Auch,
M.J. One + One = Blue. Macmillan/ Henry
Holt 2013 268p ISBN 978-0-8050-9405-3
ms Hardback VG-BN
Realistic fiction
Seventh-grader Basil feels isolated
because he mentally associates numbers with unique colors. He has no idea that anyone else experiences
numbers this way until he meets Tenzie, a brassy newcomer to his neighborhood
and school. Tenzie also sees numbers as
colors, and together they form a tentative friendship as they learn about
synesthesia. The descriptions of the
condition ring true, possibly because Auch also experiences synesthesia.
Readers will find that synesthesia only serves as a device to motivate the bond
between the characters. The focus is
ultimately on Basil’s journey to come to terms with his relationship with his mother.
Basil’s relationship with his grandmother is warmly affectionate. She has been his primary friend and mentor for many years, homeschooling Basil when synesthesia complicated his public school experience, and filling in for his absent mother Carly. Basil believes that Carly abandoned him as a small child to pursue her dream of becoming a movie star in Hollywood. When the prodigal daughter returns, still flighty and somewhat worse for the wear, Basil is forced to re-examine the story of his life. All is not as it seemed.
Heart-hungry Tenzie insinuates herself into Basil’s small family. Basil resents Tenzie’s relationship with his hippy-era grandmother and his estranged, charismatic, but unreliable mother Carly. He refuses to acknowledge that Tenzie, who has two parents pursuing time-consuming, high-profile careers, feels lonely, unwanted, and rejected by her mother and father. When Carly skips town rather than face the fallout from a disastrous stint as director of the youngsters’ school play, Tenzie convinces Basil to run away with her and find Carly. The journey takes a harrowing turn when Carly abandons the Basil and Tenzie in a library hundreds of miles from home, and they must find a way to return on their own.
Well-drawn characters balance an uneven plot and settings. Readers will be drawn to Basil, his eccentric grandmother Carly, and Tenzie. However, promising story lines, such as the expectation that synesthesia will play a greater role in the plot, fade away, and the story rushes in several directions before crashing to a close. Basil’s bedroom and his grandmother’s studio are described in loving detail, while later scenes become increasingly atmospheric and less descriptive. The characters will keep readers engaged until the final page, and while the protagonist, Basil, undergoes change, other characters, such as his grandmother and Tenzie, also come to grips with persistent issues.
Basil’s relationship with his grandmother is warmly affectionate. She has been his primary friend and mentor for many years, homeschooling Basil when synesthesia complicated his public school experience, and filling in for his absent mother Carly. Basil believes that Carly abandoned him as a small child to pursue her dream of becoming a movie star in Hollywood. When the prodigal daughter returns, still flighty and somewhat worse for the wear, Basil is forced to re-examine the story of his life. All is not as it seemed.
Heart-hungry Tenzie insinuates herself into Basil’s small family. Basil resents Tenzie’s relationship with his hippy-era grandmother and his estranged, charismatic, but unreliable mother Carly. He refuses to acknowledge that Tenzie, who has two parents pursuing time-consuming, high-profile careers, feels lonely, unwanted, and rejected by her mother and father. When Carly skips town rather than face the fallout from a disastrous stint as director of the youngsters’ school play, Tenzie convinces Basil to run away with her and find Carly. The journey takes a harrowing turn when Carly abandons the Basil and Tenzie in a library hundreds of miles from home, and they must find a way to return on their own.
Well-drawn characters balance an uneven plot and settings. Readers will be drawn to Basil, his eccentric grandmother Carly, and Tenzie. However, promising story lines, such as the expectation that synesthesia will play a greater role in the plot, fade away, and the story rushes in several directions before crashing to a close. Basil’s bedroom and his grandmother’s studio are described in loving detail, while later scenes become increasingly atmospheric and less descriptive. The characters will keep readers engaged until the final page, and while the protagonist, Basil, undergoes change, other characters, such as his grandmother and Tenzie, also come to grips with persistent issues.
Summary: Twelve-year-old Basil’s rank as class loser may be in jeopardy
after he meets a bossy new girl who, like Basil,
possesses
synesthesia.
Synesthesia-Fiction,
Friendship-Fiction --Hilary
Welliver
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