Dying to Know You

Chambers, Aidan   Dying to Know You        

Amulet see Abrams, Harry      2012  275p  $16.95      978-1-4197-0165-8       hs/adult    VG      Realistic Fiction

Karl is a moody, confused young suitor who is coping with a deep depression due to the death of his father, with whom he shared an extraordinary bond.  At the request of his girlfriend Fiorella, he writes letters to her fielding questions that she has posed, all designed to bring him out of his shell.  As a victim of dyslexia and a profound inability to express himself, Karl seeks the help of Fiorella’s favorite British author, who not only helps him write the letters, but also helps him through his depression.  Karl is a young man of many talents that unfortunately do not include communication skills, but his intellect shines in less obvious endeavors such as chess, fishing and rugby.  While on a camping trip, Fiorella learns of the deception that Karl and the author have perpetrated on her and breaks off her relationship with Karl, sending him into a tailspin of depression that almost leads him to suicide. 

This story is one of friendship as well as self-discovery, and both protagonists struggle to move forward after devastating blows to their psyches.  (The author who helps Karl has suffered from writer’s block since the death of his wife.)  Both men learn that to survive one must find one's passion, and in Karl’s case, he discovers sculpting.  At the same time Karl has unwittingly provided his new friend the author inspiration for his one true love, which is writing.  The dialogue is unique and the story inspirational.  Aidan Chambers wields a writing style that makes his readers think about life, the value of friendship, and the joy of finding one’s way back from despair to hope.
Errors:  On page 30, “The job neatly lay out … "(If this is dialect, students will not comprehend.)  On page 117, “I went to bed in querulous mood."
Martha Squaresky  Friendship, Romance, Depression