anyone tried the app???

"Reading Chopsticks is like watching people kiss in the street: it's private, it's beautiful, it's lonely, it's wild, it's secret, it's...more

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May 10, 2012 jo mo rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: illustrated, artsy-character, non-caucasian-character, interactive, mystery, young-adult, chick-lit, picture-book, 2-stars, 2012, family, dramarama, comic-or-graphic-novel, call-me-crazy, school-life, bleh-or-snooze, reviews

glory is a piano prodigy. after her mother died, she retreated into her music. her father raised her with the goal of playing sold-out shows at carnegie hall and across the globe. brilliant and lonely, glory is drawn to frank, who moves in next door frank becomes glory’s connection to the world—and her escape from reality. before long, glory is unable to play anything but the song "chopsticks"; f and g notes moving closer together, and farther apart.

artsy people will probably find the aesthetics...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Abi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-romance, ya-adult-graphic-novel, giveaway, visual-incorporated, mystery-or-scary-or-thriller

This novel's story is told entirely through photographs, which hold the promise of secrets that will unlock the story at second glance. They demand to be returned to: scoured and compared and reveled in as you follow the story and then retrace your steps when the mysterious ending is revealed.

At the start, you learn that piano prodigy Gloria "Glory" Fleming has gone missing. Then, you are taken back to the beginning and shown in detail the 18 months prior to her disappearance.

Chopsticks is the...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Mary Catherine rated it 5 of 5 stars

5 out of 5 stars on Ordinary People, Extraordinary Works

As a lover of books, I often find the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words” to be somewhat hard to swallow. After all, doesn’t a single page of words create works of art in one’s mind? Aren’t words in a novel merely the starting point of a single reader’s imagination? Imagine my surprise, then, when I read CHOPSTICKS by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral, and fell in love with the minimal amount of words splashed across the pages an...more 5 out of 5 stars on Ordinary People, Extraordinary Works

As a lover of books, I often find the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words” to be somewhat hard to swallow. After all, doesn’t a single page of words create works of art in one’s mind? Aren’t words in a novel merely the starting point of a single reader’s imagination? Imagine my surprise, then, when I read CHOPSTICKS by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral, and fell in love with the minimal amount of words splashed across the pages and the rich and lush photographs that depicted a story of two individuals in need of something more.

Or is it the story of a single person’s descent into madness?

CHOPSTICKS begins with the disappearance of Gloria “Glory” Flemming from a rest home for piano prodigies. Told through photographs, instant message conversations, YouTube videos, and more – and displayed as a scrapbook of sorts, readers will follow Glory’s ups and downs. From her parents wedding to her birth announcement to her rise in the music world, Glory seems to have everything under control. But for every high, there is a low, and Glory soon finds herself in a downward spiral, a descent toward insanity that seems to only be calmed by the new boy next door, Francisco “Frank” Mendoza from Argentina.

The tale of Glory and Frank is a forbidden one. It’s also a tale of hardships and errors. Glory’s father, who is also her piano teacher and somewhat of her manager, doesn’t like him and it seems like he will do anything to help his daughter shine in the spotlight and get rid of Frank, even if it means touring in Europe when Glory doesn’t want to do it. Back home, Frank is in danger of failing out of school and yearns for the day he will see Glory again.

And see each other again, they do, but not everything may be what it seems like.

A haunting book, CHOPSTICKS is both interesting and intriguing and is bound to capture the attentions of readers at any age. What I assumed would be a campy book instead turned out to be one of my most interesting reads of the year. When it arrives in bookstores in February 2012, an iPhone/iPad app will be launched alongside of it. I, for one, cannot wait to see the app, but what I’m most looking forward to are the conversations I am bound to have with other readers. CHOPSTICKS is a book that needs to be read and/or looked at more than once. Some people may see it as a love story and only a love story. Others may see it as Glory’s journey to find herself. Still, some others may read this as something entirely different.

It’s possible we may all be right in our thoughts.(less)

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May 12, 2012 Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit

The unique character and imaginative and moving story of Chopsticks made me fall in love with the novel. For this reason, I gave it five stars. Chopsticks message, find happiness, whatever the cost, pushed the envelope. The varied media and whimsical quality of blurry and shadowed photographs give the novel a dreamlike quality. Chopsticks would be a great tool to introduce younger readers to nonlinear modern fictions I give it five stars because of its experimental quality.

