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Alyzon Whitestarr
Are Alyzon’s new abilities a blessing . . . or a curse?
Alyzon Whitestarr doesn't take after her musically talented father or her nocturnal, artistic mother. In fact, she’s the most normal member of a very eccentric family . . . until the day that an accident leaves her more unique than she ever could have dreamed. Suddenly colors are more vibrant to Alyzon; her memory is flawless; but strangest of all is Alyzon’s sense of smell. Her best friend smells of a comforting sea breeze. She registers her father’s contentment as the sweet scent of caramelized sugar. But why does the cutest guy in school smell so rancid?
With Alyzon’s extrasensory perception comes intrigue and danger, as she becomes aware of the dark secrets and hidden ambitions that threaten her family. In the end, being different might be less of a blessing than a curse....
Alyzon Whitestarr doesn't take after her musically talented father or her nocturnal, artistic mother. In fact, she’s the most normal member of a very eccentric family . . . until the day that an accident leaves her more unique than she ever could have dreamed. Suddenly colors are more vibrant to Alyzon; her memory is flawless; but strangest of all is Alyzon’s sense of smell. Her best friend smells of a comforting sea breeze. She registers her father’s contentment as the sweet scent of caramelized sugar. But why does the cutest guy in school smell so rancid?
With Alyzon’s extrasensory perception comes intrigue and danger, as she becomes aware of the dark secrets and hidden ambitions that threaten her family. In the end, being different might be less of a blessing than a curse....
584 pages, Paperback
First published September 26, 2005
12 people are currently reading
768 people want to read
About the author
Isobelle Carmody
104 books1,738 followersIsobelle Carmody began the first novel of her highly acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles while she was still in high school. The series has established her at the forefront of fantasy writing in Australia.
In addition to her young-adult novels, such as the Obernewtyn Chronicles and Alyzon Whitestarr, Isobelle's published works include several middle-grade fantasies. Her still-unfinished Gateway Trilogy has been favorably compared to The Wizard of Oz and the Chronicles of Narnia. The Little Fur quartet is an eco-fantasy starring a half-elf, half-troll heroine and is fully illustrated by the author herself.
Isobelle's most recent picture book, Magic Night, is a collaboration with illustrator Declan Lee. Originally published in Australia as The Wrong Thing, the book features an ordinary housecat who stumbles upon something otherworldly. Across all her writing, Isobelle shows a talent for balancing the mundane and the fantastic.
Isobelle was the guest of honor at the 2007 Australian National Science Fiction Convention. She has received numerous honors for her writing, including multiple Aurealis Awards and Children's Book Council of Australia Awards.
She currently divides her time between her home on the Great Ocean Road in Australia and her travels abroad with her partner and daughter.
Librarian's note: Penguin Australia is publishing the Obernewtyn Chronicles in six books, and The Stone Key is book five. In the United States and Canada this series is published by Random House in eight books; this Penguin Australia book is split into two parts and published as Wavesong (Book Five) and The Stone Key (Book Six).
In addition to her young-adult novels, such as the Obernewtyn Chronicles and Alyzon Whitestarr, Isobelle's published works include several middle-grade fantasies. Her still-unfinished Gateway Trilogy has been favorably compared to The Wizard of Oz and the Chronicles of Narnia. The Little Fur quartet is an eco-fantasy starring a half-elf, half-troll heroine and is fully illustrated by the author herself.
Isobelle's most recent picture book, Magic Night, is a collaboration with illustrator Declan Lee. Originally published in Australia as The Wrong Thing, the book features an ordinary housecat who stumbles upon something otherworldly. Across all her writing, Isobelle shows a talent for balancing the mundane and the fantastic.
Isobelle was the guest of honor at the 2007 Australian National Science Fiction Convention. She has received numerous honors for her writing, including multiple Aurealis Awards and Children's Book Council of Australia Awards.
She currently divides her time between her home on the Great Ocean Road in Australia and her travels abroad with her partner and daughter.
Librarian's note: Penguin Australia is publishing the Obernewtyn Chronicles in six books, and The Stone Key is book five. In the United States and Canada this series is published by Random House in eight books; this Penguin Australia book is split into two parts and published as Wavesong (Book Five) and The Stone Key (Book Six).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
December 26, 2010
Alyzon Whitestarr started out good. The premise was interesting and I wanted to know the mystery behind the strange ability Alyzon acquired after a bad head injury. But then the story started to drag painfully slow and became absolutely ludicrous by the time it got the mid-latter part. I had to will myself to continue reading just so I could finish this. It didn't help that the book was unnecessarily long. The characters were coming and going to the same places repeatedly without adding much to the story. I sort of liked the lead guy Harrison, who's part Scottish, but I sure didn't like the way the author spelled his dialogue. All those couldnae, didnae, etc. gave me a headache. The story's conclusion wasn't satisfactory either, IMO.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2016
Alyzon Whitestarr
Isobelle Carmody
Publisher: Ford Street Publishing (first published by Penguin Group)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925272185
Reviewer: Tim Harris
One of my favourite things about non-realist fiction is the capacity it gives writers to use fantastical elements to express nebulous, intangible concepts. In Alyzon Whitestarr, Isobelle Carmody does this very well, presenting a nuanced exploration of human nature and our equal capacity for both good and evil through the lens of Alyzon's heightened senses, all the while telling a great, suspenseful story.
The narrative's pacing is spot on. There's always something to keep the pages turning, be it mystery and intrigue, character drama, or thriller-like suspense, but the story never feels unfocused. The prose itself is also very good. It reads well, and the odd combination of Alyzon's practicality (which often leaves her rolling her eyes at the antics of those less firmly grounded in reality) with her often poetic way of thinking provides for both clever lines and great imagery. Carmody's use of symbolism is subtle enough that it doesn't get in the way of the story, without being so subtle as to be wasted.
