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The Mitochondrial Curiosities of Marcels 1 to 19
Biology is not Dree’s thing. Equally heinous are English, Social Studies, her sister and mother, not to mention Edmonton in general. Toronto is where she belongs – specifically the upcoming Renegade Craft Fair where, finally, her crafts will be appreciated.
Escape is imminent: on her 15th birthday, she will get the special fund her father promised, and the day after that she’ll be on Westjet Flight 233 to Toronto. Instead, her dad has a fatal heart attack, and all she finds are clues leading to the ominous Alberta Psychiatric Hospital where her parents once worked. As Dree tries to unearth a mystery, and to knit herself a passing mark in science, she keeps searching for the money, and for a way to grieve her father.
Told in a fresh, frank voice, The Mitochondrial Curiosities of Marcels 1 to 19 is a wry, adventurous, unflinching look at the trials of teenage life.
Instructions for renegade crafts included.
Escape is imminent: on her 15th birthday, she will get the special fund her father promised, and the day after that she’ll be on Westjet Flight 233 to Toronto. Instead, her dad has a fatal heart attack, and all she finds are clues leading to the ominous Alberta Psychiatric Hospital where her parents once worked. As Dree tries to unearth a mystery, and to knit herself a passing mark in science, she keeps searching for the money, and for a way to grieve her father.
Told in a fresh, frank voice, The Mitochondrial Curiosities of Marcels 1 to 19 is a wry, adventurous, unflinching look at the trials of teenage life.
Instructions for renegade crafts included.
141 pages, Paperback
First published October 14, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 6, 2009
This was such an interesting, funny book; eccentric, artsy Dree makes for a fabulous narrator, and the troubles she gets into, the family - philanthropic and gifted younger sister Paige, deceased father Leonard who loved treasure hunts, Grandma working at a psychiatric hospital - and even the settings, made for an engaging, brilliantly different story.
Only a couple of small things bothered me: It felt like a fairly short novel, but it packs a really interesting plotline, and I think it finished too quickly - sometimes the story rushed along a little quickly and I lost track. The OMGs felt a little bit forced; I think the author would have had the true voice of a teenage girl down pat even without making her say OMG all the time.
Apart from those two small things, I loved how unique this novel was - a father dying is a common enough premise in a teen novel, but with such a fabulous protagonist and intriguing storyline - with hidden secrets, two fires and a slightly odd family - it was totally unlike any other YA novel I've read.
I love the cover - I think it's the first time I've seen a sock puppet on the cover of a teen book. This is the publisher, Coach House's, first YA novel, and I really thing the author has done a brilliant job.
I loved the inclusion of craft projects in the book (some of which you can find on Dree's blog), accompanied by cute illustrations.
There were so many lines I wanted to write down and save for later, so many funny things. I adored Dree's creatures made of baby socks - Marcels 1-19 - and her honest, chatty, sometimes rambling voice made the book.
Overall, I thought this was a lovely novel, that'll really appeal to people with a quirky sense of humour, even if you aren't a fan of crafts.
Only a couple of small things bothered me: It felt like a fairly short novel, but it packs a really interesting plotline, and I think it finished too quickly - sometimes the story rushed along a little quickly and I lost track. The OMGs felt a little bit forced; I think the author would have had the true voice of a teenage girl down pat even without making her say OMG all the time.
Apart from those two small things, I loved how unique this novel was - a father dying is a common enough premise in a teen novel, but with such a fabulous protagonist and intriguing storyline - with hidden secrets, two fires and a slightly odd family - it was totally unlike any other YA novel I've read.
I love the cover - I think it's the first time I've seen a sock puppet on the cover of a teen book. This is the publisher, Coach House's, first YA novel, and I really thing the author has done a brilliant job.
I loved the inclusion of craft projects in the book (some of which you can find on Dree's blog), accompanied by cute illustrations.
There were so many lines I wanted to write down and save for later, so many funny things. I adored Dree's creatures made of baby socks - Marcels 1-19 - and her honest, chatty, sometimes rambling voice made the book.