Chopsticks is a uniqu...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit, mystery

I wasn't expecting this book to be as mysterious and creepy as it was. It also took me a while to get the symbolism of Chopsticks: the notes F & G representing the main characters of Frank and Glory and Chopsticks is described as F & G notes starting off close together and moving farther apart.

The format of telling a story through pictures lends itself to great discussion on making inferences and predictions (with older readers of course) but the story itself just didn't feel believabl...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Adele rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, great-cover, ya, scifi-fantasy

Chopsticks is a story told almost entirely through photography, notes, and other "found footage." I have a hard time reading and judging books like this, but I thought it was pretty solid. It certainly has a magnetic pull for some people, and like a magnet, it completely repels other people.

What I specifically liked about this particular book that made it special was that every single person at the library seemed to have a totally different experience reading it, and because it is so simple in...more

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Dec 25, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel

I actually read this book on a friend's iPad -- what an interesting experience! Each time the book is read the pages appear in a new order, so the story is always a little different. The interactive nature was a bonus, but the real appeal to this book was how reading it became a shared experience, with discussion and speculation about certain plot features.

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May 29, 2012 Kelly Leigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-lit, young-adult, graphic-novels

Okay. I get all the 5 stars this book has received. Definitely a unique "novel". So the story's told through pictures with a few lines of text sprinkled here and there. A coming of age story, a Romeo and Juliet-esque tale, teens crumbling under constant pressure, then some other oddities, all these themes encapsulate "Chopsticks". Or do they?

If you appreciate photography, are a visual type of person, artsy, like piecing together clues, keen eye for detail, if you want to experience something wh...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Lily Messer rated it 5 of 5 stars

I personally am not someone who enjoys reading. But with being in high school, you kind of have to read books! I have always struggled with reading. I have trouble paying attention, it makes me extremely tired, and I usually can’t remember what I just read. I was in the library one day, and I came across this book called “Chopsticks” by Jessica Anthony. This book appealed to me because there are very little words. It is basically a picture book for adults! It is a wonderful love/comedy/drama sto...more I personally am not someone who enjoys reading. But with being in high school, you kind of have to read books! I have always struggled with reading. I have trouble paying attention, it makes me extremely tired, and I usually can’t remember what I just read. I was in the library one day, and I came across this book called “Chopsticks” by Jessica Anthony. This book appealed to me because there are very little words. It is basically a picture book for adults! It is a wonderful love/comedy/drama story. The book appealed to me because it looked very interesting and original and fun to read. And it definitely was all of those things! This book is for sure something that you will want to read. It is amazing.
“Chopsticks” was one of the most interesting and twisted books I have ever read. It is all about this girl who falls in love. But there is nobody out there who supports her feelings for this boy. Fact of the matter is that there is a terrible and life changing secret about this boy. Everybody knows this secret except for her. Read this book to find out if the secret is real, what the secret is, and if the girl ever realizes it. I can promise you that you will be shocked!
In my experience as a reader, I just could not out this amazing book down! There were amazing love scenes. In these scenes, you really got to feel the emotions that the characters were feeling. There were amazing drama scenes. In these scenes you got to feel like you were there, actually in the book. There was also an extraordinary twist at the end of the story. In this part of the book, you felt all of the emotions that each character would have felt in real life. All of these scenes in the book were extremely important to the ending. And they were portrayed as important while they were being told.
If you like mysteries, drama, or love stories, you will absolutely fall in love with this amazing book! This is definitely a book for creative people who want to read, but have trouble doing so. My reaction to this book was so real and honest; I don’t think there has ever been any book that has captured me into the story as much as “Chopsticks” did. This book is truly the best book a teenager can read.
(less)

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Mar 13, 2013 Miss Clara rated it 2 of 5 stars

pictures! Before I would have appreciated such wondrous way to tell a story. What a bore to read words and phrases and sentences and paragraphs and chapters!

Pictures! When I was young, it's what I want to see in a magazine, a book, an article, etc.

However, much to the process of growing up, I found myself looking forward to more letters than images. So I'll clear up the air: I did not expects pictures! Well sure, it tells a hundred different stories, however, this one is only telling one! I'm s...more pictures! Before I would have appreciated such wondrous way to tell a story. What a bore to read words and phrases and sentences and paragraphs and chapters!

Pictures! When I was young, it's what I want to see in a magazine, a book, an article, etc.

However, much to the process of growing up, I found myself looking forward to more letters than images. So I'll clear up the air: I did not expects pictures! Well sure, it tells a hundred different stories, however, this one is only telling one! I'm sorry for being bitter about this. I just wasn't...... let's just say I'm a wordy reader.

Anyway, putting that aside, it was a maddening interpretation. To the life of me, it wasn't hard to understand it but one should always doubt one's understanding about images.

So, we have Glory, the most amazing pianist, shall I say in the whole wide world! But life isn't a silver platter. So life gave her the death of her mother. Because I cannot see the words, and the pictures are of a grave and the last Christmas with her, I couldn't feel it. But as we follow on, Glory's pain is magnified a thousand fold especially when she found a frustrated artist to lean on and just to be separated from him after all.

We see an overprotective father; a father devoted to his daughter after the death of his wife; A father who hated Frank because he was no good for Glory, because his only 'A' grade started with the letter 'A'.

Now Frank is the Argentinian boy who didn't like his new place. He was bullied, he didn't like sports, he was homesick. But he found happiness in Glory.

When Glory went away for some tour... He was suffering. Pictures and pictures and texts and texts of evidences of his lonesome life with her gone. And with her gone he didn't find school as important as before. Okay so he never did; but this time around, he didn't care.

Teens. If only you could see me smirk. However, I do know that some teens have it hard. Being bullied is not a small thing. To be expected to do something exemplary is no small thing either. You see them both to be happy together; so much love and fresh romance. But at the same time they have the power to destroy one another. For Glory, its the damn Chopsticks. That song was their theme song. Henceforth, the title.

2 stars just because. Just because. It's not bad. really it's not. I recommend people to see it. To read it. To be amazed of the artistic way of telling a story.

It's just not for me. (less)

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Mar 11, 2013 David Schaafsma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gn-wordless

A story of romance and madness told almost exclusively through photographs, though there are some text/IM message exchanges, and some newspaper articles to help with the plot, which is pretty thin, spare, though intriguingly so. Lovely images, so it comes off as romantic, but we never know what really happens... indeed we never know what happens at all, for reasons that would require spoilers to speculate.. I picked this up in the YA GN section of my library because Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicke...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Janet Flora rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was curious about this book when I saw it advertised as an app for iPad/iPhone. As a writer, the changing scape of publishing is curious to me, so when I saw the book version at my library I snatched it up. I do want to check out the app someday, but do not have iTechnology (hint to Android developers). I would really like to have the music feature, because it is so central to the story. Also, links and YouTube videos are part of the text, which I am not bothering to check out now. (Screenshot...more I was curious about this book when I saw it advertised as an app for iPad/iPhone. As a writer, the changing scape of publishing is curious to me, so when I saw the book version at my library I snatched it up. I do want to check out the app someday, but do not have iTechnology (hint to Android developers). I would really like to have the music feature, because it is so central to the story. Also, links and YouTube videos are part of the text, which I am not bothering to check out now. (Screenshots are included so one may get the gist, but the interactive qualities are obviously the point). I may have lost some of the magic which these features can simulate.

Even without the multimedia aspect, though, this is a sweet yet haunting story. And, yes, there are some words. The story created by Jessica Anthony is touching and disturbing. It is in many ways a typical YA romance. Girl meets boy; boy meets girl; life completely changes. But even in the short time it took me to read and peruse this book, I became attached to the characters and want to know more. Glory Fleming is a world-famous, teenaged pianist, who also battles mental illness, especially since her mother's death. Her close relationship with her widowed father becomes strained as he is also her primary piano teacher and manager. Child prodigies are a creative interest of mine, coupled with a mom's concern for their wellness.

Francisco Mendoza is an artist who has moved from Argentina to attend a prestigious school for boys in NY. He moves next door to Glory and the Life Change begins. The story follows their young love, as well as their personal adolescent struggles. They share a love of music and art, and tell each other all their deepest feelings and thoughts. When they are separated, they struggle not to fall apart. Of course, one wants them to be happy and free to be in love together, but the story is purposefully ambivalent about whether that is either possible or beneficial. Apparently, the ending is being debated in some reading circles. It seems obvious to me what happens, but maybe I am being too literal. (I believe that reader interpretation is one of the most important aspects of literature, though, so have at it, Readers.)