Carmody does a great job of the balancing act of making her characters both distinctive and complex. The fantastic is again deployed to great effect here, summing up each character's essence in a few images, and most characters also have some quirk that gives readers an easily memorable handle to remember them by. A lesser writer might leave it at that, but Carmody combines this with a depth of characterisation that really brings her characters to life and makes them feel more real. This complexity provides a stark contrast to those characters which Carmody presents as distinctly unreal. These seem uncannily one-dimensional, as if they are more expressions of the metaphysical malaise the narrative centres upon than they are humans.
Alyzon Whitestarr is an extremely enjoyable read. It is rare that a story combines nuance and accessibility so well. I would recommend it for readers aged fourteen and up who aren't afraid to ask difficult questions regarding the human condition.
Isobelle Carmody
Publisher: Ford Street Publishing (first published by Penguin Group)
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925272185
Reviewer: Tim Harris
One of my favourite things about non-realist fiction is the capacity it gives writers to use fantastical elements to express nebulous, intangible concepts. In Alyzon Whitestarr, Isobelle Carmody does this very well, presenting a nuanced exploration of human nature and our equal capacity for both good and evil through the lens of Alyzon's heightened senses, all the while telling a great, suspenseful story.
The narrative's pacing is spot on. There's always something to keep the pages turning, be it mystery and intrigue, character drama, or thriller-like suspense, but the story never feels unfocused. The prose itself is also very good. It reads well, and the odd combination of Alyzon's practicality (which often leaves her rolling her eyes at the antics of those less firmly grounded in reality) with her often poetic way of thinking provides for both clever lines and great imagery. Carmody's use of symbolism is subtle enough that it doesn't get in the way of the story, without being so subtle as to be wasted.
Carmody does a great job of the balancing act of making her characters both distinctive and complex. The fantastic is again deployed to great effect here, summing up each character's essence in a few images, and most characters also have some quirk that gives readers an easily memorable handle to remember them by. A lesser writer might leave it at that, but Carmody combines this with a depth of characterisation that really brings her characters to life and makes them feel more real. This complexity provides a stark contrast to those characters which Carmody presents as distinctly unreal. These seem uncannily one-dimensional, as if they are more expressions of the metaphysical malaise the narrative centres upon than they are humans.
Alyzon Whitestarr is an extremely enjoyable read. It is rare that a story combines nuance and accessibility so well. I would recommend it for readers aged fourteen and up who aren't afraid to ask difficult questions regarding the human condition.
September 21, 2009
This story was captivating for me, and as well as being exciting and fun to read, I thought it had really important underlying questions about the way people interact and how they're motivated, and lamenting a sort of sickness that seems to permeate society. I just love the way that those messages are woven through a story about a girl with extended--almost psychic--senses. Those sorts of stories are usually very introverted and self-centred, so this is the most wonderful portrayal I've seen of powers that allow people to see beyond their own mind, because in this story Alyzon's sudden acquisition of powers actually lead her to learn more about the world and reach into it. I love reading this, again and again and again.
January 14, 2011
This dog doesn't just rely on his sense of smell. He can hear what a total butt people are without bending down to sniff 'em.
Isobelle Carmody's Alyzon Whitestarr was sometimes good, it could have been great if only it had been more balanced where it placed blame, less hysterical in its wrongs and all the rights that I'd never place Scott Baio in charge of (now, if I had teenaged daughters...). Hell, if it at least stuck to its own blood flow (okay, I admit I was thinking it didn't fit with how I see the world. That's what I was really thinking, and what I really mean. I just didn't wanna sound like I'm playing god with my fictional mind people. I totally am!). I liked it. It's an original (I cannot think of another book about quasi mind/aura reading through the power of smells), and yet does what some of the best stories do and sometimes go into the real life and family of the character telling the story (Alyzon). That whole thing about originality needing to be recognizable or no one will, um, recognize it that I've heard a lot. What's the smell equivalent of black and white? If it smells like shit... Covering up your shit in the end with bad perfume, blah blah. I'm sure there are some better cliches that I don't know about.
The idea of reading through smells instead of thoughts is an intriguing one. I don't always articulate my feelings through thoughts, and certainly not all of the time (ahem, and sometimes I'm paranoid that someone is reading my mind). What if the person were thinking of what to make for dinner right before they were going to massively screw you over? It makes more sense that Alyzon would get a better reading of feelings through smells, in that case. Now good/bad person is a murkier issue... I appreciated that it was a sinister quality. This part fits in with my view. That's good.
However, I'm a little disturbed and worried about Alyzon's sister. It is hard to believe that she is going to be able to come back from what she tries to do to her father. The ending is too tidied up for me to swallow. That's where Alyzon's sense of a person through smells breaks down for me. It can't be that easy. How can you really know what is in a person's heart? You still can't use it to predict the future. The light could just as easily switch off again. Take a woman who is going to leave her abusive husband, for example, or a cowed man who is going to stand up for himself in his life and job, only to slink back down again. Also, little sis was a complete bitch to the other senses. Even Pollyanna would have known something was up (even Pollyanna played by Hayley Mills!). (My twin and I loathed Hayley Mills in The Parent Trap. We were expected to sing that "Let's get together" song for the evil adults. What were the teens in this book complaining about?)
Alyzon was an ordinary girl in a family of special people (if you believe that specialness comes from abilities only. I don't). Mama is an artist, daddy is a musician. The other kids in the family take after the parents in their artistic endeavors. Alyzon doesn't. She goes to school, has friends and cares about those people, if she doesn't yet have a sense for what is underneath the skin. One day she goes into a coma and doesn't come out of it for a month. When she awakes, she perceives the world in a different way. It's the same world, only she now has smells to use to put names to what she didn't understand before. Black feelings, secret love, fear and worry, the whole rainbow spectrum of emotions. The rest of the people in her life seem content to ignore it. Not in the assuming "Everybody cares as I do" old Alyzon way, but "It's too hard so I'm not gonna bother" coasting way. The family had to have known something was up with their sister. The scariest insight is into that sister, Serenity. Serenity insists on being called Sybl. Sybl is more of a split personality (like the famous multiple personality lady Sybil), if definitely a concious decision (she probably saw the '70s tv movie Sybil starring Sally Field. Not Without My Daughter was the Sally Field tv movie of choice in my house. Healthier). Make no mistake about it, the mean girl knew exactly what she was doing. She made the choice to set out and destroy anything good in her life, ruthlessly killing "Serenity". Alyzon tries to reach out, but the kiddo has the most fucked up reasoning ever and blames Alyzon for being able to not hate the entire world for what someone else did. It is Alyzon and their father's fault that the Australian government sent their refugee friend back home to certain slaughter. Being a musician, he writes a song about it to convey the feelings of sadness and frustration the best way he can. That wasn't good enough for Sybil/Serenity. So she becomes a terrorist. I've always HATED it that the people I know who preach about the injustices of life seem to always assign themselves the role of informing everyone else about it (the easiest and flashiest role). Sybil did the exact same thing, only she chose the sickest form. She becomes a terrorist and wants to kill their father in a big public concert display. That's still sending a message, giving herself the job of telling everyone else about it. Hating their father for not doing anything else than the telling was insane thinking. That's all I'm saying. Instead of "Poor Sybil" they should've slapped her silly for being such a raging bitch (and that's just for the light stuff).
The fact that she got to the point of being a TERRORIST- and would have killed their father (if Alyzon had not been able to stop her)- was not something the ending could have fixed. If Alyzon smelled something nicer off of her, it was that the choices was taken out of her hands. How did she get to that point in the first place? I don't believe that one incident causes a person to fall off the brink into cruel insanity all by itself. Their willingness to ignore the signs helped, and that they still do it is a bad sign.
Another facet of Alyzon Whitestarr was the evil man behind the curtain, man artist collector, producer, etc. What exactly is a producer, anyway? William Goldman (of The Princess Bride fame) said in his fantastic Adventures in the Screentrade that a producer is the man who buys things (like a story to make into a script), or puts the team together. He's the money. The baddie of 'Whitestarr' is supposedly the producer of the sickest emotions. He feeds off of human despair and then packages it as cd, art, book, whatever. If there was a person with a speck of talent, he sucks them dry and then uses them to spread the seeds of his agenda to the populace (Hey, like Michael Bay!). I'm cynical but I'm not THAT cynical. They make it 'cause people buy it. Now they are pulling a Sybil and placing undue blame on shoulders to avoid addressing their own feelings. This one big bad guy couldn't have purchased the souls of Sybil, their artist friends, tried it on Alyzon's mom once, and then on her father. If they sold out for a chance at success, the choice was theirs.
The problem was placing too much emphasis on artistic talent to begin with. I'm with Alyzon of the beginning: you don't have to contribute a beautiful message to be beautiful. The job is not being the one to tell everyone about it. Live and be good. Fail and try again.
Alyzon's love interest was your typical thrown-in-at-the-last-second-useful-for-exposition-investigation guy from 1990's ya. I kinda miss when the guys did that (research is cool!) and weren't supernatural freaks.
Sequel ideas? She teams up with whatever Wayan was in Senseless. (The best line- the only good line- in that film is when Matthew Lillard had a gay period. "You try watching Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire and not getting conflicted.")
List! (That would have been a good time to say something like "I smell a list coming on..." I suck.)
Super powers for the other senses:
1. Sight. Teen fashion will be a cry for help. "Emulating the '80s? Something is wrong with Susan!"
2. Hearing. Baker act those Justin Bieber fans.
3. Touch. I'll let Scott Baio handle this one.
4. Taste. Too much processed foods? I got nothing.
5. I see dead people.
P.s. The title is really stupid and it is really annoying to remember to spell it Alyzon.
March 17, 2018
I have mixed feelings about this book. Parts of it I loved and parts of it were so frustrating I wanted to tear my hair out. I guessed every plot twist which has never happened before. I wanted to scream at the main character because she would have these profound thoughts then not be able to piece the simplest thing together. It was maddening. I loved the loyalty and the love she had for her friends and her family, but that wasn't enough to make up for the things that just went wrong with the book.
November 7, 2012
Reviewed by Breia "The Brain" Brickey for TeensReadToo.com
Alyzon isn't like the other people in her family. She wasn't born with a special gift, and she thought that she would always be the ordinary one in a family of super-talented people. When she experiences an accident that gives her powers of her own, Alyzon realizes there is more going on than what she initially figured.
Her new power enhances her senses so that colors are more vibrant, her memory is the best it's ever been, and her sense of smell is better than all of her other senses. Excitement and intrigue follow Alyzon as she tries to figure out exactly what her powers can be used for.
Will these changes help or harm her family?
ALYZON WHITESTARR by Isobelle Carmody is one of those books that you will want to reread over and over again, with wonderfully written characters who make you feel like they are part of your own family. Ms. Carmody shows her readers what it's like to be the oddball in the family, but makes it enjoyable every step of the way. Definitely a 5-star read.
Alyzon isn't like the other people in her family. She wasn't born with a special gift, and she thought that she would always be the ordinary one in a family of super-talented people. When she experiences an accident that gives her powers of her own, Alyzon realizes there is more going on than what she initially figured.
Her new power enhances her senses so that colors are more vibrant, her memory is the best it's ever been, and her sense of smell is better than all of her other senses. Excitement and intrigue follow Alyzon as she tries to figure out exactly what her powers can be used for.
Will these changes help or harm her family?
ALYZON WHITESTARR by Isobelle Carmody is one of those books that you will want to reread over and over again, with wonderfully written characters who make you feel like they are part of your own family. Ms. Carmody shows her readers what it's like to be the oddball in the family, but makes it enjoyable every step of the way. Definitely a 5-star read.
October 23, 2007
Alyzon is struck in the head one day and when she wakes up she finds she can smell things - people's thoughts and feelings, and something sinister and foul around the cute boy at school and the man wanting to manage her father's music career.
This is yet another great YA fantasy from my favourite author. If it's not available in your country: complain!!
This is yet another great YA fantasy from my favourite author. If it's not available in your country: complain!!
