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Girl in Shades: A Novel
by
Allison Baggio (Goodreads Author)
Sweetly funny and deeply perceptive, this novel follows eleven-year-old Maya Devine's search for her mother, her father, and above all, herself, offering a fresh take on what it means to grow up and discover who you really are. Maya has always seen color around people’s bodies, and can sometimes even hear what’s going on inside their heads. These insights make everyone a b...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
October 1st 2011
by ECW Press
(first published January 1st 2011)
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Maya Devine is eleven years old when her mother Marigold is diagnosed with cervical cancer and decides to forgo all medical treatment in favor of spending her last months in a teepee in the backyard.
When Maya's mother dies, her father, who had been growing more distant as Marigold's illness progressed, abandons Maya in favor of nights with his secretary. Maya lives more or less alone for a year or two, teased at school, and confused by other people, whose thoughts she can sometimes hear - and wh...more
When Maya's mother dies, her father, who had been growing more distant as Marigold's illness progressed, abandons Maya in favor of nights with his secretary. Maya lives more or less alone for a year or two, teased at school, and confused by other people, whose thoughts she can sometimes hear - and wh...more
It's 1985 and eleven-year-old Maya Devine's mother is dying of cancer. That would be bad enough, but her mother also moved into a teepee in the backyard, which has attracted the attention of neighbours and the media. Embarrassed and confused, Maya must not only cope with her mother's illness and her father's failings, she must deal with the school bully, Jackie. Every girl knew a Jackie in grade school, the popular child with all the friends who scorned and ridiculed the other girls who didn't m...more
I loved this book. I really did.
90% of the time, I don’t finish novels. When I pick up a new book, I usually get half way through and then start asking myself – is anything in the second half of this book going to be substantially different than what’s transpired in the first half? And for most books, the answer is no. Once you’ve got half way through, you’ve got the gist of the entire novel and there’s no need to keep reading.
But with Girl in Shades, I found myself caring about Maya (the centr...more
90% of the time, I don’t finish novels. When I pick up a new book, I usually get half way through and then start asking myself – is anything in the second half of this book going to be substantially different than what’s transpired in the first half? And for most books, the answer is no. Once you’ve got half way through, you’ve got the gist of the entire novel and there’s no need to keep reading.
But with Girl in Shades, I found myself caring about Maya (the centr...more
Finding interesting e-books to read is not an easy task on my library's website, and when I do find one I would like to read, it usually has quite a few holds on it already. So I was pleasantly surprised to find Girl in Shades waiting to be found, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it from start to finish. Allison Ballagio did a wonderful job of seamlessly weaving Maya's tale between past and present. Some authors who attempt this end up making a book hard to keep up with, but Ballagio used it in...more
Originally reviewed at Christa's Hooked on Books Christa's Hooked on Books
I love when I get wowed by Canadian fiction, especially Canadian fiction from an indie press. There is some great stuff out there folks! Don't let it pass you by!
To be quiet honest for the first quarter I had hard time really getting into this story. This is partially because the opening is a bit slow, but it was probably of combination of things, including that I started this book right in the middle of NaNoWriMo. Don't d...more
I love when I get wowed by Canadian fiction, especially Canadian fiction from an indie press. There is some great stuff out there folks! Don't let it pass you by!
To be quiet honest for the first quarter I had hard time really getting into this story. This is partially because the opening is a bit slow, but it was probably of combination of things, including that I started this book right in the middle of NaNoWriMo. Don't d...more
Originally posted at All I Ever Read
I’ve been slacking a bit. I originally read Girl in Shades back in October 2011, and should have written my review then. The problem was that I just couldn’t put my thoughts into words. Well I sat down and read it a second time hoping that it would finally help me get the words out. So here goes nothing.
After two reads in a period of 4 months, there are no words I can use to adequately describe my love for Girl in Shades by Allison Baggio. Really, I am serious...more
I’ve been slacking a bit. I originally read Girl in Shades back in October 2011, and should have written my review then. The problem was that I just couldn’t put my thoughts into words. Well I sat down and read it a second time hoping that it would finally help me get the words out. So here goes nothing.
After two reads in a period of 4 months, there are no words I can use to adequately describe my love for Girl in Shades by Allison Baggio. Really, I am serious...more
Standing by her dying mother's bedside, Maya hears the words inside her mother's head, "It hardly hurts anymore" and while she is pleased her mother is no longer in pain, for Maya the agony of her death seems overwhelming.
At eleven Maya is a bright, mature and resourceful girl who has learnt to adapt to the dysfunctional rhythms of her family. Maya's father is largely emotionally absent even when he is at home but she adores her mother despite Marigold's sometimes bizarre behaviour and frequent...more
At eleven Maya is a bright, mature and resourceful girl who has learnt to adapt to the dysfunctional rhythms of her family. Maya's father is largely emotionally absent even when he is at home but she adores her mother despite Marigold's sometimes bizarre behaviour and frequent...more
Although I thought this book was a little strange at first, I ended up enjoying it. A young girl struggles to cope with the impending death of her mother who is dying from a terminal illness. She also discovers a secret about her past that sends her on a journey to find out more about herself and the person she wants to become someday. The book was well-written and the characters believable.
This is a wonderful first novel from Allison. I was left wanting to know more about the main character; especially what she did with her adult life. I sincerely hope that Allison is planning a sequel. The writing style is reminiscent of Anita Shreve's writing which, in my opinion, is putting Allison in a well deserved upper echelon of writers.
I have to admit I'm a sucker for coming of age stories, but this one is a bit different. It's a bit edgy with lots of tender moments.
I loved it!
I loved it!
wonderfully written story about a young girl discovering where she fits.
This is one of those books that you can't wait to share with your friends.
Great job on this debut novel! It was reminiscent of the journey of the Joy Luck Club, and towards the end, it brought me back to The Outsiders. A good example of a bildungsroman!
Jul 08, 2012
Cheryl
added it
This was an excellent read - detailed and thought provoking. I loved the end!!
Although this book is seen through the eyes of an eleven year old it has a mature quality. You go through the death of her Mother and an emotional roller coaster that ends in forgiveness. A coming of age story that captures honest feelings and circumstances. This is an awesome book and an awesome new Canadian author. I won this book here on goodreads.
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What can I say, I gave this story seven and a half years of my life... how can I possibly be objective?
1 like · like · see review
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Allison Baggio has an Honours B.A. in English and Mass Communications from York University. She is also a graduate of the Humber School for Writers Correspondence Program in Creative Writing, where she worked on Girl in Shades with celebrated author, Shaena Lambert.
She currently resides in Whitby, Ontario and works as a freelance fundraising copywriter for non-profit organizations.
Allison has ha...more
More about Allison Baggio...
She currently resides in Whitby, Ontario and works as a freelance fundraising copywriter for non-profit organizations.
Allison has ha...more
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