This is not your mother's romance novel. Or even like your own normal YA novels. My young daughter was curious about it, and I compared it to a picture book for teens. But it is obviously more than that. I have always been a fan of books that include epistolary elements, pictures, etc. But most of them also have a lot of text and follow the basic novel formula. What tells this story, as much as the text that is included, is the photography and design under the creative direction of Rodrigo Corral. Some of the pictures are amazing, and I did find myself going back and studying the ephemera and art to explore the story more. One of the app features is to be able to shuffle the pages which sounds both fun and useful.

I think the greatest appeal of CHOPSTICKS, and really any of the books that fall into this new category of multi-media literature, is the accessibility for the latest generation of readers, and anyone who learns best visually. Many people (kids and adults) choose not to read because the words get in the way (sad, I know, but true). For the mass of people who would choose TV over a book, these novels are a gift, and perhaps for educators too, or anyone hoping to stimulate reading comprehension and/or a love of literature. Most of the readers of CHOPSTICKS are, naturally, young adults who will find this book experience familiar to them since it is a lot like watching a movie in book form. I am sure as an app it is even more of a viewing experience than a reading one. While I fear the loss of books, and admit this felt more like looking through a scrapbook than reading a book, I do not think publishing is under dire threat. Rather, Penguin's Razorbill is tapping into the emerging market and creating just another category of literature for us to love.(less)

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Feb 25, 2013 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 566-novels

If you haven't read Chopsticks yet, I'd strongly recommend that you avoid reading this review, and also the back cover of the book. It's an excellent story, best experienced in the dark.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Chopsticks is the sound of being young and the feeling of being in love. If the songs of Alanis Morissette are intellectual intercourse, Chopsticks is visual intercourse. As intimate as a diary and as beautiful as a painting, this avant-garde novel is a story of love, loss, fame, and obsessio...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Bianca rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was an unconventional graphic novel. It told the story of Glory and Frank, two seventeen-year-olds who shared an not-so-usual connection. Glory is a piano prodigy who is so good at piano that she is able to blend different musical pieces into one complete performance, and she toured various countries, wowing people with her musical talent. Frank is an Argentinian boy who moved to the United States in order to live with his father. He enrolls at a prestigious school for boys in New York...more

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Feb 03, 2013 charlotte rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a gorgeously designed book, and worth experiencing solely for that. The "novel" tells the story of Gloria/Glory, a piano prodigy whose life is circumscribed by practicing and pleasing her father/teacher, and Frank, the Argentine boy who moves in next door. But the story comes together through photographs, newspaper articles, instant messages, and other documents that exist in the characters' world -- like a hybrid of graphic novel and collage. Occasionally, lines of the characters' dialo...more This is a gorgeously designed book, and worth experiencing solely for that. The "novel" tells the story of Gloria/Glory, a piano prodigy whose life is circumscribed by practicing and pleasing her father/teacher, and Frank, the Argentine boy who moves in next door. But the story comes together through photographs, newspaper articles, instant messages, and other documents that exist in the characters' world -- like a hybrid of graphic novel and collage. Occasionally, lines of the characters' dialogue are transcribed onto photographs, but there are no paragraphs of text or narrative voice. Instead, the reader feels like a detective, searching for clues in the detritus of Glory's life, a sensation that's heightened by the opening of the story: news reports that the famous pianist has disappeared. From there, we track back to the 18-months prior to the disappearance and learn of her romance with the boy next door and emotional collapse under the pressures of her art and public. Highlighting of newspaper articles throughout suggest that someone is trying to track Glory, marking the significant details, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for the reader to follow.

For as glorious as the design and as absorbing as the unfolding of the tale is, ultimately, the figure of Glory's father remains too shadowy, and the resolution felt cheap. The twist ending isn't much of a twist these days, or maybe I'm just jaded. When we finally understand, via a serious of images, that young Frank was all in Glory's head, we feel cheated. I was at least as invested in what would happen to Frank, struggling to find his place in a new country and new school, as what would happen to Glory. And I suppose there's something interesting and poetic in the idea that a young woman under pressure might externalize "her heart" as a lover she's forbidden to see, but I was too irritated that I'd been drawn into caring about a character who didn't actually exist, to reflect on that symbolism. Furthermore, the revelation makes the narrator not only an absentee but a liar: the images we have seen of Frank all along must necessarily be false for Glory's delusion to be true. This might work if the reader never saw Glory -- i.e., if everything was framed from her perspective and we were in her head -- but the reader obviously sees Glory from outside her head and sees images and objects that she never looks at. Finally, the central mystery of where Glory has gone is solved so simply, in one image of the Want Ads, that it seems ridiculous that we've spent the last hundred pages wondering. If we, the reader, are a detective, we're not a very good one.

But that sounds too discouraging. On the whole, Chopsticks is definitely worth a look for the design and the medium and the lovely images. It will hold your attention, and it will make you care.(less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Roy Gloeckl rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The first impression I got after "reading" this was probably the intended response: Aw, how sweet. That didn't last.

Disney movies are often accused of giving girls unrealistic/unhealthy perspectives on relationships but I have noticed this trend much more in Young Adult literature. This book, especially. The girl is a gifted pianist, she loses her mom, meets a cute neighbor boy, can't focus on her music anymore, dad overreacts to get her to back on track, girl can't play anything but Chopsticks....more

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Jan 10, 2013 Karin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mental-illness, hospitalization, mystery, young-adult-fiction, teenagers, prodigies, pianists, first-love, relationships, relationship-problems, families, death-of-parent-or-parents, father-daughter-relationships, fathers, borrowed-from-the-library, mixed-media

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Glory is a talented teen pianist whose world falls apart when she is consumed by the need to play “Chopsticks” over and over again in endless variations. Her somewhat overbearing father pushes her to perform and eventually Glory breaks and is hospitalized in a special rest home for child prodigy pianists (what?? That’s awfully specific and convenient). She disappears from the rest home and through flashbacks we learn that she was in love with a young man – Frank – originally from Argentina, who...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-literature, graphic-novels, interpersonal-relationships, music, musicians, piano, immigrants, fathers-daughters, parent-child, schools, gifted-persons, mental-illness, mental-institutions, artists, traveling, missing-persons, argentina

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A novel in pictures, this eye-catching "novel" tells the story of two teens who are neighbors. One, Glory, a piano prodigy, lost her mother in an accident and is ruled by her father with an iron fist. Frank moved into the house next door with his family after immigrating from Argentina. He begins attending a private boys school but does not do so great except for art. When Glory and Frank meet it's not long before they fall in love. However, Victor, Glory's father does not like Frank for some re...more

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Dec 24, 2012 jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, graphic-novels, yaf

This is my 100th book of 2012! Whoo hoo!

This book uses unconventional scrapbook-style storytelling to introduce the reader to Glory and Francisco, two talented young artists in love. Glory is a gifted pianist under a lot of pressure; Francisco is struggling at school, where the only class he doesn't fail is Art. It's a common story: teens from different worlds and their love story.

The story is told almost wordlessly, through photographs, illustrations, newspaper clippings and mix cds. It feels...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, read-it-for-the-pictures, school-days, romance

Different from any graphic novel I've read before, Chopsticks tells the unlikely romance of piano prodigy Glory and Argentinian immigrant Frank solely through photographs, with minimal text from letters, IMs, and newspaper articles. The photographs are well composed and beautiful, and absolutely reason alone for picking up this book.

But as you'd expect from a mostly photographic novel, the narrative flow and character development suffer greatly under the restrictions of the format. You could nev...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Lisa Tsuruda rated it 4 of 5 stars

A story told completely through images and various quick, short sentences. This mystery between Glory, a piano prodigy and Frank, an Argentine immigrant was amazing!!! You could not help but be pulled into their love story. We are detectives and can't help but try to piece together what has happened when Glory goes missing from the Golden Hands rest facility. We are thrown into her intense and passionate world that begins to unravel when Frank moves in next door. While on a world tour, she begin...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2012

2.5.

I loved the medium and the deliver, but the story suffers beneath it.

Glory's a piano prodigy and Frank is the new kid in town, moving in next door to her. They fall madly in love with one another, and when Glory spends a year away in Europe to perform, she begins to shatter inside.

It's a story of madness and of romance. The problem is the art doesn't quite convey what it is that causes Glory to melt down. Is it being separated from Frank? Is it pressure from her father to perform? Is it th...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Mae rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: artsy, bittersweet, romance, teen-angst, absurdist-fiction, favorites, psychological-drama, manga-comic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay, so my best friend's birthday this Monday. He's a hipster who can't live a day without a Starbuck's trademark beverage. His favorite author is John Greene, he's also very artistic and creative. He loves probing into the deeper and darker side of things... particularly emotions. Anyways I was flipping through Goodread's book of the year nominations for a great book to give him, and I read the summary for this graphic novel. Did you know? He used to be so passionate about photography. And eve...more Okay, so my best friend's birthday this Monday. He's a hipster who can't live a day without a Starbuck's trademark beverage. His favorite author is John Greene, he's also very artistic and creative. He loves probing into the deeper and darker side of things... particularly emotions. Anyways I was flipping through Goodread's book of the year nominations for a great book to give him, and I read the summary for this graphic novel. Did you know? He used to be so passionate about photography. And even though he's not as interested in the present, he still retains the skills he gained through experience and a bunch of other stuff. And he has detective skills sooooo I thought - wow, this book is the closest match to his interests. It must be a product of photography and mystery splashed with contemporary experimentation.

But now that I said it, it's an insult-compliment to the essence of Chopsticks!

I was going to go to McNally Robinson and purchase the book, but turns out the bookstore is closed on Saturdays - boo! So I decided to read the book if it was available at the library - which it was. YAY! It should be read twice and not skimmed at all. It truly is a complex and stumping work of art and literature entwined. Too many questions are raised, but the words do not take the form of words, but visually. And there are blends of subtle clues and obvious hints. I missed a lot of foreshadowing in the beginning, too. There aren't classic story telling structures going on, but this isn't a work of absurdism either.
Don't be fooled.

There's a lot of substance, so I'll provide my theories here.
Okay, so Chopsticks is the song Gloria played as a kid - present in the beginning. Also related to the memory of her mother. IN FACT, many things Frank (NAME MATTERS!) somehow is connected to Glory's (NAME MATTERS) mother. (Forgot name, shiz.)
Oh, and her father's name is Victor. Like, Victor Frankenstein??? His dreams don't turn out the way he expected? He created a monster and dies in the end with it? He isn't victorious in the end. HAHAHA

Okay, well I can't sum up all the little details of the novel, but it's a puzzle up for interpretation. It's like, you are given so many puzzle pictures, and as you try to fit them all together you end up with a quarter of three different images. And it's up to your imagination to fill each one, and only one is the prettiest and brightest. The rest are beautiful, broken, and portray darker secrets.

In fact, the possibility of Gloria's insanity becomes more evident closer to the end, whereas reality is insane in the middle. And the start? Romantic. Plain and simple. Hmmm :)

And oh man, I love the Neruda references. Neruda! My English teacher claims no poet knows love poetry unless they read Neruda. All right then. And GASP! Slyvia Path's The Bell Jar... wow that passage. I think that was when I started questioning things, because Slyvia Path is not only heavy stuff, Slyvie Path killed herself. Soooo ummmm, in a way, I think Glory might have killed the grip on reality she had. Like the back summary said, Frank (Let's be frank here) IS both her connection and escape from the world. But, what is Frank? A fragment of her imagination steamed from what is left of her mother? Or an actual human being?

Although too many evidence suggests the former theory. But, I think that because I like realistic fiction. For the romantic, it's obvious Frank is real.

Now, will I buy it for my friend? I think I might buy a copy and lend it to him on his b-day at most...(less)

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Nov 17, 2012 Owen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: notable

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, they are worth probably a few million because of the many outstanding pictures in this book. Chopsticks combines amazing photography with emotional storytelling, and the two come together to create an unforgettable book. The main characters in Chopsticks are Glory, a piano prodigy, and Frank, the slightly troubled boy who moves in next door. As their friendship grows, so does their adoration for each other. But that soon becomes ripped...more
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, they are worth probably a few million because of the many outstanding pictures in this book. Chopsticks combines amazing photography with emotional storytelling, and the two come together to create an unforgettable book. The main characters in Chopsticks are Glory, a piano prodigy, and Frank, the slightly troubled boy who moves in next door. As their friendship grows, so does their adoration for each other. But that soon becomes ripped apart, as many forces in the universe try to separate these young lovers. Desperate to be with each other again, both teens rebel and eventually try to sort out their lives and feelings for each other.

I’ll be honest, the only reason I picked up this book was because of the shortness created by the photographs. They make up about 90% of the book and each one takes only a second to examine. But in that second or so, many feelings and emotions cross your mind and overall, a magnificent story is created. I was debating about whether or not I should read it. I knew nothing about it, and the cover screamed sappy teen romance. Speaking of which, my only problem was with the cover photo because there are so many other pictures that would better tell the story of Glory and Frank. The pictures in this book are from different sources and use different materials. You have personal photos, drawings, news photos, etc. Because of the outstanding use of photography in this book, it makes me so inspired to use photography in storytelling. So rarely are visuals used in books that often they tend to stand out. Off of the top of my head I can think of David Levithan’s Every You, Every Me but I’m sure there are many more.

I was just thinking about this: I like the book because it makes me think and kind of emotional, but my experiences are far away enough from this story that it isn't too personal and I kind of appreciate that.

This book is unlike any I have ever read, but so many things about it will remain in my head for a long time. This is one of those books that I wouldn’t usually think about reading, but I’m glad I did as it expanded my willingness to give other genres of literature a chance.

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Nov 08, 2012 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: art-and-artists, music, teen, love-story, piano, scrapbook

A story told in pictures and set up like a scrapbook. Gloria (Glory) is a piano prodigy and Francisco (Frank) is a troubled artist from Argentina. After Glory's mother passes away her father drives her to practice and perform, fine tuning her gift, but when Frank moves in next door Glory's teenage nature is rediscovered and she falls in love with him much to her father's displeasure. What follows is the beauty of young love and the desperation that stenms from trying to protect it from people wh...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Cara Rogers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I had never heard of this book before. I was in the library helping the school librarian reshelf and this book (not in our system) made its appearance. So, out of curiosity from flipping through and seeing the mash up of pictures, she and I sat down to read it.
And it wasn't what I expected.
I was hooked from the beginning. Wondering what's going on with Glory and who this boy is that is captivating her every thought.
I'm a sucker for a love story, and that's what this is.
Glory who is brilliant and...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Sarah by: Kirsty (overflowing library)

Shelves: read-in-2012, 2012-debut-author

Chopsticks is a completely unique and unusual novel and one that I was fascinated by. This isn't your normal kind of book, in fact it's more like looking through someone's scrapbook - it is full of photos, ticket stubs, letters, postcards, newspaper clippings, paintings, sketches and much more. Individually these images would be interesting but arranged the way they are they give a wonderful insight into the life of musical prodigy Glory as she meets Frank and falls in love for the first time.

Wh...more Chopsticks is a completely unique and unusual novel and one that I was fascinated by. This isn't your normal kind of book, in fact it's more like looking through someone's scrapbook - it is full of photos, ticket stubs, letters, postcards, newspaper clippings, paintings, sketches and much more. Individually these images would be interesting but arranged the way they are they give a wonderful insight into the life of musical prodigy Glory as she meets Frank and falls in love for the first time.

What is so clever about the book is the way everything you have read is twisted back on itself by the time you reach the end. I don't want to say much about the story because it is very open to interpretation - I borrowed the book from my friend and we both had very different opinions about what had really happened. I will say that as soon as I finished I started flicking though the book again trying to piece together the clues to work out what was real and what had been Glory's imagination and I am still left with unanswered questions. I know what I've chosen to believe but it's the kind of story that lets you come to your own conclusion.

Chopsticks is an easy read, I finished it in under an hour, but it is one that stays with you a lot longer as you try to figure things out. I love the way this novel was put together, the use of different types of images to tell the story is cleverly done and I would definitely be keen to read any other story the authors write in a similar style. After looking at the Chopsticks website I discovered that this is also available as an app that can be read on your iPhone / iPad and I love the idea of that. It includes links to videos, music & websites and I think it would be a real interactive reading experience. I'm tempted to buy the app just to see how it adds to the feel of the story. I don't read a lot of graphic novels and I have to admit I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy this book when I first picked it up so I'm pleased to be able to say how much fun it was. I'd definitely recommend giving this a try if you're looking for something a bit different.(less)

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Oct 15, 2012 Wyatt Castle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: project-books

A quick summary of this book is, a girl and a boy fall madly in love and the girl is in love with playing Chopsticks. This book is writen in grafic novel style.
This book is one of the most interesting books I have ever read! The way it was written in graphic novel style was so perfect. I couldn’t even imagine it any other way. When I read this book for the first time I honestly disliked it. Not because it was bad but because I thought it was dull and to easy of a read. But after having my frien...more

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