July 4, 2012
4.5 stars So close to 5 stars, but for a fundamental flaw that I couldn't wrap my head around. Review to come.
August 30, 2016
Still love this book❤️ isobelle carmody is one of my all time favourites her work is unique and special.
did-not-finish
March 5, 2020Alyzon is the only "ordinary"(plain) member of a talented (and pretty) family. There's literally nothing special about her...until the day she gets whacked in the head by the rear door of a hatchback and knocked clean out. When she wakes, she has synesthesia-like symptoms. She can see auras and smell people (but not in the stinky need-to-shower way). But these new abilities are also somehow magical? There is a mystery to solve, of course. And Alyzon, with her abilities, is the only one who can get to the bottom of things.
The premise sounded interesting, but I just couldn't get into it (and I tried). The plot just sort of dragged and jumped and meandered around, and the characters were so abstractly-written (not to mention numerous) it was difficult for me to feel I knew anyone...even Alyzon. Overall, the story seemed a confusing and jumbled mess, like the author herself was trying to figure things out as she wrote. Seemed more a first draft than a final product.
Shelve this one as DNF
The premise sounded interesting, but I just couldn't get into it (and I tried). The plot just sort of dragged and jumped and meandered around, and the characters were so abstractly-written (not to mention numerous) it was difficult for me to feel I knew anyone...even Alyzon. Overall, the story seemed a confusing and jumbled mess, like the author herself was trying to figure things out as she wrote. Seemed more a first draft than a final product.
Shelve this one as DNF
July 6, 2009
This fantasy has an excellent premise. What if all animals, including people, emitted all sorts of information, from emotions to basic messages to the nature of their very essences, that humans can no longer sense? Perhaps early in our evolutionary past, these messages were an essential means of communication, but as we developed complex language and society, we gradually lost the ability to “smell” each other.
After bumping her head, teenaged Alyzon falls into a month-long coma. When she comes out of it, she possesses not only the ability to smell the emotions and essences of people and animals, but also a heightened awareness and understanding of the world that most people don’t. She soon realizes that, although some people “smell” better than others, there are some, including a good-looking classmate, who just smell “wrong.” It’s not long before Alyzon and some new, pleasantly-scented friends are involved in a dangerous battle against a sinister disease-like Wrongness that is bent on infecting as many people as possible in order to warp and darken their souls.
Anyone who has stared at a stranger in a crowd who suddenly turns around and stares back as if tapped on the shoulder knows that humans do seem to possess mysterious and primal senses, so the idea of communicating, both consciously and unconsciously, via hormones/pheremones (or “smells”) that we can no longer consciously sense is both intriguing and logical. I would have been perfectly content for Alyzon to explore her new expanded senses for 500 pages, but apparently some kind of plot was needed – hence the Wrongness disease and the nasty constorium of powerful people and thugs needed to spread it. When Alyzon is affected personally, as when her younger sister moves inexorably toward an angrier, darker state of mind, the plot is compelling, but it veers toward quite unbelievable conspiracy-theory weirdness toward the end. After a last-minute dangerous climax, the story is wrapped up so abruptly that I flipped back and forth to make sure I hadn’t missed any pages.
Alyzon’s steady and sensible, if rather naïve, personality, her large and unique family, and her steadfast friend Gilly (who smells wonderfully of the sea) are some of the many strong elements of this well-written, thought-provoking fantasy. A weak point is the ridiculous cover, depicting a glamorous, glossy-lipsticked girl who looks nothing like the rather ordinary, drab-haired Alyzon. Gilly dresses her up at one point to attend an event incognito – and thus we get the off-putting, sparkly jacket art.
Highly recommended for grades 8 and up.
After bumping her head, teenaged Alyzon falls into a month-long coma. When she comes out of it, she possesses not only the ability to smell the emotions and essences of people and animals, but also a heightened awareness and understanding of the world that most people don’t. She soon realizes that, although some people “smell” better than others, there are some, including a good-looking classmate, who just smell “wrong.” It’s not long before Alyzon and some new, pleasantly-scented friends are involved in a dangerous battle against a sinister disease-like Wrongness that is bent on infecting as many people as possible in order to warp and darken their souls.
Anyone who has stared at a stranger in a crowd who suddenly turns around and stares back as if tapped on the shoulder knows that humans do seem to possess mysterious and primal senses, so the idea of communicating, both consciously and unconsciously, via hormones/pheremones (or “smells”) that we can no longer consciously sense is both intriguing and logical. I would have been perfectly content for Alyzon to explore her new expanded senses for 500 pages, but apparently some kind of plot was needed – hence the Wrongness disease and the nasty constorium of powerful people and thugs needed to spread it. When Alyzon is affected personally, as when her younger sister moves inexorably toward an angrier, darker state of mind, the plot is compelling, but it veers toward quite unbelievable conspiracy-theory weirdness toward the end. After a last-minute dangerous climax, the story is wrapped up so abruptly that I flipped back and forth to make sure I hadn’t missed any pages.
Alyzon’s steady and sensible, if rather naïve, personality, her large and unique family, and her steadfast friend Gilly (who smells wonderfully of the sea) are some of the many strong elements of this well-written, thought-provoking fantasy. A weak point is the ridiculous cover, depicting a glamorous, glossy-lipsticked girl who looks nothing like the rather ordinary, drab-haired Alyzon. Gilly dresses her up at one point to attend an event incognito – and thus we get the off-putting, sparkly jacket art.
Highly recommended for grades 8 and up.
October 5, 2016
Ever wished you had extraordinary hearing, smell or vision? When Alyson Whitestarr wakes up in hospital after being in a coma for a month it takes her some time to realise the overwhelming surge upon her senses are just that. Her six senses are no longer at ordinary levels and her most remarkable skill becomes her ability to smell people’s feelings, their honesty, their essence. She can smell their goodness, their worries and ultimately some of their intent – good and bad.
While at first this daily barrage of extra information upon Alyzon is puzzling and even frightening, on her return to school she realises how much her world has changed. Her first encounter with the handsome Harlan demonstrates this fact, and for the first time ever she wants to run away from her crush. Harlen now smells like rotting meat and is actively chasing her, seeking a date! Alyzon is able to deduce that those people who are associated with a horrific smell are carrying some type of illness that no one else can see… When it appears that members of her own family are at risk Alyzon and her new friends must do everything they can to stop those responsible.
Carmody has captured many of the characters in this story beautifully and I must make special mention of Alyzon’s Da, Macoll - a grounded, talented musician with a warm heart and good soul. The other character I loved was Luke – Alyzon’s baby brother, whose simple goodness and youth was always able to allow Alyzon to block out the overload of her extra perception and bury herself in his innocence. As a secondary text the potential for class discussion is huge – character development and the skilful creation of sub text for literary focuses or links to other curriculum areas such as cults in today’s world are simply a few.
Title or story sound familiar? Alyzon Whitestarr is a re-edition of the original book first released in 2005. Carmody explains the re-print due partly to audience requests to find a copy and the other to human nature. While people have many positive attributes they are also able to display a darker flip side she finds troubling and believes that these opposing views of humanity still have currency a decade after the book’s original release. There is no doubt Alyzon Whitestarr is a story with multiple layers about humanity, good and evil. When the story builds to its peak, page turning becomes impossible to stop!
While at first this daily barrage of extra information upon Alyzon is puzzling and even frightening, on her return to school she realises how much her world has changed. Her first encounter with the handsome Harlan demonstrates this fact, and for the first time ever she wants to run away from her crush. Harlen now smells like rotting meat and is actively chasing her, seeking a date! Alyzon is able to deduce that those people who are associated with a horrific smell are carrying some type of illness that no one else can see… When it appears that members of her own family are at risk Alyzon and her new friends must do everything they can to stop those responsible.
Carmody has captured many of the characters in this story beautifully and I must make special mention of Alyzon’s Da, Macoll - a grounded, talented musician with a warm heart and good soul. The other character I loved was Luke – Alyzon’s baby brother, whose simple goodness and youth was always able to allow Alyzon to block out the overload of her extra perception and bury herself in his innocence. As a secondary text the potential for class discussion is huge – character development and the skilful creation of sub text for literary focuses or links to other curriculum areas such as cults in today’s world are simply a few.
Title or story sound familiar? Alyzon Whitestarr is a re-edition of the original book first released in 2005. Carmody explains the re-print due partly to audience requests to find a copy and the other to human nature. While people have many positive attributes they are also able to display a darker flip side she finds troubling and believes that these opposing views of humanity still have currency a decade after the book’s original release. There is no doubt Alyzon Whitestarr is a story with multiple layers about humanity, good and evil. When the story builds to its peak, page turning becomes impossible to stop!
November 18, 2009
3.5 Stars, read 13-15 November, 2009
Alyzon Whitestarr wakes up from an accident, after a month in a coma, to discover that she can now sense things beyond the ordinary: she can see things better and even hear things better. And most of all, she smells people. Their essences, their fears, their worries, their love, their goodness. And as she tried to adjust to these new-found skills, she realizes that there is something very wrong going on around her. Serenity, her sister who now insists on being called Sybl has something very sinister in her, a handsome boy at school is practically stalking her, an affluent man who "takes an interest" in the affairs of artists in trying to get his claws into her singer/ musician father and Alyzon discovers that there is a sickness in the world, spreading from person to person and it is after her and her family and her friends and it won't stop until there is nothing left.
The story reminded me strongly of Madeleine l'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time and its companion books. Just the way some of the philosophical arguments are tied in and the way that the characters have of being real but simultaneously remote.
It is odd in many ways that I like this story as much as I do. It is very long and at times there is nothing going on. Yet, Carmody contrived to still keep me reading. And a lot of things are not explained and that did really frustrate me. The sickness, the extended senses, Alyzon's dreams - none of them are fully explained or explored. We just have a portion of a greater canvas put before us, unable to the see the breadth and scope of the whole. This is truly a story I would love to see more of, to see if Alyzon, Harrison, and the others are in fact able to fight against the sickness and are they able to defeat it?
Still, even if no sequel were forthcoming, it ends at a place where readers can still be satisfied. Mostly.
But with Isobelle Carmody, a sequel could take ten years and even then the story may well have metastasized so that it will require four more books, all of which may have 5-10 years between them.
Alyzon Whitestarr wakes up from an accident, after a month in a coma, to discover that she can now sense things beyond the ordinary: she can see things better and even hear things better. And most of all, she smells people. Their essences, their fears, their worries, their love, their goodness. And as she tried to adjust to these new-found skills, she realizes that there is something very wrong going on around her. Serenity, her sister who now insists on being called Sybl has something very sinister in her, a handsome boy at school is practically stalking her, an affluent man who "takes an interest" in the affairs of artists in trying to get his claws into her singer/ musician father and Alyzon discovers that there is a sickness in the world, spreading from person to person and it is after her and her family and her friends and it won't stop until there is nothing left.
The story reminded me strongly of Madeleine l'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time and its companion books. Just the way some of the philosophical arguments are tied in and the way that the characters have of being real but simultaneously remote.
It is odd in many ways that I like this story as much as I do. It is very long and at times there is nothing going on. Yet, Carmody contrived to still keep me reading. And a lot of things are not explained and that did really frustrate me. The sickness, the extended senses, Alyzon's dreams - none of them are fully explained or explored. We just have a portion of a greater canvas put before us, unable to the see the breadth and scope of the whole. This is truly a story I would love to see more of, to see if Alyzon, Harrison, and the others are in fact able to fight against the sickness and are they able to defeat it?
Still, even if no sequel were forthcoming, it ends at a place where readers can still be satisfied. Mostly.
But with Isobelle Carmody, a sequel could take ten years and even then the story may well have metastasized so that it will require four more books, all of which may have 5-10 years between them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2011
Alyzon Whitestarr. Where do I start? I guess I should go ahead and deliver the bad news first in a to-the-point list.
Cons:
1) The characters were monotonous; they ended up all having the same amount of view points and being the same person (i.e., not much character diversity.
2)This book was from the view point of a teenager, yet it sounds like it all came from a forty year old woman with nothing better to do that conjure up a steaming pile of crap.
3)The audience it was supposed to be targeting probably was officially disappointed. I've hear many "I don't get this books" and yada yada. Point is, even for a mature teenager this book was most definately off-setting and round about.
4)I could tell the book was supposed to be gripping, yet the urge to set it down and burn it rose up on multiple occasions, and I suppose this is supposed to be thrilling is some sort of sense of suspense, but really? I have seen your product, and it looks like it's origins are a place where humans dump rubbish-no, not the street. The trash.
Pros:
Do you see the dilemma here? I suppose a book revolving around a 'sickness of the soul' would be interesting, if it weren't so poorly written and the 'soul sickness' were kept as something purely figurative. People don't need another excuse as to why they're total asses. Save you're "it's not my fault, it's the darkness within me" bullcrap for church and give us something actually riveting and attention-grabbing. Dark figure after the main character connected to some larger organization recruiting more for evil purposes?
Seen it before.
Come back when there's an original idea you wish to share with the world that matches up with the maturity level of the age group you're targeting-oh, and make sure everything is well-developed. I don't need ten Alyzon Whitestarrs boring a good number of wasted trees up, thank you.
All I can say after surviving this book is, thank God I didn't pay for it and instead used a local library to obtain this trash.
Cons:
1) The characters were monotonous; they ended up all having the same amount of view points and being the same person (i.e., not much character diversity.
2)This book was from the view point of a teenager, yet it sounds like it all came from a forty year old woman with nothing better to do that conjure up a steaming pile of crap.
3)The audience it was supposed to be targeting probably was officially disappointed. I've hear many "I don't get this books" and yada yada. Point is, even for a mature teenager this book was most definately off-setting and round about.
4)I could tell the book was supposed to be gripping, yet the urge to set it down and burn it rose up on multiple occasions, and I suppose this is supposed to be thrilling is some sort of sense of suspense, but really? I have seen your product, and it looks like it's origins are a place where humans dump rubbish-no, not the street. The trash.
Pros:
Do you see the dilemma here? I suppose a book revolving around a 'sickness of the soul' would be interesting, if it weren't so poorly written and the 'soul sickness' were kept as something purely figurative. People don't need another excuse as to why they're total asses. Save you're "it's not my fault, it's the darkness within me" bullcrap for church and give us something actually riveting and attention-grabbing. Dark figure after the main character connected to some larger organization recruiting more for evil purposes?
Seen it before.
Come back when there's an original idea you wish to share with the world that matches up with the maturity level of the age group you're targeting-oh, and make sure everything is well-developed. I don't need ten Alyzon Whitestarrs boring a good number of wasted trees up, thank you.
All I can say after surviving this book is, thank God I didn't pay for it and instead used a local library to obtain this trash.
February 22, 2016
This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.
Alyzon is the most boring member of her family. She isn’t artistic, she doesn’t play an instrument and she doesn’t have any interesting physical features. One day she is hit on the head, and wakes up with her senses overwhelmed by smells, real and dubious. She’s a response to a sickness that takes over spirits, and they’re after her… and her sister.
I forget how much I like this novel every time I put it away on the shelf, and then when I pick it up I just can’t stop reading it. It’s fascinating to think that special extensions of senses are just evolution. Let me evolve that way! I wish I had abilities like this. But I wouldn’t want to be able to smell the rotting meat of infected people.
As always, the characters come alive even from the single perspective of Alyzon. This is helped by the fact that we get all of Alyzon’s extended senses telling us (and her) things that other people wouldn’t notice. I like that there is a varied cast, not everyone is boring and mainstream. This reflects the fact that people are different on the inside, even if you can’t see it.
People on GoodReads seem really divided about it. Some hate it, call it boring and awful. Others love it. I can agree that it is often wordy, but it’s part of the story! How else can Alyzon talk about her extended senses? Perhaps it is people reading it as adults. To me, this is a perfect teenage novel, just as it was when I was younger.
I was inspired to read this again because it’s coming out from Ford Street Publishing this year! And when I spoke to Isobelle Carmody (about 3 times in the space of a week), she said she felt like she hadn’t finished with the world of Alyzon. Never mind that Isobelle tends to not want to let go of any of her characters (uh hum, Obernewtyn).
5 stars from me. Did you really expect anything else?
Alyzon is the most boring member of her family. She isn’t artistic, she doesn’t play an instrument and she doesn’t have any interesting physical features. One day she is hit on the head, and wakes up with her senses overwhelmed by smells, real and dubious. She’s a response to a sickness that takes over spirits, and they’re after her… and her sister.
I forget how much I like this novel every time I put it away on the shelf, and then when I pick it up I just can’t stop reading it. It’s fascinating to think that special extensions of senses are just evolution. Let me evolve that way! I wish I had abilities like this. But I wouldn’t want to be able to smell the rotting meat of infected people.
As always, the characters come alive even from the single perspective of Alyzon. This is helped by the fact that we get all of Alyzon’s extended senses telling us (and her) things that other people wouldn’t notice. I like that there is a varied cast, not everyone is boring and mainstream. This reflects the fact that people are different on the inside, even if you can’t see it.
People on GoodReads seem really divided about it. Some hate it, call it boring and awful. Others love it. I can agree that it is often wordy, but it’s part of the story! How else can Alyzon talk about her extended senses? Perhaps it is people reading it as adults. To me, this is a perfect teenage novel, just as it was when I was younger.
I was inspired to read this again because it’s coming out from Ford Street Publishing this year! And when I spoke to Isobelle Carmody (about 3 times in the space of a week), she said she felt like she hadn’t finished with the world of Alyzon. Never mind that Isobelle tends to not want to let go of any of her characters (uh hum, Obernewtyn).
5 stars from me. Did you really expect anything else?
January 1, 2017
One of my favourite things about non-realist fiction is the capacity it gives writers to use fantastical elements to express nebulous, intangible concepts. In Alyzon Whitestarr, Isobelle Carmody does this very well, presenting a nuanced exploration of human nature and our equal capacity for both good and evil through the lens of Alyzon's heightened senses, all the while telling a great, suspenseful story.
The narrative's pacing is spot on. There's always something to keep the pages turning, be it mystery and intrigue, character drama, or thriller-like suspense, but the story never feels unfocused. The prose itself is also very good. It reads well, and the odd combination of Alyzon's practicality (which often leaves her rolling her eyes at the antics of those less firmly grounded in reality) with her often poetic way of thinking provides for both clever lines and great imagery. Carmody's use of symbolism is subtle enough that it doesn't get in the way of the story, without being so subtle as to be wasted.
Carmody does a great job of the balancing act of making her characters both distinctive and complex. The fantastic is again deployed to great effect here, summing up each character's essence in a few images, and most characters also have some quirk that gives readers an easily memorable handle to remember them by. A lesser writer might leave it at that, but Carmody combines this with a depth of characterisation that really brings her characters to life and makes them feel more real. This complexity provides a stark contrast to those characters which Carmody presents as distinctly unreal. These seem uncannily one-dimensional, as if they are more expressions of the metaphysical malaise the narrative centres upon than they are humans.
Alyzon Whitestarr is an extremely enjoyable read. It is rare that a story combines nuance and accessibility so well. I would recommend it for readers aged fourteen and up who aren't afraid to ask difficult questions regarding the human condition.
Review by Tim Harris
The narrative's pacing is spot on. There's always something to keep the pages turning, be it mystery and intrigue, character drama, or thriller-like suspense, but the story never feels unfocused. The prose itself is also very good. It reads well, and the odd combination of Alyzon's practicality (which often leaves her rolling her eyes at the antics of those less firmly grounded in reality) with her often poetic way of thinking provides for both clever lines and great imagery. Carmody's use of symbolism is subtle enough that it doesn't get in the way of the story, without being so subtle as to be wasted.
Carmody does a great job of the balancing act of making her characters both distinctive and complex. The fantastic is again deployed to great effect here, summing up each character's essence in a few images, and most characters also have some quirk that gives readers an easily memorable handle to remember them by. A lesser writer might leave it at that, but Carmody combines this with a depth of characterisation that really brings her characters to life and makes them feel more real. This complexity provides a stark contrast to those characters which Carmody presents as distinctly unreal. These seem uncannily one-dimensional, as if they are more expressions of the metaphysical malaise the narrative centres upon than they are humans.
Alyzon Whitestarr is an extremely enjoyable read. It is rare that a story combines nuance and accessibility so well. I would recommend it for readers aged fourteen and up who aren't afraid to ask difficult questions regarding the human condition.
Review by Tim Harris
August 26, 2009
Alyzon is the middle child of five, the only "normal" one in her family, she thinks. Her mother is an artist, who only works at night, and sleeps in the day. Her father is a musician; he's the lead singer/guitarist/songwriter for the (practically unknown) band "Losing the Rope", which is just starting to hit it big. All of her siblings seem to have inherited one or the other of her parents' artistic abilities - except for her. Until the day she has an accident that puts her in a coma for a month - and when she wakes up, she discovers her senses are now hyper-acute. Food now tastes exquisite, she can hear sounds several rooms over, and she now has a photographic memory. But most importantly, she can now smell people's moods; her father now smells like popping popcorn when he's happy, and ammonia when he's worried. Her sister Serenity smells like violets and burnt licorice. She makes friends with Gilly at school because she loves the way Gilly smells - just like the seashore. But what's she to do about the cute boy she used to have a crush on, before the accident? Because he's finally starting to show some interest in her, but now she can tell that he smells like something rotten and rancid...
It's a really cute premise, I thought. My only minor quibble, I think, is that it could really have done with some editing. By the 500th page, I was a little tired of it.
It's a really cute premise, I thought. My only minor quibble, I think, is that it could really have done with some editing. By the 500th page, I was a little tired of it.
October 21, 2014
This book starts off pretty slow in some ways, but having finished it, I can honestly say it's worth the long build up.
Alyzon Whitestarr is the "boring" one out of her large family of creatives until an accident sends her into a month-long coma and she awakens with an unusual new talent: the ability to smell people's souls. As she delves deeper into this new ability, she realizes that all of her senses have been heightened to perceive a person's soul essence. And with this new power comes the realization that a sickness of the soul is being spread that may affect those she loves most.
The description of Alyzon's powers as she is exploring them is so innovative. And just the kinds of smells that are assigned to different people's moods--ammonia for her father's anxiety, brown sugar and coffee for his calm; licorice for her sister's angst; the seaside breeze of her friend's warm personality; the rancid meat smell of a questionable character. Isobelle Carmody's concept is beautifully executed and her characters possess a wonderful balance of stranger-than-fiction quirks and realistic presence.
Five-stars, really loved it, read it in pretty much a whole day, so that's telling.
Alyzon Whitestarr is the "boring" one out of her large family of creatives until an accident sends her into a month-long coma and she awakens with an unusual new talent: the ability to smell people's souls. As she delves deeper into this new ability, she realizes that all of her senses have been heightened to perceive a person's soul essence. And with this new power comes the realization that a sickness of the soul is being spread that may affect those she loves most.
The description of Alyzon's powers as she is exploring them is so innovative. And just the kinds of smells that are assigned to different people's moods--ammonia for her father's anxiety, brown sugar and coffee for his calm; licorice for her sister's angst; the seaside breeze of her friend's warm personality; the rancid meat smell of a questionable character. Isobelle Carmody's concept is beautifully executed and her characters possess a wonderful balance of stranger-than-fiction quirks and realistic presence.
Five-stars, really loved it, read it in pretty much a whole day, so that's telling.
January 12, 2020
Disappointing. Started off promising, but I felt that the character, her conversations and her actions did not match up and were not that of a school girl. I liked the idea and probably the first 100 or so pages but thereafter it got a bit weird, sort of like a famous five book,but for teens?! So much seemed improbable and unbelievable, for instance the hot guy who smells bad keeps asking her out and she finds she can’t say no? Even the way the famous five seem to find out facts seems very old school, e.g. knocking on doors, talking to neighbours, whereas a google search would be more realistic? There were also a lot of dinners, and coffees that made them seem like more of a middle age group. I also didn’t like how the book seemed to change tack with Alyson drawing the erroneous conclusion (which is endorsed wholeheartedly by her famous five friends) that people who smell bad have been “infected” with badness by ... well, basically a baddy.
I finished this book but would not recommend it.
I finished this book but would not recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
July 28, 2017Because Cillian says so.
January 30, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. Alyzon Whitestarr is an example of being a book that is for its demographic. It's a beautifully written book about a girl who develops the ability to smell other peoples' emotions and "essences" (souls). It is a young adult fantasy and, while having a simple narrative structure, has the pacing to sustain a very enjoyable ride. If you're looking for a great epic with complex character goals and adult themes, this is not it.
At the heart of it, this is a book about family. Alyzon Whitestarr feels like the mouse among a family of shining stars. Her parents are artists (a musician and a painter) and her siblings all seem to be something special. Once she develops her powers, she discovers the real humanity of the people around her. She also finds a way to help the people she loves.
I found the characters extremely likeable which made it easy for me to want to spend 500 pages with them all. There's also a vague sense of a "superhero" genre, which made it fun.
The book does verge onto darker themes and has a blatant message about the corruption of society, but it treats it all with a pervasive sense of hope so characteristic of stories aimed at a younger audience. Characters like Alyzon's dad, who acts as a healing presence even to people he doesn't know, made this a truly joyful story.
At the heart of it, this is a book about family. Alyzon Whitestarr feels like the mouse among a family of shining stars. Her parents are artists (a musician and a painter) and her siblings all seem to be something special. Once she develops her powers, she discovers the real humanity of the people around her. She also finds a way to help the people she loves.
I found the characters extremely likeable which made it easy for me to want to spend 500 pages with them all. There's also a vague sense of a "superhero" genre, which made it fun.
The book does verge onto darker themes and has a blatant message about the corruption of society, but it treats it all with a pervasive sense of hope so characteristic of stories aimed at a younger audience. Characters like Alyzon's dad, who acts as a healing presence even to people he doesn't know, made this a truly joyful story.
February 19, 2025
I haven't read this book since high school and the pages are yellowing with age. I couldn't remember anything other than the ending with Serenity and the concert and was nervous to reread a book I knew I'd loved so much. Luckily, I still love this book to bits. I think the Whitestarr family are really interesting as is all the philosophical stuff on art and darkness and soul wounds and politics. This was the book that made me realize oh, Isobelle thinks the same things as me, sees the world in the same way. The story is incredibly dark in places for a YA, but I don't think it's unreasonable given the subject matter and given that in many ways this is a companion piece to The Gathering. I loved being part of Alyzon's world and yes, the story takes its time, but I enjoyed that too and feel some of the writing in this is Isobelle's best. The plot ends quite ambiguously and abruptly and it does feel like there could of been a sequel, but at the same time, there's enough closure for this to work as a standalone. An unsettling, creepy, sometimes beautiful novel that I suspect will always stay close to my heart.
July 3, 2018
It takes a very great writer to write something that’s so deeply absorbing, that you’re there during the events. You’re not noticing the pages turning, and it’s like you’ve been transported. You can see what’s happening as clearly as you see the real world.
Isobelle Carmody is such a writer.
Alyzon Whitestarr tells the story of a girl who has an accident, and ends up with extended senses, sort of like synaesthesia. But not only can she smell more than the average person, but she can also smell people’s essences.
But she smells something foul and rotten in some essences, and figures out that there is a sickness – a sickness of the spirit, that occurs when someone is emotionally wounded.
I empathise every much with this book. Not only do I see myself in Alyzon Whitestarr, but in her sister, Serenity, with her boiling volcano of anger. I know what destructive anger is like, I know I have to fight the sickness that’s in me. This book gives me hope, and I love that there’s a realistic character that’s essentially me.
Isobelle Carmody is such a writer.
Alyzon Whitestarr tells the story of a girl who has an accident, and ends up with extended senses, sort of like synaesthesia. But not only can she smell more than the average person, but she can also smell people’s essences.
But she smells something foul and rotten in some essences, and figures out that there is a sickness – a sickness of the spirit, that occurs when someone is emotionally wounded.
I empathise every much with this book. Not only do I see myself in Alyzon Whitestarr, but in her sister, Serenity, with her boiling volcano of anger. I know what destructive anger is like, I know I have to fight the sickness that’s in me. This book gives me hope, and I love that there’s a realistic character that’s essentially me.
May 23, 2021
This book was not what I thought it would be. I was expecting a YA story of teenagers dealing with powers and the usual emotions and perils of becoming a young adult, but it was so much more. It tackled some heavy themes and really made me reflect on why people do bad things. Are they inherently evil? How do people become bad? So many philosophical questions went through my mind reading this and every time I put the book down, it would stay with me.
I think this is one book that will be in my thoughts for a while. I highly recommend this book, as I think it can challenge your thinking. It's dark but it's also full of hope as well.
I think this is one book that will be in my thoughts for a while. I highly recommend this book, as I think it can challenge your thinking. It's dark but it's also full of hope as well.
December 28, 2018
Lovely story but could have been about 100 pages shorter.
December 23, 2019
Very strange. Kind of a cool idea at first, but then it went really weird, as if the author was trying to explain sin & atonement in a new, "non-religious" way.
March 9, 2021
Absolutely beautiful book. Made me nostalgic af for my childhood in Australia with all the references to being in school.
March 24, 2022
amazing story and very strong characters, i remember it being quite a slow book and tricky to read at times but i was about 12 when i read it. definitely want to re-read it.
July 15, 2024
I’m sorry Holly!! I did like it I just didn’t love it :’)
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