Overall, I thought this was a lovely novel, that'll really appeal to people with a quirky sense of humour, even if you aren't a fan of crafts.
August 8, 2017
There was a lot going on in this relatively short book. I did feel like the voice of the narrator was authentic, but it grated on me at times. The supporting characters were colourful, but not as well fleshed out as I would have expected given how complex the story ended up being. I am actually from Edmonton, and really felt the city was a character within this story (although I have much different feelings about the city then the narrator does). I wish this story had more space - it felt short and rushed - but at the same time it did come to a natural close. I would recommend the book to someone looking for a YA novel with a quirky, strong protagonist.
July 11, 2017
Very... odd. I didn't love it; I didn't hate it. It felt full of potential, like a first draft, not a finished, published product. I wanted to like it more than I did. I'm left feeling utterly meh about it.
April 2, 2016
Dree's 15th birthday is not at all as she had planned it. Her father had told her he was saving money in a special account for her and she intended to use the funds to fly to Toronto to attend the Renegade Craft Fair. Instead, her father had died suddenly and she was attending her father's memorial pancake breakfast in Edmonton. When Dree decides to search for the special account her father mentioned, she uncovers some pretty big family secrets.
Dree's voice is entertaining throughout her trials. "All of Edmonton is desolation as per usual, like the set of a low-budget apocalypse movie, so low-budget they used old white sheets for both the sky and the ground. [...] So I look up at the trees because trees are a sign of life, the symbol of life, are they not? Dead. I look at dead branches splayed against a milky sky, completely sinister, because it's all about pollution. And I think, as I do in moments of difficulty, about my blog, which features a weekly craft, as in, potentially, crafts for emotional release when you've missed the bus to your father's memorial and the skirt you made for it totally sucks and you've just turned fifteen meaning there could be another fifty of so years to go, and because of the planetary situation, not to mention your own psychological issues and recent crimes, which can't be considered just now, these fifty years will be more painful than even you can imagine. Something simple, I'm thinking. And soft. Maybe with fleece."
It's funny. It's angsty. It contains quirky handicraft instructions. I loved it and now I want one of those sock creatures named Marcel.
Dree's voice is entertaining throughout her trials. "All of Edmonton is desolation as per usual, like the set of a low-budget apocalypse movie, so low-budget they used old white sheets for both the sky and the ground. [...] So I look up at the trees because trees are a sign of life, the symbol of life, are they not? Dead. I look at dead branches splayed against a milky sky, completely sinister, because it's all about pollution. And I think, as I do in moments of difficulty, about my blog, which features a weekly craft, as in, potentially, crafts for emotional release when you've missed the bus to your father's memorial and the skirt you made for it totally sucks and you've just turned fifteen meaning there could be another fifty of so years to go, and because of the planetary situation, not to mention your own psychological issues and recent crimes, which can't be considered just now, these fifty years will be more painful than even you can imagine. Something simple, I'm thinking. And soft. Maybe with fleece."
It's funny. It's angsty. It contains quirky handicraft instructions. I loved it and now I want one of those sock creatures named Marcel.
January 13, 2010
this is a delightful little book that i purchased for the library half because of a good review and half because of the sock puppet on the cover.
the sock puppet turned out to be inaccurate. dree does make little creatures out of socks, but they're baby sock plushies named marcel- not puppets. she's a crafty girl, is dree, who writes her own DIY blog and dreams of moving to toronto to sell her wares. her father, leonard, supported her dream and promised her to set money aside each month in support. but leonard has just died, and there's no fund. dree's attempt to find the money turns into digging up scandals from her father's past & making new friends- all while finishing a project on mitochondria for biology class.
brown's writing is sharp & witty, and i've never met a character quite like dree before. every once in a while, though, brown totally lost me in flashbacks/flash forwards, or i couldn't figure out how dree got from point a to point b. but since she kept me cackling out loud throughout the whole book, i forgive her. give this one a try, you won't be sorry!
the sock puppet turned out to be inaccurate. dree does make little creatures out of socks, but they're baby sock plushies named marcel- not puppets. she's a crafty girl, is dree, who writes her own DIY blog and dreams of moving to toronto to sell her wares. her father, leonard, supported her dream and promised her to set money aside each month in support. but leonard has just died, and there's no fund. dree's attempt to find the money turns into digging up scandals from her father's past & making new friends- all while finishing a project on mitochondria for biology class.
brown's writing is sharp & witty, and i've never met a character quite like dree before. every once in a while, though, brown totally lost me in flashbacks/flash forwards, or i couldn't figure out how dree got from point a to point b. but since she kept me cackling out loud throughout the whole book, i forgive her. give this one a try, you won't be sorry!
May 17, 2012
Dree is a very crafty teen who hates living in Edmonton and wants desperately to move to Toronto. She hates school and has to go to school with her "perfect" sister in the same grade. Her father was going to give her a treasure hunt on her 15th birthday with a true treasure so she could go to Toronto. When he dies suddenly all her plans go up in smoke. But she discovers that there are some family secrets that are just begging to be discovered. She decides to try to find her treasure and figure out what everyone else seems to know while trying not to fail Biology. As she tries to solve the mystery she makes the Marcels out of what she finds around her.
Dree is a quirky character whose family is full of odd characters trying to get by. Her science project on mitochondria is woven into the story - not something that you would expect in a book. It was an interesting book, but it was hard to follow in places.
Dree is a quirky character whose family is full of odd characters trying to get by. Her science project on mitochondria is woven into the story - not something that you would expect in a book. It was an interesting book, but it was hard to follow in places.
July 15, 2013
I loved this one! Refreshing break from the usual teen romantic blathering. I checked out this book because it was not circulating well on my library shelf and it looked interesting and I couldn't just discard it. I wish more teen books were like this--intelligent, interesting, creative, and humorous. Unfortunately you have to actually use your brain, and pay attention, to appreciate this book. I can see certain teens enjoying this one (craft fanatics, children from dysfunctional families, smart funny kids, eg.), but it would not appeal to the masses. They wouldn't get it. Instead they will read the latest supernatural romance (fun, but not challenging), and I should just be happy they are reading at all.
June 24, 2011
Dree is a craft-junkie who hates Edmonton and is teen-agedly dysfunctional. When her father dies after promising her a cash birthday gift she could have used for tickets to Toronto, she has to deal with the loss and staying in Edmonton with her all-too-perfect younger sister.
I read it in 4 hours as a celebration for finishing my homework. It was unexpectedly fabulous. The title caught me, but the story kept me reading.
I read it in 4 hours as a celebration for finishing my homework. It was unexpectedly fabulous. The title caught me, but the story kept me reading.
June 9, 2013
I forget how I stumbled across this, but it sounded interesting, so I requested it from the library. Also, yay Canadian setting. But apparently even I have a limit for the amount of adolescent angst I can handle in fiction. That, combined with a sense that it wasn't moving quickly enough and wasn't gonzo enough, and a thought that the narrator was implausibly anti-consumerism for her age, are making me shelf this one. It had its interesting moments, but not enough to keep me reading.
February 3, 2010
Cute and enjoyable, if not too deep. Every character mentioned has some role to play in the drama, of course. But I loved the excerpts from the narrator's craft blog and it was cute and felt like an accurate voice. Plus it's Canadian and who doesn't love that?
June 17, 2009
I liked this a lot. Quirky, but not to over the top.
May 26, 2015
Really wasn't as into it as I hoped to be. I wanted to like it more than I did
July 25, 2012
Odd, yet very funny and touching story. Somewhat confusing, but perhaps that's in line with the feelings of this teen.
April 28, 2016
i liked this book. i don't usually peruse the YA section, but this book's cover captured my attention and i thought, why not?
October 11, 2016
Slow start, but once the mystery kicked in a bit more this was really cute. And now I feel like a treasure hunt.
January 29, 2010
Very intriguing narrator. Fast paced and funky.
August 10, 2011
A great, quirky YA novel. A nice spin on the 'mystery-solving teen' genre